Leafwing by Ken Abeare

The Secret of the Lost Princess

New Kids' Book Celebrates A Journey of Memory, Magic, and Mindfulness

TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN—Imagine waking up in a fairy world with no memory, alone, looking different from everyone around you?

Leafwing: The Secret of the Lost Princess tells the tale of a fairy who lives through just that scenario. With leaf-patterned wings, nothing like the bug-like wings of all the other fairies around her, she begins trying to find out who she is, with no-one and nothing familiar to cling to. She soon begins attending school and while slowly recovering her identity, realizes her true purpose.

Set on the side of the mountain after the last ice age, she finds herself in the middle of the return of the goblins, which soon pulls her and her friends into a battle to save their kingdom. Told through the story of this mysterious fairy, author Ken Abeare hopes one theme will shine through for readers young and old.

“We are all an equal part of life and deserving of its love,” Abeare described. “Also, that we must respect all life and must give to it first before we can ever receive.”

As a nurse of over two decades, Abeare didn’t set out to be an author, though the idea of Leafwing originated years before he ever put pen to paper. 

“I made this story up for my granddaughter when she was five years old. She loved it so much that we continued the story until she was seven,” he said. “When she asked me to write our story for her future babies, I realized that even at seven years old, this meant a great deal to her.”

Drawing on his experience in medicine helped him to include lifelike details about plants, healing, and more, and he found a unique niche where he could contribute to the rising genre of fairytales, apart from traditional lore. 

“I’ve been told this genre is sought after currently and fresh perspectives are very welcome,” he noted. “Originally, it was my granddaughter's enthusiasm for the characters and plot, but I began to feel immersed in the story the more I wrote. In some parts, the characters themselves wrote the dialogue. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It was as if I were merely there to witness and type.”

The writing process in total took three years, including instruction from a writing coach, as he found himself welcomed into the world of writing with open arms.

“This entire experience has been amazing for me. Imagination I didn’t know I possessed and being accepted into a field that I never knew I could belong,” he exclaimed. “I’m actually looking forward to writing more!”

The Author

Ken Abeare is a specialty nurse in Michigan. His inspiration to become a writer comes from his close relationship with his granddaughter, Sophia. Together, they created Leafwing and her adventures as a bedtime story, with Sophia contributing details from her wonderful imagination. At seven years old, she asked him to write it down so she could share it with her friends and, perhaps someday, with her own children. Thus began a commitment to becoming a writer and, years later, bringing their story to the world.

The Book

Leafwing: The Secret of the Lost Princess

Ken Abeare

210 pages, 5.5” x 8.5”, Color

Fantasy & Magic / Legends, Myths & Fables / Action & Adventure

ISBN: 978-1-968761-97-4, $24.95 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 978-1-968761-98-1, $17.95 (Softcover)

Publication Date: 10/20/2026

Mission Point Press 

Copies are available for preorder at Bookshop.org, Amazon, and other online retailers. On its October 20 publication date, it will be available for purchase wherever books are sold. For information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at kabeare@yahoo.com.