Ever since Eva-Marie Baron can remember, she has loved books full of adventure and mystery. When she was still at school, she spent nights devouring all the young adult novels she could find.
Eva-Marie Baron grew up in the Ruhr region in the 1980s and later studied social sciences at the Ruhr University in Bochum. Her professional career initially led her into the field of youth and child protection, where she established herself as a lecturer, among other things.
Through her own children, she finally rediscovered her love of books. Because of her profession, it was natural for her that reading together was simply part of every day. As picture books were replaced by exciting novels, she found that together they eagerly awaited each new release of Eragon, Harry Potter, Sonea, the Tribute to Panem, City of Bones, and other fantasy book series.
When her boys grew up, Eva-Marie started writing to inspire teenagers through her books. According to her, books like those by J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George R.R. Martin can create entire worlds of adventure and mystery that provide valuable experiences for living in the here and now.
For the books of the fantasy saga "The Scepter of Vissalya" she teamed up with the young author J. D. Fischer. He was only 16 years old when the collaboration began, but he contributed most of the fantasy world and the basic framework of the plot. This collaboration, which has been successful to date, builds a real connection for her with young readers as she writes.
Eva-Marie doesn't think of her readers as "fans," but as traveling companions on an adventure trip together. That's why some of her stories are designed as "community-driven books": for example, readers who have dived into the Vissalya world with her and J. D. can develop the story of the protagonist Amelia together. Through polls, challenges, or the contribution of their own pictures, character descriptions, fantasy creatures, or places that are woven into the books, a collaborative work is created in which fans become active participants.
