Trisha Leigh's Blog

LOVE dystopian fiction as much as we do? Enter to win a Dystopian Book Bundle!
Four other authors and I have joined forces to bring you an amazing opportunity to win a bundle of AWESOME prizes – 11 books, including FOUR signed copies and a $20 Amazon gift card to buy MORE books.
Check out the goods!

Sponsored by Jenetta Penner, author of the upcoming dystopian, Configured:
 A signed copy of Mila 2.0 Redemption by Debra Driza
 A signed copy of The 13 th Continuum by Jennifer Brody (cool lady, I met her last
week)
 A $20 Amazon Giftcard

Sponsored by , author of The Threat Below and A Gallery of
Mothers:
 A signed copy of The Threat Below
 A copy of The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Sponsored by Trisha Leigh (Me), author of The Last Year series, The Cavy Files series,
Return Once More :
 A signed copy of Whispers in Autumn
 A copy of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Sponsored by David R Bernstein, author of the upcoming dystopian, Influence:
 One set of the Selection Trilogy by Kiera Cass

Sponsored by Katie French, author of Breeders Books 1-4, Clay: A Breeders Story ,
Nessa: A Breeders Story and Plan B: A Breeders Story
 A signed copy of The Breeders Book 1
 A copy of Feed by MT Anderson

The giveaway runs 5/12/2016- 5/26/2016

Click the link below to enter to win!
YA Dystopian and SciFi Book Bundle Giveaway

Happy Reading!!

Hey, all! In case you missed it, I released my very first traditionally published YA science fiction novel this year – Return Once More.

In it, humanity has been forced to flee a dying earth and settle a new solar system, and to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated, they use time travel to go into the past and observe the events that made or broke us on earth. The main character, Kaia, is an apprentice at the Historian Academy. She loves her job, her family, but she’s also got a love for breaking the rules when it suits her. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that when it comes to the past, that can often spell trouble.

For Christmas, I’ve written a bonus scene that goes along with the Historians world, and you should be able to enjoy it whether you’ve read Return Once More or not! If you haven’t, here are the links if you’re so inspired:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Also, be sure and check out The Historians page on my site for fun extras, including information on dates that changed history and a chance to find out who your historical true love would be!

Read the Bonus Scene here!

I’ve been waiting for the day Return Once More steps out into the world for SO LONG that I made a video. I couldn’t help it, and I can’t wait to hear everyone’s thoughts on the story! Mwah!

Buy links are here:  Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Hey, y’all – long time no chat!! Things have been moving and shaking here in Trisha Leigh world, and I can’t believe I’m FINALLY saying this but Return Once More (previously The Historians) is set to release with Bloomsbury Spark on September 29th, 2015.

Yes, that’s just over a month away. Eep!

I’m going to have ARCs soon, and I’m hoping some (a lot!) of you will want to read and review the book for me! It will be up on NetGalley (I’m hoping soon!) so you can go that route if you’re signed up and have a good relationship with Spark. Even if you DO, you might want to sign up with me, too.

The first 20 people who sign up will receive a package from me in the mail that will include a USB card with the book, plus some really cool swag to go along with it! Tell your friends!!

*NOTE* I do not have ARCs yet (again, hopefully soon!) so it may be a few weeks before they get sent out. If you accept an ARC, I prefer that you review it on the retail site of your choice within 1 month of the release. Happy Reading!

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So, the lovely founders of Pitch Wars have decided I’m qualified to mentor people for the upcoming session.  I don’t know if they’re crazy or just super nice (maybe both?) but I’ve agreed to do it and I couldn’t be more excited to read some amazing manuscripts and roll around in some awesomeness with y’all.

First things first: I have to tell you a little bit about ME, so you can decide whether we’d be a good match. Lucky for you it’s not forever, just for the duration of the contest. A lifetime commitment to me is something you’d want to think long and hard about – just ask Leigh Ann Kopans or Denise Grover Swank, my longest lasting critique partners.

Okay. Back to business.

I started writing seriously six or seven years ago, and what I mean by “seriously” is that I finished my first novel. I thought it was super fun and awesome.

It wasn’t.

Then I finished two more novels. They were not awesome either. My friends who read them were all…

It wasn’t until I tried my first Young Adult manuscript, which would become my first published novel, that I fell in love. It was not, however, smooth sailing from there. I did sign with an agent, but after a year of back and forth revisions, lack of communication, and never going on sub with the book, we parted ways. It was for the best, but of course, it felt as though I was going backward.

I felt out of control of my career. I felt like it would never happen, like everyone else was moving forward while I sat still, and like my stories were never going to be good enough. It was dark days, y’all.

Then something magical happened. My good friend and oldest critique partner, Denise Grover Swank, decided to self publish. It was over three years ago, and there was still a huge stigma, but she took the plunge and her success and happiness convinced me to follow. In July 0f 2012, I published a YA science fiction novel called WHISPERS IN AUTUMN.

I was happy. I felt in control of my career. My stories were out there for people to read.

It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t cheap (good editors are worth their weight in gold), but man, was it worth it. I published the rest of the books in THE LAST YEAR series (WINTER OMENS, BETRAYALS IN SPRING, and SUMMER RUINS). I wrote more YA novels and started to query again, and in the meantime decided to try my hand at the hot new pretty shiny thing, New Adult Romance.

So, I took inspiration from three of my favorite things: Gossip Girl, tennis, and sexy antiheroes and wrote BROKEN AT LOVE.

I had a ball writing the book, readers really took to the characters and style, and it allowed me to get into a position quit my soul sucking government day job to write full time, which has turned into the most amazing year of my life. I cranked out three more books in the same series – BY REFERRAL ONLY, BE MY DOWNFALL, and STAYING ON TOP (writing as Lyla Payne), then penned a little ghost story/mystery/Southern romance/drama that I absolutely adore called NOT QUITE DEAD.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that I contributed a short story to the anthology FIFTY FIRST TIMES (some amazing amazing authors included), published GYPSY, the first book in a brand new YA science fiction series (superheroes this time!) and signed with my agent, Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary. She’s been a dream to work with during a couple of submission and revision processes, and I hope our partnership continues for a long time.

So, here are a few quick and dirty (and random) facts about Trisha Leigh/Lyla Payne:

There’s nothing I love more than just hanging out with my dogs/family/boyfriend at home.

My favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life, but I could also quote the entire script of Tommy Boy without missing a step.

I have a completely mortifying phobia of stinging insects.

I’m literally afraid of the zombie apocalypse.

The book that made me want to write YA is THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan (loved the whole series).

When I read for fun, I typically pick up contemporary YA, but I also love adult crime fiction, mysteries, science fiction, and anything that features a disease spread of any kind (zombies included of course).

I hate showers. Total waste of time.

I could eat an entire bag of Hershey’s Kisses in one sitting.

No one – NO ONE – went through a more inappropriate or awkward phase of N’SYNC fandom than I did.

Charleston, SC is my favorite US city.

My favorite television shows, in no particular order: Fringe, Felicity, Alias, 2 Broke Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Seinfeld. If you (or anyone) tells me they don’t like Seinfeld, this will be my first reaction. (My second reaction will be that we probably won’t be friends).

My favorite book as a child was A Wrinkle in Time, but I spent tons of time reading Nancy Drew, too.

My favorite classic is Wuthering Heights, though A Separate Peace is close behind.

I’m obsessed with Ebola. It’s going to kill us all. Or, you know, at least 6 out of every 10 of us.

I guess that’s about it for me – I mean there’s more, and it’s all interesting, but you know…time constraints and all of that. I suppose we should leave you a BIT of time to read the bios of other mentors.

What I’m looking for as far as Pitch Wars:

YA Contemporary

YA Science Fiction

YA Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic

YA Fantasy

ANYTHING that has a disease/epidemic/zombie tilt would make me SUPER HAPPY.

If you want to send me NA (because I have two identities and all), it would have to WOW me, but I’m not ruling it out.

COME TO ME AUTHOR FRIENDS.

xoxo

PS: If you’re curious about any of my books, please browse my website, and visit http://www.lylapayne.com for more information about my New Adult and Adult titles!

Hey, readers and friends (and random Internet searchers)! It’s been a few weeks since GYPSY has been out in the wild, and MAN have I been BLOWN AWAY by the positive response to the book! Thank you thank you thank you for reading and taking the time to let me know what you thought in a review or blog post or tweet. I love hearing from you!

I’m getting together later today with a bunch of awesome YA science fiction writers for an ALL DAY Facebook event that includes some awesome prizes–including a $100 gift card to either Amazon or iBooks!

 

Anyone can attend and the prizes and posts will be happening from 10am-10pm CST, so pop in and out as you have time or lulls in your day. We’d love to have you stop by and chat science fiction, books, reading, or whatever else strikes your fancy! Click on the picture above or RIGHT HERE to join!

Participating authors:

Jamie Grey (Ultraviolet Catastrophe)

Susan Kaye Quinn (The Mindjack Trilogy)

Elana Johnson (Possession series, Elemental Hunger)

Amy Bartol (Under Different Stars)

Leigh Ann Kopans (One, Two)

Brenda Pandos (Glitch)

Eisley Jacobs (Pieces of Me)

Theresa Kay (Broken Skies)

Gennifer Albin (The Crewel series)

MG Buehrlen (The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare)

Trisha Leigh (The Last Year series, Gypsy)

Denise Grover Swank (On the Otherside series)

Hope to see you there!

It’s a sad thing to realize, but there are so few things these days that make me genuinely happy. That make me look at the world and think that maybe there’s something in us worth loving, that can point at other human beings–strangers–and foster true love and kinship and compassion for them in my heart.

What’s crazier? I find this every summer, once a week, in a television show: So You Think You Can Dance.

I know, I know, it’s reality television! How can it possibly better society, or make an impact, or be anything but a train wreck at worst, a lie at best?

That was me, before I watched the program. The me after I watched the program had a heart full of love and, most often, eyes full of tears. Because I’m an artist. I have the soul of an artist, and the eyes and brain and heart that go along with it.

I know nothing–nothing–about dancing. I can barely manage to look as though I’m not having a seizure at weddings (though I do enjoy it), but here’s what I do know: the kids on So You Think You Can Dance are artists. They have beautiful souls that emerge without words, on a wooden floor, and show themselves to millions of people through the lens of a camera.

Unlike other reality competition series, these contestants aren’t famous. They’re not trying to be famous, and anyone who has ever embarked on or dreamed of a career in the arts knows that fame and money are the incidental prizes of the lucky few, not the goal. Not the endgame, and certainly (not if you want to keep your sanity), an aspiration.

These kids want to dance. They want to be able to make a living doing what they love, for the few short years that their bodies and societies assessment of their youth and beauty will allow them to do it in front of you. The contestants who win this show win a (comparatively small) amount of money and maybe a new car (I think?), but what they’re really after is the chance to be seen.

And most of the kids who make it into the top 10 will be seen again, if you’re looking. They show up on Dancing With the Stars or one of the Step Up movies, or that short-lived but adorable show Bunheads.

In short, the get to keep dancing.

I don’t sell a ton of books. I’ve been fortunate enough to sell enough, though, and every time someone buys one I think, okay that’s one more month I get to keep writing. Don’t have to worry about a day job, or have my focus pulled in four different directions like I did for years, like so many writers still do.

Like so many dancers and painters and actors are still doing, waiting tables half the night so they can spend their days running to auditions. Not for money, y’all. Not for fame. We do it for love.

I’m telling you all of that to tell you this: So You Think You Can Dance is in danger of being cancelled after this season if their viewership doesn’t improve. It might not do a dang bit of good, but I thought I’d use my voice (no matter how small) to encourage you to watch. It’s great family viewing, it’s on early on Wednesday nights, and I promise you something you won’t be able to get just anywhere: a deep emotional connection to the struggle and determination that’s present in every single member of the human race.

Here are a few of my favorite routines!

I’m going to be live tweeting as many episodes as I can this summer, and encourage you to join me using #SYTYCD and #KeepDancing, every Wednesday night on FOX at 7CST.

PS: In OTHER news that might make you remember why it is humans are beautiful people on occasion, LaVar Burton has decided to bring READING RAINBOW out of retirement with a Kickstarter campaign to put it online for free, into classrooms, and into needy and deserving classrooms for FREE. This is a fantastic thing to pull out your wallet for, if you have a little extra. All kids deserve the ability to go on adventures, to dream, to succeed–and those things start with learning to not only be able to read, but to love doing it. Click here to find out more.

Y’all, get this: today I published my TENTH novel. TENTH.

It’s been a little less than 2 years since I took the self-publishing plunge and decided I had the confidence in my work to put it out there for all of you. It was scary, I wasn’t sure it was the right thing or that people would accept me or whether anyone would read.

It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m an author. I have readers. I have a career–a job that I get to do every single day that makes me happy (even when it’s driving me crazy).

You’re a big part of that. No author can keep his or her job without readers. You love books, and reading, and talking to your friends (and me!) about fictional places and problems and people, and for that you have my eternal love and gratitude.

Gypsy is out today, you guys, and this book makes me so happy. It’s got everything I love–science fiction, superheroes, a loving family of characters, with a touch of romance and angst to make the world go round. Better than that, it’s only $.99 during release week, so make sure you grab it before the 21st!

 Amazon – iBooks – Barnes and Noble – Kobo

BONUS: I’m at RT this week, and I have Gypsy swag–t-shirts, paperbacks, keychains, bookmarks, and buttons. If you find me and ask, I will GIVE YOU the swag of your choice. THEN, if you tweet or Facebook a picture of yourself WITH the swag at RT (and tag it #RT14!), I’ll enter you to win  $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice.

I hope you enjoy the book, when you read it. I hope you’re hungry for more, but while you wait for me to get #2 into your hands, you find a dozen more books to read and love.

Happy reading, lovelies. And happy RT to those who are in New Orleans with me!!

I’ll tell you what – ALL FOUR of The Last Year books!

I’ve bundled the series and it’s available for the next week for just $.99 on all platforms! You can find the links on my Purchase page (here).

If you’ve read the series, this is a great chance to gift it to a friend or some of your favorite kids! If you’re still missing a book or two, it’s cheaper to buy the set this week than purchase the remaining books individually.

There are a couple of graphics in this post – please feel free to use them in order to spread the word if you’re so inclined, and GET EXCITED for the release of Gypsy NEXT WEEK!!

Hey, guys! It’s been so long since we’ve talked, and even though my life has taken some amazing turns lately, I miss talking books and reading and writing with y’all. I’ve had several requests to play the 7-7-7 game and ignored them, because I am, on occasion, a terrible person. I decided perhaps sharing a few words from the most recent draft of The Historians might be fun! What do y’all think?

____

No matter how the gathered hoard felt about Jesus, they all knew him. They had witnessed his claims. How many of them stood in silence wondering if this day would be remembered? Would they believe that in the year 2560 a group of time traveling Historians would return to chronicle the death of this seemingly common man, deemed a fraud by many of his contemporaries?

Scholars on Earth Before had assumed Pilate evil based on religious texts, but after we recorded the first hologram of the event, our Historians concluded his role in Jesus’s death was perfunctory. In person, he appeared more conflicted than anything. Not overly so, but the tired sag of his shoulders and the contemptuous edge in his gaze said he took little glee in his morbid duty.

 “What I have written, I have written,” Pilate said, then nodded to the soldiers, who began to affix Jesus to the cross.

I wanted to look away, but being an apprentice in the Historian Academy meant recording the required assignment, and I struggled with it more often than not. So, I watched as the soldiers drove nails through Jesus’s hands and feet, trying not to flinch and shake my standard-issue, black-framed eyeglasses. The frames were made of a synthetic polymer that could go completely invisible when necessary, and at the moment, my face looked bare. Eyeglasses would not be invented for a thousand years.

The frames contained a chip that recorded movements and speech—every moment, even the ones that had gone unnoticed before the ability to travel through time had been discovered. The ones that had been forgotten, even by the people standing here today.

Those were my favorite.

____

Well, that’s it? Are you looking forward to it? Let me know!!

xoxo