Featured Interview With Molly Leasure
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello! My name is Molly Leasure. I was raised in a small town in Colorado, where the mountains—and snow—were and are abundant. I still live in Colorado but moved into the city. It’s a lot more hectic and isn’t quite as suitable for inspiration, but it works well enough. I have one small dachshund who is often the inspiration for the animal characters I incorporate. Together, we explore the mountains we still live near and fantasize about what worlds could be hidden there.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My true fascination with books began when I was in fourth grade. We had book fairs at my elementary school, and I always begged my mom to buy me the newest book series. I was a voracious reader of fantasy. Any fantasy series I got my hands on was finished within a week. I only started writing when I got into middle school. I think that’s the time everyone starts to feel like they don’t fit in. Writing helped me to cope with that feeling. I loved writing worlds where the main character had a lot of friends, or just a group of people they loved to be with.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author, by far, is Dean Koontz. I love the darkness of his work. And Odd Thomas was one of the very first series I became truly invested in. I still sit down and read that series. It holds a special place in my heart. But other series I loved were Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Infernal Devices, the May Bird series, and many more! My favorite genres to read are fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and thriller. Sometimes I deviate and try something new, but those are my comfort genres. It’s hard to choose any one author that inspires me because I’m inspired every single time I read a book. I’m also inspired by film and television shows and short stories. Every good story has a way of inspiring me.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is the very first book I’ve published! It’s an exciting milestone for me as I’ve been working on this series for over ten years now. I started it back in middle school and haven’t stopped rewriting it.
Like all Torrens, Heirath Halis was born as two entities: a human and a symbiote. Now he just wants to be left alone—left human. He—like all those that meet a Torren for the first time—believes in one simple assertion:
All Torrens are monsters.
Natia Grey has heard this statement repeated by her nation since she was young. But she has never believed it is that simple. After falling in love with the Prince of Torren’an, Heirath, she has come to her own conclusion: the “monstrous” Torrens just need help. And Natia wants nothing more than to help Heirath and his people.
Heirath’s decision to travel to have his symbiote removed puts him in opposition with his brother and Torren’an. In the aftermath of an encounter with his people, Heirath is left vulnerable to Natia’s nation, who capture and brutally torture him. The torture only causes his symbiote to gain more control over their body resulting in them both taking an irreversible step towards being the monster Natia’s nation so fears.
Blaming her nation for Heirath’s condition, Natia and her family try to escape with him. Because he is not a monster, and he never will be. She won’t allow him to be. But as Heirath continues to lose control Natia faces a difficult decision: keeping him at her side or letting him go.
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