Leah Reise was born in Brooklyn in 1979, and moved out west with family when she was two years old. As a young girl, she found there was a liberation in expressing oneself through writing. It took her to a place of wonder, and also gave her a voice. Her first article, "Open Letter to the People of Sonoma County," about social justice, was published in the Sonoma County Peace Press in August of 2000. In 2002 she earned her BA in Spanish, emphasizing Spanish literature and poetry, and then completed undergraduate studies in anthropology. Social and biological sciences were a great influence on her writing. "The Beauty in Darkness: A Vampire Story" was her first novel, published in July of 2016. When not writing novels and short stories, Leah enjoys relaxing at home snuggled up on the couch.