Teresa Richards writes speculative and contemporary YA fiction, but loves anything that can be
given a unique twist. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, got a degree in Speech Pathology from Brigham Young University, then moved to the east coast and lived outside New York City for fourteen years. Life has thrown her some surprising twists, and now she's settled in Kentucky with her husband and five kids. She divides her time between her own kids, the kids she puts braces on, and her fictional kids.
Teresa's debut novel,
Emerald Bound, was an editor’s pick and book of the month at Long and Short Reviews (LASR). The
sequel, Topaz Reign, received a starred Best Book distinction from LASR,
in addition to being book of the month. Teresa’s first YA contemporary, The Windfall App, received a five-star
Top Pick distinction from Night Owl Reviews. Teresa is a member of SCBWI and
The Storymakers Guild, and serves as a Query Kombat judge. She’s been a panelist at both SOKY and NKYA bookfests, and has taught writing
workshops to elementary through high school kids. She started a Read Local
program for her region, and loves connecting with young writers.
Teresa is represented by Kelly Van Sant of KT Literary. You can connect with her on twitter @BYUtm33, Facebook @AuthorTeresaRichards, and Instagram @authorteresarichards.
A little more about me ...
I've loved to write for as long as I can remember. Through writing I can vent, celebrate, imagine, and create. From my earliest days of writing away a bad day in my journal, to my first novel co-written in a spiral notebook with my best friend in eighth grade, writing has always brought me comfort. I'd write all day long if I could, but I've learned my kids get cranky fast when I forget to feed them. Plus, I like spending time with my husband and friends.
So it's okay that I can't write all the time. Living life means connecting with others, and I know my writing is made better because of the time I spend engaging with other people.
Some fun facts about me:
I grew up in California and I'm a weather snob.
I sing all the time, sometimes without realizing I'm doing so. It drives my family nuts, but they're mostly used to it. When my kids have friends over, however, things get weird.
I love rain, but I hate snow.
My favorite ice cream is Thrifty's Chocolate Malted Crunch (which you can only get in California at the old Thrifty's locations). I would actually fly across the country just to get some, but then my husband would think I was crazy (if he doesn't already).
I play the piano, the organ, and the flute. Writing is my outlet, and the piano is my therapist.
I'm a BYU grad. My degree is in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, but I spent the past decade or so as a stay-home mom to my five kids.
I love to swim and wish I had a lap pool in my house. Or one of those cool treadmill pools the Olympians train in.
I like scented candles but my kids act like they're asphyxiating whenever I light them.
Like most writers, I love to read. I was that kid reading with a flashlight when my parents thought I was asleep. I enjoy books in all genres except horror (I'm a bit of a wimp and can't handle being scared). Some of my all-time favorite books are The Book Thief, If You Could See Me Now, Ella Minnow Pea, These is My Words, Fablehaven, and Confessions of a Shopaholic. My recent favs include Cinder, Splintered, The Night Circus, and The Raven Boys.
I love going for drives by myself and cranking up the music. Imagine Dragons, Bastille, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness are some of my favs. And of course anything by Walk the Moon.
I hate cooking. But I bake (and eat) chocolate chip cookies like a boss.
I don't like wearing black. I need color in my life!!
