As seen in the March issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.
Uncaged: You write under the pen names of Leah Grant and Anne Wentworth – can you tell readers more about the two personas and why you keep them separate and how they differ?
Hello Cyrene – thank you for the opportunity to be a featured author. The Leah Grant pen name is for adult romance books and the Anne Wentworth pen name is for Young Adult, New Adult, Middle Grade and Science Fiction. Since I write multiple genres and for different age groups, it was an easy way to keep it separate.
Uncaged: I read Ghosts through the Mist and it was a standalone, but you also have been revising your Encircled By Gold series into the Viking Grave series. Can you tell readers why the transitions and revisions?
Well, first off, the muse has visited me and there is a second book after Ghosts Through The Mist, but not until later this year. (Don’t hold me to that) As for the transitions and revisions, now that I’m self-publishing, I feel much freer to write the way I want to and wanted to focus much more on the story and less on the heat. There is some spice, but more focus on feeling, emotion and journey. That is what stories are, journeys, and if the writing comes from the heart, the reader will want to travel along and find out what is in store.
Uncaged: You live in Canada and love the outdoors. Does that influence and inspire your writing? You have a saying on your Goodreads page that says, “Don’t be afraid to step into the storm.” What does that mean to you?
Yes, I love nature and have many ‘outdoor’ pets. We have a raven that has been visiting for the past six years, Scotty, and he’s a real pill. He showed up after we moved in and I fed him some bread. The next day he brought every relative he had…but it’s a blast. The Prairies have a tough winter, but there is always a trade-off, the thunder storms are show stoppers.
Don’t be afraid to step into the storm – it means not to be afraid of living, to be alive in your own life. So many walk around numb, tasking, and over- busy. Life is full of experiences good and bad, and you need to live it. Battle scars are a thing of beauty, as are wrinkles and gray hair.
Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?
I do read them. I always appreciate an honest and thoughtful review. A writer isn’t always going to receive five stars, but a constructive review can help you understand what the reader took/saw from the story. I am always interested in what the reader got from my book, how they saw it, how they interpreted it. Sometimes I’ve been surprised at what a reviewer said about a book. It can help a writer grow.
Uncaged: Can you tell us what you have coming up next?
Currently I am revising Second Saga, Book 2 in the Viking Grave Series, and have started Abby’s Road, Book 2 in the YA series, Just Whisper My Name. Also the third book in the Double Helix Nebula series for Science Fiction. I write the sci fi to amuse myself and have been having a good laugh with the social/space opera. It should be an interesting year.
Uncaged:What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?
That they felt as if they were with the main character and in the book, living the story.
Uncaged: What are your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?
I like the freedom of being an author, to get up every day and create. I love reading the story and being entertained by it. I dislike the power games and politics that are so prevalent in publishing, hence why I’m self-publishing and getting rights back.
Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
Being outside if it’s above zero. I love cooking and baking and trying new recipes. My husband and I work on projects together, both on the house and property. Television- love The Grand Tour, Colony, Dirk Gently, The 100, and The Expanse. We live in an old house with lots of ‘activity’, so it’s never boring here. I love a good ghost story, mustangs, coffee and watching the ravens clowning about.
Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?
It isn’t like that for me, the book unfolds and I write it. The characters tell their story and it flows. I usually have 1-3 books I’m working on, so it can take time. I’ve been in the middle of writing a book when another pushes to the front and it takes over, so no rules here – just lots of coffee, lots and lots of coffee.
Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?
Thank you for reading. Visit me at Facebook or my websites.
[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]I live on the Canadian Prairies with my husband and our two self-directed felines – Miss Fish and Little Red (aka The Red Machine). I am fluent in three languages, English, husband and cat. If it’s paranormal, count me in. I love a good ghost story and have a few of my own to tell. There is nothing sadder than an empty coffee cup. Battle scars from living a life are really beauty marks of understanding and growth. Love mustangs, sci fi, chocolate and thunder storms.[/symple_box]
