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INTERVIEWS Leigh Reaches Her Dream in Misty Cove an interview with Nikki Leigh by Donna Sundblad Author Nikki Leigh and her brother visited the Cape Ann coast in September of 2001. "We saw the twin lighthouses on Thatcher Island. It seemed like we'd taken a step back in time and my imagination began to reel." Nikki's love for lighthouses inspired the common thread that connects her first novel, Stormy View and its prequel Widow's Walk. Pictures of lighthouses and beach scenes grace the walls throughout her home. This network of art and photos immerses her muse in the seaside setting of the fictional town of Misty Cove, which is located about five miles south of the actual town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Leigh jotted a partial outline for Stormy View in 1987 and filed the notes away for years. "When I signed up for F2K, a free creative writing class, an assignment required a character of mine to introduce me to the class." A bonus consequence of this creative endeavor was the reuniting of this prolific author with her long forgotten and neglected character. "It breathed life into my story," Leigh said. "The determination to succeed made me stick with it. It sounds crazy, but I owed it to myself to finish a novel." Once Leigh finished the final revisions she was offered a contract within four months. "I submitted queries and synopses to 40-50 agents and after 25-30 rejections decided to shift gears." The first publisher she approached directly requested her manuscript the same day, and Nikki offered them a six-week exclusive. "At the five week mark I was offered a contract." Stormy View and Widow's Walk portray leading female characters who have connections to the fictional, Stormy View lighthouse in the town of Misty Cove. "These women grow stronger and build lives for themselves and their children despite adversity. Each day I hear people complain that life has gotten them down. I wanted to write about women who face problems, rise above them and become stronger." The main character of Widow's Walk is mentioned in Stormy View. Widow's Walk's is set in the 1840's. "I've begun an outline for a sequel to Widow's Walk." The fourth novel she plans will offer a chance to incorporate the local history from her home in Virginia. PERSONAL GROWTH "I love creating settings and characters. The characters become my friends and I miss them when the story is completed. That's another reason I'm excited about writing a trilogy. This will allow me to really get to know them and share various phases of their lives with the readers." Nikki, like most writers dislikes revisions, which seem to go on forever but admits, "I love the final revision. This is the time when the finished product emerges." Nikki takes an active approach to her life as an author. She has four books in various stages, all set in this small fictional town. "I found a location that I'm really interested in, and have created a place that has reality and history worked into it. I've discovered that I love writing and researching historic novels." Leigh currently works a full time job, which allowed her the liberty to rearrange her schedule to include a three-day weekend each week. This gives her Friday, Saturday and Sunday to focus on her home and writing. This prolific writer began writing in grade school and continued through high school, but business crowded her adult life and stifled her personal creativity until 2002 when she decided to activate her dormant gift. " I've done extensive marketing for years, and that gave me many opportunities to write. But the summer of 2002 I finally got to the point where I got serious about my writing." A business client suggested reading Julia Cameron's - The Artist Way and this helped her to overcome mental blocks that stopped her from pursuing a dream. Nikki participated in NaNo* in 2002. The commitment required to participate helped her realize she'd crossed the line. "For the first time, I felt I could really be a writer." Another lesson learned while writing this first novel was the importance of letting her completed manuscript rest. "With Stormy View I got away from the story for about six weeks and then went back and I saw the story in a different light. This allowed me to cut and add in areas that make the final product something I'm proud of." In July 2002, Leigh joined Writer's Village*. "I took a number of classes and have been in a variety of study groups beginning in September 2002. The classes and study groups are online, and I love the flexibility to participate any time of the day and night. It's also wonderful to meet and study with other aspiring writers from around the world." Since that time Nikki has developed and facilitates a series of classes on character development, and is currently working on an outline for a class on Book Promotion. The two novels penned by Leigh have noticeably different tones and feels. "I've written several short stories and tried my hand at non fiction." Each experience gives her the chance to broaden her appeal and skills. "I've spent years building a business reputation and working hard for others. But, this is for me. Now I'm focusing on my writing. It's my turn." SETTING PRIORITIES AND GOALS While writing, Nikki tries to keep her mind at least one book ahead. "The desire to see the idea completed, keeps me going." Her first novel under her belt, Leigh developed an outline for Widow's Walk, in the process of accomplishing this monumental achievement. "I bought the Prescription of Plotting workbook." One of the first exercises help establish the conflicts to be included in the story. After this, she sat down with a friend and brainstormed story ideas and characters. "I revised my outline and submitted it to my study group. They gave me ideas to expand and fill gaps in the story." "I didn't feel I could be a dedicated writer. The feeling I got from others was that I should be more realistic." Leigh confessed. One former employer assured me that I couldn't and shouldn't even try. However, now that I've gotten serious, family and friends are behind me. Watching people brag about my book is great." Today Nikki Leigh has friends who want to be on a waiting list to read the new book, and several friends want to buy a print shop copy so they can have one now. SELF-PROMOTION Nikki takes an active part in promoting her work. Her website plays an important role in getting the exposure that will make a difference. "My release date for Stormy View is in the early months of 2006, so I have time to prepare. The Nikki Leigh website www.nikkileigh.com is online and I'm making simple changes each weekend. I've incorporated several things, which help drive traffic. There is a contest page where I promote contests for fellow authors. This has been very successful and they are appreciative. I pass out business cards to friends so they can visit my site to read the opening chapters of both books. One page is dedicated to the characters who make up my stories." This well developed website offers quite a bit of information to bring potential readers into contact with Nikki Leigh's work. It offers enough news to hook readers and leave them wanting more. "I recently participated in an online chat with fellow authors. I keep an eye on the Romance Junkies and Wings Readers message boards to meet the readers and talk with other authors." The first draft for Widow's Walk, the first in the trilogy, is targeted to be completed by the first of September 2004. "I'll tackle major revisions by mid September, and plan to start Lady Light Keeper, the second book, in NaNo this November. Rebels & Rogues, the third book, is partially outlined. If I can stay on track, the trilogy will be complete, before Stormy View hits the market." When asked where she hopes to take her writing in the future Nikki admits she'd love to write full time. "I'm realistic about that. It sounds corny, but it's a rush to talk with people who read my work and to hear the enthusiasm in their voice. Bringing in some extra income and having this much fun would be wonderful. Now I'm looking forward to adding to my fan list." Leigh considers it a benefit to e-publish her book. "Added exposure and the reasonable price point make e-books a wonderful alternative to print, and I hope to help spread the word to avid readers. The camaraderie I've found with my publisher, editor and other authors is incredible and helps me to learn a lot in a short time. I'm very pleased that my publisher offers an ebook and trade paperback option. Both mediums are important and I'm glad to target both markets." To writers just starting out, Nikki Leigh offers this advice. "Stick with it. Don't let anyone discourage you, and see it through until you reach your dream. Get feedback on your work. You have to hear what others think. If you aren't conveying the idea to the reader, then you aren't succeeding as a writer. I think a study group is invaluable and mine will be listed on my dedication page. Stormy View, Widow's Walk and the next two books wouldn't be as good without their input. REWARDS "I realized the dream of holding a print shop copy of my first novel in my hand. That has been a dream for many years. Receiving emails from people who visit my website and want to meet my characters is wonderful. My book was the topic of conversation in a Walmart Beauty Shop the other day. How great is that? "Typing the final words of Stormy View was one of the most rewarding moment so far. That final paragraph was in my mind for years. Typing those words on paper was an incredible feeling. The local Virginia Festival of the Book (http://www.vabook.org/) was held that weekend. I wanted to attend an interview with John Grisham. However, the end was in site and I had to make a choice. I picked Stormy View. "I'll be on top of the world when my book is released. I waited a long time to write the book, and now I want to hold it in my hand." If she had it to do over again she would start writing sooner. She won't let an outline or story idea sit in a file box for years again. *NaNo - National Novel Writing Month (November 1-30) *Writer's Village - "The first, the largest and the best online university for writers."