Today I am speaking with Nikki Leigh.

Hi Nikki! And welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to spend some time with us today. The readers would love to hear something about Nikki Leigh.

Nikki, I read your book Stormy View and the emotions you cast on your characters and in your writing was absolutely great! I loved the book. You touched me so much with your incredible writing. I could tell that it came from your heart.

Why don’t you begin by telling us about the day in the life of Nikki Leigh?

I write full time. The majority of this work is non fiction which I write for Atlantic Publishing. These are management books which gives me a chance to draw on about twenty years of management experience. Part of each week day is also spent working as a moderator on an affiliate marketing forum, writing articles for the forum and the blog. Many of the articles are good for any online marketing strategies. The address is: www.affiliatemarketingblog.com and the forum is located at: www.affcommunity.com. I work on both of these sites under the user ID - litekepr. These things are paying the bills for now, but I need to find more time to work on my fiction projects.

What is the best advice that anyone ever gave you?

To stick with the project. I also spoke with Jeffrey Deaver (one of my favorite authors) a couple of months ago and he gave me some writing tips and reinforced the idea of outlining and planning a story before I write the book. I was reassured to have a successful author (22 books in 25 languages the last I heard) who agrees about outlining and planning the story. I was shocked to learn that his research and outlining takes about 8 months for each book. Whew - and I thought I did a lot of planning. I'm a very organized person and find it much easier to write the story once I have a plan in mind which helps my characters to give me their thoughts and suggestions as well.

What are some of your hobbies besides writing?

I enjoy home improvement projects around my house and landscaping. Photography is also a favorite pastime.

Have you ever had an embarrassing moment at a book signing?

Not yet, but I'm sure there will be plenty.

I have found that some authors listen to music while they write. Do you listen to music or is it something that is distracting to you?

I listen to jazz while I write. It has to be something that I don't know the words. One of my neighbors picks on me that he can tell what I'm working on by the music I play. Classic rock means that I'm cooking or cleaning house. Jazz means I'm writing.

We all have one, so tell us yours. What is your favorite comfort food?

I have several. Either chocolate or chips, but if I'm feeling "healthy", I like fruit smoothies.

Do you have a character that is especially close to your heart?

Lizbeth who is the heroine in Widow's Walk is my favorite. Kennalyn in Stormy View was close to my heart for many years, but Lizbeth will be featured in three books. She is a spunky woman in 1840's New England and I throw a lot of problems at her. I think you will like her too.

If you could go back in time, where would you go and when? What is one thing you would want to take with you?

I like to write about time periods that interest me. The Misty Cove Chronicles take place between 1841 and 1865 on the Cape Ann coast. It was a tough life, but I really admire the people. A novella that I'm working on is set on the Outer Banks in the 1950's. The history of the Outer Banks is fascinating and has many events that figure into the history of our nation. Either area would be wonderful. They are filled with strong and determined people who face life's problems head on.

Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?

The idea for Widow's Walk started which I was creating the family history within Stormy View. My Cape Hatteras story is based on an idea I've had for years and the original story was a prize for a fund raising event I developed for a local animal shelter. An entrant sent a picture of their German Shepherd in the surf on the Outer Banks for North Carolina. It was the perfect chance to write my lighthouse mystery. The Shepherd is a main character in the story. I like to include strong characters who confront their life's problems and become stronger.

While writing, how does the story develop for you? Do you go from start to finish or create scenes as they come to you?

I like to outline the basic story and include all the possible problems and concerns. Then I include the high points for each chapter. I "interview" my characters and send time researching the setting. Even though the story is outlined, I always keep an open mind for any "suggestions" from my characters.

Most people only dream of becoming a successful writer. Now that you have accomplished that is there anything else you dream of doing?

I would love to finish my historic series and to write a series of marketing books. I'm earning a living with my non fiction and marketing work, but would love to be able to focus more on my fiction work. There are all sorts of stories playing in my mind that I want to share with readers.

Was there any one person or event in your life that finally inspired you to sit down and write your first book?

Several years ago I sat down at the computer and decided to look for writing classes that were affordable and flexible. I made a deal with myself to give up on writing if I couldn't find something that would work with my schedule. About 10 minutes later I found Writer's Village. I joined that day and a couple of months later I took a free writing class. Our first assignment was to have one of our characters introduce us to the class. I dug through my dusty notes and had Kennalyn introduce me to the class. Two months after that I discovered National Novel Writing Month and I was hooked. There was no turning back at that point.

Could you describe for us your idea of the perfect man?

William in Widow's Walk has many of the attributes I would love to find in a real man. He is supportive and wonderful, handsome and there is a slight air of mystery. I thought he was wonderful and my whole study group loved him after the first few chapters.

Do you have a favorite movie that you could watch over and over again?

I like Gone with the Wind (hated it the first time I saw it), Doctor Zhivago (historic epic love story) and many others depending on my mood.

Could you tell us your biggest pet peeves?

Remember that you asked for it :) People who expect a hand out and won't put the effort into making their life better. I make sure that my heroes and heroines aren't like that.

Do you have a website other than www.nikkileigh.com that you would like to share with your readers?

My business web site is: www.sandcconsulting.com and I started a site with some friends a few months ago at: www.readersstation.com. I can be reached at nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com. I also have a page on my website with up to date book info - here

For Fun: Hot showers or soothing bubble baths?

Soothing bubble bath with aromatherapy bubble bath or oil and a cold drink.

Thank you so much for sharing time with us today, Nikki. Anyone interested in reading more about Nikki and her excellent books, please visit her website to read more about her remarkable works. It has been a pleasure Nikki, and I wish you the best with your writing.

Thank you again for the wonderful review and comments. I hope the review for Widow's Walk is as good.

Interviewed by: Linda L