Author Spotlight: Welcome Back, Leigh Ann Edwards!

Leigh Ann’s winner is Kate Sparks! Congratulations Kate–Leigh Ann will be in touch with you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! We do love talking to our readers!

I’m delighted to welcome fellow Tule author, Leigh Ann Edwards, back to the Spotlight! She’s got a brand new series releasing–Witch and Demon Hunter and is it ever exciting! She also has a giveaway for you today, so be sure to check that out!

Leigh Ann Edwards’ fascination with history, romance, magic, time-travel and Ireland sparked her interest in creating the Irish Witch Series and her expanding collection of published novels. Growing up in a Manitoban village on the Canadian prairies left lots of time to create stories and let her imagination soar.

An author for thirty years, Leigh Ann is presently writing her fifth series with Tule Publishing. Besides writing, she loves spending time with her four grandchildren, reading, traveling, doing intuitive readings and reiki. Leigh Ann and her husband, their two cats, one large dog and Boston Terrier puppy, live in a small town near Edmonton Alberta, Canada.

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Here’s Leigh Ann…

I’m thrilled to be invited to your blog again, Nan. Thank you for the support. I am really grateful for your willingness to help promote other authors’ work.

Promotion is what I find most daunting about being an author. Well–– I suppose it’s right up there with my challenges with technology. I feel I just have something figured out but when I set out to do it again, I sometimes struggle.

I commend authors like Nan who do a weekly blog or send out a newsletter. I’ve written a few blog posts on my website, but intend to get more consistent with that. I’m meeting with a librarian who’s eager to help promote authors and has agreed to give me a few lessons on Canva. I love the graphics that Nan and other authors come up with. My granddaughter’s going to tutor me on using TikTok, too. I look forward to that because presently it seems impossible to navigate.

Like me, I think a lot of authors have trouble actually promoting themselves––full stop. I was raised during a time when “tooting your own horn” was seen as prideful. But I am proud of what I’ve accomplished as an author and I believe in my creative ability. I just began writing book twenty-four which still kind of blows me away.

I believe I’m a natural storyteller and that I have a wildly active imagination (sometimes too active at 3:00AM.) Many readers have fallen in love with my characters. Some reach out to say they’re terribly sad when they come to the end of my series––a few have even told me I’m their favorite author which is a huge feather in my cap. I’ve received some amazing reviews and have a terrific bunch of die-hard readers who I appreciate very much.  I’m always looking for ARC readers to do reviews and stir interest in a series or upcoming release.

I’m able to talk or write endlessly when asked about the concept of a series or to describe my characters. I really enjoy the in-person author events, although I still haven’t got back into attending them as regularly as I did before COVID. Winter in Alberta, Canada also makes it more difficult to plan events with the ever-changing weather, fog and icy road conditions. That being said, I once drove through a blizzard in early May to be a guest speaker at a book club event.

I find online promotions intimidating. Some of the reason for that is because I fall into the unhealthy habit of comparing how fantastic some other authors are at promotions. Plus, setting aside the necessary time is difficult. I don’t even have a day job besides writing and still that takes up the majority of my time.

Throw in basic daily household chores, shopping, and meals, being a pet mom to four fur babies, homeschooling my eldest grandson–– and I feel I’m stretched thin some days. I also like helping out with picking up my grandchildren from school, and attending their hockey games or archery tournaments and hosting weekly family dinners.

Kudos to the authors who also juggle day jobs and some with young children, and have to somehow fit in their writing and still manage to promote their stories so admirably.

Despite the struggles with promotions and technology, I’m truly thankful for being able to do what I love, to create and share my stories and I’m grateful to Tule Publishing who continues to believe in my writing and gives me that amazing opportunity.

Now, to talk about my new Witch and Demon Hunter series and the release of Book One, Dark Irish Demon. I’m super excited about this series and I’m honestly having so much fun writing the two main characters. They are such complete opposites.

Readers were introduced to Fiona Maguire and Lorcan Wright in my Witches of Time series. They were secondary characters and didn’t even have surnames, but I thought they were interesting and deserved stories of their own. I’m thrilled that Tule liked the concept and agreed to publish the five book series.

Lorcan is a half-demon with several supernatural abilities. He’s thirty-three, tall, well-built, drop-dead gorgeous, has fascinating green eyes, is self-assured, sexy, physically affectionate, and outgoing. He also drinks a lot, swears too much and sleeps around. Women easily fall under his charm. He never has to use his demonic power of mind control.

Fiona is a magical witch who’s nineteen years older than Lorcan. She’s pretty, physically fit, into martial arts and has a black-belt. She’s confident and reserved, drinks only occasionally and hasn’t had a romantic relationship in a while. She also isn’t keen on being touched for she can see someone’s past or future by a mere handshake.

They both work for the LAMB agency, the acronym for locating and assessing magical beings. They employ unconventional methods and have been warned they need to conform. Unfortunately, the only way they can keep their jobs now is to become partners and make each other responsible for following the rules. They absolutely despise the idea. Lorcan thinks Fiona is an uptight, prudish baby boomer. She believes he’s a juvenile sex fiend with a drink problem. But they don’t have a choice if they want to stay with LAMB.

They also have an extremely complicated family history and Fiona loathes Lorcan’s late father, who caused deep heartache for her.

Lorcan is baffled as to how to act when Fiona doesn’t fall for his charm and she doesn’t think she’ll be able to tolerate his juvenile antics. They’re great agents, but will need to learn to depend on and trust each other.

GIVEAWAY!

For a chance to win a signed print copy of Dark Irish Demon or if you prefer an e-book copy and an Amazon gift card, have you ever had to work with someone you really didn’t believe you could at first, but it turned out better than you hoped?

Dark Irish Demon

Tall, dark and devilishly handsome Lorcan Wright can spot evil better than anyone. As a half-demon, he knows it well, and numbs his own urges with alcohol and the many women eager to share his bed. Now, however, he’s determined to use his supernatural abilities for good. His job locating and assessing magical beings at the LAMB agency seems perfect… until he disagrees with them on which evil beings should be destroyed.

Lovely Fiona Maguire is a strong, independent woman who’s been around long enough to trust her instincts. She’s also a powerful witch employed at LAMB and has no patience for Lorcan’s immature antics. About the only opinion they share is the stupidity of LAMB’s rules. Why let someone die when, with a wave of her hand, she could send them to a safer time or place, right?

Rogue agents aren’t popular at LAMB, so when disturbing events occur that could change the course of human history, Lorcan and Fiona are forced into a partnership. Their assignment: gather a team of other gifted creatures from the past, uncover the mystery, stop the evil and save the current world.

To do that, they must first learn to trust each other.

Saving the world might be easier.

Amazon | B&N Nook | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Excerpt:

The following is a snippet from Dark Irish Demon. To set it up Fiona and Lorcan are supposed to be working on research for their first mission together. He decides to get help from another female agent who has a photographic memory. Instead, when hours have passed Fiona goes looking for him and discovers he and the woman in a compromising situation. Later, he comes after Fiona:

“Fiona, wait up,” Lorcan called easily catching up to her. “Why are you so damn pissed?”

She glowered. “I’m not. But if we’re going to be partners, I expect you to pull your weight. Not exactly the best way to start the first day workin’ on assignment.”

“Are you sure you’re not upset because I was getting lucky and you probably haven’t in a while? Or are you jealous?”

She smiled the way women did when they weren’t actually amused.

“You are so damn full of yourself––so bloody cocky I honestly don’t know if I can work with you. I should tell Minerva I’m done. Maybe you can take Jaycee through time with you.”

“I doubt a photographic memory will help with fighting whatever we might be up against.”

“Her other skills might make up for it.”

“Just come back,” he urged. “We’ll work on the research together.” He used his most convincing smile that usually beguiled women––even witches.

“I’ve been workin’ for,” she glanced at her phone… “nearly seven hours while you’ve been, impressively I might add if it really went on that long…doin’ somethin’ altogether different.”

          Bloody hell. Was it really midafternoon?

“Mark my words, Lorcan Wright,” she went on. “One day there’ll be a woman you’ll want for more than just meaningless sex. You’ll end up with a broken heart like the many women you’ve probably hurt.”

His body stiffened and not in a good way. “Would that make you happy, Fiona? Are you hoping for that because of what my father did to you?”

She shook her head. “This isn’t about him. It’s about you bein’ an unfeelin’ arse who uses women.”

She walked away.

He followed, stung by her words. “Not that I have to explain, but it was Jaycee who initiated our time together and I think it’s safe to say she didn’t feel she was used.”

Fiona shrugged. “Whatever! It’s none of my business.”

She continued walking away, but nobody got the last word with Lorcan Wright.

“Tell me what’s really on your mind instead of just running off like some  scorned teenager.”

She stopped, turned and looked him in the eyes. “I already told you why I avoid physical contact. Furthermore, when I become emotionally attached, it affects my magic. And the only thing I’m jealous of, Junior, is your ability to apparently not give a shite about anythin’ other than yourself.”

He was stunned when she snapped her fingers and simply disappeared again. Christ, that bloody angered him. His eyes burned and he knew they were glowing red. How would he ever be able to work with this headstrong witch?