Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly

Name three interesting facts about yourself:

1. I idolise the film Labyrinth (1986). I’ve collected numerous amounts of merchandising over the years. Things range from figurines to books to numerous copies of the film. The most expensive piece was the novelisation of the film and was around £40 online. It’s still in the plastic wrapper on my bookshelf.

2. I met Wil Francis in the summer of 2010. He’s a musician and fronts Aiden and William Control. I met him before and after the gig with a friend before staying overnight at a hotel. When we went downstairs the next morning, he was sat having breakfast! I was so startled, but on the plus side, it meant having breakfast with my idol!

3. My name is Greek for “life”. Since discovering this as a child, I became fascinated with mythology and legends. I’ve travelled to various islands on holiday, taking in all the historic aspects. This fascination led me to write my first full novel based upon the Greek nymphs for university.

What made you want to be a writer?

Since I was a child, I always loved books and when it came to writing short stories for school, that spurned it further. I remember writing about a superhero rabbit, who lived in an old aircraft hangar with a talking potato… Yeah I was a weird kid.

I decided to become a professional writer when I started a relationship, with my partner. We watched a lot of anime, namely Bleach, which focused on shinigami’s (Death God’s in Japan). I started thinking about the non-canon characters and putting them into ridiculous situations and having love affairs. He spurned my desire to write – to give them as gifts to him.

His passion and drive, along with mine led me to apply for a BA (Hons) Degree in Professional Writing, where I learnt how to harness my own imagination. Since then, I have had success, and my partner has continued to hold onto me and keep me upright throughout.

What motivates you to write?

Once I start a project, I push myself to write it all, and then of course, edit it. Music is a big motivation and when I’m stuck on a chapter, I’ll search for a song that fits the chapter. Those lyrics propel me through and motivates me to have another chapter to write, or another book.

Family is a big motivation too. They’re all asking about my working so they motivate me to keep on writing and make them proud of me.

Do you have a particular writing process?

When it comes to my writing, I don’t set myself a specific time slot. However, I set myself word limits, almost like a deadline. If this is a chapter or a scene, I will try to write at least 1,000 words a day. If I can reach over this mark, it has been time well spent, even if I don’t essentially know where it will eventually take me.

How do you manage the deadly problem that is writers block?

I hate writers block, especially if I’m working on a specific project. I felt lucky that I barely ever got it whilst at university. Since finishing my degree, it seems that the blocks are back with a vengeance.

When I’m stuck, more ideas usually flow, so I jot those down, and reading other books helps too, whether it’s in the genre I write or not.

What is a piece of writing advice that you will always remember?

Three years at university gave me stacks of writing advice, but one that stands out is not from the tutors, even though they helped me become the person I am today.

J. K. Rowling said, “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” Not only can that be true for writing and getting your work published, but it can also be used in reality.

What is the most influential book you have ever read, and why do you think so?

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, hands down. It was such a beautiful novel, so rich in detail, whilst still retaining a wonderful story. It really changed my opinion on historical novels. While it’s nothing something I usually write, I love it.

Have you ever derived any inspiration from your home or from anywhere you have visited?

Inspiration has come from my hometown. I take its various features and meld them into a new place, all of my own.

I often take inspiration from other locations. When I visited Kos, Greece, for a holiday, I decided to write about Greek nymphs. This was my Final Major Project at university.

Your first major publication is Best Served Chilled. Have you had any publications prior to this?

Pawprints on a Heart was the first short story that was published, and it was through Crowded Quarantine Publications. They also published my Grindhouse short, Darkest Dreams.

MWiDP published my erotic short, Ten Years Later.

Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly published two of my short stories in the Dark Light series: I Believe in Mary Worth and Fallen Angel.

Vamptasy Publishing also recently published Heaven’s Calling in Broken Mirrors, Fractured Minds.

What is Best Served Chilled about? It certainly sounds interesting!

“What would you give to make it stop?”

Life hasn’t been easy for Hiraku Michiyo. Struggling with the misery that dwells in her past and her present, she’s spending more time with a wine glass than real friends. One night, she meets the charismatic, Shoichi. Intrigued and a little frightened, she invites him home.

Yet little does she realise that the real horrors are just beginning. And escape is certainly not at the bottom of any bottle.

What drove you to write about the paranormal?

I’ve always been interested in the paranormal, ever since reading the Harry Potter series as a kid. I still love those books with a passion. My mum would always pick up paranormal, fantasy and horror books from the library for me. A big influence on how and what I write was the third Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter book, Circus of the Damned by Laurell K. Hamilton. I was hooked on this badass female protagonist, who hunted vampires and raised zombies. It was a sexy read, especially this sort of forbidden romance with werewolves and vampires.

The paranormal is a genre that, to me, is sexy, powerful and masterful. The genres takes everything that we want to be deep down, especially if we are too scared or ashamed to actually do something about it. The creatures we see and experience can fight for anything and take what they want without giving a damn. We can broadcast our own views and thoughts into these creatures of horror. We can be terrifying, sexy, alluring – everything we aren’t able to be in reality.

What does the future hold for you as a writer?

I’m currently working on the sequel to Best Served Chilled. It’s so far entitled Best Consumed Within, and then I’ll be working on the last book in the trilogy. Hiraku’s story will be over…

After that, there are hundreds of projects I want to work on, and as long as those ideas keep flowing, I will keep on writing.