“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be okay,” says Leah Garriott. “We can be happy even when everything doesn’t work out.”
That’s one of the central messages in the author’s debut work, the proper romance Promised (Shadow Mountain Publishing). Playing into that theme, her protagonist, Margaret Brinton, wrestles with having to break the one promise she made to herself. And she discovers that the one man she wants to stay away from may be exactly the man she needs.
After being deceived by her ex-fiancé, Margaret vows never again to lead with her heart, but rather, with her head. When she arrives at a party hosted by the town matchmaker, Margaret knows what she wants — a platonic match, one that will ensure a solid marital status and allow her to live a life without fear or sacrifice.
At first glance, the confident, successful and poised Fredrick Northam seems the perfect fit. On the other hand, Lord Williams, with his compelling blue eyes and easy smile, is not.
We recently had the chance to talk to Garriott about her debut novel, its themes and the proper romance genre.
Q: One of your themes is that freedom doesn’t come from running away. As long as you refuse to face who you are and what you want, you’ll never be free. Explain why this is important to you.
A: This is a theme that applies to almost everyone. We often try to go after a goal for the wrong reasons — money, convenience, because someone else thought it was a good idea — instead of figuring out and pursuing what we really want.
It’s so easy to lose ourselves in the pursuit of wrong goals, especially when life becomes over-busy. But if we stop and figure out what really matters to us and then go after that, I think that’s when true living happens and when true happiness is found.
Q: Margaret is a refreshing, sharp, intelligent and engaging character facing difficult dilemmas. Who were your inspirations for your protagonist?
A: Really all the women I’m close to. There are so many strong females who play an important role in my life, and I sort of wrote them into this character. This book is one woman’s reaction to the limitations placed on her and to her life not turning out the way she expected, which I think is common to all of us.
In the end, she discovers that maybe when life doesn’t go as planned, it’s because we’re being led to something better, and I think this is something we all hope for or have experienced for ourselves. I don’t think the book is autobiographical; I tried to stay true to Margaret’s character, and she definitely does things I would never do, although I might wish to.
Q: Why did you choose proper romance as the genre for your debut novel?
A: Sometimes, with non-proper romances, the story of the characters’ journeys gets lost in the physical relationship between the two main characters. What really draws me into a story, though, isn’t the physicality but the emotional bond the characters create that show just how right they are for each other.
I chose a proper romance as my debut genre because I wanted to try to create a story that contained the tension of non-proper romances without the story devolving into something primarily physical, while also developing the character relationships to a fulfilling level.
Q: What was the most fun scene for you to write?
A: There were so many. I really enjoyed the scene where Margaret is spying on her own family, as well as the scene where she and Gregory, Lord Williams, build paper boats together. And any time Margaret refers to pushing Daniel into the lake.
Q: What message would you like readers to come away with?
A: More than a message, what I hope readers come away with is the feeling that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be okay, and that we can be happy even when everything doesn’t work out. Also, I hope that every reader enjoyed a good laugh during their reading of the book and that they feel ready to conquer whatever challenges they’re facing.
Q: Is there a second novel around the corner for you?
A: Definitely. I have another novel almost ready to submit to my publisher. But if they don’t pick it up, I’ll just write another. I plan on doing this writing thing for a long time.
Promised is now available for purchase. Read our full review of the novel here, and learn more about Garriott on her BookTrib author page.
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About Leah Garriott:
Though she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story. She’s resided in Hawaii and Italy, walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She’s currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids.
