- What is your “day” job if you are not a full time author?
I am an editor. So if I’m not reading or writing books, I’m editing them. I exclusively freelance, and have been doing so from the beginning of my career in 2017, when I graduated from Plymouth University, UK, and decided that working for myself, building a business, and owning my work-life balance was the right path for me. I’m quite an independent person, and I love the business side, as well as connecting with other authors, reading genres I love for a living (fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and poetry), and having more control over my life.
- If you wrote a book about your life what would the title be?
Anxiety, Ice Cream, and Me.
I’ve suffered from anxiety attacks and panic attacks for as long as I can remember, though I didn’t fully understand what they were when I was younger, and if I ever wrote an autobiography, I’d love to paint a more accurate picture of living with an anxiety disorder, since a lot of people confuse feeling anxious with having anxiety, and it tends to lead to people assuming having anxiety isn’t that big of a deal. But it can really impede your life and control your choices if you let it.
- What is the hardest and best thing about being an author?
Being an author doesn’t feel like hard work. It certainly has its moments. But it’s an amazing privilege. Writing is something I love doing, and I can’t not come up with stories, worlds, and characters—it’s something my brain does naturally—so writing them down just sounded like fun. As it turns out, I love words, too, and have a penchant for messing with style and readability and tone while trying to provide the best effect for the reader. For example, my latest release, The Fifth Horseman, uses first person present tense as a way to provide a stream-of-consciousness style, since the main character doesn’t have a name or remember who they are.
- What book changed your life?
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. This was the first real book I read after I got out of the Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson phase, and I instantly fell in love with the words floating off the page and into my imagination, the fantastical story, and the beautiful characters. It was both thrilling and beautiful, and I remember falling apart at the ending of the final book (no spoilers here), which likely fueled my love of emotional endings. This books started my love of reading, my obsession over words and how to construct them to provide more meaning that original definition, and complex, in-depth characters. I wouldn’t be a writer, editor, or reader if not for this series.
- What were some of your favorite books growing up?
I already mentioned His Dark Materials, but I’m also a huge Harry Potter nerd, loved Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine, and am still obsessed with the Skullduggery Pleasant books by Derek Landy. They’re so much fun!
- What books are currently in your to be read pile?
My TBR pile is out of control. Seriously, I need help! I have the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead that I still haven’t read, despite having owned them for a number of years. I’m also dying to dig into the latest Not Quite book in Kaye Draper’s series, try out Tate James’s Arbon Academy trilogy, and delve into the foray that is Brandon Sanderson by trying the Mistborn series as a good starting place.
- Which do you prefer ebooks, print, or audio books?
I don’t like audiobooks; they just aren’t for me. I prefer my own pace and reading voice. But I read both ebooks and print books. I collect books and currently have around 400 on my shelves, but I spend a lot of time reading ebooks due to the cheaper costs, authors typically earning more from them, and the ease of access. Typically, I read the ebooks, and if I liked it, I buy it in paperback. This cuts down the number of paperbacks I have to buy, as I only buy ones I’ve already liked. Unless they have a pretty cover, then I’ll just them anyway.
- If you could live inside the world of a book or series which world would it be and why?
Lots of the worlds I read about are quite horrific places, and I don’t think I’d like many of them. But I’m torn between the Wizarding World and Narnia. I like the idea of learning to do magic and living in a world as imaginative as Harry Potter (so long as you’re not friends with Harry Potter himself, as then you might end up in danger), but I also like the childlike nature of Narnia, the beauty of that world, and the total lack of realism and believability. It would be like living in a dream.
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