(Hand, Cynthia) Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the Unearthly trilogy, the contemporary novel The Last Time We Say Goodbye, and the historical comedy My Lady Jane. Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She teaches creative writing at Boise State University. Her latest book, The Afterlife (HarperCollins) YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol. Seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn’t.