▁author ▁of ▁young ▁adult ▁fiction ▁and ▁middle ▁grade ▁fiction , ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁debut ▁novel ▁D ear ▁Martin ▁and ▁her ▁Middle ▁Gra de ▁debut , ▁C lean ▁G eta way . ▁Her ▁nov els ▁have ▁been ▁translated ▁into ▁six ▁languages . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁ ▁Stone ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁a ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Atlanta , ▁Georgia . ▁She ▁has ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁Psych ology ▁from ▁Sp el man ▁College . ▁She ▁is ▁African - American ▁and ▁is ▁open ly ▁bis ex ual . ▁After ▁college , ▁she ▁worked ▁in ▁te en ▁ment oring ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Israel ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁years . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁During ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁Israel ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Stone ▁discovered ▁that ▁she ▁wanted ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁writer ▁when ▁encounter ing ▁a ▁family ▁with ▁a ▁story ▁that ▁fasc in ated ▁her . ▁Stone ▁wrote ▁her ▁first ▁novel ▁for ▁young ▁adult s ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁inspired ▁by ▁American ▁young ▁adult ▁novel ist ▁Ver onica ▁Roth ' s ▁D iver gent ▁series ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁series ▁featuring ▁black ▁characters ▁that ▁she ▁encountered ▁that ▁lives ▁until ▁the ▁end . ▁That ▁same ▁book ▁later ▁land ed ▁her ▁a ▁literary ▁agent . ▁ ▁D ear ▁Martin ▁ ▁Her ▁debut ▁novel ▁D ear ▁Martin , ▁about ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁senior ▁in ▁a ▁pre domin antly ▁white ▁school ▁who ▁starts ▁writing ▁letters ▁to ▁Dr . ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr . ▁after ▁he ▁has ▁a ▁dangerous ▁encounter ▁with ▁rac ist ▁police ▁officers , ▁was