Leah Lore

I am a fantasy and science fiction author from southwest Ohio. An avid reader from a young age, I was constantly daydreaming stories to escape reality. When not writing, I can be found at the stable with my unicorns, hiking in the woods with my partner and our rescue dog, or cuddling on the couch with my cats and a good book. I was a finalist in the 2024 NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge and my short stories have been published in several anthologies. My debut full-length novel, a new-adult portal fantasy, will hit the shelves in 2025. I write character-driven adventures with an emphasis on mental health and self-worth. I have a MS in biology from Wright State University. My education and love of nature have been pivotal elements of creating beautiful yet realistic worlds brimming with magic.

“Leah, great to have you with us today! Let's kick things off—how much research do you typically do for your books?”

This depends on what genre I'm writing. I used to think I researched a lot for my fantasy and science fiction stories, because I like to inject as much realism into them as possible. When I pulled historical fiction (twice) for a short story writing contest I participated in, however, I was blown away with how much I had to research before I even started. I have nothing but respect for historical fiction writers.

“Totally understandable. So what’s your favorite genre to write, and why?”

Fantasy. It's my favorite genre to read and write. There's something about the escapism of a fantasy book that other genres can't quite replicate for me.

“One-word challenge: describe yourself.”

Driven.

“Love it. Now, what’s been one of the most surprising things you’ve learned while creating your books?”

I've only been seriously writing for a few years, so I'm still very new in the professional literary world. I think the most surprising thing to me was how much my characters came alive in my head. After a while, they began leading the stories and my fingers were struggling to keep up on the keyboard.

“That’s such a relatable writer moment. So, does writing energize you or exhaust you?”

Energize, all the way. Writing is my way to decompress after a difficult day. Writing my problems into my characters allows me to process them better.

“How do you deal with writer’s block?”

I learned a new trick recently that actually works for me! I make myself sit down and open my WIP. Then I set a timer for five minutes. If I'm still struggling to get into the story after five minutes, I close everything down and try again the next day. For me, writer's block is more about the effort it takes to get started than the lack of ideas. Usually, that five minutes is all it takes to spark that creativity again.

“That’s a great tip. Alright—favorite 90’s or early 2000’s song?”

I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco.

“Classic! Where do you draw your inspiration from?”

Nature drives my worldbuilding. I have a master's degree in biology, so I love being outside. Music will spark ideas for me. As a kid, I used to love taking long drives because I would dissociate by staring out the window and making up stories to go along with the songs on the radio.

“That sounds magical. How do you handle criticism?”

Better than I used to. Putting art into the world required me to grow a thicker skin. Now I welcome constructive criticism, but I have the confidence to reject criticism I don't feel benefits me or the story in any way.

“You’re on death row. What’s your last meal?”

Crab legs.

“Respect. How do you prioritize your tasks?”

Based on timelines. I've found that I need a timeline to actually get things finished, so I use self-imposed deadlines.

“What first inspired you to start writing?”

Writing started as a sort of therapy for me—a way to get my emotions out of me so I could look at them more objectively. Then I fell in love with my characters.

“How important are book reviews to you?”

I hear they're very important for the algorithm, but I love reading them to see how people reacted to my books!

“Tell us about your writing routine.”

Write as much as I can in whatever time I have. I like to loosely outline my stories, but most of the time, my characters take it off the rails somehow. I write scenes out of order, then string them together.

“If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?”

A dragon, obviously. Flight and fire. Need I say more?

“Honestly? Nope, you nailed it. Do you have a favorite motivational phrase?”

"You can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page." — Jodi Picoult.

“So true. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?”

Just write. Stop second guessing yourself and write.

“Let’s talk self-publishing. What have been the most rewarding and challenging aspects, and how have you dealt with those challenges?”

The most rewarding: seeing people read my work.

The most challenging: Marketing. People can't read my stuff if they don't know it exists. I've been trying to get my name out there on social media and have been signing up to have tables at local conventions, but social events can be so draining!

“Last question—what’s next for you?”

Right now I only have ebooks, but I am combining my two short stories (set in the same world) into one, expanding it a little, and making my first paperback! I have a few short stories in physical form already, but they are in anthologies with other people. To the Stars and Sky's the Limit will be combined into Contact Initiative. This will be my first paperback that's all mine—I'm very excited. I'm working with a cover artist and if all goes well, that will be available at the end of May! I'm also working on editing the first book in my NA Portal fantasy trilogy. I'm hoping for it to be ready to publish by this fall, so stay tuned!

“Thank you for joining me and sharing your writing journey with us.

To our readers:

If Leah's story moved you, don’t stop here—download her books, leave a review, and follow her on social media to stay connected with her journey. Every review, follow, and share helps amplify her voice and support independent authors.

Loved this interview? Share it with your friends and fellow readers.

Until next time!”