Voices of the Future: Stories of Family & Fearlessness
From “shattered Echoes”, a 2024 REALM AWARD winner, featured in the anthology:
Cole Rainer just wants to get his missing father back and restore his broken family.
One year ago, Cole’s dad walked through the portal in his grandma’s basement and never came back. Despite the danger of leaving a passage to an unstable world open, Cole refuses to close the portal – instead standing guard in the basement, isolated from his family, desperately hoping somehow his father survived.
But as the portal begins to crumble, it threatens to take their home with it. Before Cole closes the passage, he receives a mysterious SOS message from his father. Cole has one day to rescue him before the portal decays and fractures their world beyond repair.
But Cole’s world is already fractured, and his brother starts to fear that the voice may not be their missing father after all – but something else.
Hope Jian
[Pronouncation: CHEE-ahn]
Hope was born in China and adopted into a multi-ethnic American family with seven adopted kids, all from tough backgrounds. Having grown up in a diverse family of Hispanic, Black, as well as East and South Asian heritage, Hope enjoys writing YA fantasy that acknowledges diverse human experiences like trauma, chronic illness, and mental health, while also infusing her stories with themes of found family and adoption.
When not writing, Hope enjoys bringing characters to life through art, as well as visiting new castles and adding to her list of ten countries she’s explored.
Stories That Acknowledge “Invisible Struggles”
Trauma, chronic illness, and mental health topics are most common in young adult contemporary books . . .
. . . but what about fantasy?
I believe we should be able to have compelling fantasy stories with “invisible struggles”.
Books with those heavier topics – but always with a core of hope and wonder.
These are the kinds of stories I’m passionate about.
How about you?
If you’d like to stay in the know about these kinds of stories, just click here.
Novel Projects
An Asian-inspired Fantasy
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea meets When You Trap a Tiger where a half-human girl must brave a magical spirit world to save the tiger cub she rescued. But their last hope lies in the legendary Crescent-Tiger that’s missing.
A Dystopian Fantasy
Arcane: League of Legends meets The Last of Us where a survivor of the slums takes on the mysterious job of delivering a young pickpocket out of the Lower City – essentially an inescapable prison – in exchange for his freedom.
The Author Conservatory
Hope is a graduate of The Author Conservatory, a 3-year college-alternative conservatory program that mentors writers in writing craft and business by successful authors and entrepreneurs.
While in the Conservatory, Hope has . . .
- Written three novels, a novella, and a short story
- Received developmental and line edits from professional editors
- Practiced online and in-person marketing via her story art commissions service, Wowzacat Art
- Received extensive training in platform-building with an emphasis on email marketing and building a highly-engaged author newsletter
- Received interest from a publisher and agent
- Had opportunities for personal interaction and guidance from authors like James L. Rubart, C.J. Redwine, Nadine Brandes, and Sara Ella
Outside of The Author Conservatory, she has . . .
- Drafted two novels
- Completed the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum in high school
- Been published on The Rebelution, Your Teen, and Keys for Kids
- Completed two NaNoWriMo events
- Won the 2024 Realm Award in the Novella Category with her short story, Shattered Echoes
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hope@hopejian.com