Interview and Excerpt: Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh
Thanks to Trisha Leigh for stopping by with a Q&A and excerpt from Whispers in Autumn. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more information!
**Interview**
When did you know writing was for you?
I'm pretty sure late in high school, although I didn't figure out in what capacity until after college.
How would you describe your books?
They're a blend of science fiction and fantasy, with a sweet romance (that turns more sexy) as the series progresses. Some call them dystopian, and with the fenced cities and controlled future society, they can certainly fit easily into that category as well.
Why was Whispers in Autumn a book you wanted to write?
I've always been fascinated with the idea of mind control, and whether it would be better to be clueless and happy than to know everything and let it make you miserable. These books give me the chance to explore the ideas of free will and happiness, as well as start a discussion on whether or not the human race deserves to be saved.
How were you able to stretch your imagination for the plot concept of this book? I am fascinated by it!
It took a lot of work, actually! Sometimes it's hard to let go of what makes sense and believe the world can be any way you imagine it. Althea, my main character, has to accept midway through Book 2 that she'll never fully understand the capacity of her own brain, and I accepted that along with her. Letting my imagination run was easier after that, and I've had more fun with it the last two books.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
For me, an initial revision letter is the hardest. Your book is in one piece, it flows, it makes sense - then you get these notes and things need to be added and deleted and moved around. Characters need to be adjusted, themes need to be teased out - I often compare the first draft to knitting a sweater, and that first revision to yanking on threads until you've got mostly yarn again. It's painful, but it's always worth it.
What are your favorite genres to read?
I read pretty widely, honestly. I'll read anything someone recommends, and over the past couple of years, as I've acquired more and more awesome writer friends, I've stretched out of my comfort zone to read their beautiful books. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Contemporary YA, although I do get on kicks where I enjoy reading Adult Crime Fiction as well.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
First of all, that everyone - anyone - is capable of making a different. Second, that we need to make Earth and humanity something worthy of being saved. Not to say that this situation will ever come to pass (let's hope not!) but as Althea and Lucas and Pax learn more and more about the way the planet was in 2015, the more they start to ask themselves whether giving the planet back to humanity is the right thing to do. I hope that the generations of kids growing up now can find a way to make the answer to that question unequivocally YES.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
I think it's important! More and more people are finding their next read online, whether through blogs, Goodreads, Amazon, etc, and if an author isn't comfortable in that medium, it can be a detriment. Also, in our society of instant gratification and the idea that everyone should be accessible all the time (an idea I detest, but it doesn't change the fact that it's true), social media is a great platform for authors and readers to connect in ways they never have been able to before. I don't think that authors (or anyone) should try to do it all, though. Find the social media platform that you enjoy the most, and go with that. I spend most of my time on Twitter - I'm addicted.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Learn. Learn all the time - from other writers, from reading, from classes, from movies and television, from history, from life. The things you learn will influence your stories by making you a person will a deep well of knowledge to draw from instead of a shallow pool. Continue to learn, and it will never run dry. And you'll never run out of stories.
**Excerpt**
The offer heats my cheeks. “What if we go out there to meet this Archivist and never come back?”“We’d be together.” Our eyes meet across the room, fuse as though we’re connected. After another moment of silence, Lucas stands up too quickly. “I should go.”He steps toward the door, pausing at the edge of the bed to run his fingers through my hair. I clutch them against my cheek, my belly full of licking fire that’s so much more pleasant than the flames associated with my strange power. It spreads out until I give voice to its wants. “Will you stay until I fall asleep? I just…I don’t want to be alone.”A quick intake of breath from Lucas hitches my heart, and for a moment I’m worried. Then I remember this is Lucas. The boy who loved his fish, who defended me after I pushed him away ten times, and whose touch can make me believe everything might really be okay now that we’re facing it together. I scoot backward, peeling back the bright comforter in invitation.Lucas’s smile tightens a little, and a glinting brightness full of the same tumbling emotions doing acrobatics inside me shines in his eyes. He closes them, then takes a deep breath and slides out of his shoes.
Author Bio:
Raised by a family of ex-farmers and/or almost rock stars from Northeastern Iowa, I’ve always loved to tell stories. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Film, I began to search for a way to release the voices in my head. IWhen I attempted my first YA novel, which would become Whispers in Autumn, I was hooked. I knew then my heart lay with telling stories about and for young adults, and for anyone who loves to read and recapture those fleeting “first” moments.My spare time is spent reviewing television and movies, spending time with my large, loud, loving family, reading any book that falls into my hands, and being dragged into the fresh air by my dogs Yoda and Jilly. Connect with Trisha! http://www.trishaleigh.com@trishaleighkctrishaleighkc.tumblr.comhttp://pinterest.com/trishaleighkc/FacebookThe Last Year - Facebook Buy the Book!
Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, and paperback!
**Interview**
When did you know writing was for you?
I'm pretty sure late in high school, although I didn't figure out in what capacity until after college.
How would you describe your books?
They're a blend of science fiction and fantasy, with a sweet romance (that turns more sexy) as the series progresses. Some call them dystopian, and with the fenced cities and controlled future society, they can certainly fit easily into that category as well.
Why was Whispers in Autumn a book you wanted to write?
I've always been fascinated with the idea of mind control, and whether it would be better to be clueless and happy than to know everything and let it make you miserable. These books give me the chance to explore the ideas of free will and happiness, as well as start a discussion on whether or not the human race deserves to be saved.
How were you able to stretch your imagination for the plot concept of this book? I am fascinated by it!
It took a lot of work, actually! Sometimes it's hard to let go of what makes sense and believe the world can be any way you imagine it. Althea, my main character, has to accept midway through Book 2 that she'll never fully understand the capacity of her own brain, and I accepted that along with her. Letting my imagination run was easier after that, and I've had more fun with it the last two books.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
For me, an initial revision letter is the hardest. Your book is in one piece, it flows, it makes sense - then you get these notes and things need to be added and deleted and moved around. Characters need to be adjusted, themes need to be teased out - I often compare the first draft to knitting a sweater, and that first revision to yanking on threads until you've got mostly yarn again. It's painful, but it's always worth it.
What are your favorite genres to read?
I read pretty widely, honestly. I'll read anything someone recommends, and over the past couple of years, as I've acquired more and more awesome writer friends, I've stretched out of my comfort zone to read their beautiful books. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Contemporary YA, although I do get on kicks where I enjoy reading Adult Crime Fiction as well.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
First of all, that everyone - anyone - is capable of making a different. Second, that we need to make Earth and humanity something worthy of being saved. Not to say that this situation will ever come to pass (let's hope not!) but as Althea and Lucas and Pax learn more and more about the way the planet was in 2015, the more they start to ask themselves whether giving the planet back to humanity is the right thing to do. I hope that the generations of kids growing up now can find a way to make the answer to that question unequivocally YES.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
I think it's important! More and more people are finding their next read online, whether through blogs, Goodreads, Amazon, etc, and if an author isn't comfortable in that medium, it can be a detriment. Also, in our society of instant gratification and the idea that everyone should be accessible all the time (an idea I detest, but it doesn't change the fact that it's true), social media is a great platform for authors and readers to connect in ways they never have been able to before. I don't think that authors (or anyone) should try to do it all, though. Find the social media platform that you enjoy the most, and go with that. I spend most of my time on Twitter - I'm addicted.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Learn. Learn all the time - from other writers, from reading, from classes, from movies and television, from history, from life. The things you learn will influence your stories by making you a person will a deep well of knowledge to draw from instead of a shallow pool. Continue to learn, and it will never run dry. And you'll never run out of stories.
**Excerpt**
The offer heats my cheeks. “What if we go out there to meet this Archivist and never come back?”“We’d be together.” Our eyes meet across the room, fuse as though we’re connected. After another moment of silence, Lucas stands up too quickly. “I should go.”He steps toward the door, pausing at the edge of the bed to run his fingers through my hair. I clutch them against my cheek, my belly full of licking fire that’s so much more pleasant than the flames associated with my strange power. It spreads out until I give voice to its wants. “Will you stay until I fall asleep? I just…I don’t want to be alone.”A quick intake of breath from Lucas hitches my heart, and for a moment I’m worried. Then I remember this is Lucas. The boy who loved his fish, who defended me after I pushed him away ten times, and whose touch can make me believe everything might really be okay now that we’re facing it together. I scoot backward, peeling back the bright comforter in invitation.Lucas’s smile tightens a little, and a glinting brightness full of the same tumbling emotions doing acrobatics inside me shines in his eyes. He closes them, then takes a deep breath and slides out of his shoes.
Author Bio:
Raised by a family of ex-farmers and/or almost rock stars from Northeastern Iowa, I’ve always loved to tell stories. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Film, I began to search for a way to release the voices in my head. IWhen I attempted my first YA novel, which would become Whispers in Autumn, I was hooked. I knew then my heart lay with telling stories about and for young adults, and for anyone who loves to read and recapture those fleeting “first” moments.My spare time is spent reviewing television and movies, spending time with my large, loud, loving family, reading any book that falls into my hands, and being dragged into the fresh air by my dogs Yoda and Jilly. Connect with Trisha! http://www.trishaleigh.com@trishaleighkctrishaleighkc.tumblr.comhttp://pinterest.com/trishaleighkc/FacebookThe Last Year - Facebook Buy the Book!
Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, and paperback!
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