Lea Ann Mawler's Writer Page

- Writing & Books -

biography
Disconnected: a novel

I wrote my first "novel" in 3rd grade, but it took me until... ahem... later (with a stack of messy first drafts and novel starts scattered around) to realize that writing was my passion. Now I have a polished book to query, 3 messy first drafts to work on and enough ideas and starts to last the rest of my life. :-)

By day, for the last couple of decades, I have been an IT Project Manager. I have a Bachelors in Radio, Television, and Film and another in Mathematics and a Masters in IT and another in Sociology.

Not too long ago, a friend said, "You should get an MFA in writing." I just laughed. Can you imagine? Another degree? I mentioned it to my wife, and she said, "That sounds like a great idea." Hmmm...

I live in Maryland (suburban DC) with my lovely wife of many years, our teenaged son, and seven cats (mistakes were made) in our dream mid-century modern house looking out into the woods through big windows.

lea ann

It's hard to escape your twin sister's abuse when she can read your mind… and even harder when she's dead.

Vivienne just wants a normal life. Orchid considers her identical twin a spare copy of herself, and she's not afraid to use their psychic connection to manipulate Vivienne.

When Orchid is taken hostage, Vivienne's skin shows bruises from Orchid's bindings, and she sees glimpses of Orchid's captors. Vivienne attempts a bold rescue with the help of a vigilante—to save Orchid's life and potentially her own—but she is moments too late and Orchid dies in the jungle.

The sisters' connection, though, proves stronger than flesh and blood. Orchid's consciousness stays with Vivienne, and it becomes clear that Orchid wants to use Vivienne's body as her second life—the sisters struggle for control.

Orchid's desire for power and wealth and her reckless faith in her own abilities are deliciously evil, forcing Vivienne to choose—give in to her sister or finally break free— when each option could mean the end of one sister… or both.

DISCONNECTED
Complete at 99,000 words
Genre: Psychological Horror
Comps: Beside Myself by Ann Morgan and The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir

These are some of my favorite books and ones that have influenced my own writing, in no particular order.

Margaret Atwood: The MaddAddam Trilogy, Alias Grace, Cat's Eye

Toni Morrison: Sula, The Bluest Eye

Octavia Butler: Lilith's Brood, the Parable of the Sower

Stephen King: The Outsider

Johanna Chambers: The Enlightenment Series

Jordan L. Hawk: The Whyborne & Griffin Series

KJ Charles: Henchmen of Zenda

Chuck Palahniuk: Fight Club

Kurt Vonnegut: Breakfast of Champions

Paul Bowles: The Sheltering Sky

James S. A. Corey: The Expanse series

Carolivia Herron: Thereafter Johnnie

Alan Lightman: The Diagnosis, Einstein's Dreams

Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game

David Morrell: The Protector, The Fifth Profession

Christopher Moore: Lamb, A Dirty Job

Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveler's Wife

Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis

William S. Burroughs: Naked Lunch

Casey McQuiston: One Last Stop

Andy Weir: The Martian

writing

These are some books I'm working on. I've noted the ones that have complete messy first drafts. Like I said, enough to keep me busy for a while. These are only the ones that have at least some words on paper.

Trash Girl:
Dystopian novel about a neurodivergent FMC who is a landfill miner. (First draft complete; first in a series)

Shimmerling:
Sapphic grounded fantasy with romantic elements about a human member of the Fairy Guard. (First draft complete)

Everything is Fine:
Tropey romance novel about a successful businessman trying to win back the small-town High School Teacher he left behind. (First draft complete)

What You Wish For:
FMC walks away from her life to reinvent herself after she is mistakenly listed as dead in a disaster. (First draft complete)

Punk Therapy:
Twenty-something FMC untangles her estranged mother's queerness and love for her after her mother's sudden death.

Tilly and Jared:
Novel about friendship and queerness in the punk alternative scene of the 90s.

Wish I May, Wish I Might:
Journey of love and loss for a woman and the love of her life as she navigates a cancer diagnosis.

Faith:
Grounded Fantasy (with elements of horror) about a psychiatrist who questions her sanity when she is visited by a demon.

The Dome:
Otherworld Sci Fi in which a scientist risks everything to protect the planet outside the dome from human expansion.

Breakfast of Champions:
Queer coming-of-age about a small-town girl going to a progressive university set in the 90s.

Phoque: French for Seal:
A laugh-out-loud dark family drama with the vibe of a Sex and the City and Three Men and a Baby mashup.

Obsessed:
Retelling of a gothic horror with queer characters addressing what it means to be human.

Sarah Rice:
Romance about a woman who inadvertently becomes the target of an underworld organization because of the biological parents of her adopted daughter and the man she's secretly loved for years who is trying to protect her.

memberships


- Writing & Books -


I wrote my first "novel" in 3rd grade, but it took me until... ahem... later (with a stack of messy first drafts and novel starts scattered around) to realize that writing was my passion. Now I have a polished book to query, 3 messy first drafts to work on and enough ideas and starts to last the rest of my life. :-) By day, for the last couple of decades, I have been an IT Project Manager. I have a Bachelors in Radio, Television, and Film and another in Mathematics and a Masters in IT and another in Sociology. Not too long ago, a friend said, "You should get an MFA in writing." I just laughed. Can you imagine? Another degree? I mentioned it to my wife, and she said, "That sounds like a great idea." Hmmm... I live in Maryland (suburban DC) with my lovely wife of many years, our teenaged son, and seven cats (mistakes were made) in our dream mid-century modern house looking out into the woods through big windows.	It's hard to escape your twin sister's abuse when she can read your mind… and even harder when she's dead. Vivienne just wants a normal life. Orchid considers her identical twin a spare copy of herself, and she's not afraid to use their psychic connection to manipulate Vivienne. When Orchid is taken hostage, Vivienne's skin shows bruises from Orchid's bindings, and she sees glimpses of Orchid's captors. Vivienne attempts a bold rescue with the help of a vigilante—to save Orchid's life and potentially her own—but she is moments too late and Orchid dies in the jungle. The sisters' connection, though, proves stronger than flesh and blood. Orchid's consciousness stays with Vivienne, and it becomes clear that Orchid wants to use Vivienne's body as her second life—the sisters struggle for control. Orchid's desire for power and wealth and her reckless faith in her own abilities are deliciously evil, forcing Vivienne to choose—give in to her sister or finally break free— when each option could mean the end of one sister… or both. DISCONNECTED Complete at 99,000 words Genre: Psychological Horror Comps: Beside Myself by Ann Morgan and The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir

These are some of my favorite books and ones that have influenced my own writing, in no particular order.
Margaret Atwood: The MaddAddam Trilogy, Alias Grace, Cat's Eye Toni Morrison: Sula, The Bluest Eye Octavia Butler: Lilith's Brood, the Parable of the Sower Stephen King: The Outsider Johanna Chambers: The Enlightenment Series Jordan L. Hawk: The Whyborne & Griffin Series KJ Charles: Henchmen of Zenda Chuck Palahniuk: Fight Club Kurt Vonnegut: Breakfast of Champions Paul Bowles: The Sheltering Sky	James S. A. Corey: The Expanse series Carolivia Herron: Thereafter Johnnie Alan Lightman: The Diagnosis, Einstein's Dreams Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game David Morrell: The Protector, The Fifth Profession Christopher Moore: Lamb, A Dirty Job Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveler's Wife Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis William S. Burroughs: Naked Lunch Casey McQuiston: One Last Stop Andy Weir: The Martian

These are some books I'm working on. I've noted the ones that have complete messy first drafts. Like I said, enough to keep me busy for a while. These are only the ones that have at least some words on paper.
Trash Girl: Dystopian novel about a neurodivergent FMC who is a landfill miner. (First draft complete; first in a series)	Shimmerling: Sapphic grounded fantasy with romantic elements about a human member of the Fairy Guard. (First draft complete)
Everything is Fine: Tropey romance novel about a successful businessman trying to win back the small-town High School Teacher he left behind. (First draft complete)	What You Wish For: FMC walks away from her life to reinvent herself after she is mistakenly listed as dead in a disaster. (First draft complete)
Punk Therapy: Twenty-something FMC untangles her estranged mother's queerness and love for her after her mother's sudden death.	Tilly and Jared: Novel about friendship and queerness in the punk alternative scene of the 90s.
Wish I May, Wish I Might: Journey of love and loss for a woman and the love of her life as she navigates a cancer diagnosis.	Faith: Grounded Fantasy (with elements of horror) about a psychiatrist who questions her sanity when she is visited by a demon.
The Dome: Otherworld Sci Fi in which a scientist risks everything to protect the planet outside the dome from human expansion.	Breakfast of Champions: Queer coming-of-age about a small-town girl going to a progressive university set in the 90s.
Phoque: French for Seal: A laugh-out-loud dark family drama with the vibe of a Sex and the City and Three Men and a Baby mashup.	Obsessed: Retelling of a gothic horror with queer characters addressing what it means to be human.
Sarah Rice: Romance about a woman who inadvertently becomes the target of an underworld organization because of the biological parents of her adopted daughter and the man she's secretly loved for years who is trying to protect her.