Interview With Author Leann Cotton
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My family consists of myself, my man, and our cat; we live in Pennsylvania. When I’m not writing lovesick characters that must solve a mystery, I can be found baking, gardening, sewing, or winning a game of chess. My debut novel, The Silence of Autumn, was independently published on September 21, 2023, and the second book in the series is in the works!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, The Silence of Autumn, was inspired by my own personification of the autumnal season and how we all deal with death and grief at this time of year (at least in the northern hemisphere!). Now, it isn’t poetry, it is a fun autumnal cozy(ish) mystery with romance. The story itself was inspired by my own fascination with both fictional and true stories of murderers writing into newspapers as a way of taunting the public. I just thought it would be fun to entertain the idea of a murderer writing into the advice column of the local paper…and it was!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually write late at night in bed. I wouldn’t say that is very unusual, but I always envy the writers who get their work done at local cafés. I could never focus!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am constantly in awe of the self-published authors I meet on social media. They are the ones who showed me the path I was taking was possible to take. That said, I do have to share the authors whose work I constantly revisit as they certainly influence the way I write. I have always adored Annie Dillard, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Agatha Christie.
What are you working on now?
I am working on Book Two of the Hayse Haven Mystery Series. Though The Silence of Autumn, which is Book One, ends with the mystery having been solved, there are unanswered questions that I am sure readers may be itching to learn more about in the next book. So I am very hard at work over here!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am most active on TikTok and Instagram. I have made some of the most lovely friends and met some passionate and kind readers on these platforms. Making videos as promotional material for my book on TikTok has been so healing for my inner child, too!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
There are going to be a lot of people who will try to share advice with you. Some of it will be great. Some of it will be useless. Take what you like, leave what you don’t. If you can manage to write a first draft, and muster up the courage to edit it, you can be an author, and you should be extremely proud of yourself. I often say that nobody doubts me as much as I do, and I’m sure many of you are similar to me in that way. I think we all deserve to give ourselves a bit more credit. So, my biggest advice would be to celebrate more often. It’s an exciting ride we are on as creatives. We may as well enjoy it!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take your time.
What are you reading now?
An excellent thriller by self-published author, J.M. Cannon titled, The Flash Girls.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Get Book Two in my mystery romance series written while managing to continue to market Book One.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and Hooked by Emily McIntire (because I imagine I’ll be *very* lonely on that island!).
Author Websites and Profiles
Leann Cotton’s Social Media Links