Friday Round Up with Sarita Leone

 

Before we let you head off, just a couple more questions...

Do you have any hobbies that you’d care to chat about? Skydiving? Baking? Traveling? Whatever interests you—we’d love to hear about it!

Hobbies…I have to admit, I have a few! My interests are varied so they may seem slightly wacky when mentioned together but you asked, so I’m going to reveal.

I love to travel. I can pack a suitcase faster than most people can peel an apple. Wandering through places I’ve never visited, meeting new people—I love it. Toss in some fantastic food and a language I speak and I’m in heaven.

On the less mile-worthy side, I bake a mean cheesecake. Cookies, too. I like to make a mess in the kitchen so I spend a good chunk of time kneading dough by hand or mixing ingredients.

Languages fascinate me. I speak a few and am always keen to pick up a new one.

Reading. Who doesn’t love to fall into a good story? I especially love a swoon-worthy hero and smart heroine. Or a good mystery—they pull me in, too!

And I paint. Badly, but with gusto! A rainy day, box of watercolors, blank paper…binge-worthy painting time that absolutely makes my heart happy.

When I’m not writing, I teach yoga. I’m a RYT 500 teacher who has practiced nearly every day for decades. I’m humbled and honored to share the practices with others. I wasn’t sure I’d be comfortable teaching during a pandemic given that most classes are taught through a screen at this point, but I’ve learned that connections can still be made and a love of yoga translates over any distance.

What drew you to write for Wylder?

When I heard about the Wylder West Series I was totally intrigued. I love working on projects with other authors. Seeing a collaborative effort come to fruition is wonderfully satisfying and I knew that with The Wild Rose Press I'd be working alongside amazing authors. I knew this would be a project that would produce so many fantastic stories. 

I nearly tripped over my own feet running for my desk. I have always believed that schoolteachers in the wild west don't get enough credit so I knew I had to write Violet Bloom's story. And then, I knew I had to bring her sisters out west to keep her company.

I love western historical romance, both on the page and screen. A chance to be part of a fantastic series dedicated to the genre proved impossible to pass up. 

Are you working on anything new? Do you have plans for a next story that you’d care to share?

I am still working on the Bloom sisters' move to Wylder. So far I've written Violet, Daisy, and Lily. Pansy is the youngest, and the last to head west. She'll arrive under a cloak of sadness but I'm hoping that once she settles into Wylder, she'll find her happily-ever-after, too! 

After that, I have a series in my head that I'd like to work on. No solid details to share yet other than they will be romances that feature strong, intelligent women who meet some amazing men. There will be adventures, threads to unify their stories, and at the heart of it all, lots of love. 

It's been great having you here on The Wylder West blog this week! Thank you for joining us!   




 

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