So, by now you’ve realized that MTAR never disappoints! We hope that you enjoyed the first part of our interview time with Leah. If you didn’t, you can find part 1 here.
For those of you who are eagerly waiting to hear more about Leah’s career, her advice to new authors, and what she has going on with future projects, here ya go.
Leah was instantly captured by Orson Scott Card’s sci-fi Ender’s Game. Although she doesn’t classify herself as a hardcore sci-fi reader, she felt Card’s writing had a good literary quality which appealed to her “English teacher-ness”. Whether she’s reading Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love, or co-writing with Rachel Van Dyken, Leah has a tendency to analyze everything she reads and enjoys lots of symbolism and “plot meat”.
Leah has always loved to write, but it took encouragement from a friend to prod her into writing something that she could publish. Leah’s first book, The Parting Gift, came out with Astraea Press on November 25, 2011. She I enjoyed the process so much; she now has four more published books and countless works in progress. In her words, “Apparently, I’m a glutton for punishment”!
MTAR certainly appreciates her gluttony!! Enjoy with us!
MTAR: Do you see writing as a career?
Leah: I love writing. I would absolutely do it full-time if ever the opportunity presents itself.
MTAR: Do you have a specific writing style?
Leah: I have a bad habit of editing/rewriting constantly while I’m writing my first draft, so what I end up with is a third or fourth draft by the time I finish the story. It slows me down to a snail’s pace, but at the same time I can keep an eye on repetitive sentence structures and phrases I’m using too much. I don’t think I’m very heavy on description, it might be considered a weakness. I just remember reading some of the classics in school and skipping over the boring details and going straight to the dialogue. So maybe it’s a strength! Just a reader’s preference, I guess.
MTAR: Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
Leah: I began editing for my publisher a few months before I submitted my first manuscript to them, so I was able to get a sense of what they were looking for and how to go about it. The biggest challenge with that first book was getting it finished in time for their Christmas manuscript deadline. Of course, I wrote that first one with Rachel Van Dyken, who was already published with Astraea Press. That made it easier, I think.
MTAR: Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Leah: Not yet. I do have several works in progress where the progress has slowed to a crawl though.
MTAR: What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
Leah: I think it’s toughest if I just get a low rating with no explanation. I like to know where I need to improve, or if the rating is just the result of a reader’s preference. Concrete feedback is much easier to handle.
MTAR: What has been the best compliment?
Leah: The other day a reader commented on All We See or Seem’s Facebook page asking when the second book would release and what the title would be. That was probably the best thing I’ve read in weeks! Made my day! Someone liked the book well enough to be anticipating the sequel!
MTAR: Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Leah: Keep writing. I know it sounds cliché, but you learn by doing. You also learn by listening to/reading authors who write well. When you get stuck, set it aside for a bit then come back to it. You’ll gain a fresh perspective.
MTAR: What avenues have you found to work best for marketing your genre?
Leah: Social media has been invaluable in marketing my books. I notice an obvious increase in sales when I’ve been spending time Tweeting and Facebooking—even more so than when I’ve paid for advertising in various places.
MTAR: Who designed the covers?
Leah: Elaina Lee is the cover artist for all of my books except Beguiling Bridget. That one was done by Bryan Griffin.
MTAR: Which book do you recommend for a reader that is new to your writing?
Leah: I suppose it depends on the reader’s interest. To me it seems like there’s a little something for everybody.
MTAR: What are your current projects?
Leah: I have several works in progress hanging out idle on my hard drive right now: a historical pirate romance, my second Endfield book, a story based on Ruth and Naomi, and the third book in the Wallflower series.
MTAR: Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
Leah: Right now I’m spending most of my energy on a Christmas Regency romance. It is a solo work (just me writing it), but it’s going to be a companion novella to one Rachel Van Dyken is working on. We use a lot of the same characters and some of our scenes will overlap. It has been fun so far, but I have a ways to go before the September deadline. Hope I can make it!
MTAR: What book are you reading now?
Leah: Torrent, book three in the River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren.
As you can tell, the sky is the limit for this Middle school English teacher turned author! When Leah isn’t writing, she performs freelance editing for her publisher, teaches during the school year, and is the coach of the middle school girls’ basketball team each winter. Having played the starting point guard position in College basketball, she is again embracing what she loves to do.
Leah laughs over her 4-month old puppy’s habit of chewing on her (she calls it his primary love language), she continues to multi-task motherhood, teaching, coaching, and working on numerous projects to deliver to her many readers and fans. Leah admits that she is overwhelmed and honored by her fans’ adoration and is very grateful that she continues to get the opportunity to follow her dreams and passion.
MTAR hopes that you have enjoyed hearing from Leah as much as we have enjoyed writing about her bright future. Don’t forget that on Friday we’ll share a snippet of her current book on our blog! Until then, happy reading!