**Contest** For a chance at winning a copy of Leigh's book, all you have to do is leave a comment and she'll pick a winner at the end of the week, you don't want to miss out so make sure to leave an email addy so we can contact you :)
Author Pen Name: Leigh Savage
CA: How did you choose your pen name?
Leigh: I took Leigh from Vivien Leigh who I’ve always admired. Then Savage came from my Fathers pen name Kain Savage. The combination of the name fits me very well with Leigh showing my romantic side of my writing and Savage being for the dark side that my writing sometimes leads me.
CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
Leigh: I write mostly vampire paranormal romance. I’ve had several poems published online and in print. In November my first children book The Smile Box (written under my married name Carrie Lea Williams) will be available to buy.
I would say that even at a young age I was drawn to anything paranormal and that carried over into my writing.
CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Leigh: In high school I became a huge Romance junkie and I loved to read any romance that had anything paranormal however at the time those type of books where had to find. So I started writing my own paranormal romance short stories to help get my fix. I remember sitting in my science class and a couple of the boy and girls would want to see what I had written so they’d be sitting in class reading my stories instead of their science books. Our science teacher never said anything to them since they where A students.
After graduating and entering the work force I had given up writing. I had seen over the years the ups and downs that my Father had gone though trying to get published and decided that I wasn’t going to put myself though that. Then in 2002-03 writing found me again with the story Angel of Death. I had to get it out…I remember at the time I was working as a waitress and ideals would come to me while at work so I’d write whole chapters of the book on napkins. Everyone that worked with me would get a kick out of me standing in the waitress station trying to hurry up and write my ideals down before I’d get a new table.
CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?
Leigh: I would have to say my Father even though he mostly wrote horror but he took the time to write stories just for me and he would read them to me at bedtime. My Father installed the love of reading and writing into me. My Father was also the one person when I first started writing that I could run all my writing through for guidance. In some ways he was my first Editor. In 2005 I lost my Father and my mentor. I still find it hard sometimes when I come up with a new ideal I want to pick up the phone and call him and I have to remind myself that he’s no longer there.
CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Leigh: For the most part since I’m working with a on demand publishing company I have no deadlines so I have lots of freedom with my schedule. Once I start writing down ideals I’m very in the zone don’t bother me. My kids will come up to me and ask for something and I’ll tell them to wait just a minute and the next thing I know it will be a hour later.
CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?
Leigh: Mixed…I can’t just choose one emotion there are too many.
CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?
Leigh: It has to be my spelling and punctuation. I got my Father’s love of writing J but my Mother’s horrible spelling abilities L
CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Leigh: I spend time with my husband of 12 years and my daughter who’s 5 and my son who’s 3. I’ve been a stay at home mom since the birth of my daughter. Hang out with my other Mom friends. When I get time to myself *sighs* I love to curl up and read a book, watch TV (mostly anime), gaming, chatting online with MySpace friends and of course surfing the clearance racks for great bargains. I also enjoy drawing and painting. This came very handy when designing the book cover for Angel of Death and the illustrations in my children book.
CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
Leigh: Angel of Death is my first in print novel. Soon to follow will be my children novel The Smile Box.
Still in the works is the follow up novel to Angle of Death called Shadows of my Past I also have a collection of short stories that I wrote with my Father called Bound by Blood and A book of Poetry that I’m still working on to get them ready for print.
It’s really hard to choose a favorite book…hummm…My favorite characters would be…Mika from Angel of Death and Desi from Shadows of my Past because both of them are strong female charters that can kick a** but at the same time be soft and loving.
CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
Leigh: For the most part my characters tend to create themselves taking on a life of their own while I’m writing. So as I’m writing I get to see my charters develop and grow the same as a reader would the first time they read the book.
CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?
Leigh: I don’t know if I’m one to give advice…but I will say that this is one of the best times to become a writer there are so many ways to get your work out there that only a few years ago weren’t available. Now with E books, print on demand, blogs as well as more traditional methods of getting published. If you have the will you can find a way to get your work out there.
CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?
Leigh: They can Email: leighsavage@sbcglobal.net
Become one of MySpace friends: www.myspace.com/leighsavage
You may buy Angel of Death at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1434843017/ref=cm_pdp_arms_dp_img_1
https://www.createspace.com/3337961
Coming Soon: The Smile Box
https://www.createspace.com/3340332
CA: Is there anything you would like to add?
Leigh: I would like to take the time to thank you Crystal for taking the time to have me on your blog and interview me. I’d also like to thank the readers for taking the time to stop in and read the interview.
If you’ve read the interview and leave a comment I’ll enter you into a drawing for a chance to win a Signed Copy of Angel of Death. I’ll choose one winner a week for the remainder of October.
If you buy a copy of Angel of Death and email me at leighsavage@sbcglobal.net with the confirmation of the order I’ll enter you for a chance to win a Signed Angel of Death T-Shirt. I will choose one winner a week for the remainder of October.
I will post a list of names of all winners on MySpace Blog at the end of the contest.
CA: You heard the lady, a chance at winning her book! All you have to do is leave a comment for your chance to win!! Thanks so much Leigh for hanging out this week : )
CA: How did you choose your pen name?
Leigh: I took Leigh from Vivien Leigh who I’ve always admired. Then Savage came from my Fathers pen name Kain Savage. The combination of the name fits me very well with Leigh showing my romantic side of my writing and Savage being for the dark side that my writing sometimes leads me.
CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
Leigh: I write mostly vampire paranormal romance. I’ve had several poems published online and in print. In November my first children book The Smile Box (written under my married name Carrie Lea Williams) will be available to buy.
I would say that even at a young age I was drawn to anything paranormal and that carried over into my writing.
CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Leigh: In high school I became a huge Romance junkie and I loved to read any romance that had anything paranormal however at the time those type of books where had to find. So I started writing my own paranormal romance short stories to help get my fix. I remember sitting in my science class and a couple of the boy and girls would want to see what I had written so they’d be sitting in class reading my stories instead of their science books. Our science teacher never said anything to them since they where A students.
After graduating and entering the work force I had given up writing. I had seen over the years the ups and downs that my Father had gone though trying to get published and decided that I wasn’t going to put myself though that. Then in 2002-03 writing found me again with the story Angel of Death. I had to get it out…I remember at the time I was working as a waitress and ideals would come to me while at work so I’d write whole chapters of the book on napkins. Everyone that worked with me would get a kick out of me standing in the waitress station trying to hurry up and write my ideals down before I’d get a new table.
CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?
Leigh: I would have to say my Father even though he mostly wrote horror but he took the time to write stories just for me and he would read them to me at bedtime. My Father installed the love of reading and writing into me. My Father was also the one person when I first started writing that I could run all my writing through for guidance. In some ways he was my first Editor. In 2005 I lost my Father and my mentor. I still find it hard sometimes when I come up with a new ideal I want to pick up the phone and call him and I have to remind myself that he’s no longer there.
CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Leigh: For the most part since I’m working with a on demand publishing company I have no deadlines so I have lots of freedom with my schedule. Once I start writing down ideals I’m very in the zone don’t bother me. My kids will come up to me and ask for something and I’ll tell them to wait just a minute and the next thing I know it will be a hour later.
CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?
Leigh: Mixed…I can’t just choose one emotion there are too many.
CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?
Leigh: It has to be my spelling and punctuation. I got my Father’s love of writing J but my Mother’s horrible spelling abilities L
CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Leigh: I spend time with my husband of 12 years and my daughter who’s 5 and my son who’s 3. I’ve been a stay at home mom since the birth of my daughter. Hang out with my other Mom friends. When I get time to myself *sighs* I love to curl up and read a book, watch TV (mostly anime), gaming, chatting online with MySpace friends and of course surfing the clearance racks for great bargains. I also enjoy drawing and painting. This came very handy when designing the book cover for Angel of Death and the illustrations in my children book.
CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
Leigh: Angel of Death is my first in print novel. Soon to follow will be my children novel The Smile Box.
Still in the works is the follow up novel to Angle of Death called Shadows of my Past I also have a collection of short stories that I wrote with my Father called Bound by Blood and A book of Poetry that I’m still working on to get them ready for print.
It’s really hard to choose a favorite book…hummm…My favorite characters would be…Mika from Angel of Death and Desi from Shadows of my Past because both of them are strong female charters that can kick a** but at the same time be soft and loving.
CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
Leigh: For the most part my characters tend to create themselves taking on a life of their own while I’m writing. So as I’m writing I get to see my charters develop and grow the same as a reader would the first time they read the book.
CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?
Leigh: I don’t know if I’m one to give advice…but I will say that this is one of the best times to become a writer there are so many ways to get your work out there that only a few years ago weren’t available. Now with E books, print on demand, blogs as well as more traditional methods of getting published. If you have the will you can find a way to get your work out there.
CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?
Leigh: They can Email: leighsavage@sbcglobal.net
Become one of MySpace friends: www.myspace.com/leighsavage
You may buy Angel of Death at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1434843017/ref=cm_pdp_arms_dp_img_1
https://www.createspace.com/3337961
Coming Soon: The Smile Box
https://www.createspace.com/3340332
CA: Is there anything you would like to add?
Leigh: I would like to take the time to thank you Crystal for taking the time to have me on your blog and interview me. I’d also like to thank the readers for taking the time to stop in and read the interview.
If you’ve read the interview and leave a comment I’ll enter you into a drawing for a chance to win a Signed Copy of Angel of Death. I’ll choose one winner a week for the remainder of October.
If you buy a copy of Angel of Death and email me at leighsavage@sbcglobal.net with the confirmation of the order I’ll enter you for a chance to win a Signed Angel of Death T-Shirt. I will choose one winner a week for the remainder of October.
I will post a list of names of all winners on MySpace Blog at the end of the contest.
CA: You heard the lady, a chance at winning her book! All you have to do is leave a comment for your chance to win!! Thanks so much Leigh for hanging out this week : )