4 year Blogoversary Celebration--Interview with Leigh Talbert Moore + Giveaway!

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Today on the blog I have one of my favorite Indie writers, Leigh Talbert Moore! Leigh is the author of one of my favorite contemporary series, Dragonfly!

Welcome to the blog Leigh! So happy you are here! To start off, why don't you tell us about your latest project.

Hey, girl! Thanks for having me here! My current project is BEHIND THE STARS. It’s an action-adventure/paranormal romance set in the woods of south Mississippi. I’m saying it’s like “Red Dawn” meets “LOST” because of how it’s set up and what happens… or what the characters think is happening. I finished it in 2011, and it went to my literary agent at that time. After I became an indie author in 2012, I took it back, but I was in the middle of putting out the Dragonfly series. So I held it until MOSAIC, the last book in that series, was released in June. Now BEHIND THE STARS is ready to shine!

Release date for the novel is Dec. 31. I serialized it, so readers can start reading it now if they want. The complete novel and all episodes are currently available for pre-order, and “Captive,” (episode #1) is FREE! So you can get a little taste and see if you like it. Yay!

There's been a lot of discussion in the book community the last few weeks about negative reviews and how authors handle them. What are your thoughts on this?

Negative reviews are part of the process, even when authors think they’re unfair or unfounded. When it happens to me, I vent to a trusted friend and then go read the 1-star reviews on Harry Potter or one of my most favorite books of all time. You can’t please everybody!

What's a typical day look like for you?

Get up, get kids to school, sit down, check email, check Facebook, try not to waste too much time on either. Write. Get kids, finish day, write some more, sleep. Repeat.

What made you decide to become a writer?

Well, I’ve been a published writer since I was in my 20s. I started out as a journalist. Then in 2009, I decided to try my hand at books, and I wrote the Dragonfly series. The rest is history!

What books have you read in the past that were inspiring to you? Especially when you were a kid?

I read inspiring books all the time, honestly. Some of my favorite books as a kid were the Judy Blume books. When I was in college, I was a huge Barbara Kingsolver fan. When I started writing books, I really fell in love with Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti. Now that I’m Indie, I get amazing books from FAB indie authors all the time. Too many to name!

I just love all your book covers, especially your latest! How involved are you on the creation of your book covers?

Hey, thanks so much! When I first started out, my super-talented author-friend Jolene Perry did all my covers. She and I would chat and look at stock art and put something together—usually she had read the book as a beta reader, so that helped. Steven Novak did the cover for BEHIND THE STARS, and honestly, the process was very similar, except he hasn’t read the book. I described what the story was about, and he came back with that amazing design. Steven’s really great. (www.novakillustration.com).

Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?

Hmmm…. I don’t think so! LOL!

What book have your read do you think should get more hype and recognition than it does?

So many great books sort of cruise by until they find the right audience. I’m currently beta-reading the second season of the Debt Collector series by Susan Kaye Quinn. It’s an amazing Urban Fantasy series that everyone should read. Susan has the greatest imagination, and she’s a fantastic writer.

What is your favorite “fan” moment?

I met the Monkees once! It was very anti-climactic… >.<

What is one tip you could pass along to beginning writers?

Just keep writing. I used to say “just keep swimming,” which is basically the same thing. Writing is an extraordinarily difficult career path, but if you’re in it because you love to tell stories and can’t imagine doing anything else, keep that goal in the front of your mind.

What is the most important thing you've learned so far on your own journey?

Things never happen in the time or in the way you think they should. Just keep swimming. (LOL!)

 Thanks so much for visiting us today Leigh! To wrap things up, share one random fact about yourself.

Hey, you’re welcome! Random fact… I can cross my little toes without touching them. Tah daah!!!!

Leigh Talbert Moore wrote her first graphic novel at the age of nine--about a lady scientist burned by acid. Sadly, the text of "Fury Woman" was lost, and Leigh's novelist aspirations went on hiatus. 

After working more than a decade in journalism, editing, marketing, and public relations, she began writing books again, and in 2009 completed Dragonfly. Today, Leigh is the author of several popular young adult and new adult novels, all with a strong romantic slant. 

She lives with her husband and two young children in the middle of the country, where she conjures new worlds, characters, and situations while playing chauffeur, chaperone, group activity leader, and referee. 

And she's still trying to remember the plot of "Fury Woman"...

And NOW, for the Giveaway!!

One lucky winner will win a signed collector's copy of "Captive" the first serial in Behind the Stars! (US only)

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