Today’s special guest is Leigh Andrews! I first discovered Andrew’s books last year when I read her Christian Fiction debut The Ranch Hand for Reedsy Discovery last fall. Now she’s back with a new book coming out, The Ranch Boss!

I’d like to introduce her new book to you all first,
then we’ll get to the interview.
Sound good?
Good, here we go!

Thomas Steel had no intentions of partnering with his brother-in-law’s former peer, but when it comes down to risking his future or his family’s, he’s all in. As he and Mississippi build a wedding venue on his ranch’s property, he finds himself building a relationship with her as well. But a ranch that’s barely getting by is no place for a wife, right?

Steelgate Ranch is perfect for Mississippi Davis’s dream wedding venue, but she still has no idea how she got its confusing owner to agree to the partnership. In between his shifting moods and resting scowl face, though, she finds he’s more of a Southern gentleman than she’d expected. But is it another long shot to think they could be more than business partners?

Will Thomas and Mississippi let go of the past and trust God with their future, or will regret and grudges keep them from healing?

Expected Release Day:
August 14, 2025

Genre(s):
Contemporary Romance
Christian Fiction

| Goodreads || Amazon |

Hello, and welcome to Books Less Travelled! I’m thrilled to have you here with us today. To start off, care to tell us a little about yourself and the stories you write?

Hi Stephanie and Readers! Thanks for having me! I’m thrilled to be here and to, let’s be honest, have an excuse to talk about writing 🙂

My name is Leigh Andrews and I’ve been self-publishing since 2021, with my first story coming out back in 2022. Currently, I write contemporary romances set on a fictional cattle ranch in North Georgia! I love writing, and I love self-publishing. I’m a lit. nerd, but also an organization nerd, so getting to write as well as handle the business side of things lets me use both aspects of my personality perfectly! God really knew what He was doing when He led me to writing!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy getting to know me, I certainly enjoyed the opportunity to introduce myself (thank you, Stephanie!). Thanks for reading, have a blessed day!

You’re quite welcome, Leigh! I’m so glad I had this opportunity to talk with you and to get to feature you and your new book here at Books Less Travelled!

1. How long have you been writing and what (or who) inspired you to start writing?

I’ve dabbled in story ideas on and off over the years, as I think most authors have, but I would say my “career” in writing started in 2021. My cousin was probably the biggest influence in dipping my toes back into creative writing. She had an idea for a series, and was telling me about it, and hearing her talk about writing reminded me of how I’d enjoyed it. Then, one night, I had an idea for a series and scrambled to write it down. The story that ended up coming out of that was VERY different from the original idea, but it ended up being the story that launched my passion for writing, and set me on the path to pursue it as a career. From there, God slowly taught me to use the craft for Him, not just for entertainment, and He led me to where I am now: writing romances that honor God and point readers back to Him.

I love that! He truly does always desire what’s best for us, and I love that He has used your love of writing and stories as a way to reach others and point them back to Him. What a beautiful reminder that He’s there, even in the seemingly little things in our lives. It all matters to Him.

2. Your Love at Steelgate Ranch series takes place on a large ranch. Do you live on a ranch? What do you love most about writing stories set on a ranch?

Sad to say, I don’t have my own Steelgate! I do live in the country, though, and I’ve been around horses and chickens a decent bit, as well as having a hand in gardening and baling hay. I was lucky to have cousins that worked on a cattle ranch, though, and they were kind enough to answer a LOT of questions! 

I love the atmosphere of a ranch setting. You get so much with just one location, from beautiful and serene landscapes, to noisy and loving family dinners, to unexpected dangers and challenges. Plus, I’m the type of person who gets excited seeing cows out the window of the car, so I’m living a little vicariously! 

Haha, I can relate! While I don’t live on a ranch, I did have a neighbor with some Quarter Horses for a little while growing up. I loved spending time with her and her family as often as I could after school. I have always loved horses, and animals in general, and would love to live on a ranch or small farm some day. Until then, I agree that living in the county is good too. Although cows have always kind of scared me, lol! 😉

3. What’s your favorite type of scene to write?

I love dialogue. I think my favorite scenes to write are where characters’ walls are coming down, and they start to loosen up and talk more freely with each other. The banter and the development combine in a way that I absolutely love!

Oh, yes! Those are some of my favorite scenes to read, although I image it’s fun as the author to be the first to ‘see’ that moment between them, and having it develop as the story unfolds. (Reminds me a bit of the B&W film photography class I took in college, where the image slowly reveals itself a little at a time.) The author gets to see the little parts of the characters revealing themselves a bit at a time. 🥰 I actually don’t think I’ve heard man authors talk about those scenes much. I love that you enjoy writing them, I know many readers like myself love reading those scenes!

4. What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

I think there are benefits to both, but I tend to do something in between nowadays. I often have a general idea of a few key plot details, but for the most part I pants it. (me two years ago would cringe to hear that). Sometimes when I get closer to the end, or to a part in the story where I feel like I really know what’s going on, I might plot out a few chapters or so, but I like feeling out the characters a little before trying to plot.

Great point! I love that mindset. Balance is good, and there’s definitely pros and cons to both strategies.

5. Lately I’ve seen authors have started using a catchy headline for their stories involving a sort of short catchphrase or a few descriptive words that describe their writing style and stories. What would yours be?

“Romance, roosters, and loving roasts.” Okay, so that might not be the most elegant of taglines, but it’s pretty accurate to Love at Steelgate Ranch!

Haha, true! It’s very fitting! Now I’m curious what the characters would say/think about it. XD
(You all should definitely check out the Steelgate series if you haven’t read it already!)

6. What is your favorite genre, and what’s a genre you don’t enjoy?

I’d have to say my favorite is romance. I’m not picky about the subgenre of romance (as long as it’s clean), but I definitely pick up more romance than anything else. 

I’m not against most other genres though. I read fantasy, classics, historical fiction (The Book Thief is my favorite book!), some mysteries and thrillers, and even some nonfiction books. The only genre I really tend to stay away from as a whole is horror. 

I do think romance as a favorite genre makes it easier to enjoy other ‘genre’ as well, since it’s so versatile. I’m also thankful that authors are going back to ‘clean’ romances lately. I know there’s a split in the market, but since I love indie books it’s fun to have a few authors I know I can count on for good clean romances. You are one of them. 💗

7. If you can only have three, what three tropes combos do you think make the best stories?

I’m a sucker for grumpy/sunshine, and I tend to prefer strangers to lovers. Tie it all off with them being forced to work toward the same goal? *chef’s kiss*

Nice choices! That sure sounds like the making of a good story to me!

8. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? What would you do there and what’s one food/drink option you’d have to be sure to try while there?

I would LOVE to visit Italy. Some of our heritage is Italian, and our family still knows the city that we came from. It was a little town, but I’d love to be able to see it one day. I also just love learning languages, and I would love the opportunity to put that to use one day.

And I don’t know if I could pick just one dish to try there, so I’ll cheat and just say pasta!

Oh, that would be fun! Off topic, but my brother found a Youtube channel PastaGrammer a while back, and sort of started an obsession, lol. They cook but also talk a lot about the culture and language since Eva is Italian. I think I’ve learned a lot more about the people, food, and culture from them than anywhere else, and after watching them for a while I would love to visit Italy too, especially some of the smaller towns! There’s so much history there! Even their food has a story. *chef’s kiss*

9. What is your favorite genre to write? Is there a genre you’d like to try writing that you haven’t yet?

Romance comes to me the easiest. I love having character driven stories, and I love dialogue, and I feel like romance plays really well to those interests. The relationship between characters gives you the ability to really dive into their personalities and how they interact with others.

I’d love to write a mystery someday, but I know that’s going to be a hard hill to climb for me. I’m the kind of person that can never figure out mysteries when I read them. I’m always surprised at the end!

Oh, that might be fun to try though! Even if it’s just a writing practice prompt, and not a full story, it might be something fun to play around with? I do love the depth and emotion (and potential character growth) that is made possible in a romance story that is a little more difficult to find in other stories.

10. What is something you wish more people knew about being an author?

How much effort it takes. I wasn’t prepared for how long the process is and how mentally draining it can be. It’s not just daydreaming. You have to be really critical, especially in revisions, to make sure your plot holds up to scrutiny. And some people can do that process more quickly, but just because someone takes longer doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard. It just means it’s hard work. I have a much greater appreciation for anyone who publishes now, because it’s not a simple task.

That’s an important reminder. Too often we (I think those of us who are readers are especially prone to it, but people in general sometimes too) often forget how much work and effort goes into a product. Whether it’s art, hand-made crafts (furniture, clothing, food), or anything else, it takes time, and a lot more effort to make than to consume (food and books both qualify in this case). We can listen to a song in three or so minutes, read a book in a day or two, but the process to make that product in the form we come to love and enjoy?

That’s someone’s hours of hard-work and grueling effort, as they strive to make it the best it can be. Books are very much a labor of love, and I think this is such an important thing to remember. Both for authors, that the amount of time it takes doesn’t matter, just that they gave their best and didn’t give up. And for readers, to have patience and grace when things happen and books get pushed back or postponed. You all as authors put so much of yourselves into your stories. (Often while also having families, other jobs, or various other responsibilities along side the full-time commitment of writing and working toward publishing.) May we all be a little more loving, and show a little more grace toward each other. And to appreciate the effort it takes to bring each of our favorite books to the point they’ve come, whether that’s on our shelves or as an ebook, there’s so much more that goes into it than simply opening a file. Considering it in that light, each book is sort of a wonderful gift in-and-of itself. (Sorry, that got much longer than I’d expected! 😅)

I wanted to once again thank you, Leigh, for your time here with us today. I loved getting to know you a little more, and hoped you had fun. I loved reading your answers, and an so excited to have had the chance to interview you on Books Less Travelled!

For those of you interested to know about Leigh Andrews, and her books, you can follow her on social media or on Amazon. I’ve shared the links down below to make them easier to find.

Leigh Andrews was born and raised in North Georgia and dabbled in creative writing from a young age, but found her God-given passion for it after changing majors multiple times in college. Finding purpose in writing, Andrews quickly changed to an English major and continued pursuing writing while finishing her Bachelors. Since graduating, Andrews has continued writing and aims to publish novels and literature that glorify God above all else for as long as the Lord calls her to this purpose. Aside from writing, Andrews enjoys hiking, crocheting, and music. Andrews serves in her local church as a member of the worship team, as well as a Sunday School teacher.

Ways to Connect –
| IG | Amazon |

Where to Buy –
| B&N | Amazon | Kobo | Apple |

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