Leigh Goff

Author

Tag Archives: Fantasy Romance


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The Magic of the YA Love Triangle

Few things ignite a YA fandom like a love triangle and since Valentine’s Day is near, let’s delve into the hot topic. Whether it’s Peeta vs. Gale, Edward vs. Jacob, or my personal fave, Hayden vs. Parker (in my novel, Koush Hollow) readers love taking sides. But why do we get so invested in these fictional relationships?

Love triangles thrive on tension. One love interest represents the safe choice, the other excitement and danger. One is the best friend who’s always been there, the other is the mysterious newcomer. The best triangles force characters and readers to question what they truly want in love.

A well-written love triangle isn’t just about romance; it’s about identity. Who will the protagonist become? Their choice isn’t just about who to kiss, it’s about who they see themselves with in the future. That’s what keeps readers turning pages (and debating furiously in the comments section).

So why do we, as readers, feel the need to choose a side? First, there’s the emotional Investment. We see ourselves in certain characters, and their happiness feels personal. If we identify with the quiet, loyal best friend, we’re rooting for them. If we love a little danger and unpredictability, we’re all in on the brooding bad boy.

Then there’s the thrill of the chase. The slow burn, the stolen glances, the will-they-won’t-they dynamic that fuel our attachment.

Let’s not forget the tropes. Some readers live for the friends-to-lovers trope, while others crave the enemies-to-lovers dynamic (my personal favorite). Love triangles let us pit these classic arcs against each other.

So let me know your thoughts in the comments. Are love triangles an exciting source of drama or an overused trope? Have you ever changed teams midway through a book? And most importantly, which YA love triangle still haunts you? If you’re looking for a new love triangle, I’m including a link so you can head to the mystical Bayou in KOUSH HOLLOW and cheer on #TeamHayden or #TeamParker!

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In the depths of the bayou, where cypress trees tower and Spanish moss hangs like a curtain of secrets, lies the mysterious town of Koush Hollow, where the glittering facade of wealth and beauty conceals a deadly truth. Sixteen-year-old Jenna joins her mother’s elite social club, the Diamonds & Pearls, which reigns supreme. As Jenna delves into the club’s seductive world and a steamy love triangle, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies. As she falls into a tantalizing love triangle, she encounters ancient magic and shocking revelations that threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. Will she survive the perfect facade of Koush Hollow with Parker by her side, or will Hayden help her unravel the deadly secrets buried beneath? A captivating tale of mystery, magic, and self-discovery, Koush Hollow will draw you into its dark, mystical world and refuse to let go.
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BEWITCHING HANNAH–Unleashing the Magic in Annapolis

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My next enchanting novel, BEWITCHING HANNAH, is on its way from Mirror World Publishing! Mirror World has a reputation for publishing fantastic fiction, and I’m thrilled to be working with them again.

The young adult fantasy, set in present-day Annapolis, Maryland (lots of scenes are set at the historic sites in my hometown), focuses on Hannah Fitzgerald, a sixteen-year-old Chesapeake witch. And even if being a witch sounds super cool, it’s the last thing she wants.

Hannah, the thirteenth great-granddaughter of the Wizard Earl Fitzgerald, has always known she was descended from a royal legacy of dark magic. Although a stranger to her coven in Annapolis, she is no stranger to grief and denial. However, when an ancient prophecy reveals the rise of a young, powerful witch and the impending death of another, she realizes she can no longer afford to suppress the magic that has taken away so much. She seeks out the frighteningly scarred, yet mysterious W, a Calvert descendant, who is destined to change her life, but even he cannot prepare her for the danger that lies ahead.

Enemies will hurt her. Loved ones will make her vulnerable. And the impending prophecy that drives her to unleash her magic will cause her to unearth the sins of the past and doubt any promise of a future. Without knowing whom her true rival is, Hannah isn’t certain she’ll survive, and if she loses, she may lose everything, including the ones she loves.

The book is available now on Amazon. If you haven’t had a chance to read my first novel, DISENCHANTED, you can find it on Amazon, BN.com, and Mirror World Publishing.


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Before Salem: The Forgotten Witches of New England

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The first American witch trials took place in Wethersfield, Connecticut, a historic Puritan town near Hartford, in the sixteen hundreds. During this time, the Puritan population of Wethersfield was suffering from bouts of sickness and mental fits, for which they blamed the devil, whom they believed was surely acting through powerful female vessels.

Neighbors began spying on one another and casting blame on women like Rebecca Greensmith. In 1662, several witnesses spied her dancing, drinking, and making merry in the woods with other accused witches. Then a neighbor who was afflicted with fits of blasphemy accused Rebecca of bewitching her. The Wethersfield witch hunts were followed by trials that were presided over by the Reverend Increase Mather (his son, Cotton, grew up to be just like dad and, a few decades later, had his own hands bloodied with the Salem Witch Trials). Rebecca, who was not afraid to hide what she was, admitted to having conversations with the devil, claiming to form a pact with him, as well as colluding with other witches in the woods. Her shocking confession along with, in the Reverend Mather’s judgment, her lack of fear for God, her familiarity with the devil, and her involvement in unnatural events, was enough for him to condemn her to death by hanging.

The historical event left me to wonder…what if Rebecca’s story did not end there? After all, she admitted to having an alliance with a powerful figure and she had a reputation for hexing neighbors. Who is to say she did not have time to take her vengeance on the Mather bloodline before the noose slipped over her neck?

This question along with the Wethersfield history inspired my debut novel, Disenchanted, where Sophie Goodchild, my curious and impetuous sixteen-year-old half-witch protagonist, is a modern-day descendant of the aforementioned Rebecca Greensmith.

As Sophie struggles with her emerging magic and deals with a group of full-blooded witch frenemies, her impatience and curiosity lead her into trouble. She meets the mysterious Alexavier Mather, a descendant of Increase Mather who had a hand in hanging Sophie’s ancestor at Gallows Hill. When he reveals his name, she immediately hates him, but senses he is hiding a dark secret and there’s nothing Sophie loves more than uncovering a good secret.

Danger finds her as she delves into the mysteries from both their family’s pasts. Then she begins to fall for the forbidden Alexavier who reveals that his bloodline is hexed with a true love curse that could destroy them. But there is hope. If Sophie can learn how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm and find an ancient book of dark spells, she might be able to disenchant the Mather bloodline and save them both.

However, she must first deal with the deadly threat that is Alexavier’s father, Judge Mather, and he has a nasty secret of his own that will drive Sophie to make an impossible choice, one from which she may never return.

Disenchanted is available now for purchase. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Mirror World Publishing

http://www.history.com/news/before-salem-the-first-american-witch-hunt