Photo Content from Ashley and Leslie Saunders
Ashley and Leslie Saunders are twin sister filmmakers and authors. The sisters’ debut novel, THE RULE OF ONE is out now with Amazon Publishing, the sequel, THE RULE OF MANY, releases May 7th.At age thirteen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, inspired the twin sisters to be storytellers. Shaping their creative collaboration in film school at the University of Texas at Austin, Ashley and Leslie went on to write, direct and produce several award-winning short films that have screened for festivals such as SXSW. Ol’ Daddy, produced by the sisters, won the prestigious Gold Medal at the Student Academy Awards in 2012.
The Saunders sisters are currently in development to adapt their book series into television with producer Ginger Sledge (Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Miss Congeniality).
Ashley and Leslie can currently be found with their Boston terriers in sunny Los Angeles, exploring hiking trails and drinking entirely too much yerba mate.
Ashley and Leslie are repped by CAA and Bloom Hergott.
JEANBOOKNERD PODCAST 2018: SEASON 1 EPISODE 22
GUEST: ASHLEY AND LESLIE SAUDERS
DIRECTING REEL
At age thirteen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, inspired the twin sisters to be storytellers. Shaping their creative collaboration in film school at the University of Texas at Austin, Ashley and Leslie went on to write, direct and produce several award-winning short films that have screened for festivals such as SXSW. Ol’ Daddy, produced by the sisters, won the prestigious Gold Medal at the Student Academy Awards in 2012.
In their world, telling the truth has become the most dangerous crime of all.
In the near-future United States, a one-child policy is ruthlessly enforced. Everyone follows the Rule of One. But Ava Goodwin, daughter of the head of the Texas Family Planning Division, has a secret—one her mother died to keep and her father has helped to hide for her entire life.
She has an identical twin sister, Mira.
For eighteen years Ava and Mira have lived as one, trading places day after day, maintaining an interchangeable existence down to the most telling detail. But when their charade is exposed, their worst nightmare begins. Now they must leave behind the father they love and fight for their lives.
Branded as traitors, hunted as fugitives, and pushed to discover just how far they’ll go in order to stay alive, Ava and Mira rush headlong into a terrifying unknown.
Praise for THE RULE OF ONE
“Ava and Mira’s world is an all-too-believable mix of advanced technology and environmental collapse. In their debut, Saunders and Saunders, themselves twins, lend an authentic voice to the girls’ first-person narration…Readers are in for a fast-paced ride, poised for a sequel, as the twins embrace their father’s call, in the words of Walt Whitman, to ‘resist much, obey little.’” —Kirkus Reviews
“Dystopia fans will enjoy this adventure set in an all-too-plausible future America.” —School Library Journal
“A suspenseful and timely dystopian thriller that should appeal to both adults and teens.” —Library Journal
“Utilizing a sf-fantasy setting and a survival-oriented plot, the Saunders sisters are careful to promote growth and differentiation between the twins…There are parallels to current news stories, such as immigration, environmental resources, and an autocratic political system. Try this with fans of James Dashner’s Maze Runner series, Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Double Identity, or such clone books as Rachel Vincent’s Brave New Girl.” —Booklist
“The apocryphal nature, strong female heroes, and similar concepts to the movie What Happened to Monday and to Margaret Haddix’s book series Shadow Children, are reflected in this plot-driven book. Readers of the genre will appreciate the page-turning action, the close calls, and the authors’ development of distinct personality differences between the twins.” —VOYA
“The Rule of One, penned by IRL twins Ashley and Leslie Saunders (with another book to come), will be your new favorite YA series.” —HelloGiggles
“The descriptions of everything are incredibly vivid and make you feel as if you are running for your life…This story was completely compelling.” —The Nerd Daily
“The Rule of One offers a loving look at the relationship between two sisters against the backdrop of a totalitarian government…The book tells a heartwarming story highlighting the relationship between twins that transcends time. If you like young adult novels, loving families, a story about sisterhood, a believable dystopia or just a trek through the near-future United States, then you’ll like The Rule of One by Ashley and Leslie Saunders.” —The Daily Texan
“Fans of the Divergent series by Veronica Roth as well as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins will be sure to love this book. The Rule of One, with its totalitarian government and futuristic setting combined with a great plot and cast of characters will satisfy any dystopian lover…” —Teenreads
“Twin storytellers Ashley and Leslie Saunders are modern-day soothsayers who beautifully spin a suspenseful tale of the not so distant future. Pay attention—this could be what 1984 was to 1949.” —Richard Linklater, Academy Award–nominated screenwriter and director
“Ashley and Leslie Saunders have created a masterpiece in this dark futuristic tale of twin sisters who must share one identity in a society where control is the order of the day. Intense and descriptive, the twists and turns this story takes, as well as the obvious love the sisters share for one another, make for an unforgettable journey.” —Kathy Parks, author of The Lifeboat Clique and Notes From My Captivity
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In the near-future United States, a one-child policy is ruthlessly enforced. Everyone follows the Rule of One. But Ava Goodwin, daughter of the head of the Texas Family Planning Division, has a secret—one her mother died to keep and her father has helped to hide for her entire life.
She has an identical twin sister, Mira.
For eighteen years Ava and Mira have lived as one, trading places day after day, maintaining an interchangeable existence down to the most telling detail. But when their charade is exposed, their worst nightmare begins. Now they must leave behind the father they love and fight for their lives.
Branded as traitors, hunted as fugitives, and pushed to discover just how far they’ll go in order to stay alive, Ava and Mira rush headlong into a terrifying unknown.
“Ava and Mira’s world is an all-too-believable mix of advanced technology and environmental collapse. In their debut, Saunders and Saunders, themselves twins, lend an authentic voice to the girls’ first-person narration…Readers are in for a fast-paced ride, poised for a sequel, as the twins embrace their father’s call, in the words of Walt Whitman, to ‘resist much, obey little.’” —Kirkus Reviews
“Dystopia fans will enjoy this adventure set in an all-too-plausible future America.” —School Library Journal
“A suspenseful and timely dystopian thriller that should appeal to both adults and teens.” —Library Journal
“Utilizing a sf-fantasy setting and a survival-oriented plot, the Saunders sisters are careful to promote growth and differentiation between the twins…There are parallels to current news stories, such as immigration, environmental resources, and an autocratic political system. Try this with fans of James Dashner’s Maze Runner series, Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Double Identity, or such clone books as Rachel Vincent’s Brave New Girl.” —Booklist
“The apocryphal nature, strong female heroes, and similar concepts to the movie What Happened to Monday and to Margaret Haddix’s book series Shadow Children, are reflected in this plot-driven book. Readers of the genre will appreciate the page-turning action, the close calls, and the authors’ development of distinct personality differences between the twins.” —VOYA
“The Rule of One, penned by IRL twins Ashley and Leslie Saunders (with another book to come), will be your new favorite YA series.” —HelloGiggles
“The descriptions of everything are incredibly vivid and make you feel as if you are running for your life…This story was completely compelling.” —The Nerd Daily
“The Rule of One offers a loving look at the relationship between two sisters against the backdrop of a totalitarian government…The book tells a heartwarming story highlighting the relationship between twins that transcends time. If you like young adult novels, loving families, a story about sisterhood, a believable dystopia or just a trek through the near-future United States, then you’ll like The Rule of One by Ashley and Leslie Saunders.” —The Daily Texan
“Fans of the Divergent series by Veronica Roth as well as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins will be sure to love this book. The Rule of One, with its totalitarian government and futuristic setting combined with a great plot and cast of characters will satisfy any dystopian lover…” —Teenreads
“Twin storytellers Ashley and Leslie Saunders are modern-day soothsayers who beautifully spin a suspenseful tale of the not so distant future. Pay attention—this could be what 1984 was to 1949.” —Richard Linklater, Academy Award–nominated screenwriter and director
“Ashley and Leslie Saunders have created a masterpiece in this dark futuristic tale of twin sisters who must share one identity in a society where control is the order of the day. Intense and descriptive, the twists and turns this story takes, as well as the obvious love the sisters share for one another, make for an unforgettable journey.” —Kathy Parks, author of The Lifeboat Clique and Notes From My Captivity
1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Rule of One by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders
I would go back to when I first got married.
ReplyDeleteI would want to go back to a family party where I had the chance to speak to my great-great-grandmother. I was thirteen and thought she was just an old lady. Turns out she was quite a family historian. Ah, regrets!
ReplyDelete"If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?" Back to earliest childhood, with different, better, more supportive and protective parents.
ReplyDeleteMy 18th birthday.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go back at all, I am who I am todaybecause of everything that has happened in my life, I wouldn't want to risk altering the past.
ReplyDelete1979 when I was 17 years old.
ReplyDeleteI would go back in time when I was 16 years old.
ReplyDeleteI would go back to my high school years, because I would have treated my mom better.
ReplyDelete