Hello, reader friends! New-to-me author Leah Garriott is chatting with us today as part of a blog tour celebrating her recently released Regency romance, Promised!
about the author
Though she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story.
She’s resided in Hawaii and Italy, walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice.
She’s currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids.
Leah is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.
Visit her website or connect with Leah on facebook, twitter, or instagram!
q&a
Share five of your favorite books.
L: Mortal Heart
B: I adore the movie inspired by The Magic of Ordinary Days, I definitely need to read it!
Share an interesting research moment for Promised.
L: A year and a half ago, my husband and I took a trip to England to visit the places I’d written about and to do research for upcoming writing projects. As part of that trip, we visited the two primary estates featured in Promised.
At the first, the owner gave us a guided tour, taking us through all the rooms of the house (even the basement and boiler room) and showing us around the grounds and barns. At the second, we got kicked off the property three times. In our defense, we wouldn’t have returned after the first time except some locals urged us to go back and try again.
B: Oh my! I admire your tenacity! All in the name of research!
What are some of the challenges you faced while writing Promised?
L: There were so many challenges to getting this book published. Promised was accepted for publication by one publisher while my current publisher was deliberating. I passed on the first publisher only to have my current publisher tell me the timing wasn’t right for them.
So, I delved into the world of fantasy (and wrote two of those) before returning to the Regency romance genre. After a year and a half, I resubmitted Promised and it was accepted! Yay! But it was still a long road to publication, including three release dates (the last of which finally stuck) and a total rewrite of the book.
B: Gracious sakes, friend! You weren’t kidding!
What book(s) are you reading right now?
L: I just finished reading The Great Alone
B: I love when folks answer this one with a big ol’ list! It makes my reader heart happy!
What is your next release and/or what are you working on now?
L: I’m currently writing a companion story to Promised, where a woman desperate to marry must choose between a good man she doesn’t really love and a rakish man she’s fallen head over heels for. It’s proved to be challenging to capture the world and love story the way I want, but I think I’m finally bringing the novel together as I’ve envisioned. Hopefully, my publisher will like it as much as I do. These are two men—which one should win the girl’s heart?
B: Oh dear, what a difficult choice!! I’m sure the heroine will choose the right man in the end! Thank you so much for chatting with us today, Leah!
about the book
Promised by Leah Garriott (A Proper Romance)
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Release Date: February 18, 2020
Genre: Inspirational Historical Regency RomanceMargaret Brinton keeps her promises, and the one she is most determined to keep is the promise to protect her heart.
Warwickshire, England, 1812
Fooled by love once before, Margaret vows never to be played the fool again. To keep her vow, she attends a notorious matchmaking party intent on securing the perfect marital match: a union of convenience to someone who could never affect her heart. She discovers a man who exceeds all her hopes in the handsome and obliging rake Mr. Northam.
There’s only one problem. His meddling cousin, Lord Williams, won’t leave Margaret alone. Condescending and high-handed, Lord Williams lectures and insults her. When she refuses to give heed to his counsel, he single-handedly ruins Margaret’s chances for making a good match—to his cousin or anyone else. With no reason to remain at the party, Margaret returns home to discover her father has promised her hand in marriage—to Lord Williams.
Under no condition will Margaret consent to marrying such an odious man. Yet as Lord Williams inserts himself into her everyday life, interrupting her family games and following her on morning walks, winning the good opinion of her siblings and proving himself intelligent and even kind, Margaret is forced to realize that Lord Williams is exactly the type of man she’d hoped to marry before she’d learned how much love hurt. When paths diverge and her time with Lord Williams ends, Margaret is faced with her ultimate choice: keep the promises that protect her or break free of them for one more chance at love. Either way, she fears her heart will lose.
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Join the chat in the comments!
Let me know if you’ve read Promised by Leah Garriott or if you plan to read this story, reader friends!
Find more blog tour stops on the author or publisher’s social media platforms!
Faithfully Bookish 
Thanks for sharing this interview Beth.
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