Mystery author Leah Cupps is chatting with me today about her new thriller, Never Play Fair.
During her book tour, Leah will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Leah Cupps is an entrepreneur and author. She writes Middle Grade Mystery Adventure Books as well as Thriller, Mystery, Suspense for Adults.
Leah’s novels are fast-paced mysteries that will keep you up at night as you can’t wait to see what happens in the next chapter.
Leah lives in Indiana with her husband, three young children and three dogs. When she isn’t losing sleep writing her next novel or scaling her next business, she enjoys reading, golfing working out and spending time with her family.
Welcome, Leah. Please tell us about your current release.
Never Play Fair is a fast-paced standalone thriller. If you like real-world issues, lavish socialite parties, and electrifying twists and turns, then you’ll love this book.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to tell more of Sydney Evans, the main character’s story. At the end of my first book, What Lies in Paradise, readers had a lot of questions. I took those questions and weaved the answers into this exciting story.
Excerpt from Never Play Fair:
Her legs began to slow as the bits of debris began to rain down on her.
No. Keep moving.
It was his voice that gave her the last jolt of energy. The recognition in her body that made her want to swim.
Sydney tried to focus on her breathing and not on the ringing in her ears.
The blood from the cut in her arm was swirling in the water below her. She knew of a few sea animals who liked blood.
She shuddered.
She treaded water vigorously, trying to put some distance between her and fiery debris that lit up the sky behind. Her body was on autopilot now, survival mode. There were no islands no large formations of land nearby, but on the horizon she could see the black outlines of debris from the explosion. The boats were scattered.
Sydney could feel the heat on her back as the remnants of the floating mansion behind her continued to burn. There were staff on board, innocent crew members who had been smiling and serving her hors d’oeuvres just a few hours ago.
Sydney squeezed her eyes shut at the thought of them on the boat when it happened.
The shock was setting in, and she felt her legs start to slow in the water.
No, she told herself, keep moving.
Just as she started to lose focus, she saw a large object moving toward her in the dark. It was moving more quickly than she was, gliding through the water like the fin of a…no.
Sydney started to peddle a little faster.
As her breathing quickened, she heard the mass behind her move closer. There was a small splashing sound and it occurred to her, that sharks didn’t make splashing sounds like that. She wanted to look behind her but kept moving forward.
“Sydney!” he was screaming her name. She heard the motor of the boat thrumming towards her. “Sydney, hold on!”
What exciting story are you working on next?
Right now, I’m working on a psychological thriller that takes place at an exclusive restaurant in rural Maine.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
After I finished my first novel, What Lies in Paradise.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
No, I have a variety of companies, including a publishing company called Vision Forty Press.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t have any quirks per say, but I do sometimes wonder into my office right before bed and start writing.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Indiana Jones
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Follow your dreams. I never thought I could be an entrepreneur and a writer… because I didn’t have a role model for my dream. But now, I am forging my own path. So that’s a roundabout way of saying, never put limits on your dreams!
Links:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads
Thanks for hosting!
The book sounds very interesting
Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading Never Play Fair, it sounds like a thrilling story