I have a very talented lady here today to tell us all about her new dystopian fiction novel, The Willing. Her name is Lindsay Lees.
Enjoy the interview!
First, find out more about Lindsay and her hot new book...
Lindsay Lees is originally from Los Angeles and holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, and while growing up and later in college, she split her time between the two countries. Lindsay earned a B.A. in 2008 from Manchester Metropolitan University, and next an M.F.A.in Creative Writing from California College of the Arts.
As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books. Can you tell us how you got the idea to write your book?
I got the idea to write my story by witnessing the treatment of women around the world. Not only the negative treatment but also the way women respond to various societal norms. I considered the views on utopian societies and how a utopia could actually exist and what cost that would come at. I took inspiration from various cultures and juxtaposed it to Western society. I wanted to write a story that was satirical in nature but terrifying in practice.
Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?
Gypsy and Sadie are sisters but couldn’t be any different in their belief systems. Yet they share a respect and love for one another that unites them through adversity. Gypsy is a rebel and self-righteous in her convictions. Sadie is compliant and discerning. She weighs up the advantages to her situation and reaps the benefits.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?
I would tell myself to have more faith in God. He is the one who truly inspired me to write in the first place and gave me the ability to develop my craft. It took me a while to accept that all Glory was due to Him.
What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?
I love handwriting. I write my first drafts by hand and prefer to take notes and outline in a notebook.
Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?
I don’t hear from my readers as much as I’d like. Regardless if the feedback is positive or negative I’d like to know readers perceptions of the story it can reveal a lot about what people’s triggers are and whether they can fully articulate their feelings.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
I’ve been told that I’m not great at developing paragraphs but that my ability to write dialogue makes me talented. It was more of a backhanded compliment.
What has been your best accomplishment?
Publishing this novel has been the most challenging and long-lasting accomplishment I’ve made to date. It took almost nine years to complete and I had to accomplish a lot of other things in order to achieve this point.
Do you Google yourself?
No. But as I’m trying to attract more readers to my website and interest in my novel I probably will just to see what sort of traction I’m getting.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have one unpublished novel. My first big project based on my experience growing up in an addict family system. It’s called Twelve Steps Backwards and I do have dreams of seeing it published one day but no set plan on making that happen as of yet.
Fun question – if you were princess or prince, what’s one thing you would do to make your kingdom a better place?
If I were a princess I’d want everyone in my kingdom to feel valued and to work hard for their own benefits. No one would live off welfare. Family values would be rewarded. I’d want people to grow their own food and live off the land.
Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?
I just want to express my gratitude and appreciation to
those readers who have chosen to give an indie publisher a chance. There’s
still a lot of stigma around self-published authors so it’s an honor that you’ve
chosen to read my book especially when you have so many options when it comes
to book selection. I can guarantee that you’ve never read a book like mine
before. Love it or hate it, it will make you feel something.
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