Hi! I'm emery.
I'm the author of six novels about teenage girls:
Open Road Summer, The Start of Me & You, When We Collided, The Names They Gave Us, The Map from Here to There, and All That's Left to Say.
I was born in Maryland and lived in Virginia Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, and Columbus all before middle school. I'm a longtime Cincinnatian, and you can usually find me in the bookstores, libraries, and parks.
I live with my family in an old house that has a bookshelf in almost every room.
And the formal third-person bio:
Emery Lord is the author of six contemporary YA books including THE START OF ME & YOU (2015), THE MAP FROM HERE TO THERE, and the Schneider-award-winning WHEN WE COLLIDED (2016). Her books have been published in 10 languages around the world and featured on YALSA and state book lists.
When did you starting writing?
I've always written in some form or another, but I started writing fiction seriously after college. I always thought I'd write grim, minimalist short stories like the ones I loved in school, but age 23 can be weird and hard and lonely. I went right back home, to YA.
How did you get published?
I wrote a draft of a book, revised it (with a critique partner), queried agents, got some rejections, was offered representation, went on submission with my manuscript, got some rejections, went on submission with another manuscript, received offers! (Every comma represents time passing, working late into the night, and self-doubt.)
Who is your agent?
Taylor Martindale Kean of Full Circle Literary.
How did you find your agent?
The old-fashioned way! Slush pile.
And, my most Frequently Asked Question of all: Is there going to be a sequel to The Start of Me & You?
There is! It's called The Map from Here to There, and it's out now! It's about senior year and anxiety and feeling like an unstoppable mess, plowing through mistakes without brakes. It is, like most things I write, about second and third and fourth chances and when to give them and how to take them with grace.
Is there going to be a sequel to OPEN ROAD SUMMER, WHEN WE COLLIDED or THE NAMES THEY GAVE US?
I don't have any plans at this time, but I really, truly appreciate when there is interest! My goal is always to leave my main characters with a win but also a lot of potential- for growth and for joy. I love to hear what readers imagine for the characters because that's real to me- THE END is where you take over. Thanks for going on road trips and to Oakhurst High and to Verona Cove and Camp Daybreak with my motley crews.