Online Interview 

When did you first start writing?

I started writing when I was about ten years old to cope with bullying and feeling like an outsider, I was odd and not treated well. Dealing with anxiety and PTSD has made things more difficult over the years, but I often include characters with mental and physical disabilities in my stories because of these experiences. Writing is my way of getting through life.

 

Where did you grow up and how did this influence your writing?

I grew up in Canada and was adopted, but this only added to the bullying and emotional abuse. Writing was a way for me to vent my feelings and I’ve been writing ever since, it’s taken years to figure out my style but the effort has been worth it.

 

What do you love most about writing?

Being able to tell stories and live in a world where my dreams, hopes, and fantasies can all come to life. I’ve always lived in a fantasy world, even as a child. I found it hard to connect with the real world growing up so I started to create my own and love the magic of storytelling.

 

Who are your favourite authors? (Fiction/Non-Fiction)

Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Isaac Asimov, Stephen Hawking, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Jane Goodall, and Anne Rice.

 

I may have left out a few.

 

What do you want people to know before they read your work?

I write stories with explicit romantic and intimate aspects, but I don’t base my stories around sex. As an author and someone who has read many genres – erotic and not – I realized a long time ago what kind of stories I wanted to share. The unique ones, like fantasy, dystopian, sci-fi, or paranormal ones, all with the ability to connect to realism. Real, raw, and rare is how I like to keep it. I write based on life experiences, emotion, empathy, and personal struggles. So just because my stories include explicit intimacy and romances, that doesn't mean they're trashy or smut.

 

What's your process and how do you plan out your stories?

My process is quite different from that of other authors, but every writer is different and has their own process. For me, I cannot simply plan out every event or chapter, I see the story as it unfolds in my mind and it comes to life on the pages. I’m a vivid daydreamer with the ability to see, hear, and feel every scene.

 

What are some common themes in your writing?

Some popular themes include but are not limited to:
- Mental Health
- Empathy & Deep Emotion
- Trauma
- Anthropology
- Science vs. Nature

- Good vs. Evil
- LGTBQ+
- Polyamorous (And Non-Polyamorous) Relationships

These are just some of the common themes, but there are more!

 

How do you approach cover design?

I’ve seen so many cover designs in my lifetime and the sad part is, lots of them – especially romance and erotica – often have similarities. So when thinking about my own cover art, I strive for originality and try to give the readers a bit of mystery and something fresh to capture their attention. Everyone has their own ideas, but uniqueness can make a cover pop!

 

How many more stories or books are you planning?

I cannot say, but what I know is that I’m not stopping. I’ve already completed and published six standalones and a trilogy, with my tenth novel on the way. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to do what I do, especially all on my own. 

 

What do your fans mean to you?

I’m always aiming to please readers of many demographics, but I am by no means writing for anyone in particular. I write my stories the way they are meant to play out and make them come alive. Some will love them, some won’t, but that hasn’t stopped me.

I try to include something for everyone!

 

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

Life isn’t easy when you’re considered low income disability but it doesn’t prevent me from persevering. Having anxiety and PTSD makes it hard for me to work on the bad days, but it has also given me the time and freedom I need to write. Knowing that I’m waking up with a purpose every single day is what keeps me going and motivates me not to quit no matter what anyone tells me.
 

Inspirational Message:
Don’t ever give up on your dreams. I once had someone tell me that “love and hopes and dreams don’t pay the bills,” and although there’s  truth behind those words, I never let anything stop me. Some people ONLY get out of bed because they have something to strive for and without it, they feel like they have nothing. Don’t let go of that hope or dream, it will keep you going and eventually, it will come true.

 

Thank you!

Quill Cassava Elska