Hillary is the author of chapter books, including the new Ellie May series (Charlesbridge), as well as contemporary middle grade novels. Her novels set in middle school include Apple Pie Promises (Sky Pony Press), Pumpkin Spice Secrets, Queen of Likes (Simon & Schuster/M!X), a PJOurWay selection https://pjourway.org/story-central/queen-of-likes, The Hot List (Simon & Schuster/M!X) and Things Are Gonna Get Ugly (Simon & Schuster/M!X. Her latest project is working on the Kate the Chemist middle grade series with Dr. Kate Biberdorf, a science personality and professor at the University of Texas. She is also the author of the humorous chapter book series, Alien Clones From Outer Space (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin), a Children’s Book-of-the-Month selection and listed as one of the 30 recommended funny books for kids in The Children’s Literature Lover’s Book of Lists by Joanna Sullivan Ed.D. Suppertime Entertainment (the creators of the twice Emmy-nominated Todd World) and Telescreen (Lizzie McGuire) developed the books to become an animated television series. Hillary created the bible for the show and helped develop the pilot with a creative team including animation veteran Chris Henderson (Disney’s Return to Neverland, Clifford’s Really Big Movie) and director Terry Lennon (Lion King 11/2) and art director Alan Bodner (The Iron Giant, Kim Possible). She served as a creative consultant for the clone series, which was purchased by several networks, including ABC Australia.
Hillary’s young adult fiction has been published in Teen Magazine and anthologized (Muddville Diaries, Avon Books), and she has sold non-fiction and fiction projects to Klutz Press/Scholastic Books, The Learning Company, and John Muir Books.
Believe it or not, Hillary was a shy kid who nevertheless loved to perform and make people laugh. In her early twenties, she studied comedy with Steven Rosenfield, founder of the American Comedy Institute, as well character voice with Groundlings member Joni Robbins. Hillary went on to performing sketch Off-Broadway (Playwrights Horizons, Synchronicity Space, 55 Grove Street, Manhattan Punchline, The Boston Comedy Club and Schecky’s Big Fat Cantina with Sarah Silverman) with HA! Comedy Duo and Rubber Feet, and was a Heideman Playwrighting Award Finalist for play, The Juice of It. She has also written for many publications, including Dance Magazine, New York Newsday, and Parent’s Express, and has reviewed books for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Children’s Literature.
At the University of Virginia, Hillary decided to learn the languages that her grandparents spoke at home, so she ended up studying French (her Algerian grandfather spoke French as well as Arabic–her Dad’s nickname was Bosa, which means kiss in his dialect), and she also studied Russian (on her mother’s side, her grandparents spoke Russian, Ukrainian as well as Yiddish). In Russian, she regrets that she only remembers how to say–“Where is my book?” Hillary holds a master’s degree in foreign language education from Temple University and a master’s of arts degree from Hollins University in children’s literature and writing. Currently, she’s an associate visiting professor of creative writing at Hollins University Summer Graduate Program in Children’s Literature https://www.hollins.edu/academics/graduate-degrees/childrens-literature-graduate-program/ and teaches media writing at Sonoma State University. Additionally, she also teaches courses in writing chapter books and middle grade for the Childrens Book Academy http://www.childrensbookacademy.com. She has spoken extensively at conferences, festivals and schools across the United States. Follow her on twitter @HillaryHomzie and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHillaryHomzie/