It is a pleasure to visit with you. I am doing this interview for Great Minds Think Aloud. I have just finished reading "Mirror Bound" and was very excited about reading your novel.
May I ask what or who inspired you to write this novel? My great grandmother I think inspired me. She passed away when I was about 13 years old. She was a wonderful southern woman. I sort of modeled the farm, house and Ma after her. Anna is who I always wanted to be or at least many aspects of her is who I wished I could be. The picture on the front of the book of the little girl, is a picture for a photography class in college. I always thought there was a story that went with it, and I was right.
How did you come up with these wonderful characters? I guess I should read
ahead. I power write, so when a character is needed to fill a spot in the book,
I would think about what characteristics I wanted this person to have and then I
modeled her off of someone I knew.
Who is your favorite author and why? Oh this one is so easy. I am a total die
hard fan of Chloe Niell. She writes the Chicagoland Vampire series. So, of
course I want to be the main character Merit. She is a fighter and a scholar,
outspoken and sarcastic, everything I always wanted to be.
What does 'Life' really mean to Leanne? Life is about the choices you make and the
people you love. Life is not about religion, sexuality, politics or who has the
most money. It is about the journey you take, the people you learn from and what
you can teach those you are going to leave behind.
A little about your family......children...grands... I am the mother of
three girls. my oldest is 19 years old and a wonderful mother to a very special
two year old little girl. ( who happens to be in PICU right now). My second
child is almost 18 and I am of course the most embarrassing mother in the world
to her, she is my girly girl. My youngest is almost 15 and also happens to be
the little girl in the photo on the cover of this book.
from interviewer....she is a beauty!
What are your hobbies? anything that is creative, I knit, draw, paint, throw
clay, make rag rugs, sew, write. If I am not doing that, you will probably catch
me on facebook or playing games in my spare time.
from the interviewer....which ones?... I love Slots!
How would you describe the words? Secrets...Death...... Kentucky....Powers......Love.... and Chickens....as in your novel?(smile) Wow, this
is a hard one. Secrets in this book, are a family thing. Things that are kept
hidden until just when it is needed the most. Death in this book is a way of
passing things on to the next generation or the next one to take the wheel so to
speak. Kentucky, that is rolling hills, well water that you pump with a handle,
farms and neighbors who help neighbors because that is just what you are
supposed to do. Powers for Anna, really is the knowledge and the elements that
are passed to her from family and friends. If you want to know what it
represents for me, it is the stories and the knowledge that is passed down from
one generation to the next, how you learn from it and how it helps you defeat
the big bad ugly that can try to attack you in life. Love, I have been married
for 20 years. I still love him as much if not more than I did when we first
married. Love to me is not just the passion that you have in a new relationship,
it is the willingness of the person to stand and hold you when you need it, they
make you smile when life is so sad, and to yell at you when you do something
really stupid. Love is also being with someone you just cannot imagine life
without. Chickens, I personally have no issue with chickens really but, Anna
needs to get rid of them right in the beginning, they represent part of the
past for her, they are part of her insecurities. That and they are just really
kind of gross. lol.
What one thing would you take away from your written novel and add? Well if I
had to take away something, I think I would like to take away the deaths, I hate
when someone dies during a book. Oh, I could add so much more detail, like more
depth of the dream world, and maybe a prologue about Ma and Pa's life, but
definitely more detail of all the things she was going through in that storage
room. I love antiques.
What is Leanne most Thankful for in this world we live in? I am most thankful
for my family, my children (even when they are standing over me while I am
writing and bugging me on purpose to be funny) mean absolutely everything to me.
I am extremely thankful for them and for my wonderful granddaughter. I would die
for any one of them.
How would you rate your novel “Mirror Bound” and why? Hmmm, well I am not
going to say it is excellent, because I just do not have that kind of ego, and
everything can be be improved. I think it is better than fair. So, I guess that
leaves me with good.
What gender would you love for your novel to attract and why? Growing up I was
very insecure, I did not stand up to the bullies in my life, at least not until
later. I would hope that no matter what gender reads it, they would realize that
sometimes you have to stand up for what is right.
What's on the agenda for Ms. Leanne Herrera .....2013-14? Well, I am working on
another book and I have another one to release sometime later this year. I am
hoping, I will have a lot of time to write, a lot of time to enjoy my family and
a lot of time to laugh.
I would just like to thank you for granting me this interview and I must say I really enjoyed reading "Mirror Bound" and I would recommend it to all who would love a good paranormal romantic read. You will not be disappointed!
Thank you once again for sharing with us about "Mirror Bound" and you just keep on writing!
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