Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Encyclopedia
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is an American author of fantasy
and young adult literature
. She was born in Silver Spring, Maryland
and lived most of her life in Concord, Massachusetts
. Her debut novel
, In the Forests of the Night, was published in 1999, when she was just fourteen years old. She has published a new young adult novel every subsequent year since her first and has moved from her family's Sudbury home to a nearby Massachusetts town.
In her early years and as the "teen successor to Anne Rice
", Atwater-Rhodes wrote her first novel at the age of thirteen. At the time, she said she had over a dozen stories in various stages sitting on her shelves.
In middle school, Atwater-Rhodes was being questioned by an English teacher who remembered her older sister when a girl she knew proceeded to brag that Atwater-Rhodes was trying to get a book published. As it turns out the English teacher was also a literary agent and asked to read some of her work and later to represent her.
Two months later, on her fourteenth birthday, Atwater-Rhodes received a phone call telling her that Bantam Doubleday Dell
had accepted her manuscript, White Wine, for publication. Her agent, Tom Hart, said it was "the fastest sale [he] ever had." White Wine would later be published when Atwater-Rhodes was fifteen as In the Forests of the Night
.
Atwater-Rhodes graduated Concord-Carlisle High in 2001, a year early. She completed her junior and senior years in one year. Atwater-Rhodes graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts
with a double-major in English and psychology
. She has considered attending Northwestern University for her MAT. She has in the past said she wants to be a teacher.
On February 26 and 27, 2009, she announced on her blog that she is engaged to her partner of two years, Mandi.
She has been featured in Seventeen
, JUMP* Magazine, Entertainment Weekly
, USA Today
, The New Yorker
, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
and CBS This Morning. Several of her novels have been ALA
Quick Picks for Young Adults; Hawksong was The School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and Voice of Youth Advocates Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Selection.
*Contains: In the Forests of the Night, Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror, and Midnight Predator
**Contains: Hawksong, Snakecharm, Falcondance, Wolfcry, and Wyvernhail
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and young adult literature
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
. She was born in Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
and lived most of her life in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. Her debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
, In the Forests of the Night, was published in 1999, when she was just fourteen years old. She has published a new young adult novel every subsequent year since her first and has moved from her family's Sudbury home to a nearby Massachusetts town.
Biography
Atwaterin 1984 to Susan Atwater-Rhodes, a vice principal of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School and rhodes-interview Kidzworld.com, Interview with Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.] Retrieved on July 22, 2009.In her early years and as the "teen successor to Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
", Atwater-Rhodes wrote her first novel at the age of thirteen. At the time, she said she had over a dozen stories in various stages sitting on her shelves.
In middle school, Atwater-Rhodes was being questioned by an English teacher who remembered her older sister when a girl she knew proceeded to brag that Atwater-Rhodes was trying to get a book published. As it turns out the English teacher was also a literary agent and asked to read some of her work and later to represent her.
Two months later, on her fourteenth birthday, Atwater-Rhodes received a phone call telling her that Bantam Doubleday Dell
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
had accepted her manuscript, White Wine, for publication. Her agent, Tom Hart, said it was "the fastest sale [he] ever had." White Wine would later be published when Atwater-Rhodes was fifteen as In the Forests of the Night
In the Forests of the Night
In the Forests of the Night is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published in 1999. Originally entitled White Wine, she wrote it at the age of 13, and an English teacher helped her to publish it...
.
Atwater-Rhodes graduated Concord-Carlisle High in 2001, a year early. She completed her junior and senior years in one year. Atwater-Rhodes graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
with a double-major in English and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. She has considered attending Northwestern University for her MAT. She has in the past said she wants to be a teacher.
On February 26 and 27, 2009, she announced on her blog that she is engaged to her partner of two years, Mandi.
She has been featured in Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
, JUMP* Magazine, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
and CBS This Morning. Several of her novels have been ALA
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
Quick Picks for Young Adults; Hawksong was The School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and Voice of Youth Advocates Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Selection.
Website
Atwater-Rhodes operates, codes, and participates actively in her own website, Nyeusigrube.com. The name translates in the language of her characters as "Den of Shadows." The site has a large collection of information on her world, characters, books, a blog she updates, and a message board with over 2,600 users and 12,700 articles (December 2010).Common Themes and Traits
- The books often have misunderstood, quiet, lonesome protagonists who often have supernatural abilities along with a tough exterior and interior. (Demon in My ViewDemon in My ViewDemon in My View is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published in 2000. Originally entitled Bitter Life, it was published when the author was 16. It is the follow-up to In the Forests of the Night, which she wrote at the age of 13...
, Midnight PredatorMidnight PredatorMidnight Predator is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2002 when the author was 18. The novel was an ALA Quick Pick and “a must-read” according to School Library Journal, who also wrote that “the plot and characters are so skillfully intertwined that each one moves the...
, Persistence of Memory)
- The protagonists are usually not pristine and clean of all evil traits. They usually have had difficult or unpredictable pasts. (Demon in My ViewDemon in My ViewDemon in My View is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published in 2000. Originally entitled Bitter Life, it was published when the author was 16. It is the follow-up to In the Forests of the Night, which she wrote at the age of 13...
, Midnight PredatorMidnight PredatorMidnight Predator is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2002 when the author was 18. The novel was an ALA Quick Pick and “a must-read” according to School Library Journal, who also wrote that “the plot and characters are so skillfully intertwined that each one moves the...
, FalcondanceFalcondanceFalcondance is the third book in The Kiesha'ra Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.Falcondance is narrated by Nicias Silvermead, a nineteen-year-old peregrine falcon raised in Wyvern's Court. Danica and Zane's dream of creating Wyvern's Court has come true...
, WolfcryWolfcryWolfcry is the fourth installment of the Kiesha'ra Series by American author Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. The book is narrated by Oliza Shardae Cobriana, a fictional character who is the daughter of Zane Cobriana, a cobra shapeshifter, and Danica Shardae, a hawk shapeshifter...
, WyvernhailWyvernhailWyvernhail is the fifth book in The Kiesha'ra Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. The preceding Four books in order are: Hawksong, Snakecharm, Falcondance, and Wolfcry...
)
- The antagonists are often extremely violent, politically powerful, possess supernatural powers, think highly of themselves, and have "short fuses." A prime example of this would be Jeshickah from Midnight PredatorMidnight PredatorMidnight Predator is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2002 when the author was 18. The novel was an ALA Quick Pick and “a must-read” according to School Library Journal, who also wrote that “the plot and characters are so skillfully intertwined that each one moves the...
or Fala from Demon in My ViewDemon in My ViewDemon in My View is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published in 2000. Originally entitled Bitter Life, it was published when the author was 16. It is the follow-up to In the Forests of the Night, which she wrote at the age of 13...
.
- Atwater-Rhodes often describes architecture and art in her work. (WolfcryWolfcryWolfcry is the fourth installment of the Kiesha'ra Series by American author Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. The book is narrated by Oliza Shardae Cobriana, a fictional character who is the daughter of Zane Cobriana, a cobra shapeshifter, and Danica Shardae, a hawk shapeshifter...
, Persistence of Memory)
- Characters are often nonchalant about death and usually end up in a complicated romance by the story's end. (Demon in My ViewDemon in My ViewDemon in My View is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published in 2000. Originally entitled Bitter Life, it was published when the author was 16. It is the follow-up to In the Forests of the Night, which she wrote at the age of 13...
, Shattered MirrorShattered MirrorShattered Mirror is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2001 when the author was 17. W. B. Yeats’ poem "The Two Trees", which references broken glass, appears in the beginning of the book, and is the inspiration for the title...
, HawksongHawksongHawksong is the first in a five book series of young adult fantasy shapeshifter novels called The Kiesha'ra Series. It was written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and published in 2003 when the author was 19. Hawksong is Atwater-Rhodes' most critically successful novel to date.Narrated by Danica Shardae,...
, FalcondanceFalcondanceFalcondance is the third book in The Kiesha'ra Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.Falcondance is narrated by Nicias Silvermead, a nineteen-year-old peregrine falcon raised in Wyvern's Court. Danica and Zane's dream of creating Wyvern's Court has come true...
, WolfcryWolfcryWolfcry is the fourth installment of the Kiesha'ra Series by American author Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. The book is narrated by Oliza Shardae Cobriana, a fictional character who is the daughter of Zane Cobriana, a cobra shapeshifter, and Danica Shardae, a hawk shapeshifter...
, Persistence of Memory)
Den of Shadows
- 1999 In the Forests of the NightIn the Forests of the NightIn the Forests of the Night is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published in 1999. Originally entitled White Wine, she wrote it at the age of 13, and an English teacher helped her to publish it...
- 2000 Demon in My ViewDemon in My ViewDemon in My View is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and published in 2000. Originally entitled Bitter Life, it was published when the author was 16. It is the follow-up to In the Forests of the Night, which she wrote at the age of 13...
- 2001 Shattered MirrorShattered MirrorShattered Mirror is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2001 when the author was 17. W. B. Yeats’ poem "The Two Trees", which references broken glass, appears in the beginning of the book, and is the inspiration for the title...
- 2002 Midnight PredatorMidnight PredatorMidnight Predator is a vampire novel written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published in 2002 when the author was 18. The novel was an ALA Quick Pick and “a must-read” according to School Library Journal, who also wrote that “the plot and characters are so skillfully intertwined that each one moves the...
- 2008 Persistence of Memory
- 2010 Token of Darkness
- 2011 All Just Glass
The Kiesha'ra Series
- 2003 HawksongHawksongHawksong is the first in a five book series of young adult fantasy shapeshifter novels called The Kiesha'ra Series. It was written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and published in 2003 when the author was 19. Hawksong is Atwater-Rhodes' most critically successful novel to date.Narrated by Danica Shardae,...
- 2004 SnakecharmSnakecharmSnakecharm is the second book in The Kiesha'ra Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It is narrated by Zane Cobriana, Diente of the serpiente people and alistair to Danica Shardae, Tuuli Thea of the avians...
- 2005 FalcondanceFalcondanceFalcondance is the third book in The Kiesha'ra Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.Falcondance is narrated by Nicias Silvermead, a nineteen-year-old peregrine falcon raised in Wyvern's Court. Danica and Zane's dream of creating Wyvern's Court has come true...
- 2006 WolfcryWolfcryWolfcry is the fourth installment of the Kiesha'ra Series by American author Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. The book is narrated by Oliza Shardae Cobriana, a fictional character who is the daughter of Zane Cobriana, a cobra shapeshifter, and Danica Shardae, a hawk shapeshifter...
- 2007 WyvernhailWyvernhailWyvernhail is the fifth book in The Kiesha'ra Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. The preceding Four books in order are: Hawksong, Snakecharm, Falcondance, and Wolfcry...
Compilations
- 2009 The Den of Shadows Quartet*
- 2010 The Shapeshifters: The Kiesha'ra of the Den of Shadows**
*Contains: In the Forests of the Night, Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror, and Midnight Predator
**Contains: Hawksong, Snakecharm, Falcondance, Wolfcry, and Wyvernhail