Leah van de Berkt

Leah has been writing since she was six years old. Her very first story was written for her mother and Leah illustrated it herself using stencils and crayons. 

Growing up on the plains of Wyoming was thrilling! She is the second of four siblings and describes her growing up years as "sweet and cheerful." Her parents owned a hobby farm for much of her growing up years, and Leah loved being around all the animals. They had sheep, goats, chickens, dogs, and barn cats. Leah also learned to garden with her mother, hunt with her father, and build forts and castles with her brothers and sister. 

Leah was homeschooled from Kindergarten through 12th grade, and started community college when she turned 16. From there she went on to College of the Ozarks in Missouri and graduated from there in 2009 with a BA in English. 

Through it all Leah never lost sight of her goal to become an author. Her debut children's story released under her children's author pen name Julia Joss on November 27, 2012 entitled Blue Hooves and a Broken Wing. Three years later she released her first novel Unraveling Glenmore in April 2015, followed by her collection of short stories Pieces, Parts, & Paragraphs in 2017. She's hoping to release her second novel Finding Adley late Summer 2019.

In addition to writing, Leah enjoys playing the piano and the Irish Tin Whistle. She loves reading, drinking coffee, having long talks with friends and fellow book lovers, and especially being a stay-at-home wife and mother. 

Currently Leah lives with her husband and two children in Colorado, where she enjoys marvelous views of the Rocky Mountains.

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