Know about your Authors

@LittleCinnamon

Pen Name: Lindsey Clarke

Username: LittleCinnamon

Is your pen name your legal name? If no, then how did you make up one?

Yes, this name is all mine ;-) Sadly, my dad registered my first name under the masculine spelling of Lindsey, and it's rare that anyone ever spells it correctly anyway, but I guess it could have been worse.

How many books have you published till date?

If we're talking Wattpad here, then I've published two trilogies, one standalone, and a number of short stories, some of which were commissioned by Wattpad and their brand partners. I'm not published outside of Wattpad, but it's definitely a goal of mine.

What are your future projects?

At the moment, I'm working on a sci-fi romance called Wastelands, which is a slight genre shift for me, albeit with my usual twist of gritty reality and darkness. I had a number of projects I wanted to work on, and then ended up choosing Wastelands, so I'm sure I'll head back to that list once this one is finished. There's a choice between a paranormal thriller, a vampire-based horror, a dystopian fantasy and a paranormal romance.

What is writing to you?

When I first started writing – and I mean, properly writing – it was about escape. I was going through a really tough time with PND and I was desperate to claw back something that was for me and me only, something that would help me focus my mind. Writing, thankfully, became that one thing I was looking for. Now, it still very much holds that function in my life, but it's also become something that I couldn't be without. It's like taking a welcome gulp of fresh air when you're struggling to breathe. It's both a challenge and a form of self-therapy. It's exciting and yet calming. Writing allows me to take a break from the craziness of life, just so I can step into another world for a while and see everything through somebody's else eyes.

Is being an author, your long time dream or a hidden passion you found out later?

I dreamt of being a writer when I was younger, but I'm not going to lie here – I also dreamt of being an actress, a teacher, a theatre director, a literary agent. The list could go on. Reading books by my heroes, James Herbert and Stephen King, made me want to be a writer but I didn't start writing with any real purpose until I was in my early thirties.

What genre books you like to work on?

I write primarily urban fantasy/horror fiction, however I'm trying my hand at a bit of sci-fi and definitely want to tackle some domestic noir thrillers or paranormal thrillers in future.

If we challenge you to write a book of another genre we suggest, then would you take it up?

I'm not adverse to challenges, but I'd probably have to put any challenges on the back-burner while I try to write the ideas I have on my list. There are genres I'd still love to try, but many that I'd avoid like the plague and gladly leave to the experts in those fields.

Then we would like to read a Cheesy Romance genre book from you soon.

Writing is a reality that paints a beautiful fantasy. What do you think are the charms of writing fiction/non fictional books?

Goodness, there are many, in my opinion. Bringing characters to life is a total joy. Mapping out who they are, what makes them tick, their connections with other characters, their passions, their strengths and weaknesses, and everything down to the way they look or speak. Readers will comment and react to a number of things – your prose, descriptions, world-building etc – but it's the characters that really drive reader reaction and I LOVE that a ridiculous amount. There's nothing more wonderful than eliciting those reactions from something you make your character do or say. With just a few words of dialogue or action, you can make your readers laugh, cry, scream with fear or frustration, and I always get a little kick at the points when writing, where I know the readers are going to go nuts for my characters.