Thiede, Emily: - EMILY THIEDE spent her childhood daydreaming and reading in trees. A former public school teacher, she serves as Vice Chair of the board for Writer House, a writing nonprofit, and has mentored aspiring writers through the Pitch Wars mentorship program. Emily enjoys fostering rescue kittens and getting lost in the woods of central Virginia, where she lives with her family. She is the author of This Vicious Grace and This Cursed Light. .