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Welcome, September! May you bring relief from the Northwest fires, cleaner, cooler air, and lots of productive writing time. This month’s Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop is co-hosted by the fabulous Toi Thomas, the amazing  T. Powell Coltrin, the legendary M.J. Fifield, and the fascinating Tara Tyler! If you haven’t yet checked out IWSG, pop in and sample its many excellent resources for writers.

This month’s IWSG question: What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?

For the moment, I’m a small-press author. My first contemporary romance, Through the Red Door, is coming soon from The Wild Rose Press. Why them? When a Twitter pitch competition led to an offer from another small press, writer friend Marie Tuhart told me how happy she is with TWRP. Just for comparison’s sake, I submitted my manuscript, and I’m ever so glad I did. They provide professional editing, cover art, workshops, and a huge, helpful network of TWRP authors. I’d considered starting out as an indie author but felt intimidated by all the writing-adjacent tasks involved. Choosing a well-established small press has made that first step into publishing much easier.

And now, please meet another Wild Rose Press author, Leslie Scott! I greatly enjoyed her contemporary romance The Finish Line, which revolves around the high-octane world of street racing. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun.) On September 26^th, her newest release Two Hearts One Stone hits the shelves.

Leslie Scott’s debut novel is a high-speed thrill ride!

Leslie Scott’s new release, available on September 26th, 2018

Two Hearts, One Stone

Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility.

Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She’s determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.

In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without.

Leslie, tell us about your inspiration for Two Hearts, One Stone.

Really, it was funny as this novella is the first time I’d written anything to fit. By that I mean, my publisher (The Wild Rose Press) had an open call for a specific type of story and I wanted to test my ability and see if I could craft that sort of story. Because a fledgling author, I’m lucky I didn’t get in over my head. However, Stone spoke to me quickly, took the reins, and wrote his own damn story. I’m so glad he did, as I love my little cowboy book.

What’s your own experience with horses?

My mom actually named me after her best friend of the time, who is an amazing horse trainer. So I spent my little girl years, wistfully dreaming of a pony of my own. When I got older, I worked for a stable that housed around sixty horses. There I did everything from ride, clean equipment, clean stalls, take care of horses, and teach. It was an exciting fun time for me that left me with a fondness for the entire Western culture. Also… of course there were cowboys, and a few have found their way into influencing my hero, Stone.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

You know, my journey was relatively short in terms of writing a manuscript and having it published. But in truth, I’ve been a writer since before I’d ever picked up a pencil. When playing Barbies with my little sister I was more concerned about developing their backstories than what clothes they wore. I was always living in my imagination, making up stories, cultivating my land of make believe. As I grew, I wrote. I won writing contests at different levels in school and have never not had a work in progress.

Then one day my husband told me that if I was going to write, it was time I started taking it seriously. At the same time, my original beta reader told me she wasn’t going to read anything else I sent her unless I finished something. Being told both things so close to the same time was the kick in the pants I needed.

I took it seriously. I finished my first manuscript (it was a horrible bad boy biker romance, my editor wants me to break it out and rewrite it, lol) and moved on to the second. All the while I was reading books, taking classes, and asking advice from a few published authors I knew. 

When I finished the second manuscript (which was my debut novel, The Finish Line) I joined RWA and went looking for a published critique partner. I’m pretty sure I sent out right around forty emails and all but one shot me down because I was unpublished and super green. Some were nice, some weren’t. But that one, was invaluable. Her name, by the way, is Vonnie Davis. She’s a great writer and rather hilarious. Vonnie and I destroyed that manuscript (as she taught me all the rules and such), then I rewrote it, then I polished it. Along the way I took more workshops, read more craft books, and entered contests (for the feedback, which a few times was invaluable).

 I submitting at the very beginning of 2017.  Signed my deal with The Wild Rose Press in April of that year and my first novel was released in December.

My husband was right, I just needed to start taking it seriously. Remember that this one manuscript is not the defining moment of my life, but rather that is the collective body of work I plan to produce in a lifetime.

What do you do for fun when you’re not writing?

Not writing, what is that? Lol… it feels like I’m always writing. But we as a family like to watch movies. Once a week we play trivia with a group of friends. I like to talk and hang out. It sounds silly, but any time I can spend with people I care about just being present with them—is fun for me.

What are your writing goals?

I have so many, really. Like most authors I’d loved to find one of my titles on a best seller list, win an award or two. But really my long term goal is to land an agent and/or a contract at a large publishing house which will get my body of work in front of more people. Because, at the end of the day, I want to write stories that bring people joy. I want them to find as much to love about my characters as I do, to get the same things out of reading my work as I do writing it.

 Also to break fifty reviews on Amazon. It can’t be that hard, can it? (hint: if you get a chance to read my debut The Finish Line, please consider leaving a review and telling me where you saw me blogging… I love it when new readers find me!)

 TWO HEARTS ONE STONE Now Available for Pre-order on Kindle:  https://amzn.to/2McJvS5

Now Available for Pre-order on Nook:  http://bit.ly/2MtQkPA

 Leslie Scott on the internet:

Website:  http://lesliescottromance.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliescottwrites/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leslieSwrites

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lesliescottwrites/

Youtube Playlists: http://bit.ly/2O6IDea