Today, I have award-winning author Leah Miles in the interview chair. We’re discussing her latest release, Baby ConSEALed, book one in the SEAL & Shelter series, a romantic suspense. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.
“The family he didn’t know he wanted might be the only thing worth dying for.”
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1. What comes first, the plot or the characters?
Leah: When I began this journey in earnest, I wrote down the stories in my head without planning or an outline, but it was difficult to maintain a consistent story thread. I learned that for me, the best stories begin with figuring out what my characters want and need. After I do that, the story practically writes itself.
2: What changes between drafts?
Leah: I write in layers, so my initial draft is a little messy and filled with notations. After the first draft is done, I do a very rough outline and make sure the threads are all coming together.
After that, I make 2 or 3 passes, adding details and emotions that I skimmed over in the initial draft. I’m my own worst critic.
3: Do you use writing software?
Leah: I love DabbleWriter. It helps me organize chapters and scenes and lets me easily work on multiple books at once. With the outline and plotting tools, I’m able to keep the series details straight and store photos that remind me of my characters. I also use Grammarly for spellcheck.
4. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?
Leah: I work a full-time job, and in January of this year, my husband and I opened a 6-cabin Airbnb-type business. Since then, my writing time has dropped from 2.5-3.5 hours a day to about an hour on weekdays, though I try to make up for that on weekends. This doesn’t account for the time I invest in the business side of the author business: promotions, interviews, social media, newsletters, and cross-promotions, just to name a few.
5. What’s the best way to improve your writing?
Leah: I set a goal to write one short story a month, in addition to my novel projects, to keep my brain churning with new ideas. And I regularly take classes and workshops, as there is always more to learn, whether it’s craft or the business side of being an author.
6. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?
Leah: Fifteen minutes at a time. I set the timer on my watch to 15 or 30 minutes and try to put down only new words during that interval. It’s a way to commit to the project even when I’m incredibly busy with other things.
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Title: Baby ConSEALed
Series: SEAL & Shelter Book 1
Author: Leah Miles
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Baby ConSEALed won the 2024 Georgia Romance Writers’ “Maggie Award”!
Blurb: Rissa Parker struggles to support herself and her daughter by working overnights as a home health nurse. After witnessing her employer’s murder, she has no choice but to grab her two-year-old and run toward the one person strong enough to protect them, the Navy SEAL who fathered her child during a one-night stand.
Navy SEAL Bernard “Burn” Cruz is a straight arrow, approaching work and play in equal parts. He doesn’t regret much in life, except for one woman he’s never forgotten. Nearly three years after their initial encounter, she shows up in San Diego at the bar his team likes to frequent, and he believes Forever might have knocked on his door. Until a child cries, and all hell breaks loose.
As bullets fly and bodies drop, Rissa must outrun a killer whose connection to her past threatens to destroy any chance at a future with the father of her child, and Burn discovers the family he didn’t know he wanted might be the only thing worth dying for.
Baby ConSEALed, an award-winning contemporary romantic suspense novel, is fast-paced, steamy and suspenseful. Pick up your copy today!
**NEW RELEASE – GET IT NOW!!**
Reviews:
“A tightly plotted, fast-paced whirlwind of a ride fraught with secrets, danger, and an emotional love story that focuses on family—the kind you choose.” —Lena Diaz, Publishers Weekly best-selling author
“With a to-die-for hero, sizzling tension, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, this romance delivers all the feels in an unforgettable, heart-pounding read!” – Charlee Allden, Goodreads Review
“A fast-paced, slow-burn romantic suspense where danger, secrets, and second chances collide…. With bullets flying and hearts on the line, Leah Miles delivers high stakes and emotional impact in equal measure.” – Cam Torrens, Goodreads Review
Rissa Parker breathed through trembling fingers, the jackhammering of her heart nearly drowning out the voices as she peered through the closet’s slats. The speaker had his back to her, but her employer’s face was puce red, and her lips twisted to show a bit of her pearly white teeth.
“Well?” The man threw out both arms, momentarily blocking Rissa’s view.
Mrs. Iglesias inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled from her mouth. She reached for the cup on her nightstand and took a small sip before replacing it, making the man wait for her answer. “You need to calm down, Mijo. Yes. I wanted to speak with you, but I didn’t ask you to come in the middle of the night.”
Rissa struggled to keep her breathing quiet. Mijo? Wasn’t he a stranger?
“We were in town, and I didn’t feel like waiting.” He stalked around the expansive bedroom, which allowed Rissa occasional glimpses of his black suit and costly boots—Lucchese black-tooled leather— something she could never buy, although she had window-shopped plenty. His Stetson also cost a pretty penny. It had a filigree silver band with a feather trailing over the back rim. In the movies, people in hiding took pictures of the bad guys. But even if she was brave enough, her phone was still in her chair by the bed.
Mrs. Iglesias tucked her hands beneath her comforter. “Leave, Terrance, and take the bastard with you. We can’t have a conversation with you acting this way. Besides, I’m old and need my rest. You can come back mañana.”
Terrance halted his sporadic pacing and moved close to the bed. Now Rissa could see both of them.
“I’m sick of dealing with your bullshit. Come here. Come there. I need this. Get me that. This time, if you intended to piss me off,” he slow-clapped a few times, “then bravo, you fucking succeeded.”
An involuntary shudder rippled through Rissa when a second man moved in front of the closet, standing so close that his back brushed against the slats. His pants were dark, and he wore a thick utility belt. Rissa clamped her hand more tightly over her mouth, terrified of making any sound. This man was a police officer.
“You disrespectful ingrate.” Mrs. Iglesias’ querulous voice morphed into the steely tone of a queen. “I’m your mother, Terrance. You’d be nada, nothing, if not for me.”
Her son?
The officer’s hand moved to his belt, resting on his gun. Then he shifted a few feet away, allowing Rissa a better glimpse of Mrs. Iglesias through the slats. The old woman’s face was white as chalk, but her lips were set in a firm line.
“Step-mother,” Terrance growled before spitting on the pristine, white Berber carpet. “I was ten when my father took pity on a pathetic old woman and married you. You’re not my mother.”
Mrs. Iglesias bared her teeth at him, her voice vibrating.“Well, you’re forty-eight now. Old enough to know when you’re not welcome. Lárgate de mi vista. Get out.”
Terrance shoved her legs over and perched on the edge of the mattress. “Old woman, the days are past when I follow your orders. Now. Enough of your foolishness.”
“You have a lot of nerve—”
“I’m here at your request,” he interrupted, spreading his arms wide. “Now tell me the secret that was important enough you asked me to drive two hours.”
“If your papi was alive, you’d never treat me this way.” Her voice switched back to that of a tired old woman, but her eyes were narrowed slits. “I thought about sharing interesting information, but I’ve changed my mind. You don’t deserve to know this.” The motor on the bed whirred as she shifted higher on the mattress. “Leave and don’t return to my home again. I’m finished with you, Terrance. And take your killer with you.”
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Leah Miles writes romance and paranormal fiction from her small-town in South Georgia, where she lives with her husband and cocker spaniel while running an insurance agency and Airbnb business.
After a dozen years in news production at CNN, Leah Miles now manages an insurance agency and an Airbnb business in rural Georgia, while writing romantic suspense and paranormal romance featuring take-charge heroes and fierce heroines.
Follow Leah: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub | Amazon | Goodreads
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Maggie Blackbird 