I’m Leanna – I influence people to discover who God is and who they are in Christ through writing and speaking so they can walk in their calling and the victory Christ died to give them.
While there are many things I enjoy doing, at the top of my list is connecting with people. One way I get to do this is through my monthly newsletter. You can subscribe to my newsletter here and you’ll even get a gift – the first two chapters to my newest novel, Silver Lining. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
If you’re new, here are a few places to start. You can check out the books I have released as well as read some blog posts I’ve written through the years.
My Story.
Life has certainly not turned out the way I had planned as a little girl. At different stages in my childhood I wanted to become a singer, a nurse, and a teacher. Considering I faint at the sight of blood, becoming a nurse wasn’t going to happen. By the time grade 12 arrived, I needed to make up my mind and decided I would pursue something different. Business. Four years later, I graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration. While I thought I would become an accountant, God had other plans for me.
Who am I and what am I to do?
At fourteen, I made the most important decision I’ll ever make. I decided I wanted to accept Jesus into my life as my Lord and Saviour and live every day bringing glory to Him. As I learned more and grew in my faith, I wanted God to lead my steps knowing His plans are the best plans. I want God to write my story. He led me to a non-profit organization where I got to work with incredible missionaries and at the same time God was working on my heart. I thought I had my future planned out, but slowly God started chipping away the things I thought I wanted and started planting a desire to see people set free and walk in purpose.
I recently took a course which focused on answering two questions. Who am I? What am I to do? I believe these are questions we have all faced at some point in our lives. While for years I’ve known my identity is found in Christ, it wasn’t until I took this course that I spent time to really think about the second question. Now, I can confidently say that I am a child of God who has been planted with purpose to disciple others for a time such as this. I’m not perfect and I don’t always get it right, but I press forward knowing I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I make mistakes. I go through challenges and sometimes get too caught up in my feelings, but at the end of the day, I know who I am, I know what I am called to do, and I know I am loved by God.
Living Life to the Full.
I started writing when I was fourteen all because I didn’t like the ending of a novel I was reading. So I decided to write an alternative ending. From there I started writing novels about people I would dream about, or stories I would envision in my head while taking the bus ride home from school. I wrote about twenty books before I took the leap and published Love Never Fails. Two years later came Relentless Faith and, in the years to come, there will be more. I can’t express in words how much I love writing about characters who feel lost or are insecure or simply messed up, but through a journey discover who Jesus is and who they are in Christ. I believe people can encounter Jesus in many ways, including fiction.
Around the same time that I started writing, I also started getting involved in ministry which led to teaching in youth group. As I got older and started working full time, more doors opened to speak, whether it be in my home church or my workplace. Whether I’m on a platform speaking or writing novels, the focus will always involve some aspect of knowing who God is, knowing who you are in Christ and walking in victory.
If you’re still reading this, I want you to know that Jesus adores you and He wants to be in relationship with you. We’re all on this journey together and my hope is that whether you read my books, blog posts, or hear me speak, that you would walk away closer to God and deeply encouraged. I believe God has amazing plans for your life and truly believe the best is yet to come. I can’t wait to connect with you.
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you as for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22