Author Spotlight: Trisha Leigh

Welcome to the Author Spotlight, Trisha Leigh!

Nicknames: I don’t really have any, unless you count Trish. Boring, right?

Where do you live: I grew up in the Midwest and still live here, but I lived in Texas for four years during college.

Your favorite dessert: Ice cream!

Your favorite TV series: Current: Fringe. All time: Felicity

Last book you read: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

Last movie you watched: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Last song (or album) you bought: North by Matchbox Twenty

A book/series you could read over and over again: the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’Engle or Harry Potter by JK Rowling.

Coke or pepsi? Ew. Coke.

Day or night? Night.

Pen or pencil? Pencil.

Summer or winter? SUMMER.

Cat or dog? Dog.

Tea or coffee? Coffee.

Plotter or pantser? A pantser at heart, but have learned to incorporate plotting as necessary.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I think somewhere during my senior year of high school, although I didn’t figure it out until late in college.

What are you working on now? Currently finishing up copy edits on Betrayals in Spring, Book 3 of The Last Year. In a few days, though, I’ll get an edit letter for Book 4 and will be diving into that.

If you decided not to be a writer, what would your other dream job be? Why? I’ve loved working behind the scenes on television and movie sets since college – that was my major – and even though ideally it would still be in a writing capacity, I’d do anything on the production side of film/television making. Why? Collaborating with other creative people is such a high.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done in your life? Either went eight hours away from home for college, jumped off a bridge into the lake, or tried to break up my ex-boyfriend’s wedding. You choose.

Who is the one person that has singlehandedly inspired you the most in your life? My grandfather. He had this way about him of making every person he came in contact with feel like they were special and worthy.

What is one talent that you’re hopeless at, but you wish you had? Singing, probably. I’d also love to be able to draw.

What is one trait or physical characteristic that you are proud of/love about yourself? I’m really easygoing, and nearly impossible to offend. It sounds silly, I guess, but I love that people can say whatever in front of me and know it won’t make me angry. The problem is, sometimes it’s easy for me to forget that others can be easily offended.

Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? Don’t quit. There are so many options for you now, to get your stories out there, and giving up on your words or yourself is the one sure way to make sure no one else ever reads your books. Work hard, learn how to take well-intentioned criticism, then work harder. But don’t give up.

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.

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Whispers in Autumn – The Last Year, Book One

In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.
Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.
Then she meets Lucas, everything changes.
Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.
It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.
And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.

Goodreads | Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

Winter Omens – The Last Year, Book Two

Althea and Lucas barely escaped the Others’ clutches in the autumn, and were separated in the process. Alone and on the run from the cruel alien race determined to exterminate her, Althea struggles to adapt and survive in a world she never imagined.
When a boy named Pax appears out of nowhere, he quickly recognizes Althea for what she is – a human/Other hybrid just like him. Althea begs him to help her find Lucas, but Pax refuses, intent on following his own mysterious agenda.
The Others’ presence continues to devour the planet’s resources, and if history is an indication, they won’t leave until Earth is destroyed beyond repair. Althea and Pax sense the only way to save themselves – and maybe their home – is to understand the powers simmering inside them.
Together they push the limits of their capabilities in the quiet Wilds, but are soon confronted with a terrifying fact: no place is safe from the relentless pursuit of the Others.
Least of all their own minds.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes&Nobles

Betrayals in Spring – The Last Year, Book Three

Althea assumes now that she, Pax, and Lucas are reunited in spring that the next steps are obvious – locate Deshi and prepare to take down the Others once and for all. But she doesn’t expect the subtle changes in Lucas.
After being left alone last season with only his Element father for company, Lucas has started to question whether their rightful place isn’t with the strange alien race as opposed to humanity. When an emergency forces Lucas to aid the Others so they can remain on Earth, Althea worries that she’s lost him once and for all.
The one thing she knows is that Deshi’s the key to any hope of reclaiming the planet. So as the Others gut their already wobbly support system, Althea and Pax gather together the beginnings of a plan – and maybe an army.
Even if she can convince Lucas their side is the right one, the Prime Other holds Deshi captive and shrouds any knowledge about their fourth in clouds of secrecy. What they discover deep underground is a roadblock they didn’t expect – and one that could steal their last hope of saving humanity.

Coming Dec 11th 2012 – Add on Goodreads

Cheers,