Tom Leveen

Tom Leveen is the author of nine novels with imprints of Random House, Simon & Schuster, Abrams, and more. He has also teamed up with Todd McFarlane writing Spawn, the comic book series, and released four independent books: A young adult novel, a how-to guide for writers on the subject of dialogue, a book on using movies to improve your fiction writing, and a horror novella based on real events. Recently a library assistant in charge of teen programming with Phoenix Public Library, Tom has twelve years of previous library work experience. He also has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director, and has been the Artistic Director for two different theatre companies. Tom wrote his first story in second grade and has been writing and telling stories ever since. His first horror novel, Sick, won the Westchester Fiction Award and the Grand Canyon Reader Award. His novel ZERO was a Best Book of 2013 (American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association). His horror novel HELLWORLD was a Bram Stoker Award finalist. A frequent guest speaker and teacher, Tom has taught, paneled, and/or keynoted for SCBWI, RWA, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Phoenix ComiCon, AzLA, NCTE, TEDx, People of Color Network, Western New Mexico University, Arizona State University, Arizona Reading Association, Kennesaw State University, multiple schools and conferences throughout Germany, AETA, the Los Angeles Teen Book Fest, and many others. In addition, apropos of absolutely nothing, Tom: Completed a 13-and-a-half hour crucible staffed by retired Navy SEALs; finished a marathon (in six and half hours), earned a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do, co-hosted a public access comedy show, directed 30 plays and acted in 30 more, ran a theatre company out of his backyard, met almost all of his literary heroes except for Stephen King, played in a punk band live in front of actual people (once), prefers the Hero System but nevertheless runs a warlock minotaur and storm cleric elf when time permits, trained at the Utah Shakespeare Festival Actor Training program for five sessions, was Best Masque & Gavel Member in high school, lettered in Speech, has a rock in one finger from a pretty bad bail on his (now stolen) Tony Hawk, was the safari train driver for the Phoenix Zoo for a short time, worked in the stock room for Forever 21 for an even shorter time, completed a Spartan Sprint with three friends, and spent twenty years earning his Bachelor of Science degree. So if there’s something you want to do, go do it.