Award-winning author Leigh Court has
been writing since age eleven, growing up to be a television news journalist
whose assignments took her on real life adventures. Having reported years of
bad news, Leigh now writes romantic fiction because she wants her readers to be
able to escape into a story guaranteed to have a happy ending! Learn more about
Leigh at her website and blog.
Here’s a confession: I’ve
pretty much always been afraid to fly. It started at age nineteen, with a rough
flight on my first-ever plane ride. Since then I’ve tried not to let my fear
control my life, but every time I board a plane I get a little nervous.
Ironically, I’ve had a fortune teller at a county fair assure me I’ll never die
in a plane crash, as well an astrologer tell me I will live to a ‘nice old age.’
I think of those two women every time I buckle my seatbelt!
It’s been very frustrating
dealing with this paralyzing paranoia my whole life, but now I’ve found a way
to turn it into a positive thing:
The advice always given to
authors is “write what you know.” So for my latest story, aptly titled Fear of Flying, I decided to get
semi-autobiographical. I gave my heroine, Jessie Jordan, her own fear of flying
and wrote her story based on many of the real-life experiences I’ve had.
A job as a book publicist?
Check. On a nationwide book tour with a travel writer? Check. Winter de-icing
of plane wings and bouts of white-knuckle clear air turbulence? Check!
Everyone probably has stories
of scary plane flights, me maybe more than most people, since (in an effort to
conquer my fear) I took a job that entailed flying often. Pretty much
everything in this book is true, except for the ex-military travel writer hero
of the story, Regan Quade, whose lust for Jessie helps make this story a very
hot contemporary romance!
Fear of Flying
“You’re
never going to die in a plane crash…”
A mysterious fortune teller’s
prediction plays right into book publicist Jessie Jordan’s biggest fear. Jessie
tries to control all aspects of her life, but she can’t control airplanes…
Travel writer Regan Quade
also has control issues. A devastating event during his time in the military
has made him believe he needs to remain single. He can’t risk being responsible
for anyone else’s life.
But during a nationwide media
tour to promote Regan’s newest travel book, Jessie’s fear of flying prompts
Regan to help calm her anxiety in a highly… personal… way.
The intimacy unleashes their mutual attraction, but Jessie doesn’t know if there’s any way to pierce the wall Regan’s built around his heart.
6 comments:
Thanks for letting me guest post, Anastasia!
Leigh
www.leighcourt.com
Okay, so the actual HERO is fictional, but what about all the hijinks he and Jordan get up to? Based on real life, lol? No, no, you don't have to say. More power to you!
Alyssa -
Sadly, the sex on a plane is fiction. I'm not part of the mile high club, LOL!
Leigh
I applaud you for facing your fear and putting yourself in a position where you'd have to fly. As time went on, did you find it easier to relax on a plane?
Kathy -
Ironically, the more I flew for my job as a book publicist the easier it became. I guess it's because you finally realize flight after flight that turbulence is natural and not terrifying. But, like in my book Fear Of Flying, it did help to have a psychic tell me I was never going to die in a plane crash. When the turbulence gets really bad, I always think of her words, LOL!!!
Leigh
I also have a fear of flying, Leigh. Fortunately, I enjoy taking a train. It gives me lots of time to read. Thanks for the post.
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