Author Samara Leigh

Author Samara Leigh

Let's start getting your shine on. Who are you?

I'm Samara Leigh, a writer, entrepreneur, mom, and wife living in Northeast Ohio. My business writing revolves around topics of interest to job hunters and career changers. My non-fiction and creative writing usually centers on my respect and admiration for women on a journey of self-discovery and growth.

When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

I've enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember. It gave me a voice, even after I'd talked my poor parents to death and they just wanted some peace and quiet. What sealed the deal was getting recognition for an essay I wrote in grade school.

All writers adore words. Describe your love affair with writing.

There are two things that I love about writing:

#1. It gives voice to the stories and opinions floating around in my head at any given moment (and I assure you that there is no shortage of them).

#2. I love the latent power of words. One person reads the story and thinks, "That's stupid." But, the next person is moved to tears and - more importantly - to action by those same words. Written words allow us to connect with people that we do not know and will never meet. People who lived centuries before us. Yet their story gives voice to our feelings. It is this power to connect with others through the written word that I find empowering, enchanting, addictive.

Name two authors with whom you share similar writing styles.

As a yet-to-be published author I dread this question. You never really want to compare yourself to other authors, especially the great ones. Being completely honest, I can't really think of any authors that I'd compare my style or voice to. However, there are elements of the writing styles of several authors that I find similar to elements in my writing.

What makes them similar?

I love the quirky, sexy, but not trashy style of Erin McCarthy; the self-deprecating humor of Meg Cabot; and Benilde Little's ability to draw her readers into the internal conflicts experienced by her characters, just to name a few. These are elements that often surface in my writing.

Name and thank one author that has been instrumental in inspiring you to write.

If I have to limit it to just one writer, hands down it is Judy Blume. I loved reading her books as a pre-teen and teen. You could identify with her characters and you felt for them. There were elements of their lives that reflected my own. I wanted to have the power to inform, educate, entertain, comfort, and motivate my readers in the same way that she'd impacted me.

Now let's get to the nitty gritty. What does your audience look like?

Hmm... I'd have to say my audience looks a lot like me. LOL. Not necessarily my age, my height, my size, or my race. But, women that have gone through a similar experience. They've overcome or endured some type of adversity in their lives and are now at a point where they've discovered their beauty, their value, their self-worth. Whether they are 15 or 55 they are getting to know themselves. Not the person that everyone wanted them to be, but the person that they truly want to be at this stage in their lives. If I am forced to put a label on my audience, I'd say that they are are a multicultural cross-section of women ranging from the ages of 29 - 45.

What genre does your story fall under?

Multicultural women's fiction

What's the strangest thing you've seen or heard that somehow made its way into your story?

That would be my best friend's loud declaration at the cash register in Target that I should put back a pair of "baby panties" that I was purchasing for myself. That one made its way into a short story I wrote.

New authors usually lack the business knowledge of writing. What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned about things beyond the page?

Being an entrepreneur has taught me the importance of marketing, creating a business plan, and being systematic in executing your plan. I am trying to incorporate the business lessons that I've learned (many of them the hard way) into my mindset as an author.

What are your thoughts on rejection letters?

Sad, but true story: It was a single rejection letter that made me abandon writing as a career for well over a decade. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I pursued the thought of being an author again. I now realize that rejection letters are as much a part of the business of writing as is being published. I find stories of famous writers' struggles to get published hugely inspiring. Even writers that we now consider to be veritable geniuses have suffered through their share of rejections. It is a part of the publishing game. But, if you don't play; you won't win.

If you approached an author with questions about writing, how would you expect them to respond?

I imagine that she would cringe at being asked the same question that she's been asked 1,000 times before. But, hopefully she'd be gracious about answering it for the 1,001st time.

Are you ready to really shine? In 100 words or less, tell the Wednesdays & Fridays Blog readers why your manuscript should be published.

My current work in progress is the story of a young woman raised in a super-restrictive, ultra-religious household where freedom of choice and freedom of thought were never on the menu. After two years of saving she goes away to a women's liberal arts college to discover herself, much to her parents chagrin. During Livia's delayed college experience she discovers love, sex, friendship, and long-held family secrets that will either completely destroy her family or begin to heal their seemingly irreparable rift.

Thanks for the opportunity, Ladies.

Thank you for spending time with us!