Much of Joelle Duran’s childhood comprised reading lying on the floor in her bedroom, reading a book held under her desk at school (when not doodling or daydreaming, that is), and reading in bed near her night light, hoping her parents would believe her asleep. Her favorite genres were fantasy, animal stories, and any combination thereof. But writing? No way! As a child she wanted to be an artist and naturalist, studying animals or plants and making art of the same, while living as a hermit somewhere with four seasons, abundant trees, and lots of pets. Her firmly declared least favorite job in the world was grammar teacher.

Then, a few months before she turned eighteen, the Defender of Life showed up. At first he seemed like just another creation in the string of imaginary worlds she had dabbled in for years…but then she became entirely seduced by him, his friends, and their world. These stories in her head she could not bear to forget, which meant she had to learn to daydream with words, not just images, so she could write them down. And so it began…

As for the real-life stuff outside her head, it’s pretty mundane:

• A devoted Christian amazed to be chosen by God
• Determined to remain forever single
• Spent nearly twenty-six years as lackey employee to a large insurance company
• Over fifty and still wondering if 2020 counts as a midlife crisis
• A Minnesota resident her entire life (and disappointed that most winters don’t measure up to what people living south of her state think they’re like)

Questions, feedback, spot a typo? Please email Joelle@DefenderandHyarmi.com