Media Kit
Below you'll find bios of various length, high-resolution photos, and information about my books. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to contact me for more information! (•‿•)
IX TATTERFALL
THE BONE SPINDLE TRILOGY
Contact Information
Email: leslievedderwrites [at] gmail.com | Website: www.leslievedder.com | Instagram: @leslie.vedder
• For ARC requests and publicity contact: Karter Powell (they /them), kpowell [at] penguinrandomhouse.com
• For rights inquires, blurb requests and book business, contact Leslie’s agent: Carrie Hannigan, carrie [at] hgliterary.com
• For Film/TV inquires, contact: Chris Lupo, Verve Talent & Literary Agents
• For speaking and classroom visits, please email me directly at leslievedderwrites [at] gmail.com
Author Bios
Author Bio Short
Leslie Vedder (she/her) is an ABA bestselling author of YA and MG fantasy with girl heroes full of fun and heart. She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fanfiction, and the Lord of the Rings movies, and met her true love in high school choir. She currently lives in Colorado with her wife and two ultra-spoiled house cats. Find her online at leslievedder.com
Author Bio Full
Leslie Vedder (she/her) is a queer ace author who loves books with girl adventurers and heroes! She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fanfiction and the Lord of the Rings movies, and met her true love in high school choir. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in creative writing and currently lives in Colorado with her wife and two spoiled house cats.
When she's not reading or writing, you can find her watching anime and sci-fi shows, walking in the woods and pretending they're enchanted forests, or playing old video games. She always collects all the Skulltulas in Zelda and all the Dalmation puppies in Kingdom Hearts.
Her debut YA THE BONE SPINDLE was an indie bestseller. Find her online at leslievedder.com.
High Resolution Author Photos
Click on an image to expand or download. All photos by Michelle Dotter.
High Resolution Book Covers
Click on an image for artist / designer information or to expand or download
Press Sheets - click for downloadable pdfs
The Bone Spindle
The Severed Thread
The Cursed Rose
The Labyrinth of Souls
The Labyrinth of Souls (Ix Tatterfall Book #1) - Info - Descriptions - Press
US | PUTNAM PENGUIN KIDS | Feb 11, 2025 | ISBN 9780593699119 | 336 pages| MG | English | Art by Abigail Larson
Under 50 Word Description
A darkly inventive fantasy for fans of Tim Burton about a girl who can see Nightmare creatures from the forbidden Labyrinth of Souls, and winds up at the secretive and magical Candle Corp Academy.
Short Description
Twelve-year-old outcast Ix Tatterfall can see the Nightmares that slip out of the forbidden Labyrinth of Souls. While trying to save her father’s lost soul, she gets swept away to the mysterious Candle Corps Academy, where the students train to deal with spooky, fun and sometimes terrifying Nightmare creatures.
Full Description
A darkly inventive fantasy for fans of Tim Burton about a girl who can see Nightmare creatures from the forbidden Labyrinth of Souls.
In the Kingdom of Spinar, there are seven rules for safeguarding your soul from the Sorrows and Nightmare creatures—most importantly: never, ever enter the Labyrinth of Souls.
Ix Tatterfall has always been an outcast with big secrets: She can cross into the Labyrinth, home to the powerful Sorrows, and she can see strange Nightmare beasts when no one else can. Some, like the shadowy Inklings or bothersome Stubbed Toads, are merely a nuisance. Many more—like the Jimber-Jawed Hounds—are dangerous. Even deadly.
But something is very wrong in the Labyrinth. A terrible new Nightmare—a raggedy scarecrow called Jack—has been ravaging the misty maze, gobbling up wraiths and lost souls and allowing Nightmares to seep into the Waking World.
On one forbidden trip, Ix comes face to face with Jack. Worse, she’s apprehended by Candle Corps, an elite magical group that protects the kingdom against Nightmares. Instead of exile, Ix is allowed to enter the mysterious Candle Corps Academy. For the first time, she’s surrounded by others who can see what she sees: Morrigan Bea, a hot-tempered girl who might be a monster; Ollie Pembrooke, a shy boy who loves books and Dreamchaser dogs; and Hanky the Inkling, Ix’s faithful Nightmare companion.
But more and more Nightmares are bleeding into Spinar. Raggedy Jack is on the hunt for something—someone—from the Waking World.
Ix Tatterfall herself.
Press and Blurbs
•Amazon selected THE LABYRINTH OF SOULS as a February MG Editor's pick
•Debuted on the NAIBA Regional Bestseller List
•Q&A with The Nerd Daily
"Vedder offers a fantasy full of intrigue, countless imaginative creatures, and instantly endearing characters."
—
Booklist
"The otherworldly shock and magic of the Labyrinth, filled with an amusing, horrifying, and memorable array of beasts…adds a distinct and fresh take on a supernatural world."
—BCCB
The Cursed Rose
The Nowhere Beast (Ix Tatterfall Book #2) - Info - Descriptions - Press
US | PUTNAM PENGUIN KIDS | Feb 10, 2026 | ISBN 9798217004188 | 304 pages| MG | English | Art by Abigail Larson
Under 50 Word Description
In the sequel to darkly inventive The Labyrinth of Souls, a girl must face a mysterious monster made of nothing but darkness and shadows that no one else can see. For fans of Tim Burton, V.E. Schwab, and stories with a dash of the strange and macabre.
Short Description
Twelve-year-old outcast Ix Tatterfall and her friends are back Candle Corps! But ghosts have begun rising from the Keep, and a mysterious Beast is stalking Ix through the shadows. Ix, Ollie, and Morrigan must race against time to save their world from the monstrous beast, created from the hopeless depths of Nothing from a land called Nowhere.
With the help of a mischievous Sorrow, a shadowy Scavenger Prince, and her loyal friends, Ix must navigate the pits of loneliness and confront her deepest fears. But what if the darkness inside her heart is just as treacherous as the monster lurking in the shadows?
Full Description
In the sequel to darkly inventive The Labyrinth of Souls, a girl must face a mysterious monster made of nothing but darkness and shadows that no one else can see.
Ix Tatterfall is no stranger to the odd and the eerie. Her unusual lineage provides unique abilities, such as a strong Darklight power and unencumbered travel into the deadly Labyrinth of Souls. But even Ix is unprepared for the Nowhere Beast, a creature that threatens to consume everything she holds dear.
When the ghosts of Candle Corps past begin to rise from the catacombs, Ix and her friends are called to partake in an ancient magical tradition called the Reckoning, meant to reinforce the seals of protection at their magical school that hold the most dangerous Nightmare creatures from the Labyrinth at bay.
But the Reckoning quickly transforms into more than a test of their courage and skill; it is a race against time to save their world from the monstrous shadow beast created from the hopeless depths of Nothing from a land called Nowhere.
With the help of a mischievous Sorrow, a shadowy Scavenger Prince, and her loyal friends, Ix must navigate the pits of loneliness and confront her deepest fears. But does she know that the darkness inside her heart can be just as treacherous as the monster lurking in the shadows?
The Cursed Rose
The Bone Spindle (Book #1) - Info - Descriptions - Press
US | RAZORBILL PENGUIN TEEN | Jan 11, 2022 | ISBN 9780593325827 | 416 pages | YA | English
Under 50 Word Description
THE BONE SPINDLE is a genderflipped Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones starring two girl treasure hunters, who team up to break the curse on a sleeping prince, in a fast-paced action-adventure/romance for fans of SORCERY OF THORNS and ALL THE STARS AND TEETH.
Short Description
THE BONE SPINDLE is a genderflipped Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones starring two girl partners: Fi, a bookish treasure hunter destined to wake the sleeping prince, and Shane, a queer ax-wielding mercenary falling for a mysterious witch.
Traps, ruins, riddles, curses, a little bit of true love and a whole lot of snark!
Full Description
Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of SORCERY OF THORNS and ALL THE STARS AND TEETH.
Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn't believe in true love.
Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way.
Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who's been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him.
Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi--until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she's stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom.
Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way--not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane's heart, along with whatever else she's after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.
Set in a lush world inspired by beloved fairytales, The Bone Spindle is a fast-paced young adult fantasy full of adventure, romance, found family, and snark.
Press and Blurbs
•THE BONE SPINDLE debuted on the Indie Bestseller list
•Amazon selected THE BONE SPINDLE as a January YA Editor's pick
•Apple Books selected THE BONE SPINDLE for their Winter's Most Anticipated Book List
•Amazon included THE BONE SPINDLE in its list of Rising Stars: New YA Fantasy Authors to Watch
"This gender-flipped retelling effortlessly melds romance, adventure, and fantasy. Highly recommended."
—
School Library Journal (starred review)
"An enchanting read for fans of fairy-tale romance and girls with battle axes."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Packed with fully fleshed-out characters and lots of adventure, this book is a fun read that will easily draw fairy tale lovers. Vedder’s first novel nicely balances its exciting plot with touching matters of the heart."
—Booklist
“[An] action-packed, gender-flipped “Sleeping Beauty” reenvisioning….Video game-style fantasy tropes and energetic plotting provide an alternative to Forgotten Realms and David Eddings for new readers of epic fantasy."
—Publishers Weekly
The Bone Spindle
The Severed Thread (The Bone Spindle Book #2) - Info - Descriptions - Press
US | RAZORBILL PENGUIN TEEN | Feb 07, 2023 | ISBN 9780593325858 | 416 pages| YA | English
Under 50 Word Description
Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action-packed sequel to bestselling YA fantasy THE BONE SPINDLE, a genderflipped Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones, perfect for fans of SORCERY OF THORNS and THE CRUEL PRINCE.
Short Description
Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action-packed sequel to bestselling YA fantasy The Bone Spindle, a genderflipped Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones. The girl treasure hunters—joined by the newly awakened sleeping prince—journey into the heart of the fallen kingdom of magic seeking a way to defeat the Spindle Witch. But the dangerous witch Red is right on their heels, and the ruins of Andar are full of deadly secrets and dark curses.
Full Description
Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action-packed sequel to bestselling YA fantasy The Bone Spindle.
Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after.
Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving.
Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—a sinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape.
All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city of the last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to the Spindle Witch’s defeat. If they can survive long enough to reach it...
Set in a world of twisted fairytales, The Severed Thread combines lost ruins, ride-or-die friendships, and heart-pounding romance.
Press & Praise
"Vedder’s second book sustains the thrilling romance and adventure readers loved in the first, with deeper characterization and higher stakes. VERDICT: This flipped fairy-tale series is too fun to miss. Highly recommended."
—School Library Journal
"Both the action and the romance are heart-pounding, but perhaps the most touching aspects are the friendships among the characters: Their world is full of magic, mysteries, and danger, and they support each other through it all with love and compassion."
—Kirkus Reviews
•Cosmopolitan included THE SEVERED THREAD in "30 Best Young Adult Books of 2023 That You Don't Want to Miss"
•The Nerd Daily "Author Q&A with Leslie Vedder"
•Autostraddle included THE SEVERED THREAD in "54 Queer and Feminist Books Coming Out Winter 2023"
•Read an excerpt of The Severed Thread at "Tor.com"
The Severed Thread
The Cursed Rose (The Bone Spindle Book #3) - Info - Descriptions - Press
US | RAZORBILL PENGUIN TEEN | Feb 06, 2024 | ISBN 9780593625569 | 400 pages| YA | English
Under 50 Word Description
The fate of a cursed kingdom rests on ancient secrets, broken promises, and fierce friendships in this gasp-worthy final book of the bestselling twisted fairytale Bone Spindle series. Action-packed fantasy perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Marissa Meyer.
Short Description
The fate of a cursed kingdom rests on ancient secrets, broken promises, and fierce friendships in this gasp-worthy final book of the bestselling twisted fairytale Bone Spindle series.
Fi has joined the Spindle Witch, secretly working against her and racing against time to find the legendary spells of the Rose Witches and save Briar Rose. Shane, with Red by her side, is after the ancient weapon created by the Lord of the Butterflies.
With their enemies closing in, Fi and Shane must take on the greatest lost ruin of them all—the Tomb of Queen Aurora.
Full Description
The fate of a cursed kingdom rests on ancient secrets, broken promises, and fierce friendships in this gasp-worthy final book of the bestselling twisted fairytale Bone Spindle series.
Fi is a prisoner. Briar, a monster.
Shane’s a warrior. And Red is a traitor.
With the Spindle Witch on the verge of finding the Siphoning Spells and crushing Andar, Fi’s only hope lies in decoding the ancient riddle of the Rose Witches before she loses Briar forever.
Shane is desperate to save Andar—and her partner. She’s on the hunt for a weapon left by the mysterious Lord of the Butterflies, which holds the key to the Spindle Witch’s demise. But Red’s betrayal puts her in danger from a new enemy—the Spindle Witch’s executioner, the Wraith, a witch as powerful as he is cruel.
The future of Andar lies in the secrets of its past. Fi and Shane must take on the greatest lost ruin of them all—the Tomb of Queen Aurora. Filled with vicious bone monsters, new alliances, and surprises at every turn, prepare to be swept away by this taut, clever, and heart-filled series conclusion.
Press & Praise
"A satisfying close to a magical trilogy.
The author weaves together magic and romance in an action-filled plot and populates the book with characters who are distinctive, likable, and competent."
—Kirkus Reviews
•TOR.com included THE CURSED ROSE in "Most Anticipated Young Adult SFF/H for January & February 2024"
•Book Riot "Winter 2024 YA Book Releases To Enjoy This Season (& Beyond)"
•LGBTQ Reads included THE CURSED ROSE in "Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Young Adult Fiction: January-June 2024"