Ryan byrnes

I was born to a military family that frequently relocated across the Midwest, turning the prairies of North Dakota, Ohio, and Illinois into a home. Between moves, my siblings and I invented ways to entertain ourselves. I quickly learned an affinity for literature – reading young adult novels and writing short stories. I was part of the Harry Potter generation.

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By my freshman year of high school, my family had settled in St. Louis, where I wrote a young adult fantasy series. All I needed was readers, so I founded a company and self-published the four novels, marketing them locally. I preached the importance of writing to children at young author conferences, writer workshops, book signings, and one-on-one visits.

 

After completing the four young adult novels, I turned my attention to the professional publishing world as a college student. I interned for a publishing company. I worked as a freelancer. I studied creative writing in Ireland. In 2018, my historical fiction novel, Royal Beauty Bright, was acquired by Amphorae Publishing Group.

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Favorite Books: The Grapes of Wrath, Our Souls at Night, The God of Small Things, Swamplandia!, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Interpreter of Maladies

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