Julie Anne Peters (born January 16, 1952) is an American author of young adult fiction. Peters has published 20 works, mostly novels, geared toward children and adolescents, many of which feature LGBT characters. In addition to the United States, Peters's books have been published in numerous countries, including South Korea, China, Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia, Turkey and Brazil. Her 2004 book Luna was the first young-adult novel with a transgender character to be released by a mainstream publisher. Early life and education Julie Anne Peters was born in Jamestown, New York, on January 1, 1952. When she was five, her family moved to the suburbs of Denver, Colorado. Her parents divorced when she was in high school. She has three siblings: a brother, John, and two younger sisters, Jeanne and Susan. Peters received a BA in elementary education from Colorado Women's College in 1974, with a minor in French. She taught fifth grade for a year, until she and the principal agreed that teaching was not the career for her. Peters then returned to school, earning a BS in computer and management science from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in 1985. During the next ten years, Peters worked as a research analyst, computer programmer, and systems engineer. In 1989, Peters earned an MBA from the University of Colorado Denver with emphasis in information systems. Careers Peters first worked as a teacher, teaching fifth grade and working as a special needs education assistant in the Jefferson County School District in Lakewood, Colorado, 1975. Peters then worked as a secretary, research assistant, computer programmer and systems analyst for Tracom Corporation in Denver from 1975 until 1984. Following this, Peters was a computer systems engineer for "Electronic Data Systems" in Denver from 1985 until 1988. Peters began her writing career with the publication of her first two books, The Stinky Sneakers Contest, illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith, in 1992, and Risky Friends in 1993. Peters lives with her wife, Sherri Leggett, in Lakewood, Colorado. Published works The Stinky Sneakers Contest (1992) Risky Friends (1993) B.J.'s Billion Dollar Bet (1995) How Do You Spell G-E-E-K? (1996) Revenge of the Snob Squad (1998) Romance of the Snob Squad (1999) Love Me, Love My Broccoli (1999) Define "Normal" (2000) A Snitch in the Snob Squad (2001) Keeping You a Secret (2003) Luna (2004) Far from Xanadu (2005) – later republished as Pretend You Love