Spill the Tea Tuesday: How Far is Too Far?

If you're at all involved in the book community, then I'm sure you've heard the story circulating about the author who faked her death, only to come back 2 years later and be like, "Oops, just kidding!" If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go read THIS POST. Go on. I'll wait...

Is your mind blown? Your jaw on the floor? Can't fully wrap your mind around what you just read? Yeah, me too. I've been following this story and all the bizarre updates as they happen, and all I can say is WOW! 

First, and I'm sure I don't need to say this, but... my fellow authors, don't ever do anything like this. Please. This is beyond horrific. Second, a lot of people are speculating that this entire "death" was nothing more than a long con to sell books. I mean, no publicity is bad publicity, right? For the record, I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. More on that in a bit, though.

In addition to this scandal, there are a handful of authors behaving very badly on Twitter -- namely, they are attacking reviewers, bloggers, booktubers, etc. And I don't just mean authors upset and voicing that online about a bad review. I'm talking personal attacks, threats, name calling, reporting the reviewers videos / reviews / profiles, etc. 

All of this has led me to ask two very important questions: 

WHY? 

How far is too far when it comes to selling books and getting your name out there?

Do the authors behaving this way truly feel like this behavior is gaining them any favor? I can't tell you how many times I've seen readers say they won't ever buy or read a certain author because of how they've acted online. Which leads me to circle back to that advice above:

No publicity is bad publicity!

WRONG! 

Sorry, but when you're acting like a fool online, when you're throwing fits and attacking others in the community, when you're lying and scamming and emotionally harming others, that's not good. I don't see anyway that sort of behavior can be spun into something positive. 

Are people talking about the "author who faked her death?" You betcha! Are they flocking to buy her books? Nope! 

Are people talking about the author(s) attacking reviewers? Absolutely! Are they flocking to buy their books? I doubt it! (Unless, of course, they are buying to read and review with the sole intent of rating low / negatively, but that's a different post for a different day.) 

Now, let me be clear that I have never spoken to the "dead" author, and I've never read her books. Nor have I ever attacked or otherwise interacted with a reader / reviewer who didn't like my books. I do, however, know how hard it is to get noticed in a very crowded industry, and I know that the desperation to stand out can be strong. But just how far is too far? 

So, what say you, readers? Where's the line in terms of getting your name out there and selling books? What behaviors will you absolutely not forgive and cause you to stop reading / supporting an author? 

Spill the Tea Tuesday: Judging a Book by its Cover

Don't judge a book by its cover! We've all heard that, and I'm sure a lot of us have said this at some point, too, but personally, I think this is terrible advice. I mean, let's be honest, we all judge books by their covers. How can we not? The cover is often the very first thing we see. If a cover is ugly or amateurish or confusing or hard to read, I'll keep scrolling (or strolling the aisles if I'm in an actual bookstore). Do I miss some good books because of this? Probably. But on the flip side, I've seen some absolutely gorgeous covers that make me stop and take notice. Then the blurb doesn't entice me or the story itself is just bad. 

Now, I realize this means I should take the above advice--don't judge a book by its cover--right? But again, no. Why? Because as an author, especially an Indie author, it's your job (my job) to create a cover that will grab a potential reader's attention. But my work doesn't stop there. I also need to ensure the blurb and the contents of the book are just as stellar. If my cover snags attention, I then need to guarantee my blurb will make that reader open to page one. And then I need to hook them enough to want to keep reading. 

So, while I agree we shouldn't judge the contents of a book by its cover, we absolutely need to use the cover as a tool to decide if it's something we want to invest our time and money in--two things a majority of people are in short supply of lately. 

You're probably wondering what prompted this post, so let me explain...

When I published my YA paranormal books (The Cursed Series), I hired a professional cover artist who I'd worked with before in various other capacities, and I truly adored her work. I gave her ideas of what I wanted, and she exceeded my expectations. 

I absolutely LOVE my covers, and when I'm at a book signing and have the entire series lined up on my table, I get so many compliments on the covers and how stunning they are--and how perfectly they all fit together from a series branding standpoint. And people really tend to love the colors, too.

But then I paid for a consultation from a successful author who reviewed my catalog and offered insight into how I could better brand and market my series in an effort to increase sales. Now, I learned a lot from this author, and I'm so glad I did the consult--it was definitely money well spent. However, one of her biggest "issues" was with my covers. She felt they didn't fit within the current market trends, didn't properly portray my genre and age category, and that, because the last book had an object as opposed to people, it didn't fit well with the rest of the series. 

I disagreed. Vehemently. 

And I refused to change my covers. 

Yes, a big part of this was sheer stubbornness on my part, but an equally big part was the cost of doing a total cover re-brand on seven books. I just didn't have the funds. Yet, I couldn't seem to shake her advice. Was she right? Did I need to re-do my covers? So, I do what I always do in this situation... I reached out to my trusted circle of friends and asked for their opinions. They all agreed that my covers were fine, and sales were steady. I let the advice go and kept going as I had been.

Recently, though, sales have stagnated. Not stopped, mind you, but I haven't really seen any increases, either. Can you guess where this is going?? LOL. 

For those of you who haven't seen today's social media posts, I'm finally taking the plunge and rebranding my Cursed Series. But not just the covers--the interior formatting, the editing, and the blurbs. Will this help boost sales? No idea, but it's worth a shot, right? 

My question for all of you readers: Do you judge books by their covers? How do you feel about authors switching out book covers like this--love it? Hate it? Don't really care? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let's spill some tea. 

GOALS: 2023

It's once again my favorite time of year -- GOALS!! I absolutely love setting goals for myself and seeing just how much I can accomplish in a year. And after the (surprisingly) productive 2022 I had, I'm more excited than ever to see what 2023 has in store. So, let's do this!

STAY HEALTHY!

Yes, this is absolutely the first thing on my goals for 2023. I'm finally in a good place with my Fibro and all my meds, and I want to maintain this. I'm no longer actively trying to lose weight, but I will continue to eat healthy and stay active. Encompassed within this goal is to keep my family as healthy as possible, too. Thankfully, my daughter seems to be adjusting to her disease and the recent medication change very well, and I pray that she continues to improve and do well. 

KEEP ON WRITING & PUBLISHING!

Obviously! I mean, this is what I do after all. Unlike previous years, though, I don't have any firm plans in mind of what I want to write and publish--and admittedly, I was freaking out about this for a while, but then I realized it doesn't matter. I don't need to have my writing planned out for the entire year. That's the best part of being an Indie author: I can write whatever I want, whenever I want. So rather than list out all the projects I think I might want to work on (and let's face it, I *always* veer away from my list anyway), I'm going to aim to write and publish another 5 books this year. I'm going to make this a mix of YA and adult. 

TREAT MY BUSINESS LIKE A BUSINESS!

I realize this might sound a little bit odd, and I do treat the act of writing and publishing like a business, but it's all the other stuff that goes with it that's lacking. I need to become better organized with my marketing, expenditures, and time management. I'm confident that doing so will also help me in the long term with my output and overall creativity.

EXPAND MY AUDIENCE!

Back in 2021, I'd sold licensing rights to my series to a couple of serial reading apps. I have a list of others that I want to explore and potentially contract with so that I can continue to expand my audience. I'll also be looking for new fun ways to help spread the word about my books. 

READ!

I'd like to aim for 1-2 books per month again, not including any submissions I have to read for Anaiah. I read quite a bit in 2022, and I'd forgotten how much I love to get sucked into a story. I will attempt to read every night before bed.

BALANCE: SLOW DOWN & LOOK AROUND

I'm forever making lists of things I need to do, setting deadlines, and basically working as much as I possibly can. This past year, though, I'd taken a Mother-Daughter vacation (which is going to become an annual thing), and I can't tell you how much fun I had exploring, spending time with my girls, and laughing. I want to do more of that in 2023 -- So, I'm hereby giving myself permission to slow down, look around, and just enjoy life. I'm not getting any younger, my kids are starting to spread themselves farther apart, and I'm to the point in my life where I feel like I've earned the right to really start enjoying all that I have. While I will always keep writing, publishing, and editing, this is the year I find a better balance between my professional and personal life. 

What will you do in 2023?

Looking Back on 2022...

I read somewhere once that whatever you're doing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve is indicative of how the new year will be for you. Well, at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2021, I was in the children's hospital with my daughter, and to say that 2022 has been a year of ups and downs for her health, my health, and others in my family would be a massive understatement. While my main focus this year has been keeping my loved ones as healthy as possible, I still managed to do some publishing stuff. So, let's take a look back on the year to see what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what big changes I faced in 2022.

My original 2022 goals included: 

(1) FINISH WARS OF THE HEART SERIES

GOAL ACHIEVED! I wasn't sure I'd actually finish this series, as I was really struggling with the final book, but I managed to write, edit, and publish the entire trilogy, and now all three books are available. So, if Jax is your favorite, go grab these books and find out what happens :) 

(2) FINISH VAMPIRE WARS SERIES

As previously noted, I'd written and released a short YA vampire story called The Culling that was part of a multi-author collection. While that collection is no longer available and I have all rights back to my story, I had hoped to add more and republish it, but because of how much I struggled with Jax's series--and the numerous health issues--I didn't get this done. Maybe next year. 

(3) CO-WRITE BOOK 2 of EON SAGA

Hahaha. NOPE! Though, I'm not the only one responsible for this, and my co-author and I just couldn't seem to coordinate our schedules enough to get the second book written. But, we do have a solid plan for the first book in this series, so stay tuned for updates about that. 

(4) RELAUNCH WARPED REMAINS

Yeah, I'm going to be honest... this has been at very bottom on my list of priorities. Though I'm hoping to revisit this next year. We'll see. 

(5) BRANCH INTO MIDDLE GRADE

Sadly, I didn't get the opportunity to actually write a middle grade story, but I've been thinking about one a lot, and it's starting to take shape in my mind. Fingers crossed!

(6) SELF-PUBLISH ADULT ROMANCE

I'm proud to say I did do this! I wrote and published 2 books under the pen name Lexi Lawton--Obligation and Obsession. I have two more books planned within this world, so be on the lookout for those.  

While I did okay with my goals this past year, (though not nearly as good as I would have liked) so much more has happened that I never expected or planned for, so here's the quick rundown: 

Professionally: 

• I wrote a total of 370,324 words. That's actually 9,201 words MORE than last year, which I have no idea how I managed that, but I'll take it!
• I blogged a total of 12,632 words.
• I rebranded my author logo, and I'm so in love with it. (Thanks again, Courtney!)
• I released 5 books: Bound, Beholden, and Banished, all written as Kara. And two new adult romances--Obligation and Obsession--written as Lexi Lawton.
• I wrote book 1 of a brand new series that will eventually be published as Lexi Lawton. It's a motorcycle club romance, and a new genre for me, but I love this book and can't wait to share it!
• I dabbled in a bit of ghostwriting again--mostly story creation and outlines. 
• I wrote a rom-com proposal for my agent, and she sent me some notes, so I'll be reworking that a bit.
• I attended two book signings and had a blast at both of them! 
• I finally got to meet some of my amazing book people--Kris Riley and Andy Garcia-Ruse. This was a real highlight of my year. 
• I've booked multiple signings for next year, too. 
• I reconnected with my CP, Courtney, and we've been so much better about keeping each other accountable and trading our work for feedback.
• For Anaiah, I edited 7 full length novels and 5 novellas. 
• I freelance edited 6 manuscripts.

Personally:

• My husband surprised me with a new kitten! His name is Salem, and he's all black. He's a jerk most of the time... except in the middle of the night when I'm trying to sleep. Then he wants to purr--LOUDLY--and snuggle into my neck. I love him though. 
• My neighbor and best friend who moved away has moved back, and she's once again right across the street from me. I couldn't be happier about this. 
• My other close friend has moved out of state and informed me recently that she's not coming back to Michigan, which makes me sad, but I'm truly happy that she's happy. 
• The weight I'd gained back in 2021 is now gone again. I haven't really been dieting per se, but I have been way more stressed and active this year, so I'm sure that's a big part of the loss. Totally not complaining!
• I made a trip to NY to attend my aunt's wedding. Being a part of that and catching up with the family was great.
• My favorite aunt moved to Michigan! Now her and my uncle are here, and I love that. They also have a litter of puppies, and I probably spend a tad too much time at their house now. #SorryNotSorry
• The house my husband and I had purchased as joint office space has now been converted back into an actual house that we live in with our youngest daughter. My son and other daughter now live together (along with some friends) in our old house. I still have a dedicated room for my office, though, so it's all good. 
• I, along with 3 of my 4 daughters, took our first annual Mother-Daughter Vacation. We were supposed to take a cruise, but for obvious health reasons, that didn't work out. Instead, we explored Michigan and visited Mackinac Island. (Which is totally gorgeous!) We're already planning next year's trip. 
• During a signing I attended in Missouri, I took a day to drive into Lawrence, Kansas and take a picture in front of the sign. For those who don't know, Lawrence is a big part of the show, Supernatural. 
• My husband, son, and I are in the early stages of launching a new business. More about this soon!

I even managed to read more this year: 

• Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli
• Hush-a-Bye by Jody Lee Mott
• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
• The Kill Jar by J. Reuben Appelman
• Raine's Fall by Erin Osborne
• Knight's Rising by Bella Jewel
• Savage Protector by E.M. Gayle
• Sinner by Lexi Timms
• All the Missing Girls by Meghan Miranda
• Fallen, Torment, Passion, Rapture, Unforgiven, and Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
• Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
• I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll
• Outbreak by Davis Bunn
• Creepers and Scavenger by David Morrell
• Peeps and The Last Days by Scott Westerfield
• Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso
• The Project by Courtney Summers
• Chain Letter and An Ancient Evil by Christopher Pike
• The Ash House by Angharad Walker

Overall, it's been a decent year for me, and I'm excited to see what I can accomplish in 2023. Stay tuned for my official goals post :-) In the meantime, tell me in the comments what YOU did this year! 

Spill the Tea Tuesday: F*ck That and Other Profanity in Novels

Today, author Katie O'Connor is here to spill the tea...

First off, thanks to Kara Leigh for having me here today. I love chatting with readers. Not just romance readers, but readers of any genre. This makes me super excited to be here with you. I always want to know what readers think about things because without readers, an author is nothing.

What I’d like to talk about today is profanity.

Let’s begin with a truth bomb, or in Kara’s words, spilling the tea. It’s no secret to anyone who’s ever met me that I love swearing. I find it satisfying. It helps me express my feelings, and sometimes it is just plain fun. My dad could out-cuss anyone on the planet. He made up combinations that nobody else could even think of. Maybe that’s where my love of profanity originated. Like father like daughter.

Recently, I’ve had two discussions on the use of profanity in fiction. One online, the other in person at a reader’s tea held for me by a fan. The readers attending this tea were all sweet romance readers, some read exclusively sweet. Their consensus was no F-bombs, but an occasional cuss word for emphasis was acceptable, just keep them few and far between. I can handle that, though it isn’t always easy. Sometimes, I write my first draft with the profanity in it and edit it afterward. Thank heaven for a good editor who catches the ones I miss.

The online profanity discussion was another animal entirely. As was strolling through social media, as most of us do, and this person comes onto a writer’s group and makes a post which flat-out stated that if you include ANY profanity in your book, you drive away most of your readers. It was, in their opinion, paramount that swearing was banished from all books.

I know nothing about the original poster’s life or beliefs, but to me, it seemed a rather bold and combative stance, like they were picking a fight. Or maybe just full of righteous superiority. Either way, it got my hackles up.

Of course, me being me, I had to disagree. An argument ensued. It was pretty tame, but at the same time, a bit heated. Dozens of people chimed in, each with their own opinion. Most of the combatants believed that some profanity was acceptable. They agreed that unless you were writing erotica of some fashion, cussing should be used sparingly. One author who wrote dark detective stories, claimed their readers LOVE the swearing. Eventually, the original poster went silent though the discussion continued without them. I don’t know who won the argument as there were fighters on both sides of the issue.

As you might have guessed, I don’t have an issue with profanity in books. Primarily, I read sweeter romances with closed door sex and a bit of heat. Some swearing doesn’t bother me, often it passes by unremarked and barely noticed. I picked up a title last week. It was listed as a sweet romance. Partially true. Some kissing, no sex. But lord love a duck, there were enough curses that it bothered even me. When I popped back onto the web, I found that the book had a few five-star reviews, but most were one and two-star. All the reviews mentioned the excessive profanity. This leads me to believe that for most readers profanity is okay, within limits.

This brings me around to you. What do you read and where do you stand in regards to “bad” language in a book? Are there words you NEVER want to see? Does it matter to you one way or the other? 

Come on, readers, it’s time to spill your tea and share your reader opinions. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Katie O’Connor lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She married her high school sweetheart and is living her happily ever after. 

She’s dabbled in writing since high school because something drives her to create stories. She swears that it’s impossible for her NOT to write. Unsatisfied with one genre, Katie writes contemporary romance, erotic romance and erotica. Recently, she’s crafted her first cozy mystery with the intention of publishing a cozy mystery series.

She believes in all things magical; including dragons, fairies, UFOs, ghosts, and house pixies. But most of all she believes in love, romance and hope.

Katie likes to make it up as she goes along and dreams of publishing a mixed genre novel. It is going to be an erotic, shape shifter, vampire, steampunk, sci-fi, murder mystery, adventure, romantic, western, historical, thriller. It will be her biography. 

She lives life with humor, hope and copious quantities of caffeine. You can find more about Katie on her website, newsletter, Facebook, BookBub, Instagram, Goodreads, and her readers' group. 

The tea has been spilled! Who's gonna clean it up? 

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

Fighting Fibro: A Spiritual Awakening?

 

In my last update post, back in August, I'd mentioned I was in the midst of yet another medication change. Well, I've been back to the doctor once since then, and I'm now completely off the Cymbalta--YAY for that! 

I've upped my dosage of Prozac to 20mg per day, which I now take at night, a couple of hours before bed. This has helped tremendously! I'm sleeping so much better at night, and I wake up feeling more refreshed than I used to. 

Unfortunately, I still don't feel like I'm at my best.

While I'm not napping every day anymore, I'm still kinda sluggish. I still feel like everything around me is foggy and distorted. I'm struggling like you wouldn't believe to focus on tasks and writing. Ugh -- my writing has suffered so, so much lately. Now, I should mention I've been dealing with some family, friend, and financial stress, too, which I know doesn't help. Plus, the weather is changing, temps are dropping, and that has always affected me in negative ways. Increased joint pain, a drop in mood, etc. 

The only way I can truly describe how I've been feeling is like I'm carrying chains around on my body. I feel weighed down. Heavy. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too. And I'm doing this in a constant fog, like I can't truly see anything clearly, everything is dull and fuzzy, and I'm slow to comprehend and process things. 

This is constant. Non-stop. All day. Everyday. 

Until last weekend...

My aunt -- God love her -- dragged me to a local psychic and holistic healing fair. Now, I went because she wanted me to and because I knew there'd be local vendors selling their wares, and well, I love to shop for Christmas gifts at these types of things. 

I need to preface the rest of this post by stating the following facts:

1. My aunt is spiritual but not necessarily religious. She leans toward Wiccan beliefs.

2. I grew up going to church. I've been baptized. I've always believed in God. 

3. I do not judge anyone for their beliefs. Ever. 

4. I also believe in science and medicine. If I can see it, feel it, touch it, smell it, taste it, etc., I tend to believe it. Yes, I realize this is in direction opposition to the entire concept of faith. BUT! I also firmly believe that just because *I, personally* haven't experienced something doesn't mean it's not real. I've never seen a ghost. Or an alien. Doesn't mean those things don't exist, right? 

So, now that I have that out of the way... We're at this fair and having a good time. I'm enjoying myself. My aunt stops at a Reiki healing booth. She's so excited! Asking me if I've ever had Reiki. I said no, because I haven't. And I'm not a liar. My aunt then asks if I want to--she's insistent it can help me with my Fibro pain (and all those pesky negative thoughts and emotions I've been battling lately). She tells me to try it, to keep an open mind. 

I'll admit, I was skeptical. But--and I swear this was the exact thought that went through my mind--what harm can come from trying this? It's not like it will hurt me or cause anymore pain than I'm already in, right? So, I took a deep breath, promised to keep an open mind, and I sat down in the Reiki Master's chair. 

She asked me (1) what I've been struggling with lately, (2) if I believed in God or some sort of higher power, and (3) what I wanted from our session. My answers to those: (1) pain in my left knee, across my lower back, along my shoulder blades, extreme fatigue, emotional stress about certain personal relationships, (2) yes, I do, and (3) to not feel so "heavy" all the time.

Then, the session began. I closed my eyes and listened to her soothing voice, the soft music playing, and the jangle of her bracelets. 

Thirty minutes later, she was done, and I opened my eyes...

The pain I'd been in when I'd first sat down in her chair was GONE! The constant fog surrounded me lifted. And I just felt lighter. My mental attitude was vastly improved. I wasn't suffering from bone-weary exhaustion. 

I'm not sure I can fully explain what she did or how it helped, but it did! Remember point #4 above: if I can see it, touch it, taste it, smell it, etc., I believe it? Well, I felt an actual physical difference. One minute, I had very real pain. When she was done, that pain was gone. The world around me was suddenly clearer. The weight I'd been carrying disappeared, and my shoulders just felt lighter. 

It's been a full week now, and I'm still feeling incredible. Yes, I've had some pain again, but I'm still taking my medication, still working out, still eating a low-carb diet. I'll continue to follow my doctor's orders, but I am absolutely including regular Reiki sessions into my treatment plan. 

This experience wasn't something I'd ever expected, and if not for my aunt, I probably never would've taken this leap of faith. But I am so glad I did, and I cannot wait to see how much better I continue to get with this new opportunity open to me. 

Spill the Tea Tuesday: Writing with Disabilities

Today, author Leigh Titler is here to spill the tea...

Hello everyone, my name is Leigh Titler, and I am a Dark Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance Author, and this is my story. I have always had a love for the written word. Growing up I had to teach myself different ways to read. I found out that I have Dyslexia. 

My biggest dream was to be a Best-Selling Author, but with my disabilities I was told it was out of my grasp. My mom and dad had always told me I could do anything, and the sky was never my limit so aim for the stars. Knowing my dream of being a writer was out of the question, I began a career in the mental health field. I worked in that field for over 20 years. One day I got severely hurt and was told I could no longer work in the field that I gave my heart and soul to. I fell into a deep depression and lost my spark.

My beloved husband of 20 years was cleaning out some packed boxes in my home office and came across short stories that I had written. He dropped the folder in my lap and told me to start writing again so I could escape and be happy once again. When my sister Sonya overheard us talking, she became a force to be reckoned with when I told her my writing would never go anywhere. 

Everyday she would hound me, “Did you write today? How much have you written?” When I finally finished The Curse of Aadya, she pushed and pushed me to publish it. So, I did, not knowing anything about the industry. It did not go well, only because I didn’t know anything about marketing or how to promote my book. I ended up loosing over 10 thousand dollars because of this mistake. 

With the help from some well-established authors, I fought for the rights back to my books and did a rewrite and republished. Aadya’s Curse and Returning to Aadya was born. With the help of Twisted Wolf Graphix, the new me was born. My family has supported me in every way. Sonya is still to this day telling me and pushing me to grow and love her for it more and more each day. My mother in law helps me with proof reading to help with my Dyslexia, my nephew Randy and my sister in law Spring help with make videos for TikTok and making merchandise for my swag shop. One of my very best friends Jill is my final editor. My two childhood best friends were the inspiration for two of the main characters in the Princesses of Aadya Trilogy, Adrienne is my Acelyn and Michelle is my Zanderley. Savannah and Crespin from Twisted Wolf Graphix are my saving grace. They do amazing work; they listened to me and took my ideas and brought them to life.

I am about to take my career one step further, my first book under my new pen name will launch a new series. The pen name I will be using for my new adventure will be Kitten. I will still be writing Dark Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance under Leigh Titler, but Kitten opens a door into BDSM Erotica romance. I have hidden my true self from the world for way to long. At 41 years old I finally feel like I am living, not just existing.

I also want to help other aspiring authors to go after their dreams. It does not matter if you have disabilities, just scared that no one will read their work, or don’t know where to start. To all of you I am here to help in anyway I can. You can do it because I believe in you.

Leigh Titler is a Dark Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance Author. She hopes her readers love her stories as much as she does. She is always open for suggestions or ideas for stories. When she's not in her writing cave, she loves to spend time with her  family and friends. Leigh finds great joy in many things. Here are just a few, Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, playing video games, reading and writing, and most of all sitting around talking with family and friends when her husband BBQ's. 

Growing up, learning was very hard for her; she was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia when she was in junior high. Because of her love for books, she didn't let it slow her down. She pushed her way through and found ways that worked for her to learn. Her advice to anyone that wants to be a writer or anything they want; is don't give up on your dreams. The only person that can hold you back is yourself. Her mom and dad always told her that the sky was the limits... So, she reached for the stars. You can find more about Leigh and her books via Amazon and her Facebook page. 

The tea has been spilled! Who's gonna clean it up? 

Drop your thoughts in the comments!