Featured Author Q & A: Leta Blake

Coastal Magic Convention is a beachside reader weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida each February. The 14th annual weekend is February 19-22, 2026, celebrating the magic of stories & storytellers. Each year’s goal is to bring authors and readers together for a memorable weekend with old friends (and new!) and to build TBR piles! This year, the theme for the event is “Secret Garden: Reading Helps Your Mind Bloom”.

The bestselling author of Smoky Mountain Dreams and fan-favorite romances like Training Season, Will & Patrick Wake Up Married, and Slow Heat, she has been captivating M/M romance readers for over a decade. Whether crafting contemporary passion or sweeping fantasy, Leta blends emotional depth, sizzling chemistry, and nuanced psychology to create characters who feel achingly real.

Based in the Southern U.S., she balances her writing life with family, always chasing the perfect story—one that lingers in the heart long after the final page.

What got you into writing? How long have you been writing?

Some of my earliest memories are of being incredibly bored during nap time in preschool. I could never fall asleep on my mat, but I had to be still and quiet for the full period so as not to disturb the children who were sleeping. I began making up elaborate stories in my head to entertain myself. They would always play classical music during nap time, and I would use the vibe of the music to craft the next part of the story. Sad music? The plot took a sad turn. This was when I was, at most, four. So, in some ways, Ihave always been a writer, even before I could technically write.

What is your favorite part about being an author?

My favorite part of being an author is the actual writing part. When I get in the zone, or deep creative flow state, it’s a beautiful, transportive feeling for me. An absolute rush.

How many books have you written? Which of your books is your favorite?

The number of books depends on how you count them. I have somewhere between thirty and thirty-six books out at this point. Like all authors, I can’t say that I have a true favorite, but I think I most proud of the trilogy that begins with Pictures of You. I feel as though I really accomplished something special and unique when I completed that work.

Have you experienced writer's block, and how do you handle it?

I have, and I don’t handle it well! I tend to spiral and enter into a lot of self-fear- mongering. I think I’m doing a little beter in that regard as I get older, but the pressure to release books—and good ones at that--is quite high.

How do you choose names for your characters?

Typically, they just come to me along with the plot concept. If they don’t, then I look for names that feel like the character to me. I am a very intuitive writer, and I make a lot of writing choices by asking myself whether the “vibe” feels right. Character names are no different.

What has helped you the most while writing?

Having patience with myself for my process. I have a rather long and involved process, and for a long time I was impatient with myself for not being able to write more quickly. Now I try to enjoy each step of the book—including the times when I will inevitably set it aside to work on another book or two—and not mentally chastise myself for not being a different kind of writer.

What has hindered you the most while writing?

Comparison is the thief of joy. Looking at how other writers do their work and comparing it to mine will often raise doubts in me about what I know in my gut works for me. Comparison is typically not a helpful to me when writing, as it shuts down my creative flow. It’s best to stay in my own lane and focus on my own paper, to mix metaphors.

Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?

I’m much more of a pantser. In fact, when I have tried to outline books, I’ve lost the inspirational fire to write them. A lot of my inspiration comes from my own curiosity about what will happen next and how I, as the writer, will solve these characters’ problems. Haha, most of the time I have no idea how to get them out of their messes!

Do you read much and if so, who are your favorite authors?

I do! My favorite M/M Romance author is Ginn Hale, but I’m also a big fan of Keira Andrews.

Are your characters ever inspired by people that you know in real life?

Almost never. Believe me, there are some villains in my life that I’d love to fit into a story one day, if only to give them their just desserts. But, alas, my characters aren’t really “crafted” so much as they just appear to me, basically fully formed, and I get the honor of simply writing what they show me about their romance and lives.

What gave you the idea for your latest book?

My most recent release, Free Fall, was inspired by a hodge-podge of ideas that all coalesced together into one singular point of inspiration. During lockdown, my husband became very invested in rock climbing videos on YouTube, and I started watching them with him. At the same time, I was watching KPop videos with my daughter and my niece—an adoptee from Korea. My niece was living with us, and we had a lot of discussions about her adoption and how she was feeling about it as a young adult. In addition, I was really processing what it was like to feel so close to danger and potential death, what with all the illness and horror around us. Somehow all of that came together to make Free Fall, a book about a reckless rock climber who falls for a sunshine-souled, K-Pop loving, Korean adoptee working as a barista in Yosemite.

What’s next for you as an author?

I’m returning to my omegaverse roots and trying to wrap up a duet in my For Sale universe. I will also likely run a Kickstarter in February for Special Editions on my old fan favorite book, Training Season, in time for the winter Olympics. 

What are you most excited about for Coastal Magic 2026?

I love seeing readers and interacting with them. I also adore being around other authors and feeling like we are part of an important tribe of creatives who bring meaning and joy to others lives. It’s beautiful, and Coastal Magic is fantastic at these objectives.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

My website is here: https://letablake.com

My Amazon page is here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Leta-Blake/author/B008R3NH4S

My shop is here: https://payhip.com/letablake/collection/all

Information about #CMCon26, including this year’s list of Featured Authors and how to register to attend is on the website, http://CoastalMagicConvention.com.

You can also get involved and have some bookish fun between now and February by joining the Facebook Authors & Attendees group: http://Facebook.com/groups/CMConAuthorsandAttendees, and Reading Challenge group: http://Facebook.com/groups/CMConReadingChallenge.