Lawanna Naomi Staves is a wife, mother of three, a children’s book author/illustrator, and screenwriter living in Dinwiddie, Virginia. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Virginia in 1999 to attend Virginia State University.  After achieving both a BS and MS degree in Biological Sciences, she decided to make Virginia her permanent place of residency. Lawanna has always possessed a vivid imagination, and a passion for storytelling. At a very young age, she was never without a new notebook and pencil to help capture her expressiveness. Though it may have been conceived as a hobby during that time of her life, it wasn’t until she graduated from college that she truly discovered her desire for writing. While the love of movies peak her screenwriting enthusiasm, it is the pleasure of raising her children that provides the source of inspiration for creating books for them, and others alike. Lawanna has set a goal to deliver unique adventures through her storytelling for all children to enjoy, that will aim to teach and encourage acts of kindness and love, the value of family and friends, and many things that both children and parents can relate.

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“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

                                              -Dr. Toni Morrison

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