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.

Who are your favorite authors in and out of wattpad?

Outside of Wattpad, my favourites include, James Herbert, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Glen Duncan and Dean Koontz (the list is probably endless tbh). On Wattpad, again, the list is pretty extensive and anyone reading this interview can check out my lists (particularly the one entitled 'Hello, I Love You') to see which authors I rate, because I'd be here forever naming them all.

Name few of your close wattpad friends.

In terms of my close Wattpad pals, I'm blessed with some of the best - scarlettedrake rodneyvsmith DavidJThirteen alysarden KBMallion Daniel_Barnett mjgary NeverTrustaDuck deathofcool – I'd totally recommend them all with every beat of my cold, dark heart

What is your favorite series you have recently watched or read?

TV series – Peaky Blinders, and I'm saying that because season 5 starts tonight and I'm extremely excited! Favourite book series that I've recently read, both of which are ongoing, are the Blood Magic Saga by deathofcool and The Casquette Girls by AlysArden

Who is your favorite actor/actress?

Kit Harington is my absolute fave <3

Who is your favorite Villain you couldn't help but love?

If we're talking about my own villains, Lucifer in The Whitechapel Chronicles is probably one of my all-time faves. He's utterly delicious and such fun to write. I also really enjoyed writing Juliette in Hedoschism – she's totally bonkers and quite cruel, but she has such a Missy from Doctor Who vibe about her, that I couldn't help but love her.

What are your hobbies other than writing and reading?

There are hobbies that exist outside of these two? Sorry, only joking ;-) I love walking, going to the gym, going to the cinema (when I get the chance) and have also recently found a love for cooking and trying out new recipes.

What are your hidden talents?

I could probably recite the whole script of E.T. Oh, and I make a kickass chicken tikka masala ;-)

Who is your first celebrity crush?

Damn, if I tell you, I'm really going to be showing my age! Most people reading this will probably have no idea who the Hell I'm talking about, but I was completely in love with Morten Harket from the Norwegian pop group A-ha when I was a kid. I was going to marry him and everything. Sadly, it didn't happen, otherwise I'd be watching him fish in a fjord by now, and instead I'm typing this from my sofa in my very average semi-detached house in England with no sign of a bloody fjord anywhere.

What is the most embarrassing situation that you have ever been through?

Blimey, you're really hitting hard with these questions haha. Okay, I'm going to be REALLY honest. About 1 year after I had my son, I went out drinking with my best girlfriends, having not really drunk any alcohol since he'd been born. Needless to say, I got absolutely wasted, sang very loudly to an Abba tribute band, recall chanting 'more wine, more wine' in the restaurant, then went on to a local nightclub, where I ended up throwing up all over the carpeted floor at one of the tables and having to be brought home by one of my friends because I was a total inebriated mess. Took me a LONG time to touch a drink after that and I'm still mortified to this day whenever one of my friends mentions it. Yeah, I know. Bloody disgraceful.

One craziest thing you have ever done?

Probably indulging a little too much at a rave back in the 90's? Or 32 hours labour? Both not recommended ;-)

There are many authors who just started their journey and many readers who want to write but have no courage to do so. Please give them a tip and a word of encouragement.

Don't do it! Take up a sport! Only kidding ;-) Personally, I would say the most important thing is to write what feels true to you. Don't write to trend (unless one of those trends happens to be your thing) or try to duplicate the style of one of your favourite authors, because it'll never truly be your voice. It's hard when your genre isn't the most popular out there. Sometimes you'll feel like a microscopic fish in a big ocean of far more popular writers, but the moment you start writing something just because you think you should or because you think it's going to make you successful/rich etc, is when you lose the voice that makes you unique.

Last but not the least, have you ever dreamt of writing your own comic?

Nope, I can honestly say, this one has never once crossed my mind, but I'm in total awe of anyone with the creativity to do so.

What do you feel about this interview?

It was an honour to be asked and a pleasure to do! Thank you!

Hope you had a great time answering our questions. We appreciate you for your beautiful works and also spending valuable time with us.

We wish you to write many more successful stories and be a bestselling author one day.