Happy Friday! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Debut Author Leigh Evans on the Blog! Her book “The Trouble with Fate” is a Adult/New Adult Paranormal Urban Fantasy Series, which is super funny and awesome!
I’ll got the chance to interview her (she’s super awesome and funny) and later on I’ll have a Giveaway for you!
Me: Thank you so much for taking your time to answer some of my questions Leigh! So, welcome to the Bewitched Bookworms. I’m excited to be chatting with you!
“The Trouble with Fate” is your Debut Novel, so I can imagine this is an amazing time right now for you?
Leigh: I’ve been sitting behind the stage curtains for the past two years, writing the first three books in the Mystwalker series. Suddenly, the drapes have parted, and here I am, goggled-eyed, clutching my keyboard, alternately thrilled and terrified.
…and busy?
Leigh:No, you just have to be creative with time management. Here’s a tip: the solution to laundry is to buy more underwear.
Explain “The Trouble With Fate” with 4 words:
Leigh: Me. Mine. His. Ours.
I admit, Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance (seriously, I always have problems to distinguish those genres, so feel free to jump in here..) is one of my favorite genres. Why did you decide to write about Faeries and Werewolves and Paranormals?
Leigh: You’re not the only one: I thought I wrote an urban fantasy but have since learned that I wrote a paranormal. Who knew?
Why did I write about the supernatural?
I kept getting glimpses of Hedi. She lived outside of society. She’d never been kissed. She’d been taken out of school too young. She’d formed her life expectations based on the books she boosted from a blind bookseller.
Never been kissed? What was she—a fairy princess?
Wait a minute…
That’s the day I became an urban fantasy writer. Which was fun, because then I was free to create the perfect counterpoint for my sassy heroine. Enter Robson Trowbridge, six feet of too-pretty-for-words. Rogue Werewolf. Smart ass. Long curly dark hair. Brilliant blue eyes.
Talk about fireworks!
One of the aspects I loved most about The Trouble With Fate was that Hedi was not the usual way-too-perfect heroine! I felt like I could connect with her much better since you described her as a “normal” girl! Well, apart from her supernormal powers and heritage of course:)
Was it a conscious decision to make readers easier to connect to Hedi?
Leigh: Very deliberate. They tell you to write what you know. Well, when I was twenty-two I felt like the ugly duckling—clumsy and graceless in a world full of swans. Also, I definitely felt at least two steps behind my peers. Everyone else seemed to know what they wanted to do with their lives. Everyone else had a plan.
Where was my plan?
That’s why my heroine is neither kick-ass or beautiful. And the reason Hedi has the niggling thought that she might be a bit of a loser. Don’t get me wrong: Hedi Peacock hides it well. She’s full of snark. She takes whatever Trowbridge throws her way and spins it back at him. But inside? She’s hiding the fact that she hasn’t got a clue.
Fortunately, my publishers have given me a contract for three more books. And as it happens, I love reading stories about a hero’s journey.
That’s another thing they tell you: write what you like to read.
The most unique aspect of The Trouble With Fate was most definitely Merry! Oh how I loved Merry! How did you came up with this special idea to create an amulet with personality?
Leigh: Merry came on early in the game. Hedi needed an ever-present sidekick. Someone who wouldn’t try to work some common sense into a character who was prone to rash actions. A friend who’d just listen. Stolidly, like a rock.
Hedi and her pet-rock? No, I could improve on that. How about making her sidekick a person from the Fae realm who’d been enchanted—shrunk down to the size of rice kernel—and imprisoned in a hunk of amber? Then set that semi-precious stone into a pendant fashioned from Fae-wrought gold?
Sounds a bit cruel.
Okay, what if the gold could change shape at the Fae’s will? And what if this being—this doomed, cursed girl named Merry—had an attitude that wouldn’t stop?
That’s how Merry was born. But as is the case in real life, Merry grew. And grew. She’s got a back story. She’s got fire in her gut, and a will to survive.
Sometimes, I have to tell her, “Merry, this is Hedi’s story. If you behave, one day I’ll write your story.”
Come to think of it, that would be a damn fine story.
And finally, Leigh which is the paranormal creature/species you love most?
Leigh: Mine. Give me a girl who’s neither Fae, nor wolf, but something in between.
Give me smoking hot Werewolf with a secret sorrow. Give me a vividly alive personality imprisoned in an amulet. Give me a nine-tenths batty Fae aunt.
Sue me. I live in Hedi’s world for most of my day and I’ve grown partial to it.
Thank you so much for taking your time! And I’m looking forward to the next book in your fantastic new series! 🙂
Leigh: Thank you!
About Leigh Evans
I was born in Montreal, Quebec but now live in Southern Ontario with my husband. I’ve raised two kids, mothered three dogs, and herded a few cats. Other than that, my life was fairly routine until I hit the age of 50. Some women get tattoos. I decided to write a book. A little tardy, but then again, Mum always said I was a late bloomer.
About The Trouble with Fate
goodreads | amazon | BookDepository
Genre: Adult/New Adult Paranormal
Publication: December 24th 2012 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks
My name is Hedi Peacock and I have a secret. I’m not human, and I have the pointy Fae ears and Were inner-bitch to prove it. As fairy tales go, my childhood was damn near perfect, all fur and magic until a werewolf killed my father and the Fae executed my mother. I’ve never forgiven either side. Especially Robson Trowbridge. He was a part-time werewolf, a full-time bastard, and the first and only boy I ever loved. That is, until he became the prime suspect in my father’s death…
Today I’m a half-breed barista working at a fancy coffee house, living with my loopy Aunt Lou and a temperamental amulet named Merry, and wondering where in the world I’m going in life. A pretty normal existence, considering. But when a pack of Weres decides to kidnap my aunt and force me to steal another amulet, the only one who can help me is the last person I ever thought I’d turn to: Robson Trowbridge. And he’s as annoyingly beautiful as I remember. That’s the trouble with fate: Sometimes it barks. Other times it bites. And the rest of the time it just breaks your heart. Again…
Seriously, I had tons of fun reading this book!!! Any fans of the Paranormal will enjoy this new series!! And thanks to the awesome people at Astral Road Media, we can give away one copy of A Trouble with Fate to one lucky winner!!!!
Note: Giveaway is US only and finished copy will be send as soon as it’s available!
And now, I wish you good luck and a happy Friday!!
Enter the Rafflecopter to win:
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Merry sounds awesome! I love how the author talks about her characters like they’re real people:) It shows her love for them:)
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I love the voice! This sounds like a great read! Thanks for the interview and I look forward to reading this one.
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I love that Leigh loves her characters more than any others. It tells me that this book will be full of lots of passion!
Krista D. recently posted..Book #119 – Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1)
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I’ve definitely learned that lesson about laundry as well – buying more underwear is way more fun than actually washing the clothes I already have:) This book sounds so great! I’m a fan of all things paranormal and all things romance, so both? WIN! Also, I definitely think Merry the amulet works much better than Merry the pet rock. Just saying 😉 Thanks so much for the giveaway!
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This sounds like a great book! I love stories about characters who have two different supernatural backgrounds and struggling to be accepted or live within those two worlds! Does Merry the amulet actually talk and have its own personality? That sounds intriguing too!
Thanks,
Leanne
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Great interview, I loved learning more about the book and Leigh. I want to know more about the amulet, I am curious about the relationship between Merry and it and how that works.
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A werewolf smart-ass? Robson sounds like my sort of character! 😀 I haven’t heard of this book before so thanks for drawing it to my attention. 🙂 Great interview!
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Would love to win a copy of your book The Trouble With Fate. Sounds like a fun read.
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I love reading anything paranormal and this book sounds really good. Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me. Tore923@aol.com
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What wonderful comments! I hope you all enjoy reading The Trouble With Fate. I sure had fun writing it.
Uhmm. Most of the time. There was that action sequence that made me shed more hair than a Persian cat molting in the Florida heat.
Leigh
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Thank you so much for stopping by today Leigh!!! It was awesome getting to chat with you about Hedi and The trouble of Fate!!
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Thanks for the wonderful interview. I really enjoyed the total immersion, it felt like a good taste of what we’ll get when we read the book.
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I think this sounds like a fun read. What author would you say had the most influence over you?
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Viki, I wouldn’t dare limit it to one. Would you accept a partial list? Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Patrick Rothfuss, Carol Berg, Jim Butcher, Sophie Kinsella, C.S. Forester, Mary Balogh, Dick Francis, Bernard Cornwell. That’s just a quick list. There are many others.
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Oh, this one definitely sounds intriguing (you know how I love the UF and paranormals…). Merry sounds fantastic! I really like a good foil to the MC and Merry sounds like just that.
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Great interview! I’m really intrigued by the sound of this novel. Sounds like it crosses a few genres 🙂
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This book looks so good. 🙂 I would like to know if it’s going to be a series?
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I’m very grateful to my publishers, St. Martin’s Press. At present, I’m under contract for four Mystwalker books.
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Wow, this looks like it could be a pretty good read!
As for what I’d like to know, what the heck is his secret sorrow?! Guess I’ll probably have to wait until I read it to find out!
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Great interview this book looks awesome! The question I would ask is how old were you when you started writing? And have you always wanted to be a writer?
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Kelly,
Basically, I’m older than dirt. I started writing at 50. Sold my book at age 54. That was two years ago. *grin* Yup, I’m the oldest debut writer you’ll ever meet:-)
Leigh
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Great interview! Sounds like a really good read!! Thanks for the chance to win!
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How many books will there be in the series? Will you be doing a book tour?
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Samantha,
Thanks for asking:-) I’m contracted for four books. We’ll see where we go from there. Right now, though I have no concrete plans for a book tour, I will be signing at a few conferences over the next 12 months. For a complete list of those, please check out “events & appearances” on leighevans.com
Leigh
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I cannot wait to read this book! I preordered it FOREVER ago and am impatiently awaiting it to come in the mail. As for Leigh, I had the pleasure of meeting her at RT12 and can say without a doubt that she is awesome! Congratulations on your debut Leigh!!
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this book sounds interesting
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What inspired her to write her novel?
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The book sounds so interesting and I can’t wait to read it. I loved the interview too. Thanks for the giveaway.
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Congrats! Nice cover.
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