More Than Words: Kissed By A Muse #3 by S.K Munt Read Free Book Online

her expression lines- frowning aged her, while smiling lightened her. In a few years, she’d be aged by every expression but for now, she was suspended in her youth by her moods, and Leigh thought she was beautiful even though most people would have labeled her as plain.
    Leigh liked plain writers- it was reassuring to know that their beautiful heroines were figments of their creator’s imaginations, not projections of their egos. It made every character more believable for it. It was the same reason why Leigh loved Dean Koontz’s heroines- he seemed to pinpoint how women were, rather than how they were supposed to be, and no two were ever alike, reassuring Leigh that you didn’t have to be a Barbie, to be desirable. Sometimes, you could even be a bit wicked and imperfection was a necessity.
    Leigh saw no hint of Kylie Lyle within Kathryn Praser’s face or build, and she sagged a little heavier in the chair, relieved that this probably wasn’t Ryan’s true love and therefore, Leigh wouldn’t have to resent her in addition to admiring her.
    ‘I’m pleased to hear that,’ Kathryn said softly. ‘When the book first came out, I got a lot of positive feedback. But after it caught on, well…’ she smiled sadly down at her threaded fingers. ‘Let’s just say that I’ve found that popularity is as much of a double-edged sword in the publishing world as it was in high school.’
    Leigh nodded eagerly. ‘I read it only a few weeks after it came out, and I loved watching people react like me.’ She paused, annoyance settling over her as she remembered what had transpired after. ‘And then the masses got a hold of it and…’ she cringed. ‘I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that backlash.’
    ‘No writer does,’ Kathryn said quickly, and took a sip from a tall coffee mug, smiling at Leigh over the rim. ‘It’s nice to hear it from a reader though. Sometimes I just feel…’ she frowned down at her laptop. ‘Hopeless. I want to write something that pleases everyone, but I… I just don’t think I can write something as powerful as people claimed The Hardest Fall was, without that element of tragedy.’
    ‘Then don’t,’ Leigh said lightly. ‘Write the story in your heart just like you did the last. At least you’re renowned enough now to profit from the haters.’ She made a face. ‘And if you hold back in the name of pleasing everybody and lose the elements that I loved so much, I’ll probably end up being one of them.’
    Kathryn chuckled. ‘Well said.’ She eyed Leigh again. ‘So… you read it when it first came out? Can I ask how you found it? Back then I was counting every single sale and download and review so early birds like yourself were my lifeline.’
    Leigh cringed. ‘Sorry but I wasn’t much of a lifeline. I um, downloaded it free during one of your Kindle sales.’
    Kathryn laughed. ‘Hey, those count too.’
    ‘Good. Well yeah, I had it about six weeks after it came out. I have a book blog, so I’m always on the look out for that new story, and I loved your cover so I nabbed it and two days later, I was your biggest fan.’ She leaned forward and grinned. ‘And I’ve bought at least twenty-four paperback editions new or secondhand since the publishing house put you into print so don’t worry- that free download paid off with me.’
    ‘Twenty-four?!’ Kathryn almost spat out her coffee. ‘What on earth would you need with twenty-four copies?’
    ‘I give them away all the time,’ Leigh said, not even slightly embarrassed though she suspected that Kathryn now saw her as certifiable.
    ‘Huh…’ Kathryn grinned at Leigh. ‘So I’m not a success after all, I just have one well-to-do fan boosting my profit margin?’
    ‘By the look of Goodreads, you’ve gotten rid of a lot more than twenty-four copies and one free download,’ Leigh responded cheekily.
    Kathryn winked. ‘One angry fan said I needed to jump off a bridge- so I’ve just booked myself a Christmas holiday in