Author E. M. Leander
YA- SCI FI - FANTASY
Like most indie authors, writing is not my first career – though it is my first love. I’ve been reading since I was three, according to my mom, and started writing stories by age five. During school, I also discovered a love for science. I ended up majoring in physics, and pursued a career in medicine.
ALL ABOUT ME
I don’t need to tell you how challenging the past three years have been for those in the medical field – add to that the stress/joy of two children, and I found myself searching for a creative outlet, an escape from the day-to-day madness.
And so I fell back in love with stories. From the time I was young, I was always writing the kinds of stories that I myself wanted to read, but couldn’t find. Stories with strong female protagonists, specifically ones in STEM. Though I’ve written several novel-length stories, “Space Camp” is the first series I thought seriously about publishing.
THE INSPIRATION
I happen to be in a book club where one of my friends had independently published a children’s book – I asked her about the process, and the rest, as they say, is history. The first novel in my “Space Camp” series, “The View from Ganymede,” debuted later that year. With the steadfast support of my husband and friends, I’ve now released the sequel, “Daughters of Jupiter,” as well as my first fantasy novel, “Wren and the Tarnished Tiger,” which will be a trilogy.
The idea for “Space Camp” had been slowly building in my mind for over a decade. It follows a remarkable girl, Nora, as she finds herself attending a school that is literally out of this world – a school that is located on Jupiter’s moon, Ganymede.
During her time there, she makes friends with her equally remarkable roommates, and they use their brilliant minds to solve the mysteries of Ganymede Station.
“Wren and the Tarnished Tiger” has been a return to the kind of books that I always leaned towards as a child – the works of Tamora Pierce, Anne McCaffrey, and, more recently, Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas, have been incredibly influential in my growth as a writer.
“Wren” is the story of a lonely, naïve girl who finds herself in the midst of a conflict between two countries – and eventually, something much bigger even than that.
Wren is a Mage, a wielder of magic, from a country where magic doesn’t exist. In her quest to find out more about her unusual powers, she travels to the fabled School of the Silver Flame. There she finds that her powers don’t fit the usual elemental categories of her peers. She also learns that most Mages are paired with Shields, a bodyguard who can shift at will into an animal form, usually that of a predator such as a wolf or bear. As a unit, a Mage and a Shield can be deployed anywhere on the continent – it’s a life of adventure that sounds thrilling to a girl who’s never otherwise been outside her home town.
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK
This is where she encounters Aris, a handsome, arrogant Shield whose previous Mage had been killed in a battle. This is considered a mark of grave dishonor among Shields, and he is desperate to return his reputation to its former glory. When he meets Wren, he wonders if she might be his second chance. Though her magic is unusual, there is no denying it is powerful. Can he take the chance on an unknown Mage? Or should he pick one that is already trained?
His choice will be made for him in the sand of the arena, where Shields compete for their Mages – the strongest Shield will get to pick first, and so on. And Aris will not be content with second choice.
“Wren” is a sweeping epic fantasy that will take three books to complete. It is set in a Greco-Roman setting, complete with gladiators (Shields), temples, and fickle gods. Between Wren’s unpredictable magic and Aris’s skill with a blade, do they have what it takes to unravel the mystery behind her powers? It is a story full of magic, animal shifters, epic battles, fantastic creatures, political intrigue and a dash of romance. It does have a few of my favorite tropes as well – one bed, a royal ball, and found family. I had the incredible good fortune to work with the talented artist Gabrielle Ragusi on the cover design – Wren literally seems to glow on the cover, and I couldn’t be happier or more proud of the final product.
Published works:
CONNECT WITH ME:
I love connecting on social media, so please feel free to reach out!
Website: www.emleander.com
Insta: @e.m.leander
Twitter: @emleander1
Facebook: emleander
I am also on Goodreads!