Karen Strong is the author of critically acclaimed middle grade novels Just South of Home, which was chosen for several Best of Year lists including Kirkus Reviews Best Books, and Eden’s Everdark, a Junior Library Guild and BCCB Blue Ribbon selection. Karen is the editor of the young adult anthology Cool. Awkward. Black. and a Star Wars contributor featured in From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back and Stories of Jedi and Sith. Her speculative short fiction appears in the award-winning anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn. Born and raised in rural Georgia, Karen is an avid lover of strong coffee, yellow flowers, and night skies. You can visit her online at karen-strong.com.[source](https://www.karen-strong.com/about)