Leigh Kimmel

Leigh Kimmel literally can't recall the first story she ever wrote, only that she wrote it some time in first grade. It would be one of several tales of imaginary worlds and magical beings she wrote at the time. In second grade she wrote a multi-page story in a spiral-bound notebook, telling the story of a world of merfolk under the sea. Unfortunately, most of these early writings have been lost over the years. Throughout her childhood and youth she kept writing, developing a succession of fantasy and science fiction worlds. During this period she learned how to see a writing project through to completion and made her first efforts at rewriting. Going to college gave her access to computers, which simplified the process of preparing a manuscript for submission to magazines. She also joined her first writing workshop and began to make professional connections. After completing degrees in Russian language and literature and in library science, Leigh worked in public and academic libraries. During this period she experienced her first literary success, getting her stories published in various small-press publications. Wanting to broaden her career horizons in academia, she went back to graduate school to earn additional advanced degrees. During this period she attended her first science fiction convention. She also had her first academic writing published and discovered a ready market in articles for ready-reference publications for libraries. The twenty-first century brought changes: a husband, a house, a cat, and a business selling books and collectibles at conventions. She continued to write and submit fiction while doing non-fiction gigs. Her next big break came with the rise of e-books and the consequent indie revolution. She first experimented with serialization at the now-defunct Jukepop Serials before releasing her works through various online distribution platforms. At that point she created her own imprint, Starship Cat Press, to give her books an identity.