Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Devooght
Hi Leslie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always loved writing and reading. In high school and college, I started more than one book but never finished. However, I did earn a minor in English in college, and an advanced writing certificate in law school. For many years, I wrote legal briefs as the appellate lawyer for Brunswick Judicial Circuit’s DA’s office. When I left that job to become a judge, I began writing fiction. At first, I tried young adult, but quickly switched to Contemporary Women’s fiction. After my family moved to Jacksonville in 2014, I began writing full time, focusing on getting publishing credits, winning contests, and networking with others in the industry. Eventually I found flash fiction and was published two times in Spark Magazine. In 2019, a few friends and I were given the opportunity to takeover the magazine and have been growing it ever since. I’ve also continued to write full length books. Of all the awards I’ve received, I’m most proud of winning the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award in 2024. My stories are filled with faith, love, and laughter. My debut novel comes out in May, 2025.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road to publishing is full of highs and lows. I’ve received more rejections than I can count, but I’ve learned a lot along the way and made some great friends. When I entered my first writing contest, I got back some very harsh comments. It really took me a while to process the notes, but in the end, I learned so much and improved my craft.
One of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make was leaving the safety of my literary agency to go indie, and now I’m having to learn all of the ends and outs of publishing and marketing. There is always something to learn in the writing world.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write what I call romancy contemporary women’s fiction that leans into the romantic comedy genre. I write everything from flash fiction to full length novels. In the writing world, I’m known for flash fiction because I own Spark Flash Fiction magazine which is an online publication that releases four times a year with eight to twelve stories. All of the stories have a strong romantic element and are under one thousand words. We always include a story by a staff member and a best-selling, award-winning author. I love that Spark gave me my first publishing credit and now, I’m doing that for new authors. It’s also just fun to read and write these short, short stories. We just celebrated our fifth anniversary with an anthology for our subscribers.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a bookworm growing up, but I also was a competitive dancer, cheerleader, and theatre kid. Being from South Georgia, we spent a lot of time on the water, boating and water skiing. Our family vacation every summer was to Lake Burton in North Georgia where we enjoyed the cool mountain air in the mornings and sunny days on the dock. My faith has always been a huge part of my life, so I spent a lot of time at church and on retreats. My favorite youth trip was the annual snow ski trip to West Virginia.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lesliedevooght.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliedevooght/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeslieDeVooght/
- Other: https://sparkflashfiction.com/
