by Anne Leigh
It was done.
Daniel had confirmed it.
Seventy percent of my fortune has been transferred to Ava’s name. And when I’m gone, she will have all of it. All of it. She’d learn the news soon enough with a simple call from my solicitor.
One day, she would forgive me.
I hope she would.
Until that day comes, I would be waiting and watching from afar.
To the People Who Mean the Most(est) To Me
It’s been a little over a year for me in the writing world. Sometimes it feels like forever. And other times it feels like it was only yesterday. When I wrote Love Unexpected, I had absolutely no expectations that I’d write another one. When I write, my intention is to relieve myself of the characters in my head. It’s for me – for my own peace and clarity. If one (just one) other person can relate to them, then I find that amazing. The storylines and characters I create are products of how I perceive them in my head. There are many times where I’ve been told that this should happen or that character should be this or that…I believe in the purity of the creative process. Authors are the judges of their stories. These characters are pieces of them just as mine are. I don’t write with a goal or intention. I let my characters lead the way and my fingers do the typing.
The book world is a great world – it’s a place of camarederie and it’s filled with so much creativity and imagination. I love the praises and the accolades (who wouldn’t?) and I’ve had to learn how to face some negativity and criticism. People keep telling me…it’s a business. And in any type of business, some will love the “product” and some will hate it. It took me some time to understand a lot of it. I did not write to become a business. I wrote because I had a story – with the fervent hope that one person would read it. I struggled for a time because I could not understand all the negativity and bullying that came with this business especially when I like to read and write about happy endings.
With the help of the people listed below, I’ve found my footing and they keep me grounded. I’m blessed to have them as my family and friends and words cannot express how much gratitude and value they hold in my heart.
They are the ones, the only ones, who truly matter.
My husband: Behind a woman’s success is a man who lets her be. Thank you for always being there, for knowing what I need, and for encouraging me to just be me. You’re my reminder that I write because I enjoy it and to treat writing as such - a way to express myself and never more. I’m always your nursey first.
My family: I’m nothing without you guys. You’re the happiness that lives inside me.
My friends, G, E, M, S: My best friends – none of you own a Kindle and I think that’s a great thing because to you guys I’m just me. We’ve been through so much and I wouldn’t know what to do without any of you. You revel in my successes and soothe me when I’m down. And you never let me go hungry.
My book friends:
Jay Crownover: For every 3 or 5 or a hundred books you write, I think I can try to write at least one. You’re the kick-ass-est book bestie ever and it’s funny because we don’t talk much about books. Thanks for never judging me, for always being there for me, and for imprinting in me the value of boundaries. I am so happy you never run out stories! You enrage me with the stickies (grrr) but you make me giggle with the secret stuff. I love your Marked Men Series and now the Welcome To The Point Series. You’re my tighty. Always.
Karrie Puskas, Janessa Osborne: You know why – you’re my biggest cheerleaders. When I said I was going to write about a swimmer, you guys rooted me on. When I said I was going to write about a (secret) – you guys say go for it. Thanks for all the rah rahs, the LOLs, and oohs. Karrie, you are a true gem, a dear friend, and I’m so happy you gave me that shout-out because it led us to this.
Cris Hadarly and The Book Avenue Review: Cris – you’re the coolest formatter, graphic designer, friend etc. etc. ever. Our chats definitely make my day! Thank you for being there for us indie authors. You give us a chance in this wide, wide, super wide book world.
Kimi Flores: Our “quarterly” dates enrich my life. I love your Intertwined Hearts series and I can’t wait for more! Thanks for being a source of tons of information about stuff I’m lazy about.
To my editor, KMS Editing: Thank you for getting rid of my endless punctuations…You’re a doll and I love working with you.
Bloggers: There are soooo many wonderful blogs out there and I can’t name them all. Please know you are all very much appreciated by me and my author friends. To the Panty Dropping Book Blog and Book Bitches Blog, your support to indie authors is phenomenal. Merci. To Chrissy from Reading Past my Bedtime – you tag me like no other and I may not see it all the time…Thank you and I hope I’m forgiven with what Z did. To Kristy from Book Addict Mumma, you’re super sweet! Tim Tams. That’s all.
Last but definitely not least – my readers, you who have taken precious time to read my book: How do I even say thank you? I thought I was going to write just one book. Here we are, a couple of books later.You guys uplift me with your kind words. Yes, I do write for me…But I will continue to share my stories because of you. Thank you SO much for sharing my stories with your friends, for your kind reviews, for continuing to be patient, and for rooting me on. Jamie Bourgeois – You are one of my first 15 FB friends! And until now you still think I can write (yippeee!). Lauren M., Aloha Joy, Esther, Jessica to name a few – my loyal readers, I say loyal because you even like my posts on avocado chiller and song choices. And to all of you: I hope you continue to enjoy my characters and understand when I say that I make no apologies for wherever my imagination takes me.
Xoxo and much love!
“I write because I love it and for no other reason. The minute I stop enjoying it will be the exact moment I will stop writing.”
Anne Leigh is a 30-something-year-old who refuses to let the calendar dictate her age. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Nursing. She likes to write about strong women and equally strong guys who grapple with their emotions when faced with something as intangible as love.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband. With her crazy schedule, she gets frustrated at L.A. traffic and needs an escape to keep her sanity, which thankfully her characters provide.
She didn’t think of publishing her stories and when she finally did, she’s truly appreciative of every, single person who found the time to let her characters become parts of their world.
She appreciates all the readers who leave kind comments/reviews on where they purchased the book because without them, all her stories would remain locked up in a thing called “computer.”
She’s always happy to find new friends and would love to hear from you via:
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OTHER BOOKS OF ANNE LEIGH
Love Unexpected
Love Unmatched
Love Untouched
