“Creating characters is like throwing together ingredients for a recipe. I take characteristics I like and dislike in real people I know, or know of, and use them to embellish and define characters.”

Cassandra Clare is an American author of young adult fantasy. She gained prominence for her *Mortal Instruments* series, blending urban fantasy and gothic romance, and later expanded her world with the *Shadowhunters* novels. Her work explores themes of identity, destiny, and hidden supernatural communities.