Bio

Carol Riggs is the author of clean-read young adult fiction who lives in the beautiful green state of Oregon, USA. She enjoys reading, drawing and painting, embroidering, spending time with her husband, and enjoying music of all kinds. You will usually find her in her writing cave, surrounded by her dragon collection and the characters in her head.

Have I always wanted to write?

Not really, but I love it! I have a BA in Studio Arts, and so I concentrated more on drawing. As a child, I was always doodling faces. I didn't "discover" writing until I was a sophomore in high school. I took another writing class in college. Years later, I joined the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), which was really helpful.

What kind of books do I like to read and write?
Books that have a unique twist. Fantasy, science fiction, some paranormal, magical realism (contemporary with a splash of magic/strangeness), time travel, and so on. I love HARRY POTTER, and the lyrical writing of Maggie Stiefvater with her Celtic-themed faery books LAMENT and BALLAD, as well as THE SCORPIO RACES and THE RAVEN BOYS. Other books I really enjoyed:

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor
THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab
COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT by Vivian Vande Velde (vampire romance WAY before Twilight)
THE FORBIDDEN GAME trilogy by LJ Smith (like Jumanji with paranormal romance!)
THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson
THE GREEN AND THE GRAY by Timothy Zahn (as well as his Star Wars THRAWN trilogy)
DRAGON'S MILK by Susan Fletcher (and 2 companion books)
CINDER by Marissa Meyer
NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman
WHAT'S LEFT OF ME by Kat Zhang

How many novels did I write before I got a book contract?
I wrote 13 novels--as well as a number of short stories and picture books. The first 10 novels were definitely practice, and the first few were quite short, too (around 100-150 pages). I've learned a lot over the years, and I'm still learning. It's like playing a musical instrument...it's very rare when someone produces something brilliant first off. Practice, practice, practice!

What do I like to do when I'm not writing?
Sometimes I draw, paint, quilt, work jigsaw puzzles, go on walks, get together with family, visit the beach, listen to music, and watch movies. Learning embroidery is my latest artistic endeavor.

What did I look like in first grade?
With LOTS less wrinkles. See photo. Don'tcha love the 60's polka dots?

What's my most recent writing project?
My YA steampunk fantasy, THE WORD THIEVES, released August 2022. In general, I enjoy making stuff up; it's my favorite thing to do when I write. 

Any other interesting facts?

Storybook dragon with gossamer wings

I collect dragons! Small ones, big ones, stone ones, pewter ones and glass ones. I don't care what they're made of. I love cutesy dragons and fierce dragons alike. Here are two of my favorites. The storybook dragon sits on my desk and watches me write.

Fierce dragon lamp with glowing orb