Longer version:
Claribel Ortega went from journalism student, editing her classmates often times hilarious ads and ramblings on the back page of SUNY Purchase’s Independent Newspaper, to a small town reporter, where she enjoyed going to board of ed meetings and texting the town mayors about the line at Starbucks.
About
Today she’s busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic and video games into books, she's co-hosting the hilarious and chaotic Celebrity Book Club podcast or helping authors navigate publishing with her consulting business GIFGRRL. She is also the co-host and creator of the WRITE OR DIE podcast and has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America and Deadline.
She lives in New York with her motorcycle-riding poet boyfriend & her suspiciously intelligent yorkie, Pancho Villa.
Claribel’s debut middle grade novel GHOST SQUAD is out now from Scholastic and is being made Into a feature film. Her forthcoming books include Witchlings (Scholastic) and the graphic novel Frizzy (First Second.)
Shorter version:
CLARIBEL A. ORTEGA is a former reporter who writes middle-grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s co-hosting her podcast Celebrity Book Club and helping authors navigate publishing with her consulting business GIFGRRL. Claribel has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America and Deadline.
Claribel’s debut middle grade novel GHOST SQUAD is out now from Scholastic and is being made into a feature film. Her forthcoming books include Witchlings (Scholastic) and the graphic novel Frizzy (First Second.) You can find her on Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok @Claribel_Ortega and on her website at claribelortega.com.
Claribel A. Ortega Official Headshot (2021)
Photo Credit: Clarinet Orchestra
