He independently published his novels and short stories under the pen name L.R. From ages 14 to 17, he worked on and finished his first novel ( which he swears will never see the light of day) which allowed him to experiment with long form prose and incorporated his developing interest in science-fiction, horror, and dark fantasy.ĭuring his time at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, Giles decided to pursue writing as a career after reading Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. His passion for storytelling began at a young age with a love of superhero comics ( Spiderman in particular) and the query: “ Could I make up a character? Could I put him in danger and pull him out again?” His first shot at answering these questions was his elementary school's Young Author's Contest. Giles grew up in Hopewell, Virginia and currently resides in Chesapeake, Virginia with his wife. 'Huge, huge names in YA participated.Lamar Giles is an author, speaker, founding member of We Need Diverse Books and serves as a faculty member for Spalding University's MFA program. 'Huge, huge names in YA participated.' -Bustle

'I absolutely love this mix of established and newer talents, and I'm really intrigued and excited by the mixed formats.' -BookRiot Flake, Eric Gansworth, Malindo Lo, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Aminah Mae Safi, Gene Luen Yang, Nicola Yoon All you need is fresh ink.ĪUTHORS INCLUDE: Schuyler Bailar, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Sharon G. It will inspire you to break conventions, bend the rules, and color outside the lines. This collection addresses topics like gentrification, acceptance, untimely death, coming out, and poverty and ranges in genre from contemporary realistic fiction to adventure and romance. Thirteen of the most accomplished YA authors deliver a label-defying anthology that includes ten short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written-whose next chapters are up to you.īecause these stories are meant to be read. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. 'This awesome anthology came together with the fantastic organization We Need Diverse Books, and.combines an all-star cast of talent.' -Paste MagazineĬareful-you are holding fresh ink. All it takes to rewrite the rules is a little fresh ink in this remarkable YA collection from thirteen of the most recognizable diverse authors writing today including Nicola Yoon, Jason Reynolds, Melissa de la Cruz, and many more, and published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books.

Fresh Ink by Lamar Giles