I would like to thank Lorelei Johnson for taking the time for this interview!
BIO:
Lorelei Johnson is an Australian romance author, primarily writing Paranormal Romance and Fantasy Romance. She graduated from Flinders University, where she studied English Literature and Creative Writing before she discovered her degree was useless and she hated studying in an institution. She went into administrative work where she learnt just enough business sense to start publishing her own books.
Lorelei is fuelled by caffeine and sarcasm, priding herself as a true 90's kid. She labels her self-publishing as antiestablishment, but really she's just a chicken who decided to avoid the gatekeepers all together and enjoy the freedom to write whatever the heck she likes. Through her writing, she likes to explore the many facets of love and revel in a little magic and a little smut, of course.
When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve been writing since I was 12. My best friend and I were always reading.
One day she told me she was writing a book and I went, “Wait, that’s a thing you can do?” I’ve been writing ever since.
Did you have any influencing writers growing up?
This is going to be so cliché but J.K. Rowling. My parents aren’t big readers and Harry Potter was what sparked my love of reading.
Are any of your characters based on people in real life?
I try not to base my characters on real people. It’s more fun creating a character from scratch.
Where do you draw your book inspirations from?
A question for the ages!
Sometimes I draw inspiration from things I read or watch. If I’m in a slump I find that any cultural experience really helps – like watching a dance or theatre performance, going to an art exhibition, that sort of thing.
Do you use have a basic outline when starting a new story or do you let
the characters lead the way?
I usually start with a rough idea of events that I want to happen.
Then I tend to plan out my chapters as I go because I’d get so bored just planning the whole thing before I get to write it.
When you are picturing the characters in your book, do you have a
cheater photo for inspiration?
This is something I have recently started doing. I never used to, but now I find it really helps to have a photo for inspiration.
Many people read as a form of escape and relaxation. What is
your favorite way to sit back and relax?
Reading! (obviously). But I love anything with a story, so video games are in, and so are movies.
Who are your favorite current authors to read?
Kresley Cole hands down. I’ve also recently picked up J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, she is working her way in there, too.
What are your favorite books by others?
Oh, there are so many! Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole, Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (not recent but this has been my favorite for as long as I can remember).
Do the locations in the stories have any meaning to you?
I’m so bad with locations in stories. Most of mine are vague so they could be anywhere.
So, that’s a no. Or a, not yet, at least.
Do you write in single or multiple POV?
I have done both, it depends on what the story calls for.
Generally I write dual POV. I don’t really like to do more than three and I’ll only do that if it’s necessary for the story.
I have done single POV in Rumpelstiltskin, I know some people were unhappy about it but I wanted to keep him a mystery as much as possible and that was the best way to achieve that.
What do you find to be your best research tool?
Google? Mostly I use the internet for my research but sometimes I buy pretty books.
I think that’s probably just me trying to justify the buying of them (but don’t tell my fiancé that).
Do you write under a pen name? Also, do you write under more than
one name?
Yes, I do. I only have the one though, having more seems like a terrifying amount of work.
What genre do you write and why is this your preference?
My favourite genre is paranormal romance but I also do fantasy romance and urban fantasy romance.
Paranormal romance has been my favourite genre for…gosh, probably since I picked up Twilight at 16.
Tell me something about yourself outside of writing. Jobs,
accomplishments, family, quirky trait...what led to you being you?
Oh no, the dreaded question!
Let’s see…I am a practice manager by day, a cat mum, and I have a weird (sometimes dark) sense of humour, or so I’m told. Inherited that from my dad so we have a great time together!
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Oh boy, there are so many things.
The first one is to just get that first draft written. You can edit a bad page but you can’t edit a blank one.
The second one is to get eyeballs on your work before you publish it. Find Beta readers, find a critique buddy – these can be done for free so there’s no excuse. Trust me, it makes a difference.
How do you deal and process
negative book reviews?
With wine? I had one recently that was like an essay on why I suck and it was hard to hear.
But I usually give myself a day to throw a self-pity party and then it’s time to put my big girl pants on and move on. Not everyone is going to like your books, but you’re not writing for everyone, you’re writing for the people who do enjoy them.
What is the most difficult
part of your writing process?
I’m sure everyone says this but editing. Oh my god I hate editing. There is nothing worse than going through your manuscript with that red pen and wondering, ‘Was I drunk when I wrote this?’
What do you need in
your writer’s space to keep you focused?
If I’m too emotional about something that’s happened in my life, I can’t write, or if I do it’s way too angsty and my characters start to do weird shit.
What is your naughty
indulgence as you are writing?
Coffee. Oh there is so much coffee. If I could have it in an IV, I would probably do that.
Of course, anything with high sugar content that happens to be in my house will usually disappear on a writing day…
If you could spend a
day with another popular author, whom would you choose? And why?
Kresley Cole!
That woman is a legend, I’d love to learn from her. I just love her writing style, her world building, and her characters.
What is your schedule
like when you are writing? Do you have a
favorite writing snack or drink?
I try to keep grapes in the house to prevent me from eating enough calories to sustain a small city, but other than that, see above (hint: it’s coffee).
Do you listen to
music when you write – what kind of music is your favorite?
Yes! Music is a must.
I have a writing playlist and also a playlist for when I need to write smut.
Honestly, there’s a lot of angsty emo rock type music in my writing playlist. Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Motionless in White, Flyleaf, Red, that sort of thing.
Have pets ever gotten
in the way of your writing?
All. The. Time.
Usually I write on the couch and my cat will just decide he’s sitting on my lap now and he doesn’t care if my keyboard is in the way. Or he’ll tap me and whine at me for water (he will only drink out of the bath tap, I don’t know why).
What is your
kryptonite as a writer? What totally
puts you off your game?
My fiancé. He’s very distracting (not in a fun way), and he likes to tease me by pretending to read over my shoulder.
Have you ever killed
off a character that your readers loved?
Not yet but I want to (is that bad?). I was going to kill off Cam in Scarlett and the Wolf, but I just loved him too much and I couldn’t do it.
How do you celebrate
after typing THE END?
Usually with a glass of wine (I know there’s a lot of drinking in these answers but I’m Australian…that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it) and messaging my bestie/book wife/partner in crime in all caps “IT’S FUCKING FINISHED!” (Swearing is also an Australian thing…)
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/06/author-at-glance-lorelei-johnson.html
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