Gina Marinello-Sweeney is the author of The Veritas Chronicles, a YA trilogy. The first book in the series, I Thirst, received the 2013 YATR Literary Award for Best Prologue from Young Adult Teen Readers. Gina has been writing ever since she was a little girl and turned her bedroom into a "library," complete with due date slips and a check-out stamp. As her own stories were "checked out" by family and friends, she dreamed of a day in which her stories would be available in public libraries worldwide. Her dream of publication came true in 2013. Gina is also an avid poet in both the English and Spanish languages. In 2009, she was asked to present some original Spanish poems at an international literature conference in Costa Rica. Although unable to attend this event, a presentation of the poems was well-received at another scholarly event that same year. Graduating summa cum laude, Gina holds credentials in both elementary education and Spanish. In her spare time, she enjoys producing videos, going to the beach, reading, and traveling. Gina lives in southern California, where she is at work on the next volume in The Veritas Chronicles, as well as a short story collection. Visit www.ginamarinellosweeney.com for more information.