Biography
Valerie Biel’s debut novel Circle of Nine – Beltany was honored as a Kindle Book Award Finalist, a finalist in the Gotham Writers' YA Novel Discovery Contest and the Readers' Favorite Book Award Contest as well as being a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. The final installment in this series - Circle of Nine: Sacred Treasures - has also received a B.R.A.G. Medallion and was short listed for the Eric Hoffer Book Award grand prize, earning the First Runner-Up distinction in the YA category. In addition to the young adult stories in the Circle of Nine World, she has also authored three middle-grade novels. Her shorter works have earned first place honors in flash fiction, young adult, and the Wisconsin Regional Art Project categories at both the Lakefly Writers Conference and the University of Wisconsin Writers' Institute.
When she’s not writing, she’s working on freelance publicity projects and assisting other authors through her business Lost Lake Press or teaching about writing topics at conferences, libraries, and schools. You can access her online courses for writers through her Author Pro Course catalog. She is also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
When Valerie’s away from the computer, you might find her wrangling her overgrown garden, traveling the world, and reading everything she can get her hands on. Once upon a time, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and political science. Now, she lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband and occasionally an adult child or two and dreams regularly of a beautiful cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write and write.
In the news . . .
Columbus Journal “Local Author Valerie Biel Earns Book Award Distinction”
Columbus Journal “Coming Full Circle: Local Author Completes Trilogy with ‘Circle of Nine Sacred Treasures’”
Columbus Journal “Author Valerie Biel Will Teach Teens, Tweens How to Write Novels"
Columbus Journal “Books and Beer Begins April 30”
Wisconsin State Journal “Sales, slams and dangerous ladies”
Local Leben “Inspired by Ireland” March 2015
On Wisconsin (UW-Madison Alumni Magazine) Bookshelf: Spring 2015
Inspire Magazine “Fulfilling a New Year’s Resolution & Dream” January 2015
Wisconsin State Journal “Just Read It with Valerie Biel”
Local Leben “Local Author Releases Debut Novel Circle of Nine”
Columbus Journal “Local Author Releases Debut Novel, Circle of Nine”