When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I think I might have been born with a pencil in one hand and a notebook in the other.
I used to make up stories in my head when I was very young and by the time I was eight or nine I had begun to write a book – I didn’t get very far but I remember sitting in my private hidey-hole in the garden with a school exercise book on my lap and a pencil in my hand, scribbling down my ideas.
Unfortunately, life got in the way and for a long time I stopped writing except for some poetry from time to time.
It was only about six years ago, when talking to a friend about writing, that I decided to see if I could write a novel. And I did!
I have published six books so far and the next is due out soon.
Did you have any influencing writers growing up?
I think I was mostly influenced by Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte.
I’m pretty certain Mr. Rochester in “Jane Eyre” was my first crush and somehow many of my heroes tend to have some of his characteristics.
I also loved the Anne of Green Gables books and read them over and over.
Are any of your characters based on people in real life?
Not really – they are based more on ideas in my imagination although every now and then I find some of my characters show quirky characteristics that are very definitely drawn from things people around me say and do.
Where do you draw your book inspirations from?
Often when I’m reading a book or watching a movie, a sentence or a secondary character or something that happens sparks a thought in me and over time I find it developing into a story of its own.
I keep an ideas list where I jot down the ones that appeal to me the most.
Over the years I have accumulated many ideas in this way and the problem is usually to decide which ones to focus on next and how different ideas can work together.
Do you use have a basic outline when starting a new story or do you let the characters lead the way?
A little bit of both. I tend to have a general idea of what the story will be about but very often the characters make their own decisions while I am writing and I find myself surprised by what happens to them.
For instance, in “A Paragon for the Viscount” Clarissa kept doing things that were not what was expected of a perfect society lady and so the story developed in ways that I had not expected.
When you are picturing the characters in your book, do you have a cheater photo for inspiration?
I usually have a fairly good idea of what my characters look like but when I start writing I look through my Pinterest boards (PINTEREST) and create a mood board of people and places that reflect my ideas for the new book.
I have a few different boards that help me to visualize the places and characters more clearly.
Many people read as a form of escape and relaxation. What is your favorite way to sit back and relax?
Reading! I read a lot. I can’t fall asleep at night unless I read at least a few pages.
When I have the opportunity, I also like to go to art galleries and museums because I am inspired by the brilliance of great artists.
Most often I just go for walks in and around the little village where I live in France.
Who are your favorite current authors to read?
I love Sierra Simone’s writing. She has a wonderful ability to draw me into the worlds she creates and I love the way she blends fantasy with modern life and retells classic stories, like the legend of King Arthur, but with a very kinky twist.
I also adore Cherise Sinclair’s books, especially the Dark Haven series and the Masters of the Shadowlands books.
Other writers I read often are Bianca Sommerland, Golden Angel, Lisa Kleypas, Elizabeth Hoyt.
What are your favorite books by others?
I think my all-time favorite book is Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”.
But I read a lot of very different books and it is always difficult to pinpoint a specific favorite. It fluctuates with my mood and what is happening in my life.
The Thornchapel series by Sierra Simone is probably my current favorite. I reread it every few months.
Do the locations in the stories have any meaning to you?
Not really – my books are set in Regency England and many of the places I mention no longer exist – like Vauxhall Gardens or Gunther’s Tea Shop.
Others have changed so much that they would not be recognized by my characters if they visited modern-day London.
I love the English countryside and often the descriptions in my novels are drawn from memories of places I have visited.
Do you write in single or multiple POV?
I mostly write from the heroine’s point of view but often find that the hero wants to make his views clear.
Occasionally for a moment or so I show the perspective of one of the secondary characters because they can see things that the main characters sometimes miss.
What do you find to be your best research tool?
What would we do without Google!
I have a lot of bookmarked sites that describe life in Regency England and I subscribe to quite a few newsletters about the Regency period.
Sometimes when I visit museums and art galleries, I take note of details that give me a sense of the time period and use these in my descriptions.
I also read books set in the period and immerse myself in the way people spoke and the things they did.
Georgette Heyer’s books are a treasure trove of details of the Georgian and Regency periods. And of course, watching period dramas is very helpful too.
Do you write under a pen name? Also, do you write under more than one name?
I write under the name Kathy Leigh.
When I started writing novels I was a high school teacher and it would have been hugely embarrassing if my students had read my books – my writing is somewhat explicit and naughty.
What genre do you write and why is this your preference?
I write Regency Romance with an erotic edge, although a couple of my books are set in the Victorian period.
I have always loved history and imagining what life was like in previous eras.
I often imagine myself living in a Medieval castle or a Victorian manor house.
My favorite genres to read are historical romance and fantasy so when I started writing it was inevitable that my books were based in the period I dreamed about.
I think there is something very romantic about the past and the splendor of beautiful estates and a slower pace of life, but I am also a very modern woman and so my Regency heroes and heroines indulge in all kinds of naughty exploits too.
Tell me something about yourself outside of writing. Jobs, accomplishments, family, quirky trait...what led to you being you?
Hmmm, this is a difficult one.
I consider myself quite ordinary and haven’t really done anything unusual or different.
My friends used to call me the cat whisperer because I get on very well with cats, even those who are often nervous will come to me.
Because of that sometimes when people were moving or for other reasons couldn’t keep their cat, they gave them to me. The most I had at any one time was three – not too many fur babies at a time because they do like getting lots of attention.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Write. Just write. Keep writing.
If you have a story to write, tell it.
Once you begin, keep at it.
Writing is about being persistent and persevering, one sentence at a time.
And read lots of books of the kind you want to write.
How do you deal and process negative book reviews?
They can be devastating and I do get very upset.
Sometimes I will focus on a single negative sentence and forget all the great things other people say.
When the initial devastation eases, I do look carefully at the criticisms and consider how much is personal opinion and how much is valid.
What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
Keeping focused and finding the creative energy to write my word count every day.
Some days it is just so difficult to keep writing and sometimes I find I haven’t written very much or what I’ve written isn’t very satisfying.
What do you need in your writer’s space to keep you focused?
Once I become involved in my writing, I prefer not to have too many distractions around me, but to help me focus, I keep my white board nearby with a set of colored markers so that I can see where my lot is heading.
What is your naughty indulgence as you are writing?
Coffee! And winegums.
[I have to admit I had to look this up LOL. For us Americans, winegums are gumdrops without the sugar coating kind of like gummy bears]
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose? And why?
This is such a difficult choice to make because there are so many wonderful writers and they all have different ideas and ways of approaching the writing process.
I think maybe someone like Golden Angel because it was through reading some of her historical novels that I realized the possibility of writing the kinds of books I do write.
What is your schedule like when you are writing? Do you have a favorite writing snack or drink?
I usually try to write for about an hour every morning, which is my best time for writing, but I tutor most days and so often can’t do much writing until later in the day.
Ideally, I try to write for three to four hours a day but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Usually I reread what I wrote the day before – or the last part of what I wrote – and then pick up the story from there although I often skip ahead and write something that happens later and then go back to complete chapters I’ve left hanging.
One of my favorite places to write is in a coffee shop with a large cappuccino to sip while I write.
I try not to snack too much but chocolate always stimulates my creative senses.
Do you listen to music when you write – what kind of music is your favorite?
Music helps me to concentrate and is very inspiring.
When I write in a coffee shop, I usually choose one that has gentle jazz playing but when I am at home I listen to piano music.
I find instrumental music less distracting than songs with lyrics.
Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?
Oh, indeed yes. My cat does not like to be ignored when she wants attention so she walks across the keyboard while I’m working.
Sometimes she lies down next to the keyboard so I can’t move my hands.
Usually I pet her for a bit and then put her on my lap or onto a chair nearby where she sleeps while I work.
What is your kryptonite as a writer? What totally puts you off your game?
Negative comments and reviews so when I am in the creative flow I try not to look at reviews of precious books.
Have you ever killed off a character that your readers loved?
No. Usually if someone dies it is a minor character or part of the backstory.
I would find it very traumatic to kill off one of my characters, even the mean ones.
How do you celebrate after typing THE END?
Usually with a big sigh of relief and then a glass of good red wine.
I hope you enjoyed this interview!
Check out all my interviews/reviews for Kathy Leigh!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/08/author-at-glance-kathy-leigh.html#more
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