Cinda Williams Chima

Cinda Williams Chima, born in 1952, is an acclaimed author of young adult fantasy novels, recognized for her bestselling series such as The Heir Chronicles, The Seven Realms, and The Shattered Realms. Her writing career began after a previous career in nutrition and clinical management. Chima's early life in Ohio, particularly her upbringing in Jackson County with its Celtic magical traditions and the influence of her grandmother's fortune-telling, significantly shaped her imaginative storytelling. She pursued higher education in philosophy and nutrition before embarking on her writing journey.

Before dedicating herself to fiction, Chima worked as a clinical dietitian and held leadership positions in nutrition departments at major Cleveland hospitals. She also contributed freelance articles on health and family life to local publications. The inspiration for her writing emerged when her sons were teenagers, leading her to revisit her early interest in storytelling. While developing her first novel, The Warrior Heir, she conceptualized other fantasy worlds, some of which were later adapted for her published series. She has since authored multiple series, including the ongoing Runstone Saga.

Born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1952, Cinda Williams Chima's formative years were marked by influences that would later permeate her fantasy novels. Her childhood in Jackson County, steeped in Celtic magical beliefs, alongside her grandmother's engagement with fortune-telling, provided a rich soil for her imagination. Although she began writing in high school, she paused this pursuit to focus on her college education. Chima earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Akron in 1975, followed by a post-baccalaureate in Nutrition in 1981 and a Master's degree in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University in 1984. This academic background, particularly in philosophy, likely contributed to the thematic depth and world-building in her later fictional works.

Prior to her success as a novelist, Cinda Williams Chima established a career in the health sector. She served as a clinical dietitian and held various management and leadership roles within the Cleveland Clinic and The MetroHealth System. Notably, she directed the Clinical Nutrition Department and initiated a Diabetes Self-Management Program. Alongside her professional duties, Chima also contributed as a freelance writer, focusing on health-related subjects and personal essays for publications like The Plain Dealer. Between 2004 and 2009, she also held a position as an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Akron. It was during her sons' teenage years that Chima returned to writing fiction, leading to the creation of her debut novel, The Warrior Heir.

Cinda Williams Chima is widely recognized for her contributions to young adult fantasy literature, achieving New York Times bestseller status. Her notable series include The Heir Chronicles, which began publication in 2006 and continued with later installments. She also developed the Seven Realms series, a high fantasy work published between 2009 and 2012, and its subsequent series, Shattered Realms, set in the same world a generation later and published from 2016 to 2019. The development of these series involved adapting earlier conceptual work, including an unfinished adult fantasy series titled Star-Marked Warder, whose world was repurposed for the Seven Realms and Shattered Realms. Currently, she is engaged in writing The Runstone Saga, with its first book released in 2022.