About J.E. Leak
J.E. Leak is the Golden Crown Literary Society award-winning author of the Shadow Series, a sapphic noir set in World War II.
J.E. Leak (also written JE Leak) writes sapphic and lesbian historical fiction with a 1940s film noir aesthetic featuring femme fatales, wartime spies, smoke-filled nightclubs, and love that cuts like a knife. Her four-book Shadow Series follows OSS agent and nightclub singer Kathryn Hammond and reporter Jenny Ryan in a love story that stretches from wartime Manhattan to liberated Paris. The Shadow Series finale, In the Shadow of Victory (Shadow Series Book 4), won the 2024 Goldie Award for Historical Fiction.
An antiques conservator by trade, she has always been fascinated by history and the stories objects could tell if they could speak. She holds an Associate of Science degree in graphic design, designs her own book covers, and lives in Central Florida, where she photographs nature on the spring-fed azure rivers when she isn’t bingeing 1940s noir films or writing late into the night. She is a devoted night owl.
Why the 1940s
How fascination turned into a passion for the past. "Growing up, other kids were out playing, doing whatever, and I’m bingeing old Hollywood noir films on TV,” she told the Reader Seeks Romance panel in 2023. “I’ve just always loved the music, the hair, the clothes — everything.” That love of the period led naturally to the antiques conservation work she does in her day job and eventually to fiction. “I wasn’t seeing what I wanted to read. I definitely wasn't seeing enough LGBT characters represented in the 40s. So I decided to write my own.”
The deeper she researched, the more complicated the era became. "Between the war, the rationing, and the misogyny and racism, the glamour I loved so well became rose-colored glasses crushed at my feet," she said. "I still enjoy the era, but I look at it differently now. Understanding the time period has helped me understand the movies better. They weren't just for escapism, they were meant to boost morale during a fraught time in history.”
Where the Shadow Series Came From
The character who became Jenny Ryan arrived the day after September 11, 2001. "The day after the attacks, I saw a newspaper photograph of an ordinary tree-lined street in Staten Island. In that photograph, very single house had an American flag hanging from it. I couldn't recall in my lifetime the last time the country seemed so unified. I imagined it hadn't been since WWII. I envisioned a young woman who was unabashedly patriotic in that innocent 1940s way, and her journey to the stark reality of war and its costs unfolded from there. That was the start of Jenny. Kathryn Hammond, the singer with a dark past and too many secrets, was already in my head waiting for the perfect story to make an appearance. And boy did she!"
Fun fact: The story began life as a Xena Uber fan fiction before it grew into something entirely its own. J.E. wrote the whole series before publishing the first book, because she didn’t want readers to invest in a story that might never be finished. She chose to publish independently, taught herself the business from the ground up, and described the four books as “one long love story with a happy ending” (not standalones).
The characters are queer without the books being strictly about that. “I just wanted a book where there were queer characters, but that’s not what the book revolves around. They’re just normal people doing normal, extraordinary things.”
The Music Behind the Books
Kathryn Hammond’s singing voice is based on Jo Stafford, one of the most popular vocalists of the 1940s, also known as “G.I. Jo” for her popularity with the troops. Kitty Kallen, Billie Holiday, Keely Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Helen Forrest, and Ella Fitzgerald also shaped the writing.
Find the songs here: Shadow Series song list Also available as a playlist on Spotify and YouTube.
Awards & Recognition
In the Shadow of Victory won the 2024 Golden Crown Literary Society Goldie Award for Historical Fiction. (2024 winners list)
The audiobook of In the Shadow of the Past, narrated by Abby Craden, reached #1 in new releases in LGBTQ+ historical fiction on Audible in May 2022, and is consistantly on the top 100 bestsellers list. All four Shadow Series audiobooks are narrated by Abby Craden.
Read what reviewers and readers have said on the About the Shadow Series page.
Interviews & Readings
- Queer Representation in Historical Romance — Reader Seeks Romance, June 2023. A Pride Month panel with Merry Farmer and Cat Sebastian on research, readers, and why queer history matters.
- Queer Authors Roundtable, Episode 6 Part 2 — Vivian Dunn, November 2022. J.E. reads from chapter 1 and talks about pacing, plotting historical fiction, the origins of Jenny Ryan, and working with narrator Abby Craden.
- Queer Authors Roundtable, Episode 6 Part 1 — Vivian Dunn, November 2022. On writing the whole series first, self-publishing, and designing her own covers.
- Excerpt from In the Shadow of the Past, read by the author — ReadOUT.
- J.E. Leak reading from In the Shadow of the Past — Between The Covers, October 2021.
- Book Lover’s Companion, Episode 53 teaser.
Podcasters, bloggers, and book clubs: J.E. is happy to talk about the Shadow Series, 1940s New York, noir, and writing queer historical fiction. Get in touch.
What’s Next
Lingering Shadows is a forthcoming companion novel to the Shadow Series.
Sometimes, when writing an epic love story like the Shadow series, important scenes don’t fit the conventions of the genre. Unfortunately, they become the dreaded darlings a writer has to kill. "I had a big darling in In the Shadow of Victory (Shadow Series Book 4), so I condensed it and folded the key parts into the final manuscript to satisfy reader expectations. The book went on to win a Golden Crown Literary Society award for historical fiction, so I don’t regret the choice, but readers wanted more of the time period I’d compressed. That longing is how Lingering Shadows came to be. It's Kathryn-centric, so if Kathryn Hammond is your book crush, this book is for you. I don’t like telling readers what to do, but you must read all four Shadow series books first, or you’ll miss the full depth of Kathryn Hammond’s struggle and her journey toward love and healing."
Tempest on the Tide is a collaboration with award-winning author Jo Havens.
Teaser: A ghostly tale set between the roar of the waves and the whisper of the wind, in which two women breathe life into an old lighthouse and unwittingly find themselves entwined in a timeless curse.
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Find J.E. Leak Online
Books:
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Short bio (50 words):
J.E. Leak is the Golden Crown Literary Society award-winning author of the Shadow Series, a four-book sapphic noir set in WWII New York and Paris. An antiques conservator by trade and a lifelong fan of 1940s film, she lives in Central Florida. Her Goldie-winning finale is In the Shadow of Victory (Shadow Series Book 4).
Longer bio (100 words):
J.E. Leak writes sapphic historical fiction with the mood of a 1940s noir film. Her Shadow Series — In the Shadow of the Past, In the Shadow of Love, In the Shadow of Truth, and In the Shadow of Victory — follows OSS agent Kathryn Hammond and reporter Jenny Ryan through espionage, secrets, and a slow-burn love story that runs from wartime Manhattan to liberated Paris. In the Shadow of Victory won the 2024 Goldie Award for Historical Fiction. All four books are available as audiobooks narrated by Abby Craden. An antiques conservator with a degree in graphic design, J.E. designs her own covers and lives in Central Florida.
Author photo: Download high-resolution headshot. Please credit Mikall Angela Hill.
Interview and appearance requests: Contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does J.E. Leak write?
Sapphic and lesbian historical fiction with a noir sensibility. The Shadow series is a slow-burn love story with an unforgettable femme fatale, spies, and secrets, set in World War II.
Do the Shadow Series books need to be read in order?
Yes. The four books tell one continuous story. Start with In the Shadow of the Past.
Is J.E. Leak traditionally or independently published?
Independently. She wrote the entire series before releasing the first book, designs her own covers, and produced the audiobooks with narrator Abby Craden.
Will there be more Shadow Series books?
The four-book arc is complete, but a Kathryn-centric companion novel, Lingering Shadows, is on the way. A collaboration with Jo Havens, Tempest on the Tide, is also in the works.
Where can I get a signed copy?
Signed paperbacks of all four Shadow series books are available directly from this site for US orders. Order here.