Behind the Pen – Author Interview: Leah Joanne

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another author interview. Today we’re going to be doing a deep dive into the wonderful author, Leah Joanne.

Your Journey to Becoming an Author

1. Can you introduce yourself to our readers? 

Hello! First, I just want to say thank you so much Maya for this opportunity!  I am Leah Joanne, an Indie Contemporary Fiction Author. I am 30 years old, I love Character-driven drama TV shows, traveling, nature and of course writing. I am married to my real life supportive MMC who also loves to travel and we try to prioritize a trip every year.   

2. What first drew you to writing as a craft?

When I was a kid I would spend an unfortunate amount of time in my room haha. I was an only child and I loved doing my own thing. It would either involve watching TV or doing something creative. (Especially writing songs, stories, and poems.) What I’ve learned on my writing journey is whether it’s on a screen or a paper, I love characters and seeing how different people respond depending on the situation they are in. As my mom says, . . . I seem to make the plot work for my characters versus writers who make their characters work for the plot. I just truly love a character’s motivation and their arc, especially being able to transport a reader into another human’s mind. I have a lot of passion for Fiction, I truly feel you can learn more from Fiction than most things because it sneaks the lessons and empathy into your subconscious and helps you root for another person outside your immediate universe. Fiction helps you grow and explore a new world, all necessary for gaining a wider perspective and having empathy. (Traveling does that too, hence why I love it so much, but I digress) 

3. How did your author journey begin? 

I’m torn between saying the summer of 2013 or the summer of 2023. Why? Well in 2013 I was 18 and after a break-up I got inspired to write a story. I remember this story that came to me faster than my hands could type. I always loved writing random things, but this was different. This was a character, a person, who was begging me to tell her story. She was scratching my brain, and revealing personal uncomfortable thoughts to me. She was anxious and weary, but most of all, she was suddenly completely and positively real. That summer Valletta was born and within her world so were Owen, Mark and Melanie. They truly started my author journey but I just didn’t know it yet. Throughout the following ten years, I would randomly visit these characters here and there and bring them more to life each time. Ultimately my life took over, I was in my 20’s after all and I met my husband during those years and started a whole new routine. In 2017 we started traveling and became quickly addicted, so much that I knew I wanted to be able to make money from anywhere in the world, so that’s when I started researching what I could do, and I happened to fall into the idea of Self-publishing. It took me a couple months to gain enough knowledge to go for it and the thrill of possibly being able to revisit my beloved characters and give them a complete story filled me with an indescribable feeling. So July 2023 I opened my rusty old Word Doc (lol) and got to work! I spent 9 months writing it from scratch because the old version was a mess tbh. Here’s the real kicker . . . my story takes place in San Diego, California, everyone asks me why, I have no clue. I guess 18-year-old me just thought it was a cool place even though I had never been. (*laughs at younger self) My mom warned me to never write about a place I hadn’t been too, she urged me to have it take place in Boston. Well, I’m pretty stubborn, and instead of changing the location I booked two trips within six months and did all the research I possibly could, including interviewing people. To cut this short, I learned A LOT and ended up finalizing my book by September 2023 and publishing it December 2023. 

4. Are there any authors or books that inspired you or significantly influenced the way you write? 

I’m embarrassed to say this but no. I think I was always more of a watcher than a reader sadly. Don’t get me wrong I loved to read but I liked Dystopian novels more than Contemporary or Romance and my book has zero elements of Dystopian. I wrote my book because I was craving to read a book like it! I think my main influences came from TV shows and it’s reflected in my writing. I tend to write a lot of dialogue and be very fast paced, I’ve had to learn to slow it down and dwell on details more. 

5. What was the most surprising part of your publishing experience? 

How hard it would be to keep consistent sales. I am still figuring out how to grow my audience and get my book in front of more eyes. 

6. Where do you find is the best place for you to brainstorm your writing? Do you have a specific area in your house or a favorite cafe where you always end up writing the best? 

In the car while driving and listening to music. Music is everything to me and my book vibes/story. Also the shower haha

Let’s Talk Recent Releases

1. Tell me about your most recent release. What drew you into the story? 

My story touches on some deeper themes, like mental health, trauma and unhealthy family dynamics. It also has a love triangle and a best guy friend who makes your heart melt while the love interest gets under your skin in good and bad ways. I like to keep the reader guessing and make it so every page that they turn keeps them curious as to what’s next. I love the idea of full-blown entertainment meets learning and healing. 

2. Who is your favorite character in this story, why? 

I’d have to say Valletta herself, because she’s so incredibly flawed. She’s not a “strong female lead”, she’s weak. But to me that’s what makes her relatable while making her growth satisfying and real. She gains strength, she’s not born with it.  But then again, she’s strong purely because she’s still standing after everything she’s dealt with. She’s a total paradox and I love that. 

What’s Next for You?

1. Do you have any upcoming books or novellas in the works? 

YES. The sequel to Waves the Color of Onyx! I am so excited because you’ll get to continue the story with Valletta BUT you will also be thrown into the mind of one of the MMC’s. It will be a dual POV, and the depth has grown heavily. I can not wait. 

2. Where did you gain the inspiration for these next projects?

Each of the characters in my debut are dynamic and have their own unique voice so I knew I had to continue the story until you get the full-rounded picture. It’s called the ONYX series and there will be at least 3 books! 

More About You 

1. If you could describe your writing in three words, what would they be? 

Witty, twisted and entertaining.

2. Where can readers find more information about you? Leave your links below! 

leahjoannewriter.com

@leahjoanne_writes (Instagram & TikTok) 

leahjoanne.substack.com 

Final Remarks

I want to give a huge thank you to Leah for joining me for this interview. It’s always so much fun getting to know new authors and spreading the word about their works of art!