Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "those-crimes-of-passion"
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. 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
