Author Interview-Rachel Leigh Smith
What inspired you to
become a writer?
I can’t put my finger on any one thing. Writing was
something I always enjoyed, and that my parents encouraged me to pursue. Then
in 2007, I decided I wanted to get a little more serious and learn how to write
a novel. So I did. I finished my first one in the winter of 2011, and I just
published my fifth novel.
Who are your favorite
romance characters (besides your own?)
How much time do we have? :D Acheron from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s
Dark-Hunter series! He’s magnificent. I’m also a huge Psy-Changeling fan, and
Sherri’s The League. I have such a Dark-Hunter problem that I own both of the
coloring books out right now.
Tell me what inspired
this story.
My Name Is A’yen arrived in a dream, after a pretty
traumatic couple of years and surviving an abusive marriage. On the night of
what would’ve been my third anniversary, I dreamed about a humanoid alien
walking through the forest saying the same word over and over and over.
I woke up the next morning, got out a notebook, and started
writing stuff down. It just poured out. In 86 days, I had a completed first
draft of 97,000 words. Writing it was a big part of my healing process. I
poured all of my heartache into A’yen, and when he got his happily ever after I
kinda did too.
What is one of your
favorite romantic locales?
It’s an Episcopalian church in St.Francisville, Louisiana, with a beautiful old cemetery. It’s such a beautiful
place. And I’m odd enough that I find old cemeteries very romantic. Especially
Southern ones in the spring when all the azaleas are in bloom.
Is there anything
else you’d like to share with our readers?
My Name Is A’yen is free! It’s a romance focused on the
hero, as all of my romances are. If the hero is always favorite character, or
you like exploring new worlds, check it out. It’s available on Kindle, Nook,
Kobo, iBooks, and Google Play.
They've taken everything from him. Except his name.
The Loks Mé
have been slaves for so long, freedom is a distant myth A'yen Mesu no longer
believes. A year in holding, because of his master's murder, has sucked the
life from him. Archaeologist Farran Hart buys him to protect her on
an expedition to the Rim, the last unexplored quadrant of the galaxy.
Farran
believes the Loks Mé once lived on the Rim and is determined to prove it. And
win A'yen's trust. But she's a breeder's daughter and can't be trusted.
Hidden
rooms, information caches, and messages from a long-dead king change A'yen's
mind about her importance. When she's threatened, he offers himself in exchange,
and lands on the Breeders Association's radar. The truth must be told. Even if
it costs him his heart.
You can also check out my website, www.rachelleighsmith.com
for more about A’yen’s Legacy, and watch for my upcoming shifter romance series
launching this fall. I’m also on Facebook, www.facebook.com/rachelleighsmithauthor,
and on Instagram, @rlsauthor.
