Indie Support Sunday: Evelyn Leigh

If you haven’t heard of Evelyn Leigh, my only question is what rock have you been hiding under?! This woman has been taking the romance genre by storm with her debut, Elevator Pitch, and all of her fantastic marketing. I stumbled across her account randomly one day and I’ve been sitting by and watching her grow every single day. Selah and Grey took over our lives when the book released last year and Evelyn is on a mission to do it again with Deirdre and Cèsar in Shadowed Obsession, which was released two days ago!

Evelyn’s got so much good stuff going on, including a Patreon exclusive serial and the second book in her debut series coming out soon. And if you’re following her on Instagram, then you’ve seen all the amazing art she’s commissioned and content that she’s putting out. All I can say is that if you’re not following her and haven’t picked up her books, this is the right time to do it. You won’t be disappointed!

BEING AN AUTHOR

Who or what inspired you to write?

I was inspired to write after being a reader and falling in love with reading again. Though I couldn’t help but notice I didn’t see myself or my friends in the popular books and decided to create that space for us in my work. 

What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author? 

I’d say that the best part of being an indie author has got to be the freedom of publishing the stories you want whenever you want.

And the worst part about being an indie author is that we are often overlooked due to the fact that we’re indie and have to work harder to get our books in front of more readers.

Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?

I chose to self publish because I’m not the best fan of authority unless it’s a dominant fictional man I’m writing about lol.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?

When I’m feeling blocked creatively I have to turn on some music for sure. If I have the time, I like to squeeze in some reading as well! Sometimes it helps to look at words I didn’t write, lol. I also dive into a moodboard or the playlist for my WIP and that usually helps me immerse myself in the story and get back to it.

If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?

I’m a romance reader for the most part. I’d recommend some of my all time faves! Forget Me Not by Julie Soto, The Final Rose by Amy Oliveira The House Of The Wicked by Oona Arlo, Lovesick by Cynthia A. Rodriguez, Strikeout by Millie Perez and Shiver by Giuliana Victoria.

What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?

1. Write the story

2. Find your purpose of writing and stick with it. (I wrote it out and keep it on a post-it note on my desk) If you ever find yourself too concerned with what your peers are doing or whether readers will enjoy your work, you need to take a step back and remind yourself of why you’re writing in the first place.

3. Do not read negative reviews.

4. Your peers are your community, not your competition

5. Let yourself shine through your work. It’s easy to fall into trends, but what resonates with readers is what you share with them about yourself and your art.

ROMANCE AS A GENRE

Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?

I’m a hopeless romantic and I absolutely love seeing people in love. My favorite thing about this genre is that the happiness that romance books bring on is inspiring. You can have a rough day and pick up a romance novel that could turn it around.

If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?

If I wasn’t writing romance, I’d likely write thrillers of some sort. I love a good jump scare and plot twist.

What are your most and least favorite tropes?

My favorite tropes are fake dating, grumpy x sunshine, and forced proximity. I wouldn’t say that I have any tropes I’m not open to reading.

What are some tropes you want to write in the future?

I’d absolutely love to write Pregnancy, Billionaire, Why Choose and Marriage Of Convenience.

What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?

I think chronic illness representation and mental health needs to exist more in romance, especially with BIPOC characters. I’m loving how much the indie community has been tackling these topics in the genre and hope to see more to come.

If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?

I write open door romance because I enjoy reading it and I love capturing the sexual attraction between characters, just as much as their emotional and romantic attraction. My sex scenes are inspired by music, life experiences and fantasies.

YOUR BOOKS

What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?

My published stories are loosely inspired by my life experiences and things I’d love to see brought to life in books. Most of my wildest ideas for stories and scenes come up when I can’t exactly write it down lol. (Ex. In the shower, at work, in the car, grocery store, etc.)

Can you briefly tell me about your books?

I write vibrant love stories placing underrepresented characters at the center. Along with their own main character moments paired with the love stories they deserve.

Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?

Audrey Wood for sure.

If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?

Jharrel Jerome as César

Nafessa Williams as Deirdre

How much of yourself do you put into these characters?

Quite a bit, honestly. I call the pieces of myself I add to my characters ‘little Evie nuggets.’ 

Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?

Found Family. 

What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?

What’s next for me is a Daya & Silas’ love story. They’re up next from the Hapless In Love crew! An enemies-to-lovers workplace romance with two tattoo artists who have a meet ugly and can’t get enough of each other. I can say this next project is hilarious, spicy and a damn good time. I’ve never seen a story quite like this one and I’m excited to share it with you all.

When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?

I hope my readers feel seen when they read my stories. I understand that while I write fiction, I hope to inspire my readers to live as boldly and unapologetically as my characters do. 

AUTHOR’S CHOICE

• Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks

• Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense

• Single or Dual POV

• Standalones, series or standalones in a series

• Open door, ajar door or closed door romances—the hinges are off that thing 

• Music or silence when writing—audio erotica 😉

• Plotter, pantser or plantser—currently becoming as plotter

• Water, tea, coffee or….wine?

• Cold or warm weather

• Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?

• Illustrated or photo cover?

Evelyn can be found on Instagram, TikTok and Threads. She has exclusive content on her Patreon as well. Her website is full of awesome things too and make sure you sign up for her newsletter!