Mindy Nichols Wendell writes historical fiction for young readers. She is the author of LIGHT AND AIR (Holiday House, 2024), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2024). Her second novel, CALIFORNIA OR DUST will be released on August 11, 2026. Before beginning her writing career, she taught college-level English for thirty years. She always felt lucky to get paid for doing a job she loved. In 2019, she received the prestigious State University of New York’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Mindy lives in Western New York with her husband Steve, a retired teacher. These days, when she’s not writing or reading or taking long walks in quiet places, Mindy is probably visiting her grandchildren.