Novelist Dia Calhoun has produced two award-winning titles for teens, Firegold and Aria of the Sea, novels that explore fantastic realms but which are grounded in the universal issues facing adolescents and teens. "My novels are about heroes journeying to the true self, the true voice, and who are seeking the strength to speak with that voice," Calhoun told Authors and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA). "Though my books use fantasy elements, they do not follow the usual forms of the fantasy genre. Primarily, they are coming-of-age stories; secondarily they are fantasy stories. I feel they are unique to the genre." Inspiration for her well-received fantasies also comes from very real sources: in the case of her debut novel, Firegold, it was the commercial orchard which her in-laws own in Eastern Washington; for Aria of the Sea it was her own experience with ballet which showed Calhoun the...