Deena Viviani writes fiction and non-fiction for kids, teens, and adults. As a child, she had stories (and opinions) she needed to share, and as a librarian, she is still obsessed with the written word. Her work has been published in Highlights High Five, and Cricket's Muse and Spider magazines as well as 585mag.com. Deena lives in Rochester, NY with her husband and his guitars, daughter and her stuffies, and a collection of books. She is also a member of RACWI, SCBWI, and NYLA (where she has presented three times) who enjoys Muppets, thrifting, and New Wave music. Her debut picture book, WENDELL CALLED ME WEIRD!, illustrated by Olya Seidova, is forthcoming from Clavis Publishing (Spring, 2026). Photo credit: Christopher Mead