Leigh Ralph Books

The Gold Family sci-fi trilogy, magical children’s adventures with Veyr and Maggie the Magic Magpie, true crime, the Whodunnit Detective Series, Kiwi cookbooks, coloring books, and stories of survival and healing. All written from the heart.

✦ Magical adventures with Veyr ✦

Veyr, Leigh Ralph’s original character

Into the Pages with Veyr

Meet Veyr, a very special little character I first created for The Gold Family Sci-Fi Trilogy. He is a warm, wonderful, kind and caring creature, and I knew he had more to give. That is why I brought him out of the trilogy and gave him a series of his own, guiding children through everyday life with magical adventures filled with courage, kindness and discovering what makes them special.

Explore the Veyr series
Cover of Veyr and the Jungle Shadows
Veyr and the Jungle Shadows“Being Brave When You’re Scared”
Cover of Veyr and the Grumpy Little Pirate
Veyr and the Grumpy Little Pirate“Being Kind to Someone Who Was Unkind to You”
Cover of Veyr and the Safe Place
Veyr and the Safe Place“Finding Your Safe Place and Your Safe Person”
Cover of Veyr and the Circus of Wonders
Veyr and the Circus of Wonders“Loving What Makes You Different”
Cover of Veyr and the Maze That Wouldn’t End
Veyr and the Maze That Wouldn’t End“Not Giving Up When Something’s Hard”
Cover of Veyr and the Playground Bully
Veyr and the Playground Bully“Standing Up Without Being Mean”

Available now: Veyr and the Jungle Shadows and Veyr and the Grumpy Little Pirate. More adventures are on the way.

The Playground Bully and Maggie — A Maggie the Magic Magpie Story

✦ Meet the newest little helper ✦

Maggie the Magic Magpie

Maggie is no ordinary magpie. From her secret treehouse, she flies to help children who are worried, sad or being picked on — with a listening ear, a little magic and a reminder of how brave they can be.

Helping children be good, be brave, and be YOU.

Meet Maggie & watch her videoBuy her first book (The Playground Bully and Maggie on Amazon, opens in a new tab)

The Gold Family

Sci-Fi Trilogy

One ordinary summer’s day, a spacecraft appeared over the Gold family’s estate and took them, one at a time: six people and their two beloved Shar Pei. When it brought them home, they were no longer human. They were living gold.

To the world outside, a single gold hand is worth a fortune. Overnight, an invisible Dome closed over the whole estate, and nothing can get in. The Golds soon discover that nothing can get out, either.

Strange things are happening inside the estate walls, and the Golds are beginning to suspect they are not the first family this has happened to.

A gripping sci-fi thriller about family, survival and what it means to be human. Read them in order: Living Gold, Buried Gold and Last Gold.

Cover of Living Gold, Book One of The Gold Family
Book OneLiving Gold Buy on Amazon (Living Gold, opens in a new tab)
Cover of Buried Gold, Book Two of The Gold Family
Book TwoBuried Gold Buy on Amazon (Buried Gold, opens in a new tab)
Cover of Last Gold, Book Three of The Gold Family
Book ThreeLast Gold Buy on Amazon (Last Gold, opens in a new tab)
Start the trilogy with Living Gold on Amazon, opens in a new tab

More books by Leigh

More than 30 books written, with published favourites and new adventures on the way.

The Majestic Shar PeiA loving tribute to the breed I’ve shared my life withKids’ CornerVeyr, Maggie, magical stories and talking videosRomanceA love story with a touch of magic True crimeReal cases, told plainly in my own voice Whodunnit Detective SeriesReal unsolved cases — weigh the suspects yourself Abuse, survival and healingHonest, hopeful books about getting through Kiwi kitchen and homeEasy Kiwi kai and cheap feeds for flatters Coloring books and AIColoring to unwind, and a friendly start with AI

Little readers, big adventures

Kids’ Corner

A little magic, a kind friend, and stories to share.

Meet Veyr and Maggie, explore their books and watch their talking videos.

A kind guide. A little magic. A new adventure.

Into the Pages with Veyr

Meet Veyr, a very special little character I first created for The Gold Family Sci-Fi Trilogy. I brought him out of the trilogy, and now he has a series of his own, guiding children through everyday life with magical adventures filled with courage, kindness and discovering what makes them special.

Meet Veyr, then choose a story below. Each book has its own talking video to watch.

Meet Veyr

Say hello to Veyr — the warm, kind little character at the heart of the series.

  • Cover of Veyr and the Jungle Shadows by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Jungle Shadows

    “Being Brave When You’re Scared”

    Buy on Amazon (Veyr and the Jungle Shadows, opens in a new tab)
    Watch the video for Veyr and the Jungle Shadows
  • Cover of Veyr and the Grumpy Little Pirate by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Grumpy Little Pirate

    “Being Kind to Someone Who Was Unkind to You”

    Buy on Amazon (Veyr and the Grumpy Little Pirate, opens in a new tab)
    Watch the video for Veyr and the Grumpy Little Pirate
  • Cover of Veyr and the Safe Place by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Safe Place

    “Finding Your Safe Place and Your Safe Person”

    Coming soon
    Watch the video for Veyr and the Safe Place
  • Cover of Veyr and the Circus of Wonders by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Circus of Wonders

    “Loving What Makes You Different”

    Coming soon
    Watch the video for Veyr and the Circus of Wonders
  • Cover of Veyr and the Maze That Wouldn’t End by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Maze That Wouldn’t End

    “Not Giving Up When Something’s Hard”

    Coming soon
    Watch the video for Veyr and the Maze That Wouldn’t End
  • Cover of Veyr and the Playground Bully by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Playground Bully

    “Standing Up Without Being Mean”

    Coming soon
    Watch the video for Veyr and the Playground Bully

A first look at another Veyr adventure

Veyr and the Impatient Fairy

Book coming soon

Welcome to Maggie’s secret treehouse

Maggie the Magic Magpie

Maggie is no ordinary magpie.

She lives in a secret treehouse that nobody else can see, filled with glowing lanterns, feather cushions and shelves of shiny little treasures. And she has a little bit of magic.

Whenever a child somewhere is having a hard time — feeling worried, or sad, or picked on — the golden M on Maggie’s chest begins to glow, and off she flies to help.

She doesn’t fix everything for them. Instead, she listens. She helps them find the right words. She shows them that telling a grown-up they trust isn’t giving up — it’s one of the bravest things of all. And before she leaves, she sprinkles a little golden dust, so they always remember how brave they can be.

Then home she flies to her treehouse, ready for the next child who needs her.

Maggie the Magic Magpie — helping children be good, be brave, and be YOU.

Children’s Grief & Loss

Gentle stories for children and the grown-ups supporting them through loss, illness and saying goodbye.

Back to the top of Kids’ Corner

All my books

My books are available on Amazon. Click “Buy on Amazon” under any cover to find it there.

For children’s books and talking videos, visit Kids’ Corner. You’ll find Veyr, Maggie and a separate Grief & Loss collection.

The Gold Family: A Sci-Fi Trilogy

A family taken by a spacecraft and sent home as living gold. Read them in order.

Romance

A standalone love story with a touch of magic — where the wishes you pin to a board have a way of finding their way to you.

The Majestic Shar Pei

More than 25 years of life with the world’s most wrinkled dog, brought together in a book dedicated to this remarkable breed.

  • Cover of The Majestic Shar Pei by Leigh Ralph

    The Majestic Shar Pei

    25+ Years Experience With the World’s Most Wrinkled Dog

    Buy on Amazon

True crime

Real cases, drawn from the public record and told in my own voice. Nothing is invented.

Whodunnit Detective Series

Real unsolved cases that left the detectives baffled. Weigh up the suspects and make up your own mind. My own answer comes at the end of the next book.

Abuse, survival and healing

Abuse, survival and the long road to healing. Honest, straight-talking books drawn from lived experience, for anyone who has been through it or is still in it.

Kiwi kitchen and home

Everyday Kiwi kai, cheap feeds for flatters, what to do with those brown bananas, and a hand for young ones leaving home.

Coloring books and AI

Coloring books to help you switch off and breathe, and a friendly first step into AI.

Back to the top

Coming Soon

New books on the way. Here’s a first look at what’s coming next.

Into the Pages with Veyr

A first look at more Veyr adventures still on their way. Discover the books available now in Kids’ Corner. Explore Veyr’s books and videos

  • Cover of Veyr and the Safe Place by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Safe Place

    “Finding Your Safe Place and Your Safe Person”

    Coming soon
  • Cover of Veyr and the Circus of Wonders by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Circus of Wonders

    “Loving What Makes You Different”

    Coming soon
  • Cover of Veyr and the Maze That Wouldn’t End by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Maze That Wouldn’t End

    “Not Giving Up When Something’s Hard”

    Coming soon
  • Cover of Veyr and the Playground Bully by Leigh Ralph

    Veyr and the Playground Bully

    “Standing Up Without Being Mean”

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Asked for the Last Dance by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Four

    The Killer Who Asked for the Last Dance

    The Bible John Murders of Three Women from Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Named Himself by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Five

    The Killer Who Named Himself

    The Zodiac Murders That Terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Came at Christmas by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Six

    The Killer Who Came at Christmas

    The Unsolved Murder of Six-Year-Old JonBenét Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Let an Innocent Man Pay by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Seven

    The Killer Who Let an Innocent Man Pay

    The Unsolved Murders of Harvey and Jeannette Crewe in Pukekawa, New Zealand

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Wore a White Mask by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Eight

    The Killer Who Wore a White Mask

    The Phantom Killer and the Texarkana Moonlight Murders of 1946

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Turned Cabin 28 into a Slaughterhouse by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Nine

    The Killer Who Turned Cabin 28 into a Slaughterhouse

    The Unsolved Keddie Cabin Murders of 1981

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Shocked a Colony by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Ten

    The Killer Who Shocked a Colony

    The Unsolved Gatton Murders of the Murphy Siblings in Queensland, 1898

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Kept Them for Days by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Eleven

    The Killer Who Kept Them for Days

    The Unsolved Oakland County Child Killings of 1976–77

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Drowned the Baby in the Bath by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Twelve

    The Killer Who Drowned the Baby in the Bath

    The Unsolved Walker Family Murders of Osprey, Florida, 1959

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Buried Them in the Sand by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Thirteen

    The Killer Who Buried Them in the Sand

    The Unsolved Wanda Beach Murders in Sydney, 1965

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Killer Who Offered Them a Ride by Leigh Ralph

    Whodunnit Detective Series, Book Fourteen

    The Killer Who Offered Them a Ride

    The Hunt for the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Killer, 1972–73

    Coming soon
  • Cover of The Beast by Leigh Ralph

    Serial Killers – Worst of the Worst, Book One

    The Beast

    The True Story of Luis Garavito, Colombia’s Most Prolific Child Killer

    Coming soon
  • Cover of Color My Pussy by Leigh Ralph

    Color My Pussy

    An Adult Coloring Book of 25 Beautiful Cats

    Coming soon
  • Cover of Color My Little Pooch by Leigh Ralph

    Color My Little Pooch

    A Relaxing Adult Coloring Book of 40 Small and Toy Dog Breeds

    Coming soon

Book Videos

Short talking videos for my books. Press play and have a watch. Available books link to Amazon; upcoming books are marked coming soon.

Looking for Veyr and Maggie? Visit Kids’ Corner for children’s books and videos.

The Gold Family: A Sci-Fi Trilogy

Romance

The Majestic Shar Pei

True crime

Whodunnit Detective Series

Abuse, survival and healing

Kiwi kitchen and home

Coloring books and AI

About Leigh

I write from New Zealand, usually before sunrise, with my dog asleep beside me.

I came to writing by accident. My first book told my own story, the one I needed to write. That led to short, straight-talking books on abuse, survival and healing, drawn from lived experience and offering the honest answers I once struggled to find.

Then came fiction, including The Gold Family sci-fi trilogy. I never expected to find so much joy in creating other worlds, but those stories have taken on a life of their own. Along the way I’ve also written true crime, including the Whodunnit Detective Series, Kiwi cookbooks, gentle picture books to help children through loss, coloring books, a simple guide to AI for beginners, and a book on the Shar Pei, the breed I’ve shared my life with for more than 25 years.

One of my favourite creations is Veyr, a very special little character I originally designed and created for The Gold Family sci-fi trilogy. There was something about his nature that made me realise he deserved adventures of his own. So I brought him out of the trilogy and created “Into the Pages with Veyr”, an ever-growing children’s series where he gently helps children navigate life’s challenges through magical adventures. He’s proof that sometimes a character has more stories to tell than you ever imagined.

My books cross genres, but my approach stays the same: write honestly, make every word count, and give readers something to think about. Whether I’m drawing on my own life or imagining another world, I want to write something that stays with you after the last page.

My Shar Pei sleeps through most of the work, but she finds her way into more of my stories than she knows.

~ Leigh

Let’s Connect

I always love hearing from readers. If my work resonated with you, or if you just want to share your thoughts and feedback, please reach out.

Email me My Amazon author page (opens in a new tab)