The author on the beach at Pawley’s Island, SC, actually writing the series.

Kristen Johnson is an author known for her enchanting storytelling and immersive world-building. With a deep passion for weaving compelling narratives, she invites readers to embark on an extraordinary literary journey through the enchanting realm of MithTerra.

Kristen Johnson lives in Jonesborough, Tennessee with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and a bunny. She has been a high school teacher for thirty years now, a job she truly loves. Kristen tries to pass her passion for reading and writing on to her students and recently had the amazing experience of discussing her first novel, The Forgotten, with her school’s book club. She has spent most of her life writing—stories, poems, memories, and even fan fiction— which is where the Valaraii Rising series originated.

Kristen has always been a true fan of Tolkein and the fantastic world he created in his books. The only problem? No truly strong women, which is what this author wanted to be. So, Kristen wrote herself into Tolkein’s work. (Not well, let’s be honest, but she was very young when she started.) Over the years, the stories evolved and became a world and story all their own that her daughter, upon discovering a journal one day, challenge Kristen to do something with. Then, over an argument about following your dreams, that same daughter threw her mother’s writings back in her face for not trying to get them published.

Now, Kristen has the first two books of the trilogy, The Forgotten and The Lost, published and the third book, The Dead, is due out in 2026. Readers can connect with her through Instagram @valaraiirising.