Richelle Mead

Richelle Mead is an American fantasy author born on November 12, 1976, in Michigan. She is best known for the Georgina Kincaid books, the Vampire Academy series, Bloodlines, and the Dark Swan books. Her career belongs to the modern period of fantasy publishing, where series fiction has drawn large audiences across adult, teen, and paranormal fantasy shelves.

Mead’s path to writing full time passed through classrooms, universities, and steady work outside publishing. She earned three degrees: a Bachelor of General Studies from the University of Michigan, a Master of Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Teaching from the University of Washington. She now lives in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Washington.

Her teaching degree led her to become an 8th grade teacher in suburban Seattle, where she taught social studies and English. During that time, she continued writing in her free time. That balance between teaching and writing changed after she sold her first novel, Succubus Blues. She then quit her job to write full time, and her other books quickly followed.

What shaped Mead’s work can be seen in the facts of her education and early career. General studies gave her a broad academic base. Comparative religion placed belief systems, myth, and culture at the center of her graduate work. Teaching English and social studies required close attention to stories, language, history, and young readers. Those experiences formed the background from which she built a career in fantasy fiction.

Recognition came across several corners of popular reading. Thorn Queen received an honorable mention for Best Romantic Fantasy at the 2009 P.E.A.R.L. Awards. In 2010, the Vampire Academy series won Best Teen Series at the Teen Read Awards, and Mead won the Goodreads Choice Award for Goodreads Author. Vampire Academy later won the 2011 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Graphic Novels and Comics. The Fiery Heart won the 2013 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award for YA Protagonist.

Mead’s words continue to matter to readers because they are tied to books people have returned to in large numbers, across series, formats, and awards lists. Her career grew from free-time writing into full-time authorship, and her best-known titles have found readers in fantasy, young adult fantasy and science fiction, paranormal fantasy, and romantic fantasy. That steady connection with readers is the clearest measure of her place among contemporary American fantasy authors.