Richelle Mead (b. November 12, 1976) is a bestselling American fantasy author. She has three ongoing series: the Georgina Kincaid series, the Vampire Academy Series, and most recently the Dark Swan series. All are available internationally, and Succubus Blues will be published in German in 2009.
She was born in Michigan, and now lives in the Seattle area. She has three degrees: a Bachelor of General Studies from the University of Michigan, a Master of Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Teaching from the University of Washington.
To date, there are some 1.5 million copies of Vampire Academy in print.
A life-long reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses that she then hardly ever wears. She is a self-professed coffee addict, runs on a nocturnal schedule, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.
Her adult series are published by Kensington Books. The Georgina Kincaid Series (Succubus Blues, Succubus on Top, Succubus Dreams, and Succubus Heat) tell the humorous and heart-breaking story of a reluctant succubus who can't touch the man she loves without dire side effects. On top of that, she must deal with Hell's middle management team and the many supernatural threats that come her way. Richelle's Dark Swan Series (Storm Born and Thorn Queen) follows Eugenie Markham, a free-lance shaman who battles ghosts and fey that sneak into our world from the Otherworld. When an alarming prophecy suddenly makes her every Otherworldly creature's object of desire, Eugenie must dodge their advances while also fighting a dark power rising within her.
Richelle's YA series, Vampire Academy, is published by Razorbill Books (Penguin) and thus far contains Vampire Academy, Frostbite, and Shadow Kiss. This bestselling series has won honors from the American Library Association and been on a number of lists. It follows the war between two races of vampires, living and undead. Rose Hathaway, a 17-year old half-vampire, is training to be a bodyguard for the living vampires and finds her life complicated by the dangers that involves, as well as an illicit romance with one of her teachers.' '