Author Interview with L.J. Hamlin
Today I’m delighted to have an interview with L.J. Hamlin to post on the blog. And this interview comes just before L.J’s next release: BLOOD VISIONS!
So, without further adieu, let’s meet L.J!
L.J.Hamlin is a twenty something (getting older every day) writer, who has been writing all her life, mainly in notebooks no one else ever saw. But then she found M/M groups online and was encouraged by friends to share her stories. After a while (with a lot of pushing) she got brave enough to try getting published, so she could share with more people, and she hopes to never stop. LJ loves cats, and pretty much all animals, is a collector of many things, often weird, but most of all books.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve had a love for writing since I was a kid, despite struggling with dyslexia, I started writing at about nine? But took years before I let another soul read anything that wasn’t for class.
Do you have a writing routine?
My routine is very varied, due to my health, I won’t bore you with the whole list, but EDS and Fibromyalgia are the two that usually impact my writing. On good days I usually write in the evening, I used to end up writing all night, till the sun came up. So my new rule is no writing between 3am and 10am.
Where do you write?
I write in my bedroom, I have a little tray with legs I use so I don’t have the laptop on my lap. My room is nice and peaceful, in the attic conversion, it’s like my own world up here, which is perfect for writing.
What’s your favourite thing about being a writer?
I love creating new worlds and characters, getting lost in their lives. And I really love the idea that others might get lost in my worlds. Many writers have made me so happy, if I can do that for even one person, that’d be amazing.
And the worse?
I get terrible anxiety, and it causes me to convince myself that everyone will hate my books, even though my editors and a publisher have liked it. I get so sure no one will want to read my books.
What sort of books do you read? And what are you reading now?
I’m mainly an M/M reader, but I read a big range. I’m reading two things at the moment. Alice in wonderland (an old favourite) and a collection of H.P.Lovecraft stories.
How important would you say being a reader is if someone wants to be a writer?
Reading is so important if you want to be a writer, it has helped me improve my grammar and style a lot, and I think personally those with a love of reading tend to be more creative.
Your latest book, BLOOD VISIONS, releases on 25th May. What’s this book about and who will it appeal to?
Blood Visions is about a detective and a psychic who end up on the same case when a large group of women go missing under strange circumstances. I think this will appeal to m/m readers who like an adventure along with their love story.
Can you share a little teaser with us from BLOOD VISIONS?
It was too real to just be one of his nightmares. Dustin had learned to tell the difference between his dreams and a vision while he was asleep by the age of twelve, and he is twenty-one now. Dustin sits up in bed carefully, his head swimming a little, his ears still ringing with the girl’s heart-wrenching sobs.
What inspired you to write BLOOD VISIONS?
I love detective stories, and I love the supernatural, so I got the idea to mix the two together. I wanted two very different MC’s who were both heroic in their own way. I also had the idea of writing a character who suffered with mental health issues, but was still living his life, like me, and Dustin was created, there’s a lot of me in him.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of BLOOD VISIONS? And is the final version very different from the original draft?
The first draft of Blood Visions took me quite awhile, I should mark down when I start these projects. But there was a lot of drafting and planning. But the first draft is much like the final version, just much cleaner, and polished up, the main plot stayed the same.
Where can readers buy BLOOD VISIONS? Will they need to read anything before reading this book?
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=4689 Here at Torquere press, and also on Amazon, and other e-reader sites.
What’s next for you?
I’ve been doing the final edits for my June release ‘Lace Lovers’ which is a sequel/spin off to ‘Black Lace’ My rock band story. As for writing I’m splitting my time between several projects. Two supernatural, two contemporary. One of the contemporary stories is the third part in the ‘Lace’ series, which combines the couples we meet in both the first and second book.
Have you got any advice for aspiring writers?
Don’t listen to anyone who tells you to give up. I was told by several teachers that a dyslexic girl would never be a writer, would certainly never be published. I let this destroy my confidence for a time, let them steal my dream. But a combination of encouragement and the call of story ideas brought me back. And here I am.
