Leslye Renée Lopez grew up in central New Jersey with a passion for reading and fine arts. She is a self-taught artist who, as a child, secretly dreamt of living in the Union Square Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York City. She has since made her peace with visiting it from time to time. She holds an M.A. in English and Creative Writing and lives on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. The Bookstore Adventure: A Nya Sky Story is Leslye's debut novel.