About Me
I am a writer and author of The Potential series. The Potential is YA sci-fi/fantasy and follows a teen girl named Locke, who struggles to deal with her growing powers in a politically troubled galaxy. The Alliance of the five different species is in trouble at the same time Locke finds herself the pawn of a corporation’s ulterior motives. It’s a hero story that explores the dangers of corporate influence, technology, and when governments fail to regulate the two. While these themes are present, the series is very much about Locke and her journey into adulthood as she fights to define herself – she is an orphan, only part-human, and grew up among a nomadic human tribe that shunned technology. Her journey to the center challenges her to come into her own, as a woman and defender of the less privileged.
My series is an epic (six planned books and numerous short stories) that sprawls multiple planets, includes several races and dozens of characters. I absolutely love world building and strong female characters. One of my characters, Hera, has a few short stories – one of which won an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest. I imagine these short stories as graphic novels one day and would love to use other mediums to explore The Potential universe.
I was into journalism for several years and wrote many articles on college dating for my university paper, The Hoya. I also co-hosted a radio show during college titled, “Sex, Love, Rock & Roll.” While at Georgetown, I majored in English, minored in Chinese, and took several film classes that made me realize my passion lies in storytelling.
I spent an entire year abroad in Beijing, where I learned Chinese. 我想念中国. My study abroad program really delved into the culture, society, and politics of China. I visited the Beijing Film Academy (China’s premier film school) and took a class on Chinese film, so I have a good feel for what is universally appealing. (Joseph Campbell also helped with that.) China influenced me in a lot of ways, and most definitely inspired some of my writing.
My first love is science fiction and fantasy, but I also love watching romantic comedies and indie films, and any good story that is character-driven. My two favorite films are Blade Runner and When Harry Met Sally, which pretty much explains my interests. As for TV, Buffy, Gilmore Girls, Game of Thrones, and Sex and the City rank very highly for me. As for favorite novels – The Foundation series by Isacc Asimov and Pride & Prejudice are two of my favorites, but I also love anything written by Jeannette Walls and count a few YA series as huge influences during childhood – the Replica series, Harry Potter (almost goes without saying) and Unicorns of Balinor. I have played Mass Effect, Halo, and Gears of War too many times to count and own almost every expansion pack of The Sims. I love engaging with stories in multiple mediums and would love to see my series do the same.
At any given time, I’m writing or revising a novel or short story. Feel free to start a dialogue with me! – Anastasia