Leslie Hooton has a transformative story...plus a book giveaway

Today we welcome debut author Leslie Hooton to CLC to celebrate the recent publication of Before Anyone Else. Thanks to Turner Publishing, we have one copy to give away!

Leslie Hooton has earned a B.A. and M.A. from Auburn University and J.D. from Samford University. She has been accepted to the Sewanee Writer's Conference, and has studied with Alice McDermott, Jill McCorkle, and Richard Bausch. Growing up in a small Alabama town, think, To Kill A Mockingbird, Leslie became intrigued by people. Everyone had their own unique stories. Visit Leslie at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:
As a designer of upscale restaurants, 30-year-old Bailey Ann Edgeworth can go into an empty space and immediately see what it would take to transform it into a beautiful and memorable spot. She learns transforming her own life is another proposition entirely. It can get messy and it doesn’t always go according to a neat blueprint. Bailey’s brother, Henry, and his best friend Griffin are stars in the restaurant field. They are known as the “Color Wheel Boys” because of their renowned Buckhead restaurants Vert, Blanc, and Noir. Bailey is determined to chart her own course; to not be forever known as Hank’s daughter, Henry’s sister, or “whatever” she is to Griffin.

Bailey’s dreams propel her to New York where her vision garners accolades and fame. After a perceived rejection by Griffin, she rushes into an impetuous marriage with an enigmatic English chef. Their combined charisma and desire lift them to the top of the culinary world. Just when she seems on the verge of having it all, a shocking betrayal throws Bailey's world into chaos. She begins a spectacular downfall complete with secretive drug use, shady associates, and her career in turmoil. Just what are the secret ingredients to transforming food, a dilapidated building, and one’s own life into something extraordinary?

Before Anyone Else examines the complicated relationship between love and ambition and explores how our earliest relationships and experience, shape us into who we ultimately become. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"The romantic debut we have been waiting for"–Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis


In one sentence, what was your journey to publishing like?
It was a circuitous 25 year journey ending with publication in the middle of a pandemic. Need I say more?

What was the inspiration behind Before Anyone Else?
My love of design and my love of eating out plus tasty cocktails combined with my fascination with transformation both in rooms and in people.

If Before Anyone Else were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
For Griffin: Ryan Reynolds or Justin Hartley from This Is Us
For Elliot: Matt Czuchry from the Resident and Gilmore Girls
For Bailey: Saoirse Ronan or Emma Stone

What TV series are you currently binge watching?
Zoeys Extraordinary Playlist

What is your favorite quote and where is it from?
"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom" - Marcel Proust

What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert?
In the summertime, key lime pie. In the winter months, warm carrot cake. Why limit yourself to only one? That’s just like limiting yourself to one pair of shoes.

Thanks to Leslie for chatting with us and to Turner Publishing for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway ends April 6th at midnight EST.