New York Times Bestselling Author Natalie D. Richards is the author of “page-turning thrillers'' (School Library Journal), including Five Total Strangers (2020) and Seven Dirty Secrets (2021).  49 MILES ALONE (2024) is her tenth bone-chilling novel, which Kirkus called “a gripping story.” Her first middle-grade novel is called 15 Secrets to Survival and has been hailed as, “a teamwork oriented update to Hatchet.” A champion of literacy and aspiring authors, Richards is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writing groups. She lives in Ohio with her three children and (very) large dog,