About Our Team

Stacy Hawkins Adams is an award-winning author and journalist. She has penned 10 books – nine fiction titles and one nonfiction spiritual devotional book. Her women’s fiction novels feature themes related to issues most women grapple with – personal growth, self-esteem, faith, forgiveness, friendships and family. Her latest book, Finding Home, was released in March 2016. It is the third novel in her Winds of Change series, but is a stand-alone title that does not have to be read in order. Other recent titles include Lead Me Home (recipient of a Publisher’s Weekly starred review); Coming Home (a 2012 Target stores Recommended Read); and The Someday List, an Essence magazine bestseller. Her sole nonfiction book, Who Speaks To Your Heart? gives women practical tips and inspiration on how to connect more deeply with God.

Before becoming an author, Stacy was a newspaper reporter for 14 years, primarily at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. She went on to build a freelance writing career through which she penned articles for national publications such as AARP’s Bulletin, Heart & Soul magazine and Crosswalk.com. She also served as a writing, marketing and community engagement strategist for nonprofits, using her skills to help family, youth-centric and literacy organizations better tell their stories.

Stacy is currently a marketing and communications professional for an independent school and writes an award-winning freelance parenting column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She also provides guidance to aspiring authors through her Focused Writers Membership Community, and by occasionally leading writing workshops and teaching at writers conferences in Richmond and around the nation.

Stacy holds a graduate degree in women’s leadership studies, and often shares messages with corporate, civic and faith-based organizations related to empowerment and leadership, personal growth, and the power of storytelling. She devotes considerable volunteer time to advocating for women and children, leading to recognition in recent years as a YWCA of Richmond “Outstanding Woman of the Year” and a Style Weekly magazine Top 40 honoree. Stacy is a member of the 2015 class of Leadership Metro Richmond and is well-versed in diversity and inclusion issues as a result of that experience and her communications work.

Stacy lives with her family in suburban Richmond, Virginia.

Gigi Amateau’s (founder) first book for young adults, Claiming Georgia Tate, was published by Candlewick Press in 2005. That title was selected as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age and hailed by author Judy Blume: “It’s rare and exciting to discover a talented new writer like Gigi Amateau.” The Wall Street Journal called the book “an ambitious push into the young adult market.”

Gigi is also the author of A Certain Strain of Peculiar, a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year; Chancey of the Maury River, A William Allen White Masters list title for grades 3-5; and Come August, Come Freedom, her first work of historical fiction, which was selected by Bank Street College as a Best Children’s Book of the Year, chosen by the Virginia Library Association as a Jefferson Cup Honor book, and won the Library of Virginia’s People’s Choice Award for Fiction. In 2012, Gigi received a Theresa Pollak Prize for Excellence in the Arts from Richmond Magazine. She was selected the 2017 Pat Asch Social Justice Fellow by YWCA Richmond.

Gigi likes to write about inter-generational relationships and girls who find solace, strength, and inspiration from their faith and in the natural world. A Mississippi native, she grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia and lives in Richmond with her family. Connect with Gigi on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or at www.gigiamateau.com

Meg Medina (founder) is a Cuban-American writer who works in picture books, middle grade, and YA. She is the winner of the 2014 Pura Belpré prize in fiction, the 2013 CYBILS award winner in fiction, and the winner of the 2012 Ezra Jack Keats New Writers Award. Her books are Burn Baby Burn (Candlewick Press 2016) a National Book Award Longlist and a Kirkus Prize finalist; Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (Candlewick Press, 2013), which earned numerous awards and distinctions including being named to Top Ten YALSA Quick Pick, Best Fiction for Young Adults 2013, and Las Américas Highly Commended List; The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind (Candlewick Press, 2012), a Bank Street Best Books of 2012 and finalist in the International Latino Book Awards 2014 ; Tia Isa Wants a Car (Candlewick Press 2011), a Junior Library Selection that was included on numerous lists, including Amelia Bloomer, ALSC Notable Books 2012, and Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Books; and Milagros, Girl from Away (Christy Ottaviano Books: Henry Holt BYR, 2009), which is available in e-book format on Amazon. You can read more about Meg’s books here. 

Meg loves to write about strong girls in tough circumstances. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her family.  Connect with Meg on Twitter, Facebook, or at www.megmedina.com

Amanda Nelson is the Executive Editor of Book Riot. She can usually be found romping along the river in Richmond, Virginia, with her twin boys and foster children. Amanda also serves on the Young Professionals Council of the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood, and puts her former-indie-bookseller skills to use as the co-host of the Get Booked podcast.

Her tweets can be found @ImAmandaNelson.

Staff of the Richmond Public Library, main branch

Our team works closely with the staff of the Richmond Public Library, specifically Jennifer Deuell, Elizabeth Morris, and Patricia Parks in finalizing the selections.