We had the best time going deep and chatting with the magical human that is debut Author: THE Loretta Chefchaouni!

We can't wait for you to join us as we talk about persistence in publishing, found family, and grieving living parents.

But first, here's more about Loretta!

Loretta Chefchaouni is a former early childhood educator from Florida who writes for teens. Her fantastical tales turn grief and fear into myth and monsters and explore all the scary parts of being human within the safe space of stories. Her work has placed in contests such as The Blue Pencil Novel Award and Voyage YA’s First Chapter Contest. She is an alum of the Pitch Wars mentorship program and the Highlights Foundation’s Muslim Storyteller Fellowship. The mother of mixed-race young adults, she is committed to seeing more authentic Muslim representation on the shelves. The Lustrous Dark is her debut novel, the first book in a YA fantasy duology and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, coming May 19, 2026. Her short story, The Little Sister, is included in the anthology A Thousand Nights, coming Sept. 8, 2026.

Find Loretta: https://lorechefwrites.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lorechefwrites/