After moving from El Paso, Texas to Phoenix in 2014, Leah Downing had to make a decision: continue her career as a federal investigator or settle into civilian life. After a year in a new city, her kids in new schools, and her husband in a new job, she realized that working full-time for the government was no longer satisfying. In May of 2015, she turned in her creds on a Friday, spent the weekend wondering what to do next, and started writing her first book Monday morning.
For years she had an idea for a story stemming from both her experience as a federal investigator and from her husband’s unique military career. By August, she had a manuscript, and in the spring of 2016, she self-published Catch a Falling Star—the first in a five-part series about a federal investigator accused of assisting the Taliban with a homeland terrorist attack. Thus, “The Shooting Stars Series,” was born.
After making the decision to become an author, Leah soaked up everything she could about becoming a successful one. As a one-woman-show, she worked to get Catch a Falling Star to #1 on both Amazon and Kindle. She wrote and published book II in her series: The Path of Least Resistance. She brought her second book to #1. She entered her books into contests…and won. The whole time, she knew that her series—this story—was bound for the big screen as a Hollywood blockbuster. She traveled to Hollywood to figure out how to make her books into movies and created relationships. Her openness to learn and then apply solid advice is paying off now.
During all this, Leah began attracting people looking for someone to help them write their own books, so she turned offering advice into creating clients. She understands what it’s like to have passion for your story, but not know the next practical step. As someone with a wild imagination, a knack for figuring things out, and the belief that there’s room for everyone to succeed, Leah has inspired and helped others to move forward in the world of writing. She’s partnered with her longtime friend (and character from her books), Derek Rudolph, to create a business where anyone with a story can learn what to do next to get it off the ground.
Leah just finished book III in her series: the highly anticipated, Before the Fall. Now, as an established author, she has options on how to release this book. And, you guessed it, she’s going after Hollywood.
