Anna Shinoda was raised in a mountain town so small it lacked a stoplight. She used to escape into the high branches of trees to read and dream of stories, out of reach from her own family skeleton.
Eventually she climbed down with her debut novel, Learning Not to Drown (Atheneum 2014), a story about a young girl who struggles to preserve her own identity amidst a chaotic, dysfunctional family unit.
Anna married musician Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park in 2003 and has led efforts with the band’s non-profit, Music For Relief, in the U.S. and abroad. As a mental health advocate, she serves as a senior advisor to The Campaign to Change Direction.