About Me
Raised in a town so small it lacked a stop light, there was little for Anna Shinoda to do except climb trees, go on hikes and read books. Reading books led to writing books, and by the fourth grade, Anna had her first book bound through the Young Authors program. In middle school and high school, she concentrated her writing skills on reporting the news to her schoolmates as the editor for her high school paper. Upon graduation, she was awarded several scholarships on the merit of her writing and pursued a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies at Long Beach State. Anna worked in music Public Relations for several years after college and eventually discovered a love of writing for children.
Determined to continually develop her writing skills, Anna has taken many classes through UCLA Extension and as a member of SCBWI has attended several Conferences. Completed manuscripts for editorial consideration include two nominations for the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award: a chapter book nominated in 2004, and a young adult novel nominated in 2006.
Her first young adult novel, Learning Not To Drown, is scheduled for release in Spring 2014, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Anna writes to promote healing in children, whether it is taming a fear of the dark, confronting the unknown, discovering how to make new friends, or facing a difficult truth.
Anna married musician Mike Shinoda in 2003, and she has no shortage of kids to be inspired by, thanks to her children and nieces and nephews. Adventures in Asia, Brazil, Australia, Europe, and throughout the United States inspire her stories, as do her pet dogs and animals in her backyard. Mixing her experiences as an adult with her memories of her own childhood, Anna Shinoda has many stories to tell.
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Raised in a small town and then moved to LA. Sounds like lots of different experiences to draw from. :]