Interview with Leah Clifford

Welcome to Cotton Candy Reviews, Leah. It’s great to have you here.

 Thanks for having me!

 For those who have yet to read your book, can you tell us about it?

Girl meets boy, boy shows wings, girl dies. Then things get REALLY complicated. ;) You can also find out more on my website at http://www.LeahClifford.com

A Touch Mortal is part of a trilogy, what can we expect from books two and three?

 Book 2, A Touch Morbid, will be out at the end of February.  The story concentrates more on Kristen, everyone's favourite schizophrenic grave robber, and Jarrod, Eden's second in command, will also get a point of view. I think the story is quite a bit darker than A Touch Mortal, and more psychological.  Book 3 is currently being written. All I can say is I hope you didn't get too attached to anyone! ;)

 How would you describe your main characters?

I think a good word would be flawed.  They make mistakes.  They're still figuring out themselves and the crazy world they've been thrown into, so they have to make snap decisions on very serious issues. Sometimes things turn out okay and sometimes they don't.

Can you tell us about the paranormal world you’ve created? How does it differ from others?

 I think it's grittier.  I've been called out for writing "too dark" of topics for teens, but to me, aside from being dead, my characters really aren't any different than normal teenagers and that's one thing that makes my book different.  They have days where they hate their lives and think about ending it.  They have days where they meet someone and everything changes in a split second.  They worry about what their friends think and if they're doing the right thing and they're struggling.

What has your journey been like to become published?

 It's been amazing! That's not to say it was easy by any stretch, but it was totally worth it!

 Have you bonded with your characters on a personal level?

I would hope every writer bonds with their characters, and I absolutely have! They've been my constant companions for years now.  I think that's why it's been so hard writing the final book in the trilogy. I'm going to miss them!

 Describe your ideal setting when writing.

 I move around from day to day. Sometimes I write in bed, or on the couch or next to the fireplace.  I listen to music or watch movies.  I've been known to write in the passenger side of cars on road trips! If I'm at home, I need to have some sort of beverage (usually coffee) and then I'm good to go!

 Book piracy has become a growing issue among our community. What are your thoughts on book piracy?

 The problem with book piracy is that people see it in tiny increments rather than the big picture that authors see. Say I'm seventeen.  The economy sucks, so I can't find a job. This book by my favourite author is coming out, so I ask my mom or dad to buy it for me, but they're broke too.  And then there it is, for free on the internet and all you have to do is click a button. Some even justify that it's just like a library or a friend lending it to them. Or that they'll put up a review and it will get the author sales they wouldn't have had. Or all their friends are getting books that way and no one's gotten in trouble yet. So they start thinking why should THEY pay when no one else does.  What most readers don't understand is how many sales are lost to piracy. If my publisher isn't making back the money they paid me to write, they don't buy my next book.  Perhaps they want me to sell 1,000 copies.  If 25% of my readers pirate my book, then I've only sold 750 copies. If those people had purchased their copies, I would have a career.  Instead, no one gets that next book I'm dying to write. The problem isn't one or two people doing this; the problem is when it becomes one hundred, or thousands. I love writing, but writing is my job. What if you worked in a restaurant, and had to pay out for each table you served. If 25% of your tables walked out without paying, how heartbroken would you be?  I put almost three years of blood, sweat and tears into writing that book and seeing copies of it get pirated, especially by people who don't understand why it's wrong, is a kick in the gut. Please support the authors! Go to your library and request it! Split the cost with a friend! ...Gah! What a sad note to end on!

Leah Clifford currently lives in Ohio with her (mostly) blind cat and her roommate, who she's been friends with since sixth grade. In her spare time she loves to travel and has been known to drive over two hours to get kickass quesadillas. So far for jobs she's sold corn at a roadside stand, been a pizza delivery girl, a camp counsellor, an extreme cave tour guide, a flight attendant, a waitress (x3), a grocery store clerk and a writer. Out of all of them, writing has been the most fun. She's pretty sure she's gonna stick with it.