Leslie Ann Brody

Welcome to “Leslie’s Laws for Life.”

Law 1. Magic Happens

If you are open to this idea, read on. When I was a young girl, my mother told me that she had wanted to name me “Alexandra Guy Brody.” She ultimately abandoned that name because she did not think it would be well received by the jury members before whom I would someday be arguing my cases. She obviously had a profound influence on me because I have spent the bulk of my adult life as a public interest lawyer. It has been important and fulfilling work. I have been married, divorced, and raised a beautiful daughter. I have been alone for significant periods and eventually, found true love, and married a second time.  As the years ticked by, I yearned for more. It sounds greedy perhaps, but I believe everyone should live their dreams.

Growing up, I loved all things mysterious, magical, ghostly, and otherworldly. I still do. I also love crafting a good story. And so, as part of my own “Chapter Two” I embarked upon a journey to write a Middle Grade novel. Thus begins the story of my book “Popular Magic,” the tale of an eighth grade girl who, unhappy with her life, and yearning to be popular, casts a spell and makes a wish come true. It was a huge challenge to write a novel while practicing law full time, and practicing motherhood – do we ever really consider ourselves totally proficient at being moms? I wrote and stopped writing so many times it was dizzying. But with age comes wisdom. If I wanted to live my dream, I needed to finish writing my book. And so I did.

The next challenge will be getting my book published. The human condition is such that at some point in our lives we all try something, fail, give up, get up, dust ourselves off and try again. Hopefully you have tapped into your inner child and allowed yourself crazy dreams that seemed out of reach in the real world. I know I have. I have also fallen prey to the familiar trap of self-doubt. Ah the writer’s conundrum; “Yes I can! No I can’t!” Both uttered in the same breath.

Believe me, I have read my share of self-help books. Sure, I have aspired to do downward facing dog at sunrise each morning, while drinking celery juice with a hint of jasmine, taking a break only to cook organic egg and vegetable omelets for my loving partner and perfectly quaffed child, all before leaving for work. “Aspired to” being the operative words. I have had to face facts: I’m not that girl. I’m the one whose eight-year-old daughter came bounding up the steps to my bedroom yelling “Mommy, mommy hurry the stove is on fire!”  I flew down the stairs only to have to tell my daughter “Yeah honey, about that, mommy is boiling an egg.” Eight years old and the sight of her mom cooking was not yet imprinted on her brain.  Yikes.

Please join me on my journey to fulfill my dream of seeing my book, “Popular Magic” in print and on screen. Hey! Dream big or go home! Click on “Magical moms” to read my “Leslie’s Laws for life” blogs which will be filled with magical moments and monumental misadventures. It is the story of my book, but it is also the story of my life. Send me your experiences in the “Share your Thoughts” section, as I believe that nothing resonates so profoundly as the collective voices of women.

If you have children in middle school who love all things magical or supernatural, have them click on “Middle School Magic” to reach Leslie’s Library, where I will recommend the books that I think will spark their imaginations and send a fun shiver down their spines. They may also click on “Popular Magic” where they can meet my characters, hear them share some of their trials and tribulations of life in middle school, and leave comments for my characters. Who knows, they may just respond.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you and truly hope that I inspire you to live your own dreams. As you do, always remember Leslie’s Law number one: Magic Happens.