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
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