MY INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR HELEN ALLAN

 

 

What’s your name and what genre would you consider your books to be?

Helen Allan. I write adult science fiction and fantasy, romantic and paranormal fantasy mostly, and some children’s fantasy.

 

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?

My latest series: Vampire Knights, is a time travel vampire romance series of four books. Each one follows the life of a modern woman transported back in time who falls in love with a knight. The knights are vampires.

 

 

 

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre (historical novels, mysteries, sci-fi, children’s books, etc.)?

I write what I love to read.

 

What kind of research did you do for this book?

 I have set my book in a time period where little is known about the life people led there, other than mythology. I did a fair bit of research about knights, jousting, Rome, gladiators, the Persians, and medieval worlds, although my books are not particularly set in any firm time period.

 

Do you have a favorite book out of this series?

The first ‘Lancelot’s Lilly’ is probably my favourite, although readers love the third so far the most ‘The Bastard’s Briar’.

  

 

Where did you get the inspiration/idea for your series?

I started writing a more contemporary vampire fiction series, then realized I wanted to know the back story first, so I wrote this series. The contemporary one runs on from this, although they will be able to be read as two distinctly different series. Readers of the first will pick up on character references in the second series though, which is due out early next year. In between I have a spin off series of my highly popular Scarab trilogy to complete and release before Xmas.

 

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

My typical working day, in my PJ’s, starts with me checking email and facebook messages, replying to readers etc, then having a third cup of coffee and cleaning the house before beginning writing. I can’t write unless the house is clean (call me anal) and I will then generally write from 10am to 3pm. At 3.30pm I pick up my daughter from school and do mummy things. I write consistently until the book is finished, then take a week’s break to do all things marketing before starting the next book.

 

Do you have a new book in the making and if so, what’s the name of your upcoming book?

I am currently completing the last in the Vampire Knights Series, the fourth book, Sir Bors’ Belle and working with a cover designer on the third in my Scarab spin-off series.

 

 

 

 

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

Sometimes, I like different names, but nothing too different, historical names interest me.

 

Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?

Yes, contemporary romance/historical romance, but that can wait. At the moment I start one and then – whoops, time travel, vampires, fantasy….

 

 

 

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Marketing

 

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

I have several book trailers

 

 

Have you always liked to write?

Yes

 

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

 Be true to yourself, don’t try writing to please others, write to please yourself – your tribe will come.

 

 

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

 sculpt

 

Where did your love of books come from?

We moved around a great deal when I was a child, new schools, new friends, books were my constant companion. My grandmother and mother were big readers and my holidays were spent reading through my aunt’s bookshelf too. I read anything I could get my mitts on. Mostly Mills and Boons, but anything, literally anything that crossed my path, I devoured.

 

 

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

Charlotte’s Web when I was a child, Trixie Belden and Watership Down. Later I developed a love of science fiction and epic fantasy.

 

What is your writing Kryptonite?

 My daughter.

 

 

 

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Q: What’s it like to be a billionaire living on your own island with servants catering to your every wish who is known for single-handedly saving the world’s forests, animals and oceans from further destruction?

 A:  Well I divide my time between reading, writing, swimming and making love with ensuring my private army dedicated to destroying those who hunt and rape and pillage our environment is ticking along nicely.

 

 

Where can your fans find you and follow??

Amazon, goodreads, http://www.helenallan.com

 

Thank you for taking your time to do this interview ❤️