Photo: www.taraleigh.com

Author, actress and playwright Leanna Renee Hieber grew up in rural Ohio inventing ghost stories. She graduated with a BFA in Theatre from Miami University, a focus in the Victorian Era and a scholarship to study in London. She adapted works of 19th Century literature for the stage and her one-act plays such as Favorite Lady have been produced around the country. Her novella Dark Nest won the 2009 Prism Award for excellence in the genre of Futuristic, Fantasy, or Paranormal Romance. 

Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in her Strangely Beautiful series, landed on Barnes & Noble's bestseller lists, was named a favourite of 2009 by 14 genre  blogs, won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book), the 2010 Orange County Book Buyer's Best Award (Young Adult category) and is currently in development as a musical theatre production with a team that includes Broadway talent. The Strangely Beautiful series has been translated into several languages.

DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, first in Leanna's Gothic Historical Paranormal trilogy for teens (Sourcebooks Fire), hit the Kid's/YA INDIE NEXT LIST as a recommended title by the American Booksellers Association. Seventeen Magazine said of DARKER STILL: "This chilling tale will draw you in and keep you guessing until the very last page!" The book has been praised by Shelf Awareness, The Chicago Tribune, Pixie Magazine and more. DARKER STILL will also be translated into several languages.

Leanna's short fiction has been featured in anthologies Candle In the Attic Window and the upcoming Wilful Impropriety: Tales of Society and Scandal and the upcoming Queen Victoria's Book of Spells: Tales of Gaslight Fantasy (TOR).

Represented by Nicholas Roman Lewis, Leanna is a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and International Thriller Writers (ITW).  She is proud to be a co-founder of Lady Jane's Salon Reading Series in New York, the Salon showcases romance fiction and supports charity. Leanna was named the 2010 RWA NYC Chapter Author of the Year.

A member of Actors Equity Association (AEA), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Leanna works often in film and television. When not writing or on set, she's a devotee of ghost stories and Goth clubs, adventuring about her adopted hometown of New York City, where she resides with her real-life hero and their beloved rescued lab rabbit.