Author Bio

BJ Kurtz was born and raised in Sierra Vista, Arizona. She discovered her love for writing in the sixth grade when her teacher made the class participate in a “writer’s workshop.” While creating weekly stories for the assignments, BJ discovered a passion that continues to grow. She started to share her stories with all who would read them, wanting to publish from the moment her pencil hit the paper. However, the sixth grade can be a difficult year and BJ soon realized that writing wasn’t considered “cool.” For fear of becoming a social outcast, BJ hid her passion until her senior year of high school.

When BJ reached Buena High School, she was already on her way to perfecting her craft. While in high school, BJ began writing articles for middle school sports events for The Sierra Vista Herald. She also helped select works for a literary magazine, The Mirage, at Cochise College, in which she enjoyed sharing her knowledge about the writing process with her peers. BJ didn’t start to fully blossom until she began attending the annual Southwestern Writers Association conferences in Tucson. Her mentor, Eva Shaw, encourage BJ to get in contact with other writers who understood the process and could provide supportive feedback. The SWA conference was just the place for that. While she was the youngest writer present, BJ discovered what she had missed while keeping her love for writing secret. She met agents, publishers, and many other local writers, all of whom helped strengthen her confidence.

BJ began her first full-length novel when she was a sophomore at Buena. She was sitting in World History class on a typical afternoon when the instructor announced, “I believe Atlantis will be discovered in seven year.” A lightning bolt shot through her mind, jumpstarting the creative wheels. “Wouldn’t that be interesting?” she said silently to herself. BJ studied Plato’s works on Atlantis and Greek mythology in order to strengthen the novel. She found time on holidays and summer vacation to write and revise her ideas until the story was finally completed in her senior year. After graduating from high school, BJ began the grueling process of seeking publication for The Curse of Atlantis, finally publishing it after three years.

BJ is currently teaching mathematics at Buena High School while pursuing a master’s degree through NAU.

B.J. Kurtz