Kayla I. Shown-Dean was born and raised in Arkansas. She attended Arkansas State University where she graduated with her B.A. and M.A. in English. She and her family currently reside in Beebe, Arkansas where she works as a Student Development Specialist at ASU-Beebe. When she is not working, Kayla enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her husband and son. Muted is her first novel. You can follow her blog at www.kidean.wordpress.com.