Author Andrea Custer has been working with teens and tweens for the last several years – first as an Odyssey of the Mind coach, then teaching creative writing to actual middle graders and young adults at the local community center. The remnants of her prior experience as a practicing lawyer can still be seen in the lingering urge to stand up before she answers a question, and a healthy appreciation for the impact a real-life plot twist can have.
Her creative writing journey started with a class at UCLA Extension, which ignited a passion for writing and eventually led to her earning first a Certificate in Creative Writing from the UCLA Writers’ Program, and more recently a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. Known to use five words when one would have sufficed, she mainly writes YA contemporary fiction. Often distracted by the cuteness of her family’s pet chinchillas and their persnickety cats, Andrea divides her time between writing, exploring Los Angeles in search of odd happenings she can use in her novels, and getting lost in the aisles of her local bookstore. Represented by Jennie Kendrick, Red Fox Literary. Find out more at andreacusterwrites.com, RedFoxLiterary.com, or follow her on Facebook at Andrea Custer, Author.