One of our favorite authors, Patricia Leavy, is celebrating a big milestone: the publication of her 25th work of fiction. We are taking this opportunity to applaud her body of work, and her new must-read novel.
If you’re not familiar, Leavy is one of the most prolific authors out there. She has published more than 50 books, earning critical acclaim and commercial success in both nonfiction and fiction, and she has sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
Leavy’s career began in academia. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology and was a professor before becoming a full-time author. She got her start in academic publishing with a slew of highly successful textbooks and other nonfiction works. Her books remain widely adopted in the academy across the disciplines. Many are considered landmark texts, such as Method Meets Art (now in its third edition) and Research Design (now in its second edition) both of which have been translated into numerous languages. She has worked with leading publishers, served as creator and editor for ten academic book series, and co-founded an international arts journal. She is widely considered the most prominent proponent of arts-based research—which merges the arts and sciences. She also coined the term “social fiction” to denote fiction grounded in scholarly research, which created both a new category of scholarship and a new category in the academic publishing world.
Her illustrious career is marked by numerous career awards from major national and international organizations, including the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. She has had two special journal issues devoted to celebrating her work: The AutoEthnographer Literary Magazine (2024) and The Qualitative Report peer-reviewed journal (2025). Contributors referred to her as an icon, legend, trailblazer, and visionary. She also has two awards named in her honor. In 2018, SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In 2024, the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.”
Her career in fiction is just as acclaimed, with novels spanning genres including women’s fiction, adventure fiction, and contemporary romance. Many defy genre norms and reviewers frequently comment they are written beautifully like the best literary fiction. Her books have garnered more than 100 awards including American Fiction Awards, Independent Press Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Firebird Book Awards, and NYC Big Book Awards, among others. Recently, her novel Shooting Stars Above was featured on People “10 Romance Books to Read After Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry” as well as recommended reading lists by Ms. Career Girl, She Knows, BRIT + CO, and Resident Magazine.
Leavy has said that her childhood dream was to become a novelist. Well, she certainly has achieved that dream! She just released her 25th published work of fiction, the unforgettable novel, Sugar Sand Land. There’s no question it’s her best work to date and seamlessly merges her sociological lens and literary chops.
The book has been hailed as “a tour de force” and “modern masterpiece” with many early reviewers noting that it’s exceptionally smart with timely messages. I couldn’t agree more. This is a truly outstanding novel.
I would describe Sugar Sand Land as page-turning, sexy, smart, and full of love. Leavy brilliantly weaves a beautiful romance with questions about identity in contemporary culture. There are layers of depth in a read that feels effortless. Leavy manages to marry literary magic and a sociological eye in a book that is at once escapist and deeply important. The result is a transporting, thoughtful, and original book. Sugar Sand Land is the new great American novel. An absolute must-read! Seriously, read this book.
Here’s a synopsis:
Twenty-eight-year-old beauty Emerson Blue is the second most followed celebrity on social media. A self-proclaimed “living piece of art” who rose to fame as a reality star and then parlayed her celebrity into a megabucks career as an influencer, she seems to have everything. Forty-eight-year-old Grammy winner Renn Walker is a fallen country music star. Years ago, he was canceled following allegations of sexual misconduct, and he has lived in seclusion ever since. Once a beloved figure, he seems to have lost it all. When Emerson and Renn meet, sparks fly. Against all odds, a star obsessed with popularity and a recluse shunned by the world fall in love. Everyone in the public and media has an opinion and thinks they know Emerson and Renn. But in a world dominated by social media—a world that blurs the lines between what’s public and private, what’s real and what’s illusion—do we ever really know anyone?
We had a chance to interview Patricia Leavy about Sugar Sand Land, her extraordinary career, and what comes next.
There’s so much to unpack in this novel, but I know you want to leave it for readers. You’ve said that you sat on this book to mark this milestone. Why did you choose this novel?
Sugar Sand Land and the sequel which will be released in September 2027, together, are absolutely my favorite things I’ve ever done. I think they’re my best work and so does my husband who reads them all. I’ve never written anything that integrates the different parts of my background and all the things I’m interested in on such a deep level. I’m just really proud of this book. To me, it’s a fun, whimsical read but with real food for thought. I hope readers enjoy it as much as I loved writing it.
What can you tell us about the sequel?
I loved writing about Emerson and Renn, and through them about all of us and the culture we live in, and I knew there was more to tell. All the main characters from the original are in the sequel, including Leo who was so much fun to write. The sequel explores fame, what’s public and private in the age of social media, and the dangers that emerge when you invite the whole world into your life. There are twists. For me, there are also messages that linger. And of course at the end of the day it is a love story. The sweet and sexy romance remains centerstage.
In honor of this milestone publication, we thought we’d have fun and ask some questions we’re dying to know. Are you game?
Absolutely.
If someone is new to your fiction, what should they read first?
Sugar Sand Land. I truly feel it’s the best one. For readers who enjoy a series, I’d suggest The Red Carpet Romances which is a trilogy that’s entirely out—The Location Shoot, After the Red Carpet, and Cinematic Destinies. It’s a love story that spans over thirty years with messages about living life to the fullest.
What are your three favorite novels from your catalog?
This is so hard! I honestly love each one. They’re pieces of my heart and soul. If I had to pick, in this moment I would say Sugar Sand Land, Shooting Stars Above, and Cinematic Destinies. Those three really hold my hand. I do have two written that aren’t released yet that are definitely contenders for my top picks.
What are your three favorite book covers?
Again, so hard. I’ve been lucky to work with many talented cover designers and artists. Shooting Stars Above is definitely my favorite cover to date. It’s simple, but to me perfect for the book. Cowboy Eyes is another top pick. I spent forever designing it. I had a very specific vision. Freelancers helped me execute it. There’s a nod to The Great Gatsby but it’s also very LA and connected to the story of Cassy and Colt. It pops. I also love the cover of Sugar Sand Land. It matches the vibe of the book and protagonist. I know I picked three, but I have to give a shout-out to the cover of my novel Spark. To me, it’s timeless. The designer created something special with that one.
What are a few of your favorite quotes from your novels?
“Best to focus on the moments. Live them, create them, bloody well steal them if you must. That’s where beauty hides. There is so much ugliness in this fucked-up abyss of human tragedy. Even beauty is bound to and corrupted by its underside. But on those rarest of occasions, glimmers of pure beauty can be found. It always hides in the moments.” (Cinematic Destinies)
“Perhaps the yellow brick road was really just a trail of gold dust connecting one dream to another.” (Hollyland)
“Prilly lived in between who she was and who she wanted to be.” (Low-Fat Love: 10th Anniversary Edition)
“Someday is dangerous. Be careful of someday.” (Spark)
“Breathe. Just breathe.” (Twinkle of Doubt)
Writing which book taught you the most?
That’s a hard question. I feel like I learn with each one. The first few taught me how to write novels, and how to try different genres. I think I started to grow a lot as a writer when I began working with She Writes Press. Working with a high caliber team really ups your game. Each book has gotten stronger, I think. I’m especially proud of Cinematic Destinies and see it as a turning point. On that one, I really learned a lot about structure, storytelling, and multiple storylines.
Which book is the most sentimental?
Cowboy Eyes, which I just surprise released this summer without any advance promo. It’s dedicated to one of my oldest and dearest friends who died unexpectedly last summer. I loved him a lot and his spirit is on the pages. It’s a special book to me. It also captures the exuberance and hopefulness of being young with a dream, and of course, first love.
What do you think is your most underrated book?
Hollyland. Critics and readers were deeply divided. I got some of the best and worst reviews of my career. I think some of the negativity was because people wanted to it be something it wasn’t. The big event in the book is not a kidnapping; it’s two people falling in love and building a life together. My books are always about the characters and their relationships. It’s also extremely optimistic and filled with love and affection. That rubbed some people the wrong way. It was a product of the time in which I wrote it—during the lockdown. We couldn’t even stand within six feet of another person without fear of death. So I wrote something exceptionally affectionate and I stand behind it. We need more love in the world, not less. But the response to the book contains a lesson because while some people did not like it, others did, especially those who saw that it was different from much of what’s out there. One trade review called it “laudably original” which to me is the highest praise you can receive, and while it’s not my best seller, it did pretty well overall and was even selected as the humanities department-wide reading at one university. So, artists should always remember you can withstand critique, and the art in question may even do well despite it.
Do you have a least favorite of your novels?
Low-Fat Love. It was my debut. I didn’t know what I was doing and made a lot of mistakes. I’ve put out new editions over the years. The 10th anniversary edition corrected the ending and made some other improvements, but I’ve still felt like the book could have been better. I’m correcting that though. I’ve been working very hard to make it right for the 20th anniversary. The process has made me fall in love with the book for the first time. I now appreciate it for what it is instead of being haunted by what it is not.
You have a reputation for taking a tour photo for each of your books in which you dress up in an outfit to compliment the book cover. Tell us about this process.
Once I have a final cover, if I don’t have an outfit that goes with the cover and tone of the book, I go on the hunt. I usually look for a dress, because that feels special and to me the release of a book is a special occasion. Sometimes the book itself contains an idea about how to curate the look. For example, in Sugar Sand Land, and the sequel, Emerson Blue wears faux fur coats for some pivotal moments. So that was a no-brainer when putting an outfit together and I was able to buy a few online that went with the colors in the cover. After I find an outfit, I scour my closet for accessories to complete the look. I put together additional outfits, that are usually more casual, for more photos to carry me through the book promo period. The whole process is fun, but time consuming. I do it to celebrate each book. Each one represents a lot of labor and a very real piece of my heart and soul. Over the years a bunch of bloggers started following me to see and comment on the fashion for each book, which is super fun, too. Sometimes when people host book chats for me they even dress up to go with my book, which is really sweet. I know some other authors who have started doing the same thing for their book releases so it’s become trendy I suppose, but for me it’s always been really personal. As artists we’re so connected to our creations, and I think the book photos I take represent that too. That’s actually a theme in Sugar Sand Land.
You have a very public career, but in the spirit of Sugar Sand Land, sometimes looks can be deceiving? Are you more public or private?
Definitely much more private. I’m shy. I prefer to be alone, with my imaginary friends, or with those who I’m closest to, which is a small circle. People who know me as an author may think I’m very open, but I’m actually pretty intentional about what I share. I think of myself as a very private person who sometimes has a big public life. My husband calls me reclusive. The neighbors always joke with him that they never see me.
Last year you released five books and this year you’ve already released three. You show no signs of slowing down. Your fans want to know, will you keep up the pace?
Well, I can tell you that I currently have enough books written and waiting to be rolled out to release three a year through 2030. Yes, I am working on new things too, so, we shall see. Five books in a year was unusual. It may happen again, but three to four is more realistic. I can’t say I’ll keep that pace forever. I may slow down, but as long as inspiration and opportunity strike, I’ll keep creating. I don’t concern myself with how much I produce, only that I’m creatively fulfilled. My goal is to work on things I love.
What’s next for you?
My next novel, Constellations of Love, is coming out in March. It’s the third book in The Celestial Bodies Romances following Shooting Stars Above and Twinkle of Doubt. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but of course you can get even more out of them if you read the series. There are six books written to date and Constellations of Love has always been my favorite so I’m really excited to share it. It’s probably the most subtle book in the series but truly filled with love in all forms. It’s held my hand for a long time, so I hope it does the same for others. There are other books in the hopper waiting to be released, both fiction and nonfiction, but I’m keeping them under wrap for now.
Learn more:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Sand-Land-Reality-Romance-ebook/dp/B0GPK2DZHN
Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sugar-Sand-Land/Patricia-Leavy/T…
Website: www.patricialeavy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenWhoWrite/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patricialeavy