Velvet Moon Chronicles: The Leveling (I)

Don't wake the dreamer.

Power has a price. As Manhattan's most sought-after confidante, Zoë Hall knows this better than anyone. But when a preternatural force begins hunting her through her dreams, she discovers her mother's death twenty years ago was just the beginning, and that some legacies are written in blood.

Part psychological thriller, part surrealistic fantasy, The Leveling explores consciousness and reality, grief and loss, and fearlessly delves into the existential. Pulled between present-day Manhattan and the forested realms of her dreams, Zoë finds herself wedged between the very pillars of light and dark as she comes face-to-face with the most formidable force she's ever encountered: her own mind.

Shannon Denise Evans (The Storyweaver(TM)) is a creator, author, screenwriter, playwright, composer, songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, choreographer, and actor. She grew up on a small island outside of Seattle, Washington, before relocating to New York. Shannon has written four full-length plays, the novel series Velvet Moon Chronicles, a psychological-fantasy-thriller, and the non-fiction work, What the Mountains Know: Life, Unstuck, a book about learning to live fearlessly. Currently, she is writing the second novel in the Velvet Moon Chronicles series as well as a second non-fiction book, Wildcrafter: Getting Out of Your Own Way. Shannon and her creative partner have co-created a portfolio of interconnected television and film properties that are in various stages of development, including The Unreality of Roma Mason, The Shoemaker, GraveDigger, I Am Scissor, Killer/Dorothy, Riding the Hood, Vargas Girl, Hollowlight, Just Howard, among others.As a musician, Shannon has produced, written, composed, and performed lead vocals on two studio albums under the name, SAVARRE. Her latest EP, Blood, has been released to glowing reviews, specifically calling out her emotional depth, soulful sound, vocal agility, and multi-layered songwriting. Shannon splits her time between Los Angeles, Seattle and New York City, and is a proud mom to her super pup, Sir William Wallace.Social: @OfficialShannonDeniseEvans

Michael John Mendiola is a writer, playwright, dramaturg, story & content editor and actor with roots in Idaho and Alaska. He spent 18 years writing and performing before moving to Seattle where he now lives with his husband and their beloved cat, Penny.As a playwright, Michael's first two full-length plays, The Book of Dorothy, based on the real-life events of activist Sister Dorothy Stang, and The Future's So Bright were semi-finalists for the O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference. As a dramaturg, his theatrical portfolio specializes in reimagined, nontraditional productions designed to provoke conversations both in the audience and the artistic community.He was the story and content editor on Shannon Denise Evans' novel, Velvet Moon Chronicles: The Leveling, a psychological-fantasy-thriller and the non-fiction work, What the Mountains Know: Life, Unstuck, a book about learning to live fearlessly. Currently, he is editing the second novel in the Velvet Moon Chronicles series as well as a second non-fiction book, Wildcrafter: Getting Out of Your Own Way.Recognizing the synergy of their creative partnership, Shannon and Mike formed Lamplighter XIII and The Spicy Noodles as vehicles for their artistic endeavors. Together, they have co-created and are developing a long list of television series including The Unreality of Roma Mason, The Shoemaker, Scrap Heap, Gravedigger, Sky Swift, Killer-Dorothy, Riding the Hood, Vargas Girl, Hollowlight, and Just Howard, among others.Michael is a member of the Dramatists Guild and AEA and is on the board of The Project Solution, a nonprofit organization that provides small-scale funding for infrastructure projects to people in distressed areas of the world.