Tosca Lee is a critically-acclaimed American novelist of speculative fiction. Her religiously-themed, sometimes controversial books are best known for their lyrical prose, extensive research, and vivid imagery.
Lee was born on December 1, 1969 in Roanoke, Virginia to Sang Moon Lee and Laura Moncrief. Her father, a first-generation Korean who initially entertained dreams of becoming an opera tenor before he went on to establish himself as a leading academic in the area of business management, named her after his favorite Puccini opera, “Tosca.” Lee’s mother is a native Nebraskan, whose ancestors include one of the state’s early women pioneers.
Growing up, Lee won numerous writing awards and contests. She would not think of herself as a writer, however, until much later. As a young adult, she pursued classical ballet and piano. She received her B.A. from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in English Language and Literature. She also studied International Economics at Oxford University. While at Smith, Lee wrote her first novel...a story of the Stonehenge people of Salisbury plain (unpublished).
Lee wrote the book that would become Demon: A Memoir around 2000. It sold in a 2006 multi-book deal with NavPress after nearly six years of rejection. Despite its nomination for a Christy Award, the release was not without some controversy within the religious market due to the book’s title and fiery cover.
Lee’s Havah: The Story of Eve (NavPress, 2008), garnered a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, 4.5 stars from Romantic Times and solidified Lee’s reputation for prodigious research and scriptoral interpretation. But Havah brought its own controversy...this time for its sensuality in the portrayal of Eve’s relationship with Adam.
B&H Publishing re-released both books in 2010.
In 2010, Lee signed to write a new post-apocalyptic series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker. Forbidden, the first book in the series, is scheduled for 2011 release from Hachette Book Group.
Lee’s third stand-alone novel, Iscariot, the first-person account of the infamous betrayer of Christ, is due January of 2012 from B&H Publishing.
Lee is particularly known for creating three-dimensional characters from traditional Biblical archetypes, with themes involving redemption, and the ultimate battle between good and evil.
