We have M. Leighton with us today chatting about her release, THE WILD ONES. Help me in welcoming her to Cocktails and Books!
Tell us about yourself.
Well, I grew up kind of all over, but I now consider myself a Southern girl. I’m very happily married to my own personal leading man and we have a dog that outsmarts me on a regular basis. I’ve held a laughable amount an d variety of jobs, none of which fit me just right until I found writing. I hope to spend the rest of my chocolate-eating, coffee-drinking life doing exactly what I love—crafting love stories.
How did you get your start as a writer?
As cliché as it sounds, Twilight is what got me started writing. When those books were over, I felt as though all my friends had moved away. It was awful! It was that first evening after having finished them that I decided to write a story of my own, one where I could have complete control of the characters and it wouldn’t be over until I decided I wanted it to be. Over the following fourteen days, I “penned” my first novel, a 105-thousand word adult paranormal romance that is still to this day unpublished.
What is your typical writing schedule like?
I try to capitalize on my mornings. I write best in the early hours, like from 7 or 8 am to noon. If I could manage to NOT check my email and NOT check all the social media sites, I’d be golden. But I can rarely manage that. And as soon as I see how many messages I have and how much work there is to be done, I’m officially interrupted. LOL I can’t focus on writing until I get at least some of it out of the way. I think I’m the type of person that benefits greatly from a structured schedule, but lacks the discipline to maintain it as stringently as I need to. *sigh* I’m a bit of a workaholic:)
Tell us about The Wild Ones.
The Wild Ones is a story about a guy and a girl who meet and have that instant attraction. Presumably, they’ll never see each other again. Only they do. And in the worst possible set of circumstances. Their relationship seems doomed from day one. The Wild Ones is a story about finding what you want most in life, learning that it could destroy everything you’ve worked for and then deciding whether to let it go or fight for a way to have it all.
Where did the idea for the storyline come from?
Two lines from a song I heard. The Wild Ones by Flo Rida. “I am a wild one, break me in. Saddle me up and let’s begin.” Something as simple as that was the seed from which an entire story grew.
What do you think readers will like/love about Cami and Trick?
I think we can all relate to wanting something so badly, even after we learn it’s probably not the best thing for us. And I think we can all secretly hope that we can either find a way to make it right or find a way to have it anyway. It’s human nature.
What was your favorite scene from the book?
I have several, but I don’t want to give you one that spoils the story for anyone else, so I’ll give you one that doesn’t. It takes place when Trick and Cami are out exercising the horses and she asks him if he likes his job.
“I love working with horses. It’s what I was going to specialize in after school. I always wanted to work with them. Maybe even own a few to race and breed one day. As for working here,” I pause, just to see what she does. After a few seconds, she glances at me from beneath her lashes.
She just can’t help but be sexy.
“I’m discovering it has its definite…benefits.”
She grins. “Is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say in my best Southern drawl.
“And what would those be?”
Good God, she’s teasing me!
“The view around here is very nice for one thing. Rounded hills, lush valleys, gently-curving roads, tight, firm…turns.” I look over at her from the corner of my eye and grin. “And sometimes there’s a hint of strawberry in the air. Makes my mouth water.”
“Wow, it, uh, it sounds pretty spectacular when you put it like that. But I’m sure it’s just a plain ole place, much like any other.”
“See now that’s where you’re wrong. This place is special. I knew it from the start. This is the kind of…place that gets under your skin and won’t let you have a moment’s peace until you give into it.”
“But you don’t want to give into it.”
“I didn’t say that. I said I couldn’t give into it. There’s a big difference.”
Who are some of your must read authors?
For paranormal, I enjoy Lara Adrian, Charlaine Harris and JR Ward. For historical, I enjoy Johanna Lindsey and Stephanie Laurens. For straight-up fiction, I enjoy Lee Child, Michael Connelly and the occasional Patricia Cornwell. And when I need a laugh, I head for Janet Evanovich.
What are three things about you that might surprise your readers?
I get just as excited when I hear from readers as they get when they hear from me. I never take one comment, one post, one e-mail from a reader for granted. Without them, I’d have a hobby rather than a job.
Even though you’d never know it based on my leading men, a sense of humor is one of the things I find most attractive in a man. All “my men” are handsome and intelligent and protective, which is all true of my husband, but they rarely ever show that they have a great sense of humor. But my hubby does and it’s one of the things I love most about him. He can make me laugh even when I don’t want to. I figure he’s saved my life or someone else’s (from me, LOL) at least a thousand times over the years.
I love the water. Any kind of water. A pond, a babbling brook, a quiet lake, a turbulent ocean—it doesn’t matter. I love it all. And I need it or else I get really cranky. LOL I sleep to the sounds of water rushing over rocks in a creek. It’s like a lullaby and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What’s next for you?
There’s always the next book. As soon as I’m done with one, the ideas for another start to creep in, usually within a day or two. But speaking more broadly about my career, I would love, love, love to see one of my books made into a movie. Even a miniseries on television. Any format in which I could see my characters come to life outside my head. That would be amazing! And it’s not nearly as uncommon today as it once was. Not that it’s necessarily common. Or even likely. But a girl can dream, right? Right!
About the book
Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.
The darling daughter of a champion Thoroughbred breeder, Camille “Cami” Hines has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future—until she met Patrick Henley. “Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her—and he just happens to be so sexy she can’t keep her hands off him. While they both know that Trick would lose his much needed job on the ranch if anyone finds out, they can’t resist the lure of their scorchingly hot encounters. But when Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, and secrets with the power to tear them apart
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.
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Great cover. Sounds like a interesting series.