Book and Author Spotlight: Finding Home by Garrett Leigh
by Garrett Leigh
Date Released: October 9, 2017
About Finding Home
How do you find a home when your heart is in ashes?
With their mum dead and their father on remand for her murder, Leo Hendry and his little sister, Lila, have nothing in the world but each other. Broken and burned, they’re thrust into the foster care system. Leo shields Lila from the fake families and forced affection, until the Poulton household is the only place left to go.
Charlie de Sousa is used to other kids passing through the Poulton home, but there’s never been anyone like his new foster brother. Leo’s physical injuries are plain to see, but it’s the pain in his eyes that draws Charlie in the most.
Day by day, they grow closer, but the darkness inside Leo consumes him. He rejects his foster parents, and when Charlie gets into trouble, Leo’s attempt to protect him turns violent. When Leo loses control, no one can reach him—except Charlie. He desperately needs a family—a home—and only Charlie can show him the way.
Read my five-plus-starred review of Finding Home.
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About Garrett Leigh
Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.
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 renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.
Cover art enquiries can be sent to blackjazzdesign@gmail.com.
Connect with Garrett
A Q&A with Garrett Leigh
1. Finding Home is your first Young Adult (YA) novel. What challenges did you face with Leo Hendry and Charlie de Sousa's story that you never faced in your previous books?
Oooh, good question. And for once I know the answer. Writing YA obviously limits the on-page physical relationship, which was a huge step out of my comfort zone. The challenge was to show how deep their connection was without resorting to the obvious ways we’re used to in adult books. Charlie holds Leo’s wrist a lot, and that gesture resonated with me as I wrote the book. It’s kind of beautiful…but then, so is Charlie.
2. I'm addicted to angst in the books I read--which is just one of the reason why I gravitate and love your books--and I'm often left with an emotional hangover (always a sign of a fantastic read). Do you experience hangovers while or after writing? If so, how do you deal with them?
Definitely, and the best way to deal with them is to either take a break entirely, or jump into writing something completely different. I sometimes stray to MF if I’ve been lost in a tortured MM manuscript for a while.
3. Leo is distrustful of fostering. If you could change something about the foster system, what would it be and how would you go about it?
I think I would probably change the length of the waiting lists and somehow magic up more families willing to take on troubled teenage boys. I think it was only because of Lila that Leo found a home. On his own, he wasn’t such a cute package. Sad, but true.
4. What are the five that come to mind when you think of the word "home"?
Family. Food. Dogs. Love. Life.
5. What's the one thing you think every place should have in order for it to feel like home?
Laughter.
6. If you could, what word of advice would give to Leo and to Charlie going forward with their lives?
Love, Live, Dream, Trust, Smile.
7. What is the one takeaway that you hope your readers will get from Finding Home?
That no part of us if ever truly lost unless we want it to be.
Giveaway
1. Finding Home is your first Young Adult (YA) novel. What challenges did you face with Leo Hendry and Charlie de Sousa's story that you never faced in your previous books?
Oooh, good question. And for once I know the answer. Writing YA obviously limits the on-page physical relationship, which was a huge step out of my comfort zone. The challenge was to show how deep their connection was without resorting to the obvious ways we’re used to in adult books. Charlie holds Leo’s wrist a lot, and that gesture resonated with me as I wrote the book. It’s kind of beautiful…but then, so is Charlie.
2. I'm addicted to angst in the books I read--which is just one of the reason why I gravitate and love your books--and I'm often left with an emotional hangover (always a sign of a fantastic read). Do you experience hangovers while or after writing? If so, how do you deal with them?
Definitely, and the best way to deal with them is to either take a break entirely, or jump into writing something completely different. I sometimes stray to MF if I’ve been lost in a tortured MM manuscript for a while.
3. Leo is distrustful of fostering. If you could change something about the foster system, what would it be and how would you go about it?
I think I would probably change the length of the waiting lists and somehow magic up more families willing to take on troubled teenage boys. I think it was only because of Lila that Leo found a home. On his own, he wasn’t such a cute package. Sad, but true.
4. What are the five that come to mind when you think of the word "home"?
Family. Food. Dogs. Love. Life.
5. What's the one thing you think every place should have in order for it to feel like home?
Laughter.
6. If you could, what word of advice would give to Leo and to Charlie going forward with their lives?
Love, Live, Dream, Trust, Smile.
7. What is the one takeaway that you hope your readers will get from Finding Home?
That no part of us if ever truly lost unless we want it to be.
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Note: Thank you to Garrett Leigh for taking the time to answer my questions and to Kelly Miller for facilitating as always. ♥
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Finding Home, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 14, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
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Thank you for the interview!
ReplyDeletehumhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
Nice interview. This book is going to make me cry!
ReplyDeletejlshannon74 at gmail.com
Thanks for the interview!
ReplyDeletelegacylandisa at gmail dot com
Congratulations for the book release Garrett. And thanks for the giveaway chance.
ReplyDeleteamie_07(at)yahoo(dot)com
Loved this interview, especially first and last questions/answers. (Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!)
ReplyDeletevergognosamentefelice [at] gmail [dot] com
Thanks for the interview.
ReplyDeleteserena91291@gmail(dot)com
Congrats, Garrett, and thanks for the Q&A. I liked your answer about the foster system. I'm glad it's there for the kids it does help, and thankful for the parents who do well by it. -
ReplyDeleteTheWrote [at] aol [dot] com