Author Christina Hoag is a former journalist who has had her laptop searched by Colombian guerrillas, phone tapped in Venezuela, was suspected of drug trafficking in Guyana, hid under a car to evade Guatemalan soldiers, and posed as a nun to get inside a Caracas jail. She has interviewed gang members, bank robbers, thieves and thugs in prisons, shantytowns and slums, not to forget billionaires and presidents, some of whom fall into the previous categories.
She's a former staff writer for the Miami Herald and Associated Press, and wrote from Latin America for Time, Business Week, New York Times, Financial Times, Sunday Times of London, Houston Chronicle and many other media outlets.
A native of New Zealand, Christina grew up as an expat around the world. She has lived in a total of 10 countries, reported from 14 and visited 70. She speaks Spanish and French.
She now lives in Los Angeles, where she has taught creative writing at a maximum-security prison and to at-risk teen girls and teen mothers. She is a regular speaker at writing conferences and organizations, book clubs and stores, and libraries.
Her noir novel Skin of Tattoos was a finalist for the 2017 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for suspense, while her YA thriller Girl on the Brink was named one of Suspense Magazine’s Best of 2016 for young adults. She also co-authored the nonfiction book, "Peace in the Hood: Working with Gang Members to End the Violence," used in several universities. For more information, visit www.christinahoag.com. For booking inquiries, contact her speaker agent Mimi Bergman at mimi_sevbergglobal@usa.com or 917-701-8977.