Author Name: j. leigh bailey
Part of a series? If yes, can this book be read as a standalone? Yes, but can be read as a standalone
If a series, what is the series title? Letting Go
If series, what number is this book? Book 2
Release Date: August 24, 2015
Pages or Words: 67,000
Publisher: Carina Press
Categories: M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance
Blurb:
What's life without a little risk?
Or a lot
of risk, if you're Sebastian Carlisle. He'll never live up to the legacy of his
dead brother, so why try? Being the wild child in a family of stuck-up rich
snobs suits him just fine. Until he meets Micah Burke, and everything changes.
Micah's got too much going on for a relationship. Even if he could trust Sebastian, a distraction—a sexy, reckless distraction with a death wish—would only derail his carefully scheduled life. If it were just Micah, maybe that would be fine, but his mother and sister depend on him, and he can't let them down. Or at least that's what he tells himself.
A hot moment leads to a hot night leads to a connection neither of them are ready for. And when a crisis hits Micah's family hard, Sebastian will have to shed his bad-boy image and decide whether he can be the man Micah needs—and Micah needs to decide whether he'll let him.
Book two of Letting Go
Excerpt:
“I thought I knew what kind of person you were.”
“Yeah, you made that pretty clear.”
Micah cringed, but kept going. “You take for granted
everything I work my ass off to achieve. It’s easy for you. And now I know
there’s more to you than that. I don’t understand your choices, or the need for
an adrenaline rush you seem to have.” He held up a hand to keep Sebastian from
saying anything. He scooted up, resting his back against the handlebars. “I
don’t have to understand. It’s part of who you are.”
“Somehow I don’t think this discussion is heading in
a direction I’m going to like.” Sebastian drew his knees to his chest and
wrapped his arms around them.
“The thing is, you’re a bad influence on me.”
“I don’t—”
“You don’t even have to do anything. Take tonight,
for instance.”
“Tonight?”
“I have a midterm tomorrow. I should be studying. Or
even sleeping. Instead I’m here. I never have trouble doing what I’m supposed
to do. Setting aside my ‘want tos’ to do my ‘have tos.’ Except around you.”
“I’m not trying to make your life harder. I’m just
trying to be part of it.”
“That’s what I don’t get. You could have almost
anyone. You could find someone a hell of a lot less complicated than me.”
“You may not believe it, but I don’t mind complications.”
About the
author:
j. leigh bailey
is an office drone by day and the author of New Adult and Young Adult LGBT
Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed
up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in
the way of... well, everything...but some habits aren't worth breaking. She's
been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years
or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance,
relationships and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She's a
firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or
paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending.
She wrote her
first story at seven, which was, unbeknownst to her at the time, a charming
piece of fan-fiction in which Superman battled (and defeated, of course) the
nefarious X Luther. She was quite put out to be told, years later, that the
character's name was actually Lex. Her second masterpiece should have been a best-seller,
but the action-packed tale of rescuing her little brother from an alligator
attack in the marshes of Florida collected dust for years under the bed instead
of gaining critical acclaim.
Now she writes
New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance novels about boys traversing the crazy
world of love, relationships and acceptance
Q&A
with
j. leigh bailey
1. How would you describe this book to someone who has not read any of your books?
RECKLESS HOPE is an opposites attract story, in which two young men have to overcome the traumas in their past if they want the hope of a better future. Sebastian is an adrenaline-junkie who’s trying to live enough for both himself and his dead twin. Micah goes to school part-time, works two jobs and is caretaker to his disabled mother and stand-in parent to his younger sister. He doesn’t have time for any more responsibilities, and a relationship with someone like Sebastian would likely be full of unnecessary drama. But sex with the rich playboy, the no-strings-attached kind, might be the perfect way to get a little stress relief. For the first time in his life, though, Sebastian wants more, but to get it, he has to prove there’s more to him than a hot body, flashy car, and deep pockets.
2. Is there a message in this book you want your readers to understand?
Ultimately, I want readers to understand that while our pasts help define who we are, they shouldn’t limit us to who we can become. Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught in a rut of acceptance, that we don’t take a chance to change. In both cases, my heroes are defined by their families and by their pasts, and in both cases, they stick to the roles they have been assigned. But by being with each other, they discover there is more to life, to them, than they initially think is possible, and they almost lose out on something important because they are afraid to hope for something better.
3. What made you want to write this particular book?
I love—have always loved—a good opposites attract story. Whether it’s Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy or Beauty and the Beast, I love the balance that two seemingly different people can bring to a relationship. I also get a kick out of the build-up of sexual tension, the struggle to stay away from each other, the magnetic draw
back to each other. It’s always so exciting to watch these relationships develop. I had to write one of my own.
4. Do your characters ever take over your writing and make the story go somewhere you didn't originally have in mind?
Luckily, I’m mostly a pantster as a writer, so I don’t often have very solid plans for the book I’m writing when I start. Every now and then my characters will move away from the image in my head, but it’s usually in subtle ways. I think of it more like I’m defining them more clearly as I go along. A lot of times, a detail I think is insignificant that I use in an early scene to add texture ends up being an important piece of a later scene. It’s completely unplanned, so I tell myself it’s fate, but possibly it’s my characters helping me tell their story.
5. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always written, in one form or another, but it never occurred to me to seriously pursue writing. Even before writing, I was a reader. I spent my entire life with my nose stuck in a book. I was the one who went to the skating rink (am I giving away my age here?) and had a book with me, just in case. So stories, and fiction, were always part of who I was. I started dozens of stories just because they were there, in my head, but never thought of it as more than a creative outlet. I was too practical, you see, to dream that I could actually make a living out of writing. It wasn’t until I hit about 30 that I decided it was time to pursue writing for publication. Now I wish I had focused on it a lot sooner in my life.
6. What is the least satisfying thing about being a writer?
Self-doubt and insecurity are a writer’s worst enemies. Questioning your talent, second-guessing your story, these are things that get in the way of staying productive and excited about the career. Even when I reach a milestone (I got an agent, yeah!), I’m immediately sucked into anxiety (just because she liked it, doesn’t mean an editor will). It’s an endless cycle. Discouraging.
7. What is the most satisfying thing about being a writer?
For me, the best part of being a writer is the sense of accomplishment I have when I complete something. Whether it’s a short story, or a novel, or the latest rounds of edits, I love the feeling of pride I get. Of course, knowing that someone else reads, and enjoys, what I’ve written, is pretty high on the list of satisfying things.
8. Where and when do you prefer to write?
I can’t get any writing done at home. Too many distractions. I actually am the most productive when I go to Panera Bread. I put in my earbuds, listen to music (mostly movie soundtracks, so I don’t get distracted by song lyrics) and can focus. This forces me to stay in one place, without randomly deciding I need to do a load of laundry or clean the toilet. The endless refills of caffeinated beverages doesn’t hurt, either.
9. How much of your own life and personality do you put in your work?
I don’t think it’s possible for an author to keep themselves out of the story completely. We all add bits of experiences, emotional conflict, family or friend dynamics, to what we write. I don’t think anything I write is in any way autobiographical, but I can admit to working out some of my personal issues by exploring them on the page. I think that’s what some people mean when they say “write what you know.”
10. What do you hope to accomplish in the next 12 months?
I’m looking forward to the next twelve months; I’ve got a number of things coming. My first young adult title—GUYLINER—will release from Spencer Hill Press in November. The third book in my Letting Go series (as yet untitled) will release early next year. I’ve got some work to do on another young adult title, and I can’t wait to get back to it.
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Thank you so much for hosting me today! Let me know if anyone has any questions or comments. I look forward to getting to know you! :)
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