A Slice of Cake With... Leanne Lovegrove

Today I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Leanne Lovegrove.

Leanne is a lawyer, wife and mother and a lover of romance and reading. Her law career created an addiction to coffee but provides countless story ideas.  She is the author of four romance novels, and two novellas. Leanne likes writing sweeping love stories with happily-ever-afters with strong female heroines and set in the beautiful landscape of Australia. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her husband and three children.  

What kind of books do you write?

I write sweeping love stories with happily-ever-afters featuring strong female heroines set in the beautiful landscape of Australia.

Can you describe your writing why?

I can’t not write. My happy place is transporting myself away to the destinations I write about and living vicariously through the wonderful characters I create. There is no better feeling.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

Prologue from A Good Life

Shadows dance on the window and I blink. Time zeros back in. When I sat down it was daylight, the birds chirping, the grass wet with dew, the sun not yet radiating any warmth. I hear the clock ticking; it sounds loud to me.

Too loud.

My last cigarette has burned out in the tray, ashes only left. The odour lingers, on my fingers, in the air. A smoky pallor fills the room.

The pervading darkness of the twilight creeps into the room. Where have the hours gone? I look at the easel standing in front of me, the brush in my hand, paint still clumped in the bristles. The cheeks of the cherub staring back at me are full and flushed pink.

Were they ever warm? A whisper of blonde hair across the head, short, fluffy. I long to brush my hand over the wisps and feel its softness. That longing causes an ache to shoot through my chest. My arms are empty.

The eyes are shut but I imagine they are blue. Like the ocean. The lashes fair like the sand on the beach. I move my foot to brush the dog; the fur is bristly. She knows; offers me comfort. But it’s too late. I’m exhausted. The pain of each stroke has kept me going, like an exorcism, releasing the agony and transporting it to the painting. It’s hard to capture likeness, my memory tricks me, time so short, images fading.

It’s done.

Tell us about your latest project

A Good Life is a story about living your best life and what that might look like. Obviously it is different for each person, but I was trying to explore how we often get trapped into what we think is our best life, only to discover that it may not be. In my story, those questions don’t arise for my character Greta until her world falls apart and then she is forced to question everything. It is only by escaping to the seclusion of her crazy old aunt’s house that she can begin to find the answers she needs. Set in both hinterland and the beach, it is a beautiful location and it includes a fabulous older character with not only a male character to adore but he’s inspiring also.

What is your favourite cake?

Well, this can be a variable thing, but I have made a lot of strawberry cakes lately and they are delicious. I have found a recipe that uses sour cream and the cake is incredibly moist! Yum.

You can connect with Leanne at the following places:

Web: Leanne Lovegrove Author
Facebook: facebook.com/leannelovegroveauthor
Instagram: instagram.com/leannelovegroveauthor

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Angela Petch. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

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Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.