Lisa: We’re so pleased to welcome author Garrett Leigh today on the tour for her latest Porthkennack novel, Junkyard Heart, from Riptide Publishing. She took the time to answer a few questions for her visit today, so let’s get right to it.

Welcome! Let’s start by having you tell us a little something about yourself that most people don’t know.

Garrett: I’m scared of banana skins. Seriously, give me blood and gore, but don’t let a straggly banana skin touch me *shudders*

Lisa: What is your favorite scene in *Junkyard Heart* and what makes it a fave?

Garrett: I really enjoyed writing the impromptu London trip. Even I didn’t know that Kim was going to jump on the train before he did. And the scene at Jas’s old flat in Hoxton? Well…*fans self*

Lisa: If you could spend some real-life time with one of the characters in the book, who would you choose and why?

Garrett: Kim. I’m a recovering addict too…and I need some new furniture. I’d also like to spend some time on Jas’s parent’s farm. His stepmother is a wonderful cook, and I quite fancy a slice of her pie. (If anyone remembers the pasties Calum falls in love with in House of Cards, this is where they came from…)

Lisa: On the flipside, which character would you probably least get along with? Why?

Garrett: I don’t think there’s anyone in this book that I don’t like. Kim and Jas’s biggest enemies are themselves.

Lisa: Let’ talk tropes: do you have a few favorites that you enjoy both writing and reading? If so, what are they and what makes them your faves?

Garrett: I absolutely ADORE the hurt/comfort theme. I love seeing the softer side of characters as they take care of each other, and building that trust between them. I’m also a big fan of friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and roommates to lovers.

Lisa: Let’s pretend you’re taking a road trip, and you can choose any three of your characters to go with you. First, who would you want on the ride-along, and why them?

Garrett: Cass (Misfits), because he’s gorgeous, hilarious, and a cracking cook, Finn (Lucky Man), because he’s an amazing musician and he could play his guitar and sing to us, Kim (Junkyard Heart), because he smells lovely. So basically, food, music, and good smells.

Lisa: Second, who would be most likely to:

Garrett: *Have to hit every rest stop bathroom—Cass, because he’d be drinking pop (soda) all day, and beer all night.

*Whine about how long it’s taking to get where you’re going—Finn. He’d get claustrophobic after a while.

*Break wind with the windows rolled up—none of them, this is romance, don’t you know, LOL.

*Flip incessantly through songs on their music app—Kim. Cass and Finn know exactly what they like.

Lisa: If James Corden invited you to Carpool Karaoke, what song(s) would you sing with him?

Garrett: Anything by Oasis, The Smiths, or Five Finger Death Punch. Fleetwood Mac. Maybe a bit of Tom Petty.

Lisa: It’s the zombie apocalypse. It’s up to you and a number of uninfected humans to save what’s left of humanity. Which fictional characters would you want on your team, and why?

Garrett: Katniss (Hunger Games) for pure bad assery. Silky from the Faraway Tree, because whatever happens, I can’t die without eating her pop biscuits, and Jasper from Twilight because I want to know if he has a real personality behind the constipated gurning we saw in the films. Either him or Four from Divergent.

Lisa: Thanks so much for being here with us today, Garrett, it’s been fun chatting with you!

About the Book

Tired of the London rat race and the heartbreak that comes with it, photographer Jas Manning returns to Porthkennack, the Cornish seaside town where he spent every childhood summer on his father’s farm. Resigned to year-round rain, wind, and homemade jam, he’s sorely unprepared for the impact that artsy carpenter Kim Penrose has on his heart.

Kim’s free-loving reputation precedes him, and he’s as generous with his inked-up body as he is with his time. The sex is hot, the easy friendship even better, and Jas’s time with him building his family’s new farmhouse canteen is everything Jas was missing in his empty city life.

But Kim’s carefree existence isn’t as simple as it appears. He’s worked hard to vanquish his demons and build his dreams, but the devil on his shoulder is ruthless, and when it comes to call, their happy bubble bursts like it was never there at all. The canteen opening looms, but Kim is gone in more ways than one, and it’s down to Jas to shore up Kim’s soul and convince him that he deserves his place in Jas’s heart.

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About Porthkennack

Welcome to Porthkennack, a charming Cornish seaside town with a long and sometimes sinister history. Legend says King Arthur’s Black Knight built the fort on the headland here, and it’s a certainty that the town was founded on the proceeds of smuggling, piracy on the high seas, and the deliberate wrecking of cargo ships on the rocky shore. Nowadays it draws in the tourists with sunshine and surfing, but locals know that the ghosts of its Gothic past are never far below the surface.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by five award-winning, best-selling British LGBTQ romance authors: Alex Beecroft, Joanna Chambers, Charlie Cochrane, Garrett Leigh, and JL Merrow. Follow Porthkennack and its inhabitants through the centuries and through the full rainbow spectrum with historical and contemporary stand-alone titles.

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About the Author

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Social Media: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Cover art enquiries

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Junkyard Heart, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 9, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!