Tucson Festival of Books

Sunya Mara (she, her, hers)


Sunya Mara is the author of “The Darkening” duology and a storyteller with a background in film and illustration. Her new Young Adult fantasy is "Embrace the Serpent." She grew up in six cities across five states before settling in Los Angeles. A graduate of the University of Southern California, she studied film and business and wrote and illustrated at the Oscar-winning Granity Studios. When not writing, she can be found exploring old movie theaters or admiring art in museums.

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Scheduled events:
Teen Worlds: YA Author Carousel
Meet a bunch of YA authors in 60 minutes and enter teen worlds of fantasy, mystery and complicated relationships. Each author will be seated at a table to talk with a small group about their newest book. Every eight minutes the authors will rotate to a new table in our version of author speed-dating.

Education Room 211 (Kiva) (Seats 200)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 15, 10:00 am - 10:55 am
Teen
Signing area: Signing Area - Children (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Kat Cho, Emiko Jean, Susan Dennard, Alexander Greengaard, Tiffany D. Jackson, Cassandra James, Autumn Krause, Sunya Mara, Sasha Peyton Smith
Moderators: Magdalena Castillo-Cockrum, Caryl Crowell
Sponsors: Session made possible courtesy of Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, HarperCollins Children's Books
Romantasy: Love, Secrets, and Betrayal
Romance + fantasy is a winning combination as characters negotiate devastating events and romance in the midst of life-changing negotiations. Explore Autumn Krause's gothic fantasy of power struggles and revenge, Sunya Mara's sweeping fantasy of a teen on the run, and Sasha Peyton Smith's romance involving an unspeakable bargain.

YA Author Stage (Seats 84)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 15, 2:30 pm - 3:25 pm
Teen
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Autumn Krause, Sunya Mara, Sasha Peyton Smith
Moderator: Amanda Becker

Books:
Embrace the Serpent
Teen
HarperCollins Publishers
June 2025
ISBN 9780063386136
352 pages
Buy now

The Darkening
Teen
HarperCollins Publishers
June 2023
ISBN 9780358749714
400 pages
Buy now