"Henry has become a leading light in YA mystery." - Booklist
"April Henry’s crime dramas are consistently smart and satisfying.” - Kirkus
"A must-have for YA mystery-thriller collections." - School Library Journal

​​Welcome to my little corner of the Internet. I'm a New York Times bestselling author who loves kung fu, Brazilian jujitsu, and all things salty. ​

I love to do school visits 

School visits are a great way to get students interested in reading and writing.

 I love to visit schools and share with students the joys of reading, writing, and research. I also talk about the vital importance of tenacity. 

To learn more, check out my school visit page.  I am excited to announce that I am now booking all my speaking engagements through TheBookingBiz.com.  

And the good folks at my publisher have put together a teacher's guide for my books (which can be used with Common Core state standards). You can get it here. 
​

Student writing contest 

Are you an aspiring thriller writer? Show off those thrilling, chilling writing skills by entering an original short story into the contest my publisher is having . The winner will win a virtual visit  for their classroom or library.

Submissions must use the Story Starters page from the Thrills, Chills, and Writing Skills guide, using either one of the story ideas or mixing and matching details from columns A, B, and C. Stories must be between 500 and 1,500 words. Click here for more information.

Great review for The Lonely Dead from Booklist 

​The Lonely Dead
By April Henry
Jan. 2019. 240p. Holt/Christy Ottaviano, $17.99 (9781250157577). Gr. 7–10

New York Times best-selling author Henry returns with a new mystery set in Portland, Oregon. Two days after a raucous house party at her childhood friend Tori’s house, high-schooler Adele stumbles on Tori’s body in a nearby park. For years, Adele has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, though she believes the truth is far more complicated: she can see the dead—not as hallucinations, but for real. As investigators try to solve Tori’s murder, so, too, does Adele—with the help of Tori, now a ghost whom she can see and speak with. The truth, though? Adele’s memory after the party is hazy. She doesn’t think it’s possible, but is there a chance the real murderer could be . . . her? And if it isn’t, who is the murderer? Henry’s latest offering is taut and suspenseful, with a hint of the supernatural. Her clear, lucid prose and well-paced action scenes make for a fast, accessible read with high appeal for both the middle- and high-school crowd. Hand to anyone in search of a page-turner. — Jennifer Barnes

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​School visits in Virigina and keynoting VaASL (Virigina Association of School Librarians Conference

NCTE/ALAN (conferences for English teachers) in Houston

School visits in Houston, Texas 

School visits in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois 

Excerpts from letters from students in Omaha 

• “Feel free to use my name as the character who gets in trouble.” 
• “I hope can be one of your characters one day, and it’s ok if you have to kill me off, or if you don’t, that’s okay, too.” 
  
• “If you ever need a name for a psychopath, you can always use mine.” 
  
• “Can you add me as one of the characters who die in your next book?”
  
• “I’m not the biggest fan of reading but I’m flying through this book [The Girl I Used to Be].”  
  
• "I honestly didn’t know a writer could be so funny and cool. Usually I view a writer as someone who drinks coffee and listens to jazz or something.” 
  
• “I really enjoyed your family background stories. They inspired me to go home and look up my family.  Of course it wasn’t as interesting as yours, but I still found some cool facts.”  
  
• ​“I didn’t pay attention at first but then I started to pay attention.” 
• “I’m grateful for you telling us the perfect place to hide the body!”
• “Even though you were there to talk about writing, your message and story about never giving up and having hope for the good things to come gave me inspiration since I’m in a situation right now that requires patience, hope and everlasting trying.”  
• “When you were up there on the stage, you were so calm and chill, not even a sweat, you were not even nervous!”  
• “Thank you so much for coming and talking to us.  It was so much better than reading Romeo and Juliet.” 

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School visits in Omaha, Nebraska 

High praise for The Lonely Dead

The Lonely Dead isn't out until January 29, 2019, but it's already gotten an amazing review. Kirkus says:

For most of her life, Adele has been told that her visions are a result of schizophrenia. But what's the truth? When Adele sees her friend Tori in the woods as she's cutting through the park on her way home, she's confused. Why would Tori be out there in the November cold wearing a halter dress? Adele realizes that, after not taking the pills for her schizophrenia, the visions that used to haunt her before her diagnosis are back. Tori isn't real. After noticing a mound of fresh dirt with a toe sticking out—and a few minutes of digging—Adele finds Tori's body. Although Tori is dead, Adele can see her, just as she can see all the dead, just like her mother and grandmother before her could. But can she use her power to solve the mystery of Tori's murder before the killer strikes again? Henry (Count All Her Bones, 2017, etc.) delivers a compelling thriller that weaves supernatural elements into a topical tapestry of loss, betrayal, and family drama. In an interesting twist, Adele, who can't remember much from the last time she saw Tori, becomes a prime suspect and even doubts her own innocence. This book is set against a high school backdrop with mostly white characters (one African-American friend is introduced, relating Tori's racist behavior). A thriller that manages to be both creepy and fun.

Taking my Brazilian jiujitsu on the road

I love to do Brazilian jujitsu (think wrestling plus chokes plus joint locks) and try to roll at a local school whenever I do school visits. Every school has its own special way of doing things - and with luck I can pick up a trick or two to try at my regular schools in Portland.  

The things I do for research! 

Now certified in Wilderness Medicine

​I spent 16 hours this weekend learning how to deal with cuts (all the way up to amputations), sprains, broken bones, heat illness, dislocations, burns, frostbite, spinal injuries, head injuries... all complete with moaning (or eerily silent) patients complete with fake blood and bruises. I am now certified in Wilderness Medicine. (I'm also exhausted!) It's going to make the book I'm writing in the next six months so much better!

Want a personalized, signed book?

Want a signed, personalized copy of one of my books?  Contact my neighborhood book store, Annie Bloom's Books at 503-246-0053, and tell them what you want - signature only or a personalized greeting to a particular person.  They will contact me and I will come in to sign them.  

Best Note Ever from a Middle School Teacher

Just wanted to let you know for a 3rd year in a row you are making my life easy – and creating a bunch of new readers.  I am still lucky enough to teach an advanced reading class along with my Intensive class and across the board your books are the motivators.  Here is one of the book projects done by one of my 7th graders!  I can’t keep enough copies of your books on my shelf.  ​

Fan art

Events and school visits

My life as a mystery writer