Leanna Sain: A Grit Lit Suspense Interview

When I saw Leanna Sain's cover and read the blurb, I couldn't wait to bring her onto the Diamond Mine. Wow, just look at that stellar cover art of the book Hush. Let's see what she has to say about this great looking novel and her writer life.

Give one fact about you as an author that most people don’t know.

I try to get away for a week at a time, at least once a year, to a little one-room cabin in Maggie Valley, NC where I write like a crazy woman from the time I wake in the morning about 3:30-4:00, until I crash into bed at night. Writing that way only happens when I escape to that cabin. There are too many distractions when I’m at home.

Was there a scene you had to edit out that you really liked? Tell us about it.

Originally, Lacey’s character was able to do more than just dream murders before they happened. She was also telekinetic, able to make things happen. For instance, when she was four, the family dog got hold of her favorite teddy bear and destroyed it. She was able to repair it so it was better than normal.  My editor thought that was a bit too “speculative” for a suspense novel and suggested we leave that out. There were several scenes like that one that, unfortunately, got cut.

Being a writer is a busy life, isn’t it? I’m sure you’re working on something new to intrigue your readers. What’s in the works for you right now?

I almost have the sequel to Hush ready to send in to my editor. The working title is Hoax. (I’m staying with “h” words for titles.) Hoax picks up two months after Hush ends. And plot points for the third book (possibly named Harlequin?) keep trying to butt in as I’m trying to wrap things up. I have to keep pushing them out of the way. I have to finish one before I can allow the next one in my brain. Otherwise it’s a train wreck.

Do you ever base your characters off real people?

Leanna's Mother

Usually, if I base one of my characters on a real person I only use bits and pieces—nothing that they’d be able to really recognize as them, but it’s different with Hush. The character of Lacey’s mom is totally based on my mom. You see, I wrote Hush while we she was struggling through the final stages of Alzheimer’s. I needed a way to funnel out some of the negative stuff that comes from watching someone you love die and writing was the perfect way to do it. I decided to make Lacey’s mom have Alzheimer’s too, so we could travel the road together. So every time the reader reads anything about Eve Campbell, they’re reading exact things my mother either said or did. The process was very cathartic for me and it helped. I dedicated the book to Mama and decided to donate a portion of what I make in sales to Alzheimer’s research. It’s my hope that it will help them to find a cure a little quicker.

What is the quality you like the most about your heroine?

Let’s face it, “adulting” can sometimes be hard. But add in being primary caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s and the difficulty level increases exponentially. Life knocks Lacey for a loop, but she doesn’t let her keep her down. I like that about her.

Giveaway time!

Leanna is giving away an eBook of Hush. Enter by commenting below and adding your email address (It is never stored but only used to get ahold of the winner).

Blurb:

Lacey Campbell dreams murders before they happen.

As head chef for a chic restaurant and primary caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t have time for the nightmare and at first she tries to deny it. But the next day, she discovers it's a disturbing reality. When she dreams the second heinous murder she knows it’s time to tell the police.

Detective Ford Jamison is called back to the little coastal town to help with the case and soon notices an alarming trend: the killer is using the lullaby as a “blueprint” to target women who resemble Lacey. This doesn’t slow the killings and now Lacey is afraid to fall asleep at night because the next face she sees in her dream might be her own.

As a hurricane churns ever closer to the little coastal town, danger and suspicion spin out of control. Time is running out. Can they stop the killer before the last verse of the lullaby?

Buy link:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hush-Leanna-Sain/dp/1645262502/ref=sr_1_1?

Social media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leanna.sain

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Leannasbooks

Website and blog: http://leannasain.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1323792.Leanna_Sain

Bio

Leanna Sain, earned her BA from the University of South Carolina before moving back to the NC mountains. She calls Miracle Hill Farm home, but she lives mostly in her imagination. Her Southern suspense or “GRIT-lit,” showcases her plot-driven method that successfully rolls elements of best-selling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, and Jan Karon all together, making it her own. She loves leading discussion groups and book clubs. For more information or to contact her visit: www.LeannaSain.com

**Note: I wrote Hush while my mother was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s. To honor her, I’m donating a portion of book sales to Alzheimer’s research. Please help by getting a copy, spreading the word, and writing a book review