LJ Walls interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

I’m a bit of a nomad, I’ve lived in London and the Middle East, but recently returned to my roots and currently live in the North of England. My day job is in finance, and I do very technical writing so writing fiction is a hobby and welcome diversion. I wrote Beyond the Secret over twenty years ago, I have a few other manuscripts in various stages of completion on my computer but decided to get one finished and put it out there. Twenty years is a long time to sit on something, but it turned out to be quite fortuitous because after putting some of the characters in prison for a couple of decades the sequel can be based in the present day, when they’re paroled, so the timing worked out well.

When did your love of books begin?

It was early, I was reading a lot of adult books and remember asking for a dictionary for Christmas. I’m not sure how old I was exactly but it was pre-secondary school. I remember it came as a boxed set, dictionary, and thesaurus. I’d never seen or heard of a thesaurus before, I thought it was the most awesome thing I’d ever owned. In the last year of secondary school, my two-week work experience placement was in Lancashire County Library, one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I loved all the behind-the-scenes stuff, and all this research apparatus! This was before the internet of course.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I started writing in my early twenties, I had no intention of ever publishing anything back then. It was just a hobby, an outlet for my creativity.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I do financial writing for a living so I’m familiar with the process of reading, research, writing, editing, re-writing and more editing. I suspect pure creatives find this side of things a chore, but I understand each iteration only makes it better so just grind through it.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Doesn’t matter how long it takes, when the time is right, the time is right.

Tell us about your book/books:

Beyond the secret is fundamentally a story abut a young woman who just discovers that she, her mother, and grandmother are in a witness protection programme due to events that happened when she was a toddler. Everything she thought she knew about herself, and her family is a lie. The subsequent journey of discovery of her real identity and family don’t turn out to be what she idealised. It goes from West Ireland to New York and then ends up in Dubai.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I’ve only just put my toe in the water, but I’ve learnt so much in such a short space of time. I wish I’d discovered and hung out in these circles much sooner.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

I hope my characters move and entertain you and you are transported to the places I wrote about as indeed I was when I penned the story.

Where can people connect with you?

Twitter @AuthorLJWalls