Making the jump from romance to a darker, twisty kind of story was everything I never knew I wanted. In my previous novels my main characters had always faced obstacles in life that they had to get through, some major, others minor, but romance had always found a way to weave itself into their story. Romance in a novel is like a breath of fresh air for me. It doesn’t have to dominate the narrative. In fact, most times I prefer it to be a lesser sub-plot, but having it there always gives me a steady sense of comfort, something to hope for. Losing Leah was destined to be different. I knew I would not be relying on romance. This new challenge was both scary and yet, oddly refreshing. I was excited to try something completely different with a whole new formula. For the first time ever I had decided to forge into darker territory.

Okay, so Losing Leah wouldn’t have romance, but what then? Fantasy? Dystopian? Sci-fi? No thank you. No offense to all the sci-fi lovers out there, but trust me, I would be doing you a disservice if I went there. No, Losing Leah would be a suspense novel. And, as in my previous novels, it would certainly tackle an important social issue. Parental abuse is very personal for me and I wanted to shed a much-needed light on it. I want readers to know that it comes in many different forms, both physically and verbally. 

Next step—the story would need a strong character-driven plot. It was crucial to make sure that the plot and twists tell a completely believable story away from my usual comfort zone. Mia and Leah would have to be characters who could lead readers on the journey that I could see so clearly in my own head.

Luckily for me, the idea for Losing Leah manifested itself into my mind's eye as a nearly-complete story. I was missing some of the here and there tidbits, but I remember lying in bed at night, seeing it so vividly. I knew how the story would begin, how the middle would develop, the path that an unreliable narrator would forge, and how it all would end. I relished the idea that I might be able to take the reader one way, when in truth the story would take them in a completely different direction.  

Did I pull it off? I suppose that is for the reader to decide. I can say that writing Losing Leah was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. Every thread of the story was woven into exactly the right spot to deliver the biggest impact. And hopefully the reader will learn something along the way. Writing without romance was a challenge, but in Losing Leah I feel the reader still ends up with the satisfaction of all the "future maybes." That is always my favorite part as a reader. We get to imagine where these characters might end up in the future. I like to believe romance will find a way to weave its way into their lives and who knows what that journey may look like.

Losing Leah by Tiffany King

Ten years after the tragic disappearance of her twin sister Leah, sixteen-year-old Mia Klein still struggles to exist within a family that has never fully recovered. Deep in the dark recesses of her mind lies an overwhelming shadow, taunting Mia with mind-splitting headaches that she tries to hide in an effort to appear okay.

Leah Klein's life as she knew it ended the day she was taken, thrust into a world of abuse and fear by a disturbed captor―"Mother," as she insists on being called. Ten years later, any recollections of her former life are nothing more than fleeting memories, except for those about her twin sister, Mia.

As Leah tries to gain the courage to escape, Mia's headaches grow worse. Soon, both sisters will discover that their fates are linked in ways they never realized.

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