For this week’s Author Spotlight, I’m joined by the fabulous Garrett Leigh to talk crushing annoying stereotypes, living for angsty hurt comfort, and character arcs!

Take it away Garrett…

First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hi! I’m Garrett. I’m a British romance author and cover artist. My first book was published in 2013 and I’ve been on this crazy train ever since.

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
I write angsty, hurt/comfort books most of the time. Around Christmas, you might find some lighter, sweeter stuff from me, but I write the books I like to read, and I live for the pain 🙂

Describe your books in only three words.
Hot. Gritty. Consuming.

What are you working on right now?
I’m working on an MC romance at the moment that will likely be a prequel to a longer series. It’s rough and ready and, believe it or not, grittier than anything I’ve written before.

Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
That’s like asking me to choose between my children.

What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
My own sexuality is a big influence. I write mainly bisexual characters as it gives me a chance to explore and explain what it is to be bi (for me) and crush some of those annoying stereotypes.

What inspired you to start writing?
I was frustrated with my life at the time. Writing gave me an escape and I’m incredibly lucky that it turned into an actual real life job.

What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
I walk the dogs. Have a decaff coffee, then I hunker down. Nothing gets done until those words are down. Sometimes this takes all day, sometimes a few hours, but I commit to this at least 5 days a week.

What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Mostly the characters. The plot is the hardest part for me. I get lost easily. Character arcs are much more natural to craft. I love people.

What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
Oh that changes all the time. I couldn’t possibly give a definitive answer.

If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Angsty hurt comfort. Darker the better. I am shamelessly addicted.

What would be your three desert island books?
Junk, by Melvin Burgess. Firework, by Sarina Bowen. Marrying the Mistress, by Joanna Trollop.

If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
Ooooh, definitely the Darkest Skies series, though I don’t know about the cast. Second option would be my military novels, Between Ghosts and Only Love. I’ve had those cast in my head for years. Cam Gigadet for Jed Cooper. Chris Hemsworth or Charlie Hunnum for Nat Thompson.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have a secret passion or hobby that we don’t know about?
I love to cook (almost as much as I like to eat) and I’m a big fan of hiking outside with my dogs. Other than that, you’ll find me swinging in my hammock with my Kindle.

Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Velociraptor. They remind me of my backyard chickens.

GARRETT LEIGH is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with photographer Dan Burgess.

For more information on Garrett and her work you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, Bookbub, her website, and her newsletter. You can also join her Facebook group, Garrett’s Den, for more news and updates.