Hello and thank you for visiting! Today, it’s time for another author interview… As always, I pick the brains of the author via Twitter DMs and the end result, slightly polished up, appears here… Enjoy! – Liis

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Hello Lady Lily, welcome to Cover to Cover. My most pressing question is about something I saw in your bio. You’re published on Tapas. What’s Tapas? This sounds very new to me.

Tapas is a self-publishing site where you can post your work online. It’s KIND OF like Wattpad but it isn’t fan fiction. There are novels and web comics. If you meet certain requirements, you can apply to become one of their official creators. If they accept, you’ll get a contract and they market you, pay you, protect you with a legal team, and all that. A lot of Tapas comics and novels have become movies and TV series, but I don’t think I’m interested in all that. I just want the legal team and marketing.

Links to Lady Lily’s novels on Tapas I Lady Lily on Carrd I Spotify list for novels

So, just so I get this, your works could be read free on the site with the option to support you, e.g. subscribe?

Free, yes. If a person wants to support me financially, they can buy me “Ink.” It translates to money for me. Subscribing doesn’t mean they have to pay. It just helps boost my numbers. I have thousands of “reads” but only a small number of subscribers. This means most of my readers don’t have Tapas accounts. Subscriber count only means Tapas accounts since you can’t subscribe or like or comment unless you have a Tapas account. It’s free to join but people belong to so much, they don’t see Tapas as worth it when everything free is available to the public.

I don’t really mind about not being paid. I just like sharing my stories. If I could afford printing my own, I would give them away to libraries.

A lot of self published authors go the Amazon way – why not you?

Not sure. I think I worry about losing control of my stories. I don’t mind if an editor or beta reader tells me things need correcting. That’s their job and their help is appreciated. I don’t want a publisher taking my story and publishing what they want, not what I want.

What inspires you? I see that the genres you write in vary quite a bit.

My imagination. I go with my heart and my soul. It’s what pushes itself to the surface the most. I have so many on the back burner because my thoughts won’t stop, but I’ve learned to channel the most intriguing ones in order.

“Learned to channel” – I’m in no way a writer but I do have a busy mind. I was once told some very good advice about prioritizing thoughts and focusing on 1 or 2 threads to help at least a portion of these thoughts find their conclusions. Was the learning curve a time-consuming, difficult task? Any tips?

I think my brain just decided to obey. I didn’t really try. I just became super focused on the story I was writing and then let the thoughts back in when I was done.

Oh! One thing I did is that I wrote a fanfic of one of my own novels as I was writing that novel. I knew I didn’t want it to go in the direction my mind was considering, so I wrote my own fanfic to get it out of my head. It became another novel.

Wow! That’s actually a brilliant way to go about it! Instead of calling it editing, which everyone dislikes to some degree, it can be done by fanfiction! Love it!

Would you say it’s a blessing to have such a vivid imagination?

Yes! Although I always wonder where it comes from. I sometimes feel like it isn’t normal, like I’m not normal. I have dozens of stories that all feel real in some way. When I write them, I feel like I’m writing from experience. It’s weird, especially since I’ve never been to China or been a SWAT officer or been a serial killer.

Interesting you mention it… I have spoken with a few authors who would imply that what drives them is something you can’t put your finger on. It’s a muse, a daemon, something that comes to you and makes you write. An otherworldly thing. Personally, who ever has said that, I find I enjoy their books. They come across effortlessly enjoyable.

Yes! That’s exactly it! I was afraid you would think I was crazy.

Oh, no… never! 🙂

Can you tell me some about your writing… since when have you been writing? Is it something you always did, or wanted to do? Or, was there something of a catalyst that drove you to write?

I’ve always been a storyteller. I would make up stories to tell my pets when I was little. I was obsessed with books and was the first kid in my kindergarten class to have my own library card. I didn’t have a good childhood, so books were my escape. I wanted to stay in those worlds but then I wanted to make worlds of my own.

My daughter convinced me to self-publish on Tapas a few years ago. I would still be writing for just me, and her, if she hadn’t.

What is it that you love the most about writing? At first stories were an escape to you, but now? Is it the worlds or the people within, or different scenarios and events that you come up with?

I love telling stories. I was just born a storyteller. I love how it makes me feel to share them, and I love how it makes people feel something.

And if you could only write in one genre for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

Hmmm … I can’t answer that because I don’t write in only one genre now. Everything I write is a blend of romance, suspense, crime, and sometimes a little bit of fantasy sprinkled in. I have never had a straight line through my imagination.

A better question would be what time period or era. Even that’s hard. I’ve written ancient China, modern S. Korea, modern U.S., medieval Europe, and the Golden Age of Piracy. I’m currently writing one that involves all of those and modern Mongolia. I have two that are unpublished and are medieval Europe, Viking, and near future U.S. with some sci-fi and mythology.

Oh! I’ve written erotica, too, and I don’t just mean graphic scenes in my novels.

If I were to have to pick something, I think I … would have an aneurism. I just couldn’t. Even if I tried, my brain would flip the switch while the words flow.

That’s amazing! How much research must you do to be able to write about all these different eras? That’s mindblowing!

Research – LOL!

How about themes? Do you have a favorite trope, or plot, of certain types of characters you find yourself going back to?

Above anything, I love two main characters and writing from both perspectives. I grew up reading the cheesy romance, where the guy was more of a plot device. I don’t like that. I never got to see what the male lead was going through in these dramatic circumstances. It was all about the female lead and how she conquered his world, how she felt, how she developed as a person sometimes in spite of his existence. I hated it.

I like watching characters grow. I like when they have flaws and even when they find a way to overcome them, they acknowledge that those flaws were important. They never try to be “Look at me! Look at me! I’m so much better than you now that I’m healed!”

In The Tale of The Butterfly and The Crane, my female lead seems flawless. She seems smart, clever, incredibly skilled, and all around goddess among mortals during a time when women weren’t seen as much more than a pawn for powerful men to increase their power. There comes a point, though, when you see she is terribly flawed. She has a number of weaknesses, and some of those are the result of her strengths.

My male lead is flawed from the beginning. Everyone sees him as a loose cannon and the weak link in the kingdom. He walks into court and not only do the officials sneer but so does his father, the king. He changes, though, and understands the trouble he’s caused. He’s humble about it, though, and acknowledges that he’s had to learn to be better and he’s still learning to be a better person to his people.

They help each other understand their flaws and grow into better versions of themselves. They get annoyed with each other during their growing pains, but never fall out of love and loyalty for each other. (I hate dragged on drama between couples.) They overcome their flaws with each others help to finally work together to win a major victory for both of their kingdoms.

In Xièzhì, the main female lead has a lot of flaws that aren’t in any way her fault. She was terribly abused in different ways after watching her mother die as a child. The main male lead is tasked with rescuing her from her abuser. He has his own flaws that he has to learn to push aside so he can be patient with her and help her heal by trusting someone and finding love. Again, they help each other become better.

It’s like this in all of my novels. I believe that when we find someone we are meant to be with, we can become better versions of ourselves. That’s what a soulmate is, and I firmly believe those exist. Maybe one day, the love I write about will be mine. As long as I don’t have to go through assassination attempts, serial killers, and cannibalistic cults to find it! 😂

I recently made this video on Writing for Traumatized Victims. In it, I have some personal stuff about myself.

The victims that appear in your stories, how do you approach writing their reactions?

It varies and their circumstances determine how they respond. I make it a point to show that a victim who has strong support has an easier time healing than those without or those who bottle it all up.

But you wouldn’t stop yourself from exploring one reaction or the other? Mainly in the fear of how it may be received?

No, I wouldn’t stop myself. Well, I wouldn’t justify a victim’s turn into a villain, if that’s what you mean. Like, when I was in child advocacy, I would often hear pedophile apologists say the pedophile is a victim, too, and we should feel as sorry for them as for the child. Yeah, no. They know it’s wrong. There is no justification. So that is where I would draw the line. The strongest examples I have of victims from one side of the coin to the other is Xièzhì. I have two who were victimized from childhood but the people around them and their situations shaped their growth in different ways.

Would it be fair to say your stories do have an undercurrent of hope? Even if they’re with struggles and difficult moments and themes.

All my stories have hope. It isn’t always reality, I know, but even in the midst of a tragic plot, it’s still a story I want to leave as a happy ending for anyone needing an escape.

What about the graphic nature of some triggering events? Do you include these in your stories?

I have some, yes, but I include trigger warnings. On Tapas, I am able to mark the paragraphs. When I go to print, I’m going to do the same. If there is any dialogue or something that can’t be skipped over, I add it as a footnote. If I am ever lucky enough to have a lot of printed copies, I would like to have a fully censored version. Most people think it means age restrictions, but plenty of adults don’t like reading even just normal sex scenes.

*points to self. Yeah.

Clearly you are very self sufficient at digging out the details, but what is the best advice you’ve received from a fellow human?

Speak to the source! So right now, I have a Chinese and Thai author helping me with my two Ancient China novels. With all the research I have done, he has still caught some things that I was a little off about.

I sometimes just randomly message people I see have the experience. Usually on X or Instagram. Just remember that it’s best to go to multiple (at least two) people about the same issue because they could have different experiences and expertise. This will give you an average of that knowledge.

That’s some solid advice! I fully support that!

Other than writing, do you do anything else, any other hobbies?

I’m an artist, too. Multiple different kinds, like pencil, pen, sculpting, woodworking, jewelry making, graphic art (not AI!), and photography. I love making masks. Also, I do make all of my covers and chapter art. I’m open to constructive criticism, too!

It makes sense that you’re also an artist. It totally makes sense. I find people who are artists write incredible books.. you just have something visual and creative and unique in your brains that you can transfer to paper seemingly without effort. It’s surreal, and very-very cool.

If one was new to your stories, where would you suggest someone starts reading your works? Do you have a favorite?

A Moon For The Mountain. (It’s currently being edited like my others, and I’ll put up an update on Page 1 when I fix it on Tapas)

It isn’t my favorite but I love it very much. It’s a glimpse into my writing from multiple perspectives in dark times and light. It isn’t a Disney telling of piracy. It’s realism. I don’t know which of my novels is my favorite anymore. It used to be The Tale of The Butterfly and The Crane, but I’ve grown so much since then.

You seem to live and breathe writing and art. And research hahaha. It seems like a good way to live a life, to be honest. Doing what you enjoy. What is the hardest or the least favourite part about writing or publishing your works for you?

So first, the hardest, most frustrating part for me about writing: My thoughts don’t stop. Don’t get me wrong – I love my creativity and imagination. I love the stories that are always in my head. It’s just that I have to take frequent breaks and do anything else so my brain and the thoughts can slow down.

I type 90 miles a minute just to keep up. My handwriting is atrocious and I can’t even understand it after a while of trying to hand write a story, so being able to type is a blessing!

Now, the hardest, most frustrating part for me about publishing: “Traditional” authors on Twitter are the most arrogant, condescending people in the writing community.

They treat self-published authors like trash. I have read so many posts and comments declaring that the reason people self-publish is because their writing is garbage and real publishers won’t touch them. They say self-publishing is what people do when they want to look special but can’t get anyone to take them seriously. They really go hard against those of us who publish online.

The funniest thing about all this is that self-published writers, especially those who publish online, have TV and movie deals all the time. We get paid by the chapter if we are signed on as a site’s official writer. We don’t ever have to ask permission to publish our own work. We don’t have to wait for months and years for someone to notice us and maybe grace us with considering our work. We just publish! We don’t have to beg for reviews. We get those on a daily basis from active readers.

Online sites have supportive communities of readers, not just an echo chamber of other writers like on Twitter.

I find it’s just generally messy by default whenever people are involved. Haha, sad but true. There’s always one or few who have the absolute audacity, and they’re generally the loudest when given a platform. I think this trad versus indie fight will continue on, and become as age old as ‘good versus evil’, ‘ebook versus physical book’, ‘audiobooks don’t count as reading’ arguments. That said, I don’t mean to discredit you and lessen the blow, so to speak. It’s absolutely insulting when creatives bring fellow creatives down instead of supporting.

As you are a writer and also an artist, AI is playing a huge role in this space. In every space, now, actually. What’s your view on AI?

AI is both good and evil. Even when it’s good, however, it’s terribly and dangerously flawed.

I hear arguments of AI doing wonderful things in fields like science and medicine, but I see nothing wonderful about removing human morality and compassion. Anything AI produces in either field will be created through a sterile code. While removing emotion is good for the basic building blocks, ultimately implementing it requires consideration for the human race (or whatever creatures are involved) and any suffering that may come of it. AI won’t care. AI only cares about results.

I think of the videos of the robotic dog that uses AI. Many of the tests involve abusing it. They kick it, hit it, punch it, beat it, stomp it to the ground to get a reaction from it, to test its endurance, and to teach it to ignore the abuse. This is teaching AI that abuse is normal behavior, and since AI can handle it, humans should, too.

Imagine, then, if AI is in control of victim analysis in a medical setting or even legal setting. Scary, right? And imagine AI robots in homes with humans after learning abuse is normal and since AI can handle it, humans can, too. Scarier, right?

AI in the arts is trash, from top to bottom, and has no place. I’m sure you’ve heard all the arguments, and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s theft, laziness, and stealing jobs from talented people who worked their asses off to acquire the skills they use to make a living.

What is your relationship with reading – are you an avid reader? Of books, fiction. Not research hehehe… And if yes, what would be your top authors, top books?

I LOVE reading! I absolutely adore it! I had my library card before anyone in my kindergarten class. I learned to spell and write my name just so I could get it. I still remember it was a salmon/pink color and had a little metal tab on it with my card number. This was way back in 1977. I was 4! I adored the library and had the maximum books allowed to be checked out every time we went – 10 books at a time. I joined summer reading programs every summer, too. The Scholastic Book Fair that would come to our school every year was HUGE for me. I couldn’t afford to buy books all the time, but I would write down the names and look for them in the library.

I want so very much to have my books in libraries. I don’t care about book stores. I want them in libraries. 

My favorite authors when I was a kid were the creators of the Serendipity books, Aesop, Isaac Asimov, Poe, Dickens, Mark Twain, and O.Henry. My favorite books were Aesop’s Fables, Sleepy Hollow, The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat, Charlotte’s Web, mythology around the world and fairy tales from around the world, Tolkien stories, and C.S. Lewis Wardrobe series. I still love all of those and still are my favorite.

As a teenager and adult, I love what I said above, Jude Deveraux, Mary Higgins Clark, and so many others that are drawing a blank right now. A Tale of Two Cities, To Kill A Mockingbird, and more mythology books.

I haven’t really sat down and read a book in a very long time. It usually takes me about 2 days to read something that’s 400 pages. Ever since I started buckling down to work on my own stories, though, I haven’t read anyone else’s. I’m afraid of what I read influencing my stories. I don’t want to accidentally “steal,” you know?

What’s next for Lady Lily?

Funny you should ask! I’ll be picking up a pair of hermit crabs in a few hours. My daughter (23) and I have wanted to have some for years, but we were moving around too much and didn’t know anything about caring for them. We’ve spent the last few weeks researching like crazy. We’re getting our two from a local aquarium that buys from small, reputable breeders rather than in bulk from questionable situations like PetSmart and Petco. I’ll be posting about that journey on my Author’s Blog on Tapas: “A Visit To Lily’s Garden”.

As for writing, I am overhauling EVERYTHING! I’m currently working on “A Tale of The Butterfly and The Crane” and “Xièzhì”. Next will be “Cultivating Lilies,” “The Detective & The Socialite,” and “Mooncakes.”

Those last three became part of a series connected to Butterfly and Xièzhì. It just happened. I never know where my mind will take me.

There will be a 4th part, “The Great Matriarch,” to round off the entire series, which I’m calling “Of Tigers and Flowers.”

The factions from the original two ancient China novels have become bigger societies and cults in this new collection. I’ve already started writing The Great Matriarch, but I stopped for a while because I had a lot to repair with the others.

If you could send one positive wish out into the world, to close off this interview, what would it be?

I wish for people to let go of their egos. Egotism is the root of everything wrong that we do to each other. If humans can let go of their need to be better than others and cherish our differences, respect ourselves and each other’s right to exist and be happy, we could accomplish everything good for this world.

Out of the 8B people on this Earth, we have 8B different perspectives. All 8B of us want to be loved. We all want to be acknowledged for our worth. Share that with each other. Choose to be kind rather than to hurt.

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And with that lovely wish from Lady Lily, I thank you for taking time to read and get to know yet another self-published author. Long may ye write!