Release Day Celebration

Hiya, folks! It’s Leya Layne bringing you an update on my newest book, You’ve Got Bookmail, which releases today. My thoughts and emotions are all over the place! Welcome to Day 60 of 365 days of blogging.

You’ve Got Bookmail is a spicy contemporary romance between an unintentionally reclusive author and her mailman. Kassandra Gingham moves into a large house in the woods far away from her ex, so that she can heal and focus on her writing. When the small town gossip is directed at the unknown woman in the big house, Asher McNeil, the neighborhood mailman who has previously been on the receiving end of that gossip train, decides to warn her. Neither of them knew that the simple act of knocking on her door would change the trajectory of her writing and their lives.

I had so much fun writing this book that came from an idea thrown out in a random TikTok video. Of course, I’m a pantser, so some of the original thoughts changed as the story developed, but the basic premise is there: A book lover and a man in a non-traditional uniform, such as a mailman, fall in love. The fact that she is an author added an additional layer to the story, as she lives vicariously through her main character. This layer allowed me to write almost two stories in one.

An interesting development from the story within a story is that quite a few of my ARC readers requested the full story of my author’s main character. So now I’m writing that story to come out later this year. I’m also planning to include another romance that begins to develop over the course of the novel (you’ll have to read You’ve Got Bookmail to find out about that one). Thus, what had initially started as a stand alone romance novel will now have three parts.

While releasing a new book can be nerve racking, there is also something freeing about finally letting it get into the hands of readers. It has been a struggle to put all my energy into the next stories I’m writing while I geared up for the release. Marketing is a harrowing experience as well, trying to prepare for that successful release. And then there is the process of getting feedback in the form of reviews from ARC readers that can play with an author’s emotions if we’re not careful.

All-in-all, I am proud of the work I put into this book. I love the story. I’ve done the work to garner far more interest in this book than I did any of the previous ones, and I’ve managed to find readers who loved her enough to continuously hype her up on social media. Every release from now on is just going to get better (and easier) because I have and am learning so much from each process.

Now, if you’re ready to read You’ve Got Bookmail, you can find it on most online book vendors (Amazon, B&N, etc.); it is on KU for download; signed copies are on my website, along with an available swag pack; or you could do me a grand favor and request it from your local library.

She Hid All the Pencils

Day 56 of 365 days of blogging. I definitely have not written 56 blog posts this year, but I have written far more than I did last year, and we’re only in February. Though I don’t spend much time on Twitter (X) much anymore, I still scroll through my feed on occasion and come across poetry prompts that speak to me. This one came from an account called @FromOneLine where they give you the first line of a poem, and you create the rest of the piece using that line as your first line. I had so many idea of where to go with this poem, so it took me over a week to finish it up. Here is the final piece.

She hid all the pencils
So no one could erase
The parts of her that hurt
To silence her complaints

She hid all the pencils
So no one could redraw
The unappealing curves
For straight and narrow lines

She hid all the pencils
So no one could rewrite
The moments of her life
That make them appear harsh

She hid all the pencils
So she could brainstorm worlds
The story she wants told
Expressing her own words

She hid all the pencils
So she could now protect
The narrative plot points
That led her straight to you

She found all the pencils
So she could imagine
The infinite moments
Of pleasure in your arms

She shared all the pencils
So you can help create
The future together
That obscures all past pains

Poem: A Random Horse

Day 41 of 365 days of blogging. A couple weeks ago, we were watching a movie, and in one of the most tense moments, the protagonist drove past a random horse out in a field. I was then challenged to write a poem that included a random horse. Inspiration finally hit last night.

Love, much like inspiration,
develops from unlikely encounters.
A chance coffee shop meeting,
or perhaps a dog park rendezvous.
Much like finding a random horse
frolicking in an empty field
No history or future concerns
beyond the here and now,
living in the present
creating art from that spark
becoming the portrait of happiness

This poem will be included in my forthcoming poetry collection focused on the themes of love and intimacy. If you like this poem and are interested in seeing more, check out the Poetry tab on my website. I also have signed copies of my current poetry collection available for purchase from my shop on the website and in Kindle Unlimited.

Climbing Castles

Ever since I started reading historical romance novels in my teenage years, I dreamt of wandering through castle halls, climbing spiral stone stairs, and looking out from the parapets.

Photo taken by author

Forget that last part, as I’m afraid of heights.

Fact is, though, I had been dreaming of a castle tour of Europe for over 20 years, although I never thought it would happen. In 2018, however, I got the chance of a lifetime when a long-standing internet friend asked if anyone wanted come to Scotland and pet sit for them for two weeks.

Free lodging, in Scotland, and all I have to do is get there?? What!!

If I had to swim, I was going! Mom was so excited for me, she invited herself. Her first flight and a chance to tour the Scottish landscapes was all the invitation she needed. She spent her time excited, and I spent my time worrying over how she would get around with mobility issues. We managed.

Photo taken by author


As we were planning, one of the first things I did was look up castles in the area of their home. Located halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, there were so many. Then I found the motherlode! For a nominal fee, you can get into all of the historic ruins, and some of the more modern castles.

Explorer Pass
Our Explorer Pass is a flexible and cost-effective way for groups and individuals to discover our staffed attractions…
www.historicenvironment.scot

It was like a dream come true! We planned to be in Scotland for two full weeks, and I planned to see, experience, and climb as many castles as we could get to by car, foot, and ferry! As you can see in the photo below, we more than made use of that entry pass.

Photo taken by author.

We saw some of the most beautiful gardens still maintained by the historic society and/or descendants of the castles’ original inhabitants.

Photo taken by author.

We learned about their ancient postal system by visiting very simple to truly elaborate dovecots, locations where they kept their carrier pigeons, doves, and/or ravels on the castle grounds.

Photo taken by author
Photo taken by author

We wondered at the architectural feats within both the castle ruins and cathedral ruins, often sharing the same grounds.

Photo taken by author
Photo taken by author

We marveled at the size of their weapons, both canons and trebuchets. This one was amazing to see, is it stood sentinel over Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness.

I was fascinate by the fact that there was a mooring area where you could walk right out of the castle into the lake. The lake bed is covered in beautiful, smooth rocks.

No evidence of the rocks I probably wasn’t supposed to bring home.

And last, but definitely not least, I climbed stairs.

Photo taken by author
Photo taken by author

Internal stairs, spiral and otherwise…

Photo taken by author
Photo taken by author

And external stairs, sometimes to get into the castle and sometimes just to get to the castle.

Photo taken by author’s mother
Photo taken by author

In total, I climbed at least 35,000 stairs in those two weeks. Not all of the castles were explorable inside, but for everyone that was, I explored every nook and cranny. I found stairs to rooms that had fallen away leaving open air and stairs to dungeons and cold storage.

It really was a dream come true!

Selfie taken by the author

This trip inspired so many poems. If you’re interested in reading many of them, check out my poetry page on my site.

Writing Elapsed Time

Day 34 of 365 days of blogging. I saw a blog prompt that asked how the passage of time influences life events and I thought I’d share my struggles with writing elapsed time instead.

The first novel I decided to write back in November of 2022 was a framed story that connected memoir and fantasy to cover a period of approximately one week. By January, I was fully invested in the fantasy portion and separated it into its own story, and I expanded the time of the novel to approximately two years.

When my alpha reader finished the book, though, her first comment was, “how’d she go through two years of training, and there were no scenes of training.” The book felt like it passed in two weeks, maybe two months, rather than two years. I have had to add in montage scenes, and some wins and losses for the main character in her training. Still, one of my beta readers asked for more time to be shown because it still feels rushed.

I had similar issues with the first romance book. The goal was to have the relationship develop of a month and a half, but things were progressing so quickly, I thought it would all be over within the first week and a half. Of course, that’s likely due to me being a pantser and not knowing what’s going to happen until it does. It took two rounds of content edits to make sure the story lasted organically for the full time.

When the same thing began to happen in my most recently finished novel, I began to think about my process in terms of these stories. I jump into an important moment in the story, whether that is in the middle of some action or in the middle of the main character’s reflection on an event. Once I determine where the story starts, I want to progress day by day, week by week. That’s not feasible when you want to 1) keep the story interesting all the way through, and 2) keep the page count down to a manageable size for the genre.

I usually figure out the error of my ways after I’m halfway through the first draft, and then I have to go back and add more, or skip periods of time to all the time to pass. Eventually, I will get my pacing right from the beginning of the drafts, but for now, I recognize that this is one of my struggles and plan for it in editing.

I think that is one of the most important lessons I have learned in this past year or so writing stories–I have to develop a process that works for me. Part of that is learning where my struggles are and then the most effective ways to over come them. So if you take anything away from this blog post, it is to not focus on all the writing “advice” out there unless it is leading you to the most effective practice for you.

To see the books that I already have out, check out the shop on my website, and to learn about what is coming soon, sign up for my newsletter. It only comes out once a month unless something major happens.

Impostor Syndrome

Day 33 of 365 days of blogging.

Leya here and having a moment. I usually only take over the blog when something is happening or happens in relation to one of my books, generally while I’m writing it. Well, this week has been a hot mess of unpleasant emotions as I finished the last round of proofreading edits before my next book was schedule to go out to ARC Readers. It is very hard putting your work out in front of others, and it’s even harder when so many people just expect it to be good.

That expectation, and the fear that comes along with potentially failing at it is something I’ve been dealing with most of my life. In fact, I call myself a recovering perfectionist because I want to believe I’ve gotten over the need to get everything just right for others. And then it comes time to press the publish button on my writing, and my heart palpitates like I’ve run a mile. Finally, I pressed the button to send out the ARC copies to readers, and the publish button to set the preorders and get my author proof. Finally, the night before they had to go out.

Thankfully, I slept well that night because when I woke the next morning, I had multiple messages (and they kept coming throughout the day) from ARC readers thanking me for the opportunity to read the book. The way my chest got tight from the realization that people are going to read the book makes no sense. I put it out there. And yet, the fear is real.

Now that it’s been nearly 48 hours since the book was sent out, I finally feel some relief. Multiple readers have reached out to say they already finished the book and loved it. Then I saw my first review from someone who isn’t a close friend. I won’t say I don’t still worry about being “found out,” right, because that’s what impostor syndrome is, but the affirmation that other people like what I’m putting out helps make breathing through the fear a little easier.

So, thank you to those who have ready any of my books/stories/poems and took a minute to let me know, and a huge hug to those who’ve taken the time to rate my book on various sites and write reviews. I’m humble enough to know that not everyone is going to love my writing or the things I create, but knowing people are willing to give it a chance and then share their thoughts means everything.

Final word: Yes, it took me two days to write this and post it. Again, I’m trying to not let the fear and anxiety run my writing life, but that doesn’t mean it won’t create a detour sometimes. So long as I keep coming back and pushing through, it’ll all work out in the end.

And with that…The End.

Longing

Day 32 of 365 of blogging. My poetry goal for this year is to release another collection, this time romance/love centered. This is a poem that I wrote over a year ago that will be in the collection.

I long to manifest in your daydreams
The subtle curvature of your spine
Entangled in the web of my fingers
As you murmur a million promises

I long to sing the echoes of ecstasy
Conducting melodies of aspirations
To the gentle rumblings of aftershocks
While your smile rings triumphant salute

I long to enter apertures of trust
Laying aside the weight of vacillations
Gambling on cards not yet dealt
That your ante draws aces from fissures

I long to ride the waves of reality
Beckoning your presence from memories
Foretold in plots twisting to evolve
In our minds like complementary characters

I long to attain the wisdom of willows
Sheltering the shadows of hope
Still visible in the twinkle of starlight
Long after we explode into constellations

If you like poetry, and this poem specifically, sign up to follow my newsletter for more details about my writing and when new books will be released. If you want to check out my first collection, it’s available here in my shop or on Amazon. It’s even in Kindle Unlimited.

The Truth Between

Day 29 of 365 days of blogging. I wrote this poem in response to a Move Me Poetry’s “Teach Me Tuesday” segment on Twitter that highlighted the Abecedarian form. Interestingly enough, I wrote it in jumbled pieces, jumping between lines as they came to me, and then worked to tie it together in its truth. Hence the title.

Accentuated syllables
Belie insecurities
Carefully wrapped in
Double-sided sarcasm

Early risings
Feign disdain for night’s
Graceful isolation where
Hiding discomfort in shadows
Is a welcome reprieve

Juggling between
Keeping distance and
Longing for connection
Mired in pretense…
Neither optimal

Only in fits of slumber
Peace descends shroud-like
Quietly ensnaring the senseless
Rage of the simmering subconscious

Still, the light is better
The crowd a safe space
Until anxiety overwhelms the
Volatile mind behind the smile

Wistfully drawing
X’s on every selfie
Yelling into the void for the
Zillionth time…this week

I have a whole poetry page here on my website that you are welcome to check out. If you like what you read, please consider picking up my debut published collection When Can We Be Soft: Poems of Female Resilience. I have signed copies available in my shop. It can also be found on Amazon.

Big Thoughts in Small Packages

I first shared this small collection of haiku and senryu on Medium in 2022. As I get ready to shut down my Medium account, I’ve decided to move some of my poetry over here. Poetry has served as therapy for quite a while, so there is often pain expressed in these pieces. Always approach my poetry with that in mind, and take care of your own mental health.

It was late March when I decided to start putting my writing out in the world. I had always kept it hidden, like scars of self-inflicted wounds. There weren’t many, but they were deep, and I was afraid the people around me wouldn’t understand everything that was going through my mind. Also, it took time and a lot of emotional work to write these longer pieces.

Then I found two different prompts on Twitter: #haikuchallenge by Baffled and #haikuseed by Haiku Seed Journal. These daily prompts pushed me to write more often, think deeper, and be more concise with my thoughts. Eventually, they made composing longer poems easier and less draining. Here are a few of the short pieces that speak to me most.

Prompt: downpour

joy pain and sorrow
felt year-round yet in springtime
tears hide in downpours

Prompt: crack

trauma driven crack
filled with golden filligree
broken in her strength

Prompt: could

the damage of could
awash in the memories
of painful regret

Prompt: hold

forgotten childhood
memories of woodland walks
holes left in the heart

Prompt: guess

guess and check movements
relationships take us through
just like learning math

Prompt: mistake

feel how you must on
the whimsy of emotion
you are no mistake

I have a whole poetry page here on my website that you are welcome to check out. If you like what you read, please consider picking up my debut published collection When Can We Be Soft: Poems of Female Resilience. I have signed copies available in my shop. It can also be found on Amazon.

Poem: Vulnerability

Day 21 of 365 days of blogs. This is one of the final poems added to my debut poetry collection When Can We Be Soft: Poems of Female Resilience. Since I just found out the paperback is on sale on Amazon today and it will be in Kindle Unlimited tomorrow, I thought it apropos to share one of the poems here.

Safety lies in hiding the frayed ends of reality
Quietly knitting threads to repair the seams
Authenticity seeps from faded scars
Waiting to bleed onto paper stories of strength

Tradition holds firm to generational plights
Weaving youth into the folds of brittle tapestry
New ideas unravel the sepia-toned yarns
Longing to paint portraits in hues bright and bold

Memory tells tales of great works and triumphs
Building towering palaces of imposed expectations
Innovation admires networks of unfettered thought
Itching to burst fireworks across starless skies

Faith tethers hope to posts of foundation
Cementing thoughts to place and time long past
Release exists in controlled waves of emotion
Creating new worlds from the ashes and stone

Time exists as an endless vastness of nothing
Pulling nostalgia from pores in streams of consciousness
Possibility lay within the fire of neurons
Craving connection through ethers of lucidity

Pain stifles urges for exploratory wonder
Clouding expression in shrouds of history
Passion laces words with sinews of power
Driving dreams from lips glued shut with trepidation

Fear wreaks havoc through unsteady images
Blurring anticipation into suspended anxiety
Vulnerability finds cracks in moss-covered masks
Dismantling walls with olive branches extended inward

Of course, signed copies of all of my books are available in my shop here on my website, and you can sign up for my newsletter to get information on new projects and discounts.