Vivian Vande Velde

Vivian Vande Velde is an American author of speculative fiction for children and young adults, born in Rochester, New York, in 1951. She began writing at twenty-eight, the year her daughter was born, and has since published more than forty novels and short-story collections that blend fantasy, horror, and humor, often subverting fairy-tale conventions, as in The Rumpelstiltskin Problem. Her best-known books include the fantasy-gaming novel Heir Apparent, the vampire comedy Companions of the Night, and the swordswoman adventure Dragon's Bait. Her novel Never Trust a Dead Man won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel in 2000. She remains active in her hometown's literary community, conducting school visits and teaching writing workshops alongside fellow Rochester authors.