Thanks so much for agreeing to be with us today, Leigh!
Thank you for having me! I’m excited to chat about BREATHLESS today.
What 5 things should readers know about you?
- I’m a mom and I have 3 kids age 3-10. I wish this wasn’t the first thing that describes me but they take up most of my bandwidth. I love being a mom. Most of the time 😉
- I’ve always loved romance books, starting with SWEET VALLEY HIGH and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. I fell in love with historicals as a teen, and my first three books are historical romances set in the Regency.
- BREATHLESS is my first contemporary. I really thought writing contemporary would be easier- less research and a less concern about time appropriate language. Unfortunately, it was just as hard to write!
- I am a certified yoga instructor and massage therapist. I also have a BA in Literature.
- I grew up in upstate New York but I’ve lived in the Rocky Mountains since 2001.
I hear you on the mom front! And shout out to a fellow upstate New Yorker 🙂
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
I’ve always had two main loves- studying yoga and writing romance novels. They were mutually exclusive worlds. For years, I would write historical romance novels between teaching yoga classes. It just made sense for me to combine these two facets of my life. There is so much I love about yoga–the practice and the tradition and the myths and legends— and I’ve really enjoyed weaving it into a love story.
Also, I’ve worked at A LOT of yoga studios over the years, and made some close girlfriends through teaching. It seemed like a fun idea to write this series about four girlfriends who buy a yoga studio together. My mind was brimming with ideas from day one.
It’s very cool that you were able to combine your two main loves into one book series! Talk about built-in inspiration.
How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?
I’ve been writing ever since I was little. In college and after, I wrote poetry and short stories. Raymond Carver and Mary Oliver are two of my favorite authors. I almost went to graduate school to get a Masters in Creative Writing, but ultimately the cost deterred me.
I’ve been pursuing a career in writing romance since 2006. A friend helped me get started. I had an entire week off to myself after the holidays (imagine that) and she said- just write 3 chapters and see what happens. Eleven years later, I’m still writing.
That’s fantastic!
What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?
I’m currently working on RECKLESS, book 2 in the Yoga in the City series. This is a fun road trip/ wedding date romance that features my most new-age-y heroine, Crystal, and my most controlled hero, Ford. I hope to release a Holiday Novella in the fall of 2018 and be on my way toward releasing SHAMELESS, book 3 in the Yoga in the City series.
Oooh, Crystal and Ford sound like a great hero/heroine combination! Can’t wait 🙂
What are you currently reading, and what are your thoughts about it so far?
I am currently reading DECEPTION by Kris Kennedy. It’s a sweeping medieval romance and I LOVE it. It’s the best of what I love in historicals- a dreamy couple that is made for the ages and lush, poetic language.
Sounds great—thanks for the rec!
If you had to “sell” your book in a single Tweet, what would you say?
What if the man who could destroy your dreams is the only one who could heal your heart?
Perfect!
Thank you so much for having me today! I’ll be by to answer any questions.
Best-
Leigh
Thank you, Leigh!
Author Bio:
Leigh LaValle is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and historical romance. She lives in Montana with her family. When she is not chasing kids, bemoaning the laundry, or carving out time to do yoga, she is sneaking away to write. She would rather read than sleep, and cannot imagine a better job than writing romance. She is also a certified yoga teacher, but is not nearly as flexible as she once was.
Awards and Nominations
RT Book Reviews 4 stars…..TOP PICK Night Owl Reviews….Nominated BEST HISTORICAL The Romance Reviews….Nominated for Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award…Nominated Best Historical Romancing Rakes
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
Breathless
Leigh LaValle
(Yoga in the City, #1)
Publication date: May 27th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A sassy new romance from a USA Today Bestselling Author…
After moving cross-country yet again, Hannah Roberts wants to put down roots in Colorado. She’s sunk her life savings into a share of Bloom Yoga Studio, but the studio is losing money, and fast. The building is undergoing a messy, noisy renovation–and the hot carpenter in charge is distracting her yoga students in more ways than one. If Hannah can’t talk the hard-bodied builder out of his power tools, she might as well kiss her dreams goodbye.
When Jake Marshall returned from Afghanistan, he brought back an injured knee and a lot of bad memories. He just wants to finish
this renovation, rehab his knee, and head for Alaska to leave it all behind. A sexy yoga teacher doesn’t fit into his plans. But when Hannah offers him private sessions in exchange for quiet hours—he’s all in. He doesn’t expect that while she’s healing his knee, Hannah will poke at all his hidden wounds…and come dangerously close to breaking open his heart.
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