Taryn Skipper couldn’t decide what she wanted to be when she grew up. She graduated with a double bachelors in Philosophy and International studies with a Spanish minor and concentrations in Logic and Russian. Among other pursuits, she has taught languages, martial arts, and music, and she sells commissioned watercolor portraits. When she wrote her first manuscript, she knew she’d found her true passion. She writes for children and adults, and has written and illustrated three picture books. Her debut novel for young adults will be published in 2025, along with a poetry publication in an anthology which will feature her illustration as cover art. She served as President of the Whitney Awards for novels, and on the Storymakers Author Guild Board of Directors. She enjoys contributing to the writing community as a panelist, faculty, and committee member for conferences. When she’s not working on indoor projects, she loves to hike the Colorado mountains with her family.