Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "interview"
Bookstagram Author Interview
What difficulties did you face in getting the Whispers From The Dead Of Night published and how did you overcome them?
Perhaps the greatest difficulty I had to face was overcoming the doubts and anxieties that crept in along the way, the thoughts that I may never finish writing these stories, and persevering through all those doubts to get to the end.
Each of the stories was very clear in my mind, as was the cover art I was searching for and the style I wanted. I worked on the book for eighteen months and didn't stop until it was published.
I wrote it during evenings and weekends around my day job, battling through the exhaustion just to make sure I kept going. I'd recently gone through a relationship breakup, also experiencing some health issues and suffering a family bereavement during writing. For me, this book was about overcoming all of those things and coming through the other side. It was both cathartic and healing.
What is the special thing in Whispers From The Dead Of Night Because of which people need to Read it?
This collection is very special to me for many reasons. It features seven individual stories - my first short story collection after previously publishing a novel and two novellas. While all primarily horror stories, they are each a blend of multiple genres, including crime thriller, gothic romance and mystery. I like to blend multiple genres and themes into my work.
I loved writing every one of the seven stories and, as a whole, I'm incredibly proud of this collection. Each story is primarily character driven, exploring their relationships and how that impacts the situations in which they find themselves. The stories deal with themes of loss, obsession, love, heartbreak and betrayal, which I think many of us can relate to.
I dedicated the book to my grandfather, who passed away last year. For that reason alone, it will always remain a very special collection to me.
Do You Read Your Book Reviews ? How Do You Deal With Good Or Bad Ones?
I always read my book reviews. I love hearing what readers thought of my work, if they've enjoyed the stories and found they resonated with them.
During a recent blog tour for 'Whispers from the Dead of Night', the book was very well-received and I was completely blown away by the feedback, with multiple 4* and 5* reviews. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who takes the time to read and review my work.
When it comes to anything that may not be so positive, I remind myself that art and entertainment are subjective. Not everyone is going to like everything. Though I am yet to receive an overtly negative review, so I have no doubt it would be disheartening.
What I've found most interesting with reviews for 'Whispers from the Dead of Night' is that different readers have different favourite stories. In fact, I've seen the same stories described as readers' favourite and least favourite. It just goes to show that people's opinions are different and you can't allow it to steer your writing.
What was your best and the worst experience when you decided to publish/write your first book?
The best part of the experience was undoubtedly being able to publish my book. I had still been at school when I completed the first draft - it had then been finished for almost four years and I'd packed it away, imagining the writing dream would have to wait to be revisited later in life. I'd attempted to approach a few agents when I finished school, but continuing this quest hadn't been financially sustainable, especially as I was out of work initially and struggling to even get job interviews as the recession had hit.
Traditional publishing was still widely considered to be the route to follow, and there seemed to still be a lot of negative thinking surrounding indie and self-publishing at the time, something that has thankfully changed since then.
I found it very difficult learning to overcome my perfectionism when it came to editing the book. I lost count of the number of times I proofread it, to the point where I was changing one word for another and then back again in the next read-through. Self-editing is not an easy skill to master, and at twenty-one years old (twenty-two at publication) editing a debut novel, in which you have an emotional connection to every single word, it could at times be very overwhelming.
Hardest of all was shaking off my lack of confidence in myself and the anxiety about sharing my book with the world. I'm not sure those feelings ever fully go away, even with each successive book you write and publish.
How did you develop such a distinctive voice as a writer?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My best estimate is that I was around five years old, but it may even have been sooner than that. If you count making up stories in your head, then it was happening before I can remember. I haven't stopped since.
I think that a person's creativity is something that comes from deep in their souls - it's both thought and feeling combined, and every creator has their own individuality. The more you create and the more you observe and absorb of the world around you, the more that craft becomes refined.
I love reading, music, film and television; I have a keen interest in the topics and themes I write about, so even research is fun and fascinating. Which I think is the key thing - if a writer loves what they do, it bleeds into their work, and their readers will feel that enjoyment too.
I'm currently hard at work on book 5 and am very excited about it. I can't wait to share it with my readers.
Interviewed by Daksh Setia - see the post on Instagram
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Perhaps the greatest difficulty I had to face was overcoming the doubts and anxieties that crept in along the way, the thoughts that I may never finish writing these stories, and persevering through all those doubts to get to the end.
Each of the stories was very clear in my mind, as was the cover art I was searching for and the style I wanted. I worked on the book for eighteen months and didn't stop until it was published.
I wrote it during evenings and weekends around my day job, battling through the exhaustion just to make sure I kept going. I'd recently gone through a relationship breakup, also experiencing some health issues and suffering a family bereavement during writing. For me, this book was about overcoming all of those things and coming through the other side. It was both cathartic and healing.
What is the special thing in Whispers From The Dead Of Night Because of which people need to Read it?
This collection is very special to me for many reasons. It features seven individual stories - my first short story collection after previously publishing a novel and two novellas. While all primarily horror stories, they are each a blend of multiple genres, including crime thriller, gothic romance and mystery. I like to blend multiple genres and themes into my work.
I loved writing every one of the seven stories and, as a whole, I'm incredibly proud of this collection. Each story is primarily character driven, exploring their relationships and how that impacts the situations in which they find themselves. The stories deal with themes of loss, obsession, love, heartbreak and betrayal, which I think many of us can relate to.
I dedicated the book to my grandfather, who passed away last year. For that reason alone, it will always remain a very special collection to me.
Do You Read Your Book Reviews ? How Do You Deal With Good Or Bad Ones?
I always read my book reviews. I love hearing what readers thought of my work, if they've enjoyed the stories and found they resonated with them.
During a recent blog tour for 'Whispers from the Dead of Night', the book was very well-received and I was completely blown away by the feedback, with multiple 4* and 5* reviews. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who takes the time to read and review my work.
When it comes to anything that may not be so positive, I remind myself that art and entertainment are subjective. Not everyone is going to like everything. Though I am yet to receive an overtly negative review, so I have no doubt it would be disheartening.
What I've found most interesting with reviews for 'Whispers from the Dead of Night' is that different readers have different favourite stories. In fact, I've seen the same stories described as readers' favourite and least favourite. It just goes to show that people's opinions are different and you can't allow it to steer your writing.
What was your best and the worst experience when you decided to publish/write your first book?
The best part of the experience was undoubtedly being able to publish my book. I had still been at school when I completed the first draft - it had then been finished for almost four years and I'd packed it away, imagining the writing dream would have to wait to be revisited later in life. I'd attempted to approach a few agents when I finished school, but continuing this quest hadn't been financially sustainable, especially as I was out of work initially and struggling to even get job interviews as the recession had hit.
Traditional publishing was still widely considered to be the route to follow, and there seemed to still be a lot of negative thinking surrounding indie and self-publishing at the time, something that has thankfully changed since then.
I found it very difficult learning to overcome my perfectionism when it came to editing the book. I lost count of the number of times I proofread it, to the point where I was changing one word for another and then back again in the next read-through. Self-editing is not an easy skill to master, and at twenty-one years old (twenty-two at publication) editing a debut novel, in which you have an emotional connection to every single word, it could at times be very overwhelming.
Hardest of all was shaking off my lack of confidence in myself and the anxiety about sharing my book with the world. I'm not sure those feelings ever fully go away, even with each successive book you write and publish.
How did you develop such a distinctive voice as a writer?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My best estimate is that I was around five years old, but it may even have been sooner than that. If you count making up stories in your head, then it was happening before I can remember. I haven't stopped since.
I think that a person's creativity is something that comes from deep in their souls - it's both thought and feeling combined, and every creator has their own individuality. The more you create and the more you observe and absorb of the world around you, the more that craft becomes refined.
I love reading, music, film and television; I have a keen interest in the topics and themes I write about, so even research is fun and fascinating. Which I think is the key thing - if a writer loves what they do, it bleeds into their work, and their readers will feel that enjoyment too.
I'm currently hard at work on book 5 and am very excited about it. I can't wait to share it with my readers.
Interviewed by Daksh Setia - see the post on Instagram
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Bookstagram Author Interview
1) Please introduce yourself?
Hello! I'm Lee Allen, an author based in South Wales in the UK. I've thus far published five books, the most recent being "Bitten", an erotic horror vampire thriller.
2) When did you first realise that you have an interest in writing and wanted to become an author?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My best estimate is that I was around five years old, but it may even have been sooner than that when I started committing stories to paper. I have always loved books and reading and wanted to be able to create my own too. So, in a way, it feels as if I've always known I wanted to be a writer and I can't point specifically to when it started. But I haven't stopped since.
3) Which genre do you prefer the most to write and according to you which genre do you find difficult to write?
I tend to blend different genres together in my work. People often imagine genre to be neatly divided into boxes, yet there are complex webs of sub-genres and grey areas, stories being much like life itself. Primarily I tend towards the thriller and horror umbrellas, but within that there is so much potential - crime, romance, erotica, sci-fi, psychological, historical, the list goes on. I had a lot of fun mixing different genres when writing my short story collection "Whispers from the Dead of Night".
My new novel, "Bitten", combines erotic thriller, police procedural and gothic horror.
My work tends towards being quite dark, so I think I would probably struggle to write comedy - particularly sitcom or romcom.
4) How long does it take you to complete a book?
It varies from book to book. I was still in school when I wrote my first novel, which took me about two years to complete. My first novella took me a year to write around work, while my second novella took only six months (I was made redundant around that time).
I wrote my short story collection across a period of eighteen months. "Bitten" was already half written by the time I began working on it again just over a year ago, and I took a year to complete it. Both of those books were written around my day job, primarily worked on during evenings and weekends. I would love to be able to work on writing full time in the future - which will then mean more books (or longer books) for my readers!
5) What is the easiest and difficult part for you while writing a book?
I love writing. So, for me, the easiest part is being in the thick of a story, exploring themes and plotting for my characters, being in the midst of writing the next scene, building those images and thoughts and feelings. The characters live inside my head. I love what I write about, so even background research is fun. I feel I have found my vocation with writing and love burying myself in it.
Perhaps what's most difficult is overcoming the doubts and anxieties that creep in along the way, the thoughts that I may never finish writing the story, having to persevere through all those doubts to get to the end. I'm a perfectionist, which sometimes makes it a challenge to even pick up a pen to write the next sentence, through the fear it won't be my best writing. When it comes to editing, it can become quite intense and fraught with anxiety.
6) What was the reaction of your family when you decided to start writing books?
My family have always been very supportive of my writing. It feels like it's been a part of me my entire life - it's who I am - and they have embraced that. The stories may not always be in genres they would choose, but nevertheless they have supported me and are proud of what I've achieved.
One of the things that sticks in my mind is when my grandad, who rarely read fiction, started reading my first book, "Those Crimes of Passion". He said there was far too much sex and violence in it for him. Yet compared to "Bitten", it's remarkably tame! I wonder what on earth he would have made of that - it cannot help but make me smile.
7) Are you planning to launch a new book shortly? If yes, what theme are you deciding to write upon?
I recently launched my new novel, "Bitten", on Valentine's Day. It's the story of a police officer, Holleigh Ryder, and the pursuit of a vampiric serial murderer who strikes on Valentine's Day. It's an erotic thriller, a police procedural and a horror story entwined into one. I've already received positive feedback from readers and am very excited to hear from more!
Beyond "Bitten", I've already started work for my next book, which is in the very early stages at the moment.
8) What are the things that you are interested to do, other than writing ?
I love reading, music, film and television. I have a keen interest in the topics and themes I write about, which makes research fascinating. I believe that's something that is key to writing - if a writer loves what they do, it bleeds into their work, and their readers will feel that enjoyment too.
I also enjoy going to the theatre and cinema, or eating out at a restaurant, at a time when we were able to do those things safely. But I'm frequently a home bird - it's where I feel most relaxed and most productive and my imagination is free to roam in my next book.
Interviewed by Diksha Malik - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Hello! I'm Lee Allen, an author based in South Wales in the UK. I've thus far published five books, the most recent being "Bitten", an erotic horror vampire thriller.
2) When did you first realise that you have an interest in writing and wanted to become an author?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My best estimate is that I was around five years old, but it may even have been sooner than that when I started committing stories to paper. I have always loved books and reading and wanted to be able to create my own too. So, in a way, it feels as if I've always known I wanted to be a writer and I can't point specifically to when it started. But I haven't stopped since.
3) Which genre do you prefer the most to write and according to you which genre do you find difficult to write?
I tend to blend different genres together in my work. People often imagine genre to be neatly divided into boxes, yet there are complex webs of sub-genres and grey areas, stories being much like life itself. Primarily I tend towards the thriller and horror umbrellas, but within that there is so much potential - crime, romance, erotica, sci-fi, psychological, historical, the list goes on. I had a lot of fun mixing different genres when writing my short story collection "Whispers from the Dead of Night".
My new novel, "Bitten", combines erotic thriller, police procedural and gothic horror.
My work tends towards being quite dark, so I think I would probably struggle to write comedy - particularly sitcom or romcom.
4) How long does it take you to complete a book?
It varies from book to book. I was still in school when I wrote my first novel, which took me about two years to complete. My first novella took me a year to write around work, while my second novella took only six months (I was made redundant around that time).
I wrote my short story collection across a period of eighteen months. "Bitten" was already half written by the time I began working on it again just over a year ago, and I took a year to complete it. Both of those books were written around my day job, primarily worked on during evenings and weekends. I would love to be able to work on writing full time in the future - which will then mean more books (or longer books) for my readers!
5) What is the easiest and difficult part for you while writing a book?
I love writing. So, for me, the easiest part is being in the thick of a story, exploring themes and plotting for my characters, being in the midst of writing the next scene, building those images and thoughts and feelings. The characters live inside my head. I love what I write about, so even background research is fun. I feel I have found my vocation with writing and love burying myself in it.
Perhaps what's most difficult is overcoming the doubts and anxieties that creep in along the way, the thoughts that I may never finish writing the story, having to persevere through all those doubts to get to the end. I'm a perfectionist, which sometimes makes it a challenge to even pick up a pen to write the next sentence, through the fear it won't be my best writing. When it comes to editing, it can become quite intense and fraught with anxiety.
6) What was the reaction of your family when you decided to start writing books?
My family have always been very supportive of my writing. It feels like it's been a part of me my entire life - it's who I am - and they have embraced that. The stories may not always be in genres they would choose, but nevertheless they have supported me and are proud of what I've achieved.
One of the things that sticks in my mind is when my grandad, who rarely read fiction, started reading my first book, "Those Crimes of Passion". He said there was far too much sex and violence in it for him. Yet compared to "Bitten", it's remarkably tame! I wonder what on earth he would have made of that - it cannot help but make me smile.
7) Are you planning to launch a new book shortly? If yes, what theme are you deciding to write upon?
I recently launched my new novel, "Bitten", on Valentine's Day. It's the story of a police officer, Holleigh Ryder, and the pursuit of a vampiric serial murderer who strikes on Valentine's Day. It's an erotic thriller, a police procedural and a horror story entwined into one. I've already received positive feedback from readers and am very excited to hear from more!
Beyond "Bitten", I've already started work for my next book, which is in the very early stages at the moment.
8) What are the things that you are interested to do, other than writing ?
I love reading, music, film and television. I have a keen interest in the topics and themes I write about, which makes research fascinating. I believe that's something that is key to writing - if a writer loves what they do, it bleeds into their work, and their readers will feel that enjoyment too.
I also enjoy going to the theatre and cinema, or eating out at a restaurant, at a time when we were able to do those things safely. But I'm frequently a home bird - it's where I feel most relaxed and most productive and my imagination is free to roam in my next book.
Interviewed by Diksha Malik - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Bookstagram Author Interview
1. Does writing energise or exhaust you?
Both, undoubtedly! Sometimes simultaneously. I love writing and researching and building my plots and characters. I can sometimes spend hours drafting scenes and writing notes. There are other times when I can barely manage the next sentence - though I believe this is often due to external factors or on days when I've allowed doubts and anxieties to creep in. Overall, I feel happiest when I'm writing and getting into the next scene always makes me feel happy and relaxed.
2. Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
I think perhaps ego may have the same impact for writers as it would in any area of your life or in any profession - if it gets too big, it'll get in the way; but it also needs to be big enough to allow for self-belief and self-confidence.
For writers, it's necessary for us to get inside the heads of our characters. We require a huge amount of empathy along with our imaginations. I suppose one's own ego being too big could get in the way of that. Equally, when you're writing, it's just you. If you don't believe in yourself and your writing, no one else is going to do it for you.
When it comes to putting your work out into the world, you need to have the confidence to do it. So perhaps you need to at least be able to fake it! I suppose we are good at making things up.
3. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
I think emotion plays a huge role in any creative artistic process, but it depends on what you may be writing. For me, empathy and imagination are vitally important in writing fiction, as it must be with many areas of non-fiction, poetry, music - particularly if you want to create authentic and believable characters. It's probably particularly important in genre-fiction, as the events and plots you describe may be rare, unusual or fantastical. If the characters aren't realistic, you run the risk of losing the reader.
I believe if you can connect to a character's thoughts and emotions, you can let them drive your story and your readers will connect with them, and in turn their stories will resonate. As a reader, I most enjoy those stories where I feel I've connected with the characters. As a writer, I strive to do the same for my readers.
4. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
So far, everything I've written is a standalone, but while characters may not crossover, there are common themes between some stories. It may come to a point where characters will crossover at certain times or in certain places. I'm also planning for some characters to return in the future. There may be some sequels in the works, but I'm not ready to share what they may be quite yet!
5. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I always read my book reviews. I love hearing what readers thought of my work, if they've enjoyed the stories and found they resonated with them. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who takes the time to read and review my work.
When it comes to anything that may not be so positive, I remind myself that art and entertainment are subjective. Not everyone is going to like everything. Though I am yet to receive an overtly negative review, so I have no doubt it would be disheartening.
What I've found most interesting with reviews for my short story collection, “Whispers from the Dead of Night”, is that different readers have different favourite stories. In fact, I've seen the same stories described as readers' favourites and least favourites. It just goes to show that people's opinions are different and you can't allow it to steer your writing.
Feedback for “Bitten” has been very positive so far, and I'm very excited to hear more of what readers think.
6. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
I find it very difficult learning to overcome my perfectionism, particularly when it comes to editing. It can, at times, be very overwhelming and wrought with anxiety.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty is in overcoming the doubts and anxieties that creep in along the way - thoughts that I may never finish writing the story; persevering through all those doubts to get to the end. Once it's complete, it's then about summoning the confidence to release it!
It is the feedback from readers that keeps me going. On days I'm not sure of myself, it's their comments about how much they have enjoyed my work that help me put aside the doubts and keep on writing.
7. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have several plots and scenes for multiple books floating around at any given time, all of which I intend to return to. As for books I've already started, there are two that are currently unfinished. They've not been abandoned, just postponed.
"Bitten" was one such half-finished book when I chose to concentrate on "Whispers from the Dead of Night" in September 2018. Following its release, I returned to "Bitten" last year.
As for completed books, I have two stories for children that remain unpublished. I hope to share them one day. In the meantime, I have begun working on book six.
Interviewed by Tanmay Mehta - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Both, undoubtedly! Sometimes simultaneously. I love writing and researching and building my plots and characters. I can sometimes spend hours drafting scenes and writing notes. There are other times when I can barely manage the next sentence - though I believe this is often due to external factors or on days when I've allowed doubts and anxieties to creep in. Overall, I feel happiest when I'm writing and getting into the next scene always makes me feel happy and relaxed.
2. Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
I think perhaps ego may have the same impact for writers as it would in any area of your life or in any profession - if it gets too big, it'll get in the way; but it also needs to be big enough to allow for self-belief and self-confidence.
For writers, it's necessary for us to get inside the heads of our characters. We require a huge amount of empathy along with our imaginations. I suppose one's own ego being too big could get in the way of that. Equally, when you're writing, it's just you. If you don't believe in yourself and your writing, no one else is going to do it for you.
When it comes to putting your work out into the world, you need to have the confidence to do it. So perhaps you need to at least be able to fake it! I suppose we are good at making things up.
3. Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
I think emotion plays a huge role in any creative artistic process, but it depends on what you may be writing. For me, empathy and imagination are vitally important in writing fiction, as it must be with many areas of non-fiction, poetry, music - particularly if you want to create authentic and believable characters. It's probably particularly important in genre-fiction, as the events and plots you describe may be rare, unusual or fantastical. If the characters aren't realistic, you run the risk of losing the reader.
I believe if you can connect to a character's thoughts and emotions, you can let them drive your story and your readers will connect with them, and in turn their stories will resonate. As a reader, I most enjoy those stories where I feel I've connected with the characters. As a writer, I strive to do the same for my readers.
4. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
So far, everything I've written is a standalone, but while characters may not crossover, there are common themes between some stories. It may come to a point where characters will crossover at certain times or in certain places. I'm also planning for some characters to return in the future. There may be some sequels in the works, but I'm not ready to share what they may be quite yet!
5. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I always read my book reviews. I love hearing what readers thought of my work, if they've enjoyed the stories and found they resonated with them. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who takes the time to read and review my work.
When it comes to anything that may not be so positive, I remind myself that art and entertainment are subjective. Not everyone is going to like everything. Though I am yet to receive an overtly negative review, so I have no doubt it would be disheartening.
What I've found most interesting with reviews for my short story collection, “Whispers from the Dead of Night”, is that different readers have different favourite stories. In fact, I've seen the same stories described as readers' favourites and least favourites. It just goes to show that people's opinions are different and you can't allow it to steer your writing.
Feedback for “Bitten” has been very positive so far, and I'm very excited to hear more of what readers think.
6. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
I find it very difficult learning to overcome my perfectionism, particularly when it comes to editing. It can, at times, be very overwhelming and wrought with anxiety.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty is in overcoming the doubts and anxieties that creep in along the way - thoughts that I may never finish writing the story; persevering through all those doubts to get to the end. Once it's complete, it's then about summoning the confidence to release it!
It is the feedback from readers that keeps me going. On days I'm not sure of myself, it's their comments about how much they have enjoyed my work that help me put aside the doubts and keep on writing.
7. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have several plots and scenes for multiple books floating around at any given time, all of which I intend to return to. As for books I've already started, there are two that are currently unfinished. They've not been abandoned, just postponed.
"Bitten" was one such half-finished book when I chose to concentrate on "Whispers from the Dead of Night" in September 2018. Following its release, I returned to "Bitten" last year.
As for completed books, I have two stories for children that remain unpublished. I hope to share them one day. In the meantime, I have begun working on book six.
Interviewed by Tanmay Mehta - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Bookstagram Author Interview
1. What does literary success look like to you?
It's something I've often considered - as I'm not sure what the measurement should be. Should it simply be by number of books published? Critical acclaim or commercial success? Topping a bestseller list or being able to stay at the top? Maybe it's longevity and building a body of work, one that becomes a legacy. I'm not sure of the answer, but then that's looking at it from the outside.
For me personally, success is simply for a reader to enjoy my work. For just one reader to have said they love my book, then all of that hard work has paid off. It turns my personal achievement into a success.
2. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I usually research the next book's themes in detail before I start, while I then continue to research throughout writing, finally often double-checking details during redrafting. A lot of that research may have no direct impact on the plot or characters, or some research may only influence a small section - perhaps just a sentence. But I think context and authenticity are both very important to a story. Plus it gives me an excuse to order another pile of books for my non-fiction and reference library!
3. If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Well, writing isn't actually my day job. I currently work as a project manager and have done various planning and administrative based jobs. I work on my books around my day job.
Back when I was in school, I was planning to study and train to become a psychologist, specifically a forensic psychologist. I think if I wasn't on the writing path, I'd be working within a forensic or legal role.
4. How do you select the names of your characters?
Sometimes they come immediately when I think of a character; sometimes their name doesn't come until I begin to physically write the story. Perhaps I'll try out a few name ideas while I'm plotting to see whether it fits or not. Some of my main characters originally had different names, but they didn't feel right, so I thought about different names until I found the right one. Maybe it's a bit like naming your children. You think about a lot of names and maybe have a few preferences, or even think you've picked one - but when you finally meet them, you just know which name is for them.
5. What was your hardest scene to write?
It's an interesting question, but I'd have to say I haven't really found any scenes difficult to write. When I'm writing, I'm in the moment and in the heads of the characters driving those scenes.
The difficulty may come when you read the scenes afterwards. I remember when I read back a particularly violent scene towards the end of my first novel, 'Those Crimes of Passion', which was uncomfortable to visualise. There's also a traumatic memory that comes to the surface in my novella 'Alone' that comes to mind.
However, I find hard scenes very positive. I want to get them right, which brings with it challenges. If they might be difficult to read back, it suggests I've achieved it. Some things should always be difficult to write or to read - I think the danger is in us becoming too desensitised.
6. What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
I'm not sure I can point to a particular experience, but from an early age stories had a profound effect on me. I have loved books and reading for as long as I can remember. I've known I wanted to write from a very young age. Perhaps it's the power of stories rather than language that first influenced me.
I think an appreciation of the power of language is something you develop across a period of years - the ability it has to tell those stories, and has had for millennia. No matter the specific language - be that cravings on cave walls all the way through to our plethora of modern languages - it has been a medium to communicate those stories in a way that people understand, empathise with and relate to. Everything and everyone is a story - I think that's where the power lies and is the reason we will always be in love with them.
7. Do you try more to be original or to deliver what readers want?
I think most writers, or artists in general, probably strive to achieve both simultaneously. If you consider any piece of work that's considered someone's masterpiece, it's been original, compelling and popular.
However, when I'm working on a book, I don't allow either to drive me. I get lost in the story and my characters and try to tell it in the best way I can. I expect if you were to worry too much about delivering something original or how many glowing reviews you might get or striving to write a bestseller, it's not going to work.
The story and characters come first and, when it comes to the later stages and finally releasing it, you hope it's the best piece of work you could have produced at that time. It's the readers who will decide how it's received.
Interviewed by A Limitless Reader - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
It's something I've often considered - as I'm not sure what the measurement should be. Should it simply be by number of books published? Critical acclaim or commercial success? Topping a bestseller list or being able to stay at the top? Maybe it's longevity and building a body of work, one that becomes a legacy. I'm not sure of the answer, but then that's looking at it from the outside.
For me personally, success is simply for a reader to enjoy my work. For just one reader to have said they love my book, then all of that hard work has paid off. It turns my personal achievement into a success.
2. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I usually research the next book's themes in detail before I start, while I then continue to research throughout writing, finally often double-checking details during redrafting. A lot of that research may have no direct impact on the plot or characters, or some research may only influence a small section - perhaps just a sentence. But I think context and authenticity are both very important to a story. Plus it gives me an excuse to order another pile of books for my non-fiction and reference library!
3. If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Well, writing isn't actually my day job. I currently work as a project manager and have done various planning and administrative based jobs. I work on my books around my day job.
Back when I was in school, I was planning to study and train to become a psychologist, specifically a forensic psychologist. I think if I wasn't on the writing path, I'd be working within a forensic or legal role.
4. How do you select the names of your characters?
Sometimes they come immediately when I think of a character; sometimes their name doesn't come until I begin to physically write the story. Perhaps I'll try out a few name ideas while I'm plotting to see whether it fits or not. Some of my main characters originally had different names, but they didn't feel right, so I thought about different names until I found the right one. Maybe it's a bit like naming your children. You think about a lot of names and maybe have a few preferences, or even think you've picked one - but when you finally meet them, you just know which name is for them.
5. What was your hardest scene to write?
It's an interesting question, but I'd have to say I haven't really found any scenes difficult to write. When I'm writing, I'm in the moment and in the heads of the characters driving those scenes.
The difficulty may come when you read the scenes afterwards. I remember when I read back a particularly violent scene towards the end of my first novel, 'Those Crimes of Passion', which was uncomfortable to visualise. There's also a traumatic memory that comes to the surface in my novella 'Alone' that comes to mind.
However, I find hard scenes very positive. I want to get them right, which brings with it challenges. If they might be difficult to read back, it suggests I've achieved it. Some things should always be difficult to write or to read - I think the danger is in us becoming too desensitised.
6. What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
I'm not sure I can point to a particular experience, but from an early age stories had a profound effect on me. I have loved books and reading for as long as I can remember. I've known I wanted to write from a very young age. Perhaps it's the power of stories rather than language that first influenced me.
I think an appreciation of the power of language is something you develop across a period of years - the ability it has to tell those stories, and has had for millennia. No matter the specific language - be that cravings on cave walls all the way through to our plethora of modern languages - it has been a medium to communicate those stories in a way that people understand, empathise with and relate to. Everything and everyone is a story - I think that's where the power lies and is the reason we will always be in love with them.
7. Do you try more to be original or to deliver what readers want?
I think most writers, or artists in general, probably strive to achieve both simultaneously. If you consider any piece of work that's considered someone's masterpiece, it's been original, compelling and popular.
However, when I'm working on a book, I don't allow either to drive me. I get lost in the story and my characters and try to tell it in the best way I can. I expect if you were to worry too much about delivering something original or how many glowing reviews you might get or striving to write a bestseller, it's not going to work.
The story and characters come first and, when it comes to the later stages and finally releasing it, you hope it's the best piece of work you could have produced at that time. It's the readers who will decide how it's received.
Interviewed by A Limitless Reader - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Bookstagram Author Interview
1) When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My best estimate is that I was around five years old, but it may even have been sooner than that when I started committing stories to paper. I have always loved books and reading and wanted to be able to create my own too. So, in a way, it feels as if I've always known I wanted to be a writer and I can't point specifically to when it started. But I haven't stopped since.
2) What do you like most about your book?
I recently launched my new book, "Bitten", on Valentine's Day this year. It's the story of a police officer, Holleigh Ryder, and the pursuit of a vampiric serial murderer who strikes on Valentine's Day. It's an erotic thriller, a police procedural and a horror story entwined into one.
I worked very hard on this book and am very happy with the end result. As for what I like best, I'm not sure. I love vampires and I love police procedurals, erotic thrillers, gothic horror stories - so all these elements either separately or combined may be high on the list.
3) How long does it take you to write a book?
It varies from book to book. I was still in school when I wrote my first novel, which took me about two years to complete. My first novella took me just under a year to write around work, while my second novella took only six months (I was made redundant around that time).
I wrote my short story collection across a period of eighteen months. "Bitten" was already half written by the time I began working on it again just over a year ago, and I took a year to complete it. Both of those books were written around my day job, primarily worked on during evenings and weekends.
I would love to be able to work on writing full time in the future - which will then mean more books (or longer books) for my readers!
4) Where did you get your information ord ideas for books?
I find inspiration in many places. My stories usually start with a scene, a plot element, a character or a theme that begins flourishing in my mind, usually linking with other ideas that have come to me in the same way. I may start taking notes and developing the idea on paper at this stage, or I may just keep it in my mind for the time being and see if it can lead somewhere.
I read a lot, both fiction and non-fiction - books, magazines, articles and more; I also love film, television, music. Perhaps I may hear a song and the lyrics or music spark something or speak of an emotion I want to write about. Or I may overhear a conversation and take one sentence and let my imagination work on it. Many of these things may never reach the page or go beyond something that danced in my mind just for today, but others will link with existing ideas or inspire new ones.
Ultimately, a wide range of fragments coalesce to the point where I feel I have the beginnings of a story that I feel impelled to write.
I usually research the next book's themes in detail before I start, while continuing to research more minor elements throughout writing, often then double-checking details during redrafting. A lot of that research may ultimately have no direct impact on the plot or characters, or some research may only influence a small section - perhaps just a sentence. But I think context and authenticity are both very important to a story. Plus it gives me an excuse to order another pile of books for my non-fiction and reference library!
5) How would you review your book as a reader?
Now, that is a challenging question! I'm sure I would review it in much the same way as I do the books of others - highlighting the things that made the book enjoyable for me (you can subscribe to my Goodreads blog or follow me on Instagram @leeallenauthor for book recommendations).
For "Bitten", I'm sure I would be highlighting the same things as I reader that I like most about the book as its writer, hopefully with one notable addition - that the twists were well-plotted and that there was a shock or surprise or two.
6) What do you do when you are not writing?
I love reading, music, film and television. I have a keen interest in the topics and themes I write about, which makes research fascinating. I believe that's something that is key to writing - if a writer loves what they do, it bleeds into their work, and their readers will feel that enjoyment too.
I also enjoy going to the theatre and cinema, or eating out at a restaurant, at a time when we were able to do those things safely. But I'm frequently a home bird - it's where I feel most relaxed and most productive and my imagination is free to roam in my next book.
7) Have you ever received negative feedback for your book? How did you deal with it?
I actually just recently received my very first negative review. I'll admit I felt pretty disappointed by some of the comments and insinuations included in that particular review. Perhaps what cut the most about it was it felt as if the reviewer wanted to twist the knife, going out of their way to be negative.
But I try not to take it to heart. People don't all enjoy the same things. If you don't enjoy something, then don't read it. I write for the people who do enjoy my work.
On a lighter note, you probably haven't done an erotic horror thriller right if you don't manage to offend someone! Controversy can be as effective as glowing reviews in some ways I suppose.
8) What is the next topic you will choose for another book?
I'm not quite ready to share too much about what I'm currently working on yet.
But what I will say is that it's another horror thriller that will appeal to fans of my previous books "Whispers from the Dead of Night" and "The Jack O'Lantern Men". Something dark and unexplained is lurking in the shadows!
9) Words to all the book readers.
Thank you to everyone who has read my books and to everyone who is planning to pick up my latest book, "Bitten". I hope you will enjoy it!
Interviewed by Karma Book Blog - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My best estimate is that I was around five years old, but it may even have been sooner than that when I started committing stories to paper. I have always loved books and reading and wanted to be able to create my own too. So, in a way, it feels as if I've always known I wanted to be a writer and I can't point specifically to when it started. But I haven't stopped since.
2) What do you like most about your book?
I recently launched my new book, "Bitten", on Valentine's Day this year. It's the story of a police officer, Holleigh Ryder, and the pursuit of a vampiric serial murderer who strikes on Valentine's Day. It's an erotic thriller, a police procedural and a horror story entwined into one.
I worked very hard on this book and am very happy with the end result. As for what I like best, I'm not sure. I love vampires and I love police procedurals, erotic thrillers, gothic horror stories - so all these elements either separately or combined may be high on the list.
3) How long does it take you to write a book?
It varies from book to book. I was still in school when I wrote my first novel, which took me about two years to complete. My first novella took me just under a year to write around work, while my second novella took only six months (I was made redundant around that time).
I wrote my short story collection across a period of eighteen months. "Bitten" was already half written by the time I began working on it again just over a year ago, and I took a year to complete it. Both of those books were written around my day job, primarily worked on during evenings and weekends.
I would love to be able to work on writing full time in the future - which will then mean more books (or longer books) for my readers!
4) Where did you get your information ord ideas for books?
I find inspiration in many places. My stories usually start with a scene, a plot element, a character or a theme that begins flourishing in my mind, usually linking with other ideas that have come to me in the same way. I may start taking notes and developing the idea on paper at this stage, or I may just keep it in my mind for the time being and see if it can lead somewhere.
I read a lot, both fiction and non-fiction - books, magazines, articles and more; I also love film, television, music. Perhaps I may hear a song and the lyrics or music spark something or speak of an emotion I want to write about. Or I may overhear a conversation and take one sentence and let my imagination work on it. Many of these things may never reach the page or go beyond something that danced in my mind just for today, but others will link with existing ideas or inspire new ones.
Ultimately, a wide range of fragments coalesce to the point where I feel I have the beginnings of a story that I feel impelled to write.
I usually research the next book's themes in detail before I start, while continuing to research more minor elements throughout writing, often then double-checking details during redrafting. A lot of that research may ultimately have no direct impact on the plot or characters, or some research may only influence a small section - perhaps just a sentence. But I think context and authenticity are both very important to a story. Plus it gives me an excuse to order another pile of books for my non-fiction and reference library!
5) How would you review your book as a reader?
Now, that is a challenging question! I'm sure I would review it in much the same way as I do the books of others - highlighting the things that made the book enjoyable for me (you can subscribe to my Goodreads blog or follow me on Instagram @leeallenauthor for book recommendations).
For "Bitten", I'm sure I would be highlighting the same things as I reader that I like most about the book as its writer, hopefully with one notable addition - that the twists were well-plotted and that there was a shock or surprise or two.
6) What do you do when you are not writing?
I love reading, music, film and television. I have a keen interest in the topics and themes I write about, which makes research fascinating. I believe that's something that is key to writing - if a writer loves what they do, it bleeds into their work, and their readers will feel that enjoyment too.
I also enjoy going to the theatre and cinema, or eating out at a restaurant, at a time when we were able to do those things safely. But I'm frequently a home bird - it's where I feel most relaxed and most productive and my imagination is free to roam in my next book.
7) Have you ever received negative feedback for your book? How did you deal with it?
I actually just recently received my very first negative review. I'll admit I felt pretty disappointed by some of the comments and insinuations included in that particular review. Perhaps what cut the most about it was it felt as if the reviewer wanted to twist the knife, going out of their way to be negative.
But I try not to take it to heart. People don't all enjoy the same things. If you don't enjoy something, then don't read it. I write for the people who do enjoy my work.
On a lighter note, you probably haven't done an erotic horror thriller right if you don't manage to offend someone! Controversy can be as effective as glowing reviews in some ways I suppose.
8) What is the next topic you will choose for another book?
I'm not quite ready to share too much about what I'm currently working on yet.
But what I will say is that it's another horror thriller that will appeal to fans of my previous books "Whispers from the Dead of Night" and "The Jack O'Lantern Men". Something dark and unexplained is lurking in the shadows!
9) Words to all the book readers.
Thank you to everyone who has read my books and to everyone who is planning to pick up my latest book, "Bitten". I hope you will enjoy it!
Interviewed by Karma Book Blog - see the post on Instagram.
Order Bitten from Amazon, Lulu.com, and Barnes & Noble.
View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
New Author Interview
It was my great pleasure to be interviewed by fellow author Sara Louisa and to be the first to appear on her blog as part of her new author interview series.
Read our full interview on Sara Louisa's website.
You can also follow her Goodreads blog and check out her profile, where you can learn more about her books.
Thank you, Sara Louisa, for this interview and the opportunity to appear on your fantastic blog as part of your new author interview series.
Don't forget you can pre-order my brand new short story Will o' the Wisp on Amazon now!
Just four more weeks 'til Hallowe'en!
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Read our full interview on Sara Louisa's website.
You can also follow her Goodreads blog and check out her profile, where you can learn more about her books.
Thank you, Sara Louisa, for this interview and the opportunity to appear on your fantastic blog as part of your new author interview series.
Don't forget you can pre-order my brand new short story Will o' the Wisp on Amazon now!
Just four more weeks 'til Hallowe'en!
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
