Author R. Leigh is a mystery to local neighbors, appearing enigmatic and ageless, and wearing an ever present red crystal pendant. Some have guessed this author’s secret other worldly origin, speculating that the tales of Asharra might somehow be true. Outskirts Press does not confirm this and will not comment on rumors that the manuscript for this novel appeared in their offices out of nowhere. We urge you to read this book and decide for yourself. We had the privilege to interview Ms. Leigh and ask her about her new fantasy romance book, The Winds of Asharra.
Thank you for this interview, Ms. Leigh. Can you tell us whether you are published for the first time or multi-published?
Thank you. My published novels are Three Passports to Paradise, a science fiction novel published in 1999 (now out of print) and The Winds of Asharra, a combination fantasy and romance novel, just recently published. I’ve also done a handful of sci-fi/fantasy short stories for obscure regional markets.
When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?
3P2P was published in 1999 by a small micro press which is now out of business. It was a startup which aimed to target new sci-fi authors. That seemed to be glove fit at the time.
Ten years later, I chose to self publish the 600 page opus, The Winds of Asharra (with Outskirts Press) because I instinctively knew that I had created something very difficult to classify. It has more than enough fantasy elements (intelligent trees, evolved felines, musical dragons, etc. ... ) to be considered a fantasy, but enough sizzle to be seen as a romance (with multiple happy couples by the end). It also spends considerable time outlining a complicated alien philosophy and culture. In short, it would appeal to several different demographics across genres (fantasy, romance, new age) but it would be difficult to market due to this very reason. I did not even attempt to pitch it to traditional publishers as of result of this.
