Let’s meet this week’s spotlighted author: Leslie Deaton… I’m a full time thinker, doer, consultant, planner, part time baker, and overtime dreamer. Always a buckeye at heart, I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio where I lived in a creepy old farm house with nothing better to do than read tons of books. After high school, I moved to Columbus where I studied English at the Ohio State University. I loved my time there. It opened a whole new world of opportunity to me. I spent my free time reading great books and writing in my journal. Grad school at George Mason University brought more of the same, until finally I dreamed up Lyla Mercer and created The Mercer Legacy series. Now I live outside of Washington DC, work as a consultant by day and author by night. My biggest fans are my husband, my three dachshunds and my family.

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Lyla Mercer is back, and this time she not only has to face the consequences of her actions the night of the battle, but she must learn to do it alone. A History Renewed (the sequel to A Marked Past) is now available. After Lyla discovers the truth about her family’s dark past, she knows her life will never be the same. Her move to Salem revealed a history plagued with secrets and a future full of danger. Lyla is a witch, and the Mercers aren’t the only witches living in the small town.

There are others, some allies, some enemies; and one unfathomably evil man who is hunting them all. Fearing their own extinction, the witches unite, ready to defend themselves, but when Lyla breaks the coven rules, she finds herself forced to face her hunter alone.

A History Renewed reveals the next journey in Lyla’s fight for survival; one in which she must master new powers, search for new allies, and find the courage to continue her fight to stay alive.

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What is your favourite way to spend a rainy day?

I love to spend rainy days curled up in a chair by the window with my laptop, a cup of hot tea, and nothing better to do than create a new chapter, dream up a new adventure, or even craft a new world. Rainy days are my most creative days.

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Find the courage to write. Make some time write at least 3 days a week. Don’t set unrealistic goals, writing one well-crafted paragraph is better than 10 mediocre pages that you’ll have to rewrite later. Don’t make excuses for why you can’t write, just do it!

How do you react to a bad review?

I won’t lie it can be hard to take when a reviewer criticizes the work that you have slaved over for more than a year. But, I try to read every review with an eye for improvement. I have found that reading even the most offensive review can sometimes provide some advice to me on making improvements for the next book. So, I grit my teeth, take a deep breath, and try to learn from it.