Comparable titles include Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga and Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Like Saga and Nausicaä, a heroic female protagonist is caught between two different worlds and combines the two worlds to create solutions to big problems, with fantastical or sentient creatures and lots of action-adventure elements packed through the story.

AARA tackles subjects such as climate change, technology, and albinism. The U.S. Coast Guard plays a crucial role in the story, as they help the characters travel all over the earth. The overall encouraging environmental narrative conveys the message of reverence for all life and cooperation among species. As millennials and Generation Zers are well-known for being eco-friendly, AARA will also speak significantly to this audience.

I initially wrote AARA while I was fighting cancer. As I processed my past trauma and developed the pieces through perseverance, the character and story became my alter ego. As I was healed through faithfully writing this story, I hope it goes out into the world to heal others. I was also inspired by Tindi and Bibiana Mashamba, sisters with albinism, who I met when they came from Tanzania to the US after surviving violent persecution. My calling has met theirs, and in using a part of their story, I hope to strengthen others as well.

To reciprocate the enthusiastic, kind support I've received, I've done extensive research and multiple revisions to ensure the story is rooted in reality - including the U.S. Coast Guard. Regarding their agreement, I must submit "a minimum of 5 hard copies" of the book to U.S. Coast Guard upon publication. "Short excerpts" from the book's contents will be used for internal information; for historical, educational, and training purposes by the U.S. Coast Guard, which will be an excellent promotion for AARA within and beyond the USCG community. I also traveled to Australia to learn about wombats from wildlife experts; and visited the Smithsonian Museums of Washington D.C. and others to learn about space science. Through the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) and the African Millennium Foundation, I’ve spoken directly to people with albinism and activists fighting for them. Even “the largest recorded meteorite to strike the United States in 21 years” fell on the Washington coast during research to coincide with the story’s concept. The EV Nautilus Expedition that followed it to retrieve the meteorite fragments from the ocean provided me with an excellent but sole reference regarding its matter. Please refer to the section “Research” for details.

AARA is a story of overcoming and healing, with people of various backgrounds coming together to make miracles happen on Earth. It is supported by concrete research and strategic writing to raise awareness about albinism and environmental issues in a unique, creative way, and it stands with the activists who work in these fields. I greatly appreciate your time, and I hope that you will join me on this literary adventure to spread hope throughout our planet.

Aurora Haan