Cecily von Ziegesar (born 27th June 1970) is an American author of novels written for teenagers. She grew up in New York and attended a private girls' school. Her first book was Gossip Girl written in 2002, which made her famous. The book, which proved to be a success, dealt with drugs, sex, and alcohol among high class New York City teenagers. It became a New York Times bestseller. Her books have been translated into several languages. Von Ziegesar has written eight sequels to Gossip Girl. She is also beginning a new series called The It Girl. The first book is The It Girl. The second is Notorious, the third book, Reckless, will be published in November 2006.