Meet the Indie Author mini interview series 3 of 3: Meet Helena Lancaster
Meet Helena Lancaster!
Author of The Elements of Ilysia Series; Phoenix from the Ashes: Poetry from Personal Struggle, Rebirth, and Triumph; Behind the Mask: A Collection of Poetry, and is co-author of Passion of the Dragon Saga with Rayna Kingston.
Thanks so much for joining us today, Helena!
Author of The Elements of Ilysia Series; Phoenix from the Ashes: Poetry from Personal Struggle, Rebirth, and Triumph; Behind the Mask: A Collection of Poetry, and is co-author of Passion of the Dragon Saga with Rayna Kingston.
Visit Helena: helenalwrites.wordpress.com Buy A Darkness Awakens
Thanks so much for joining us today, Helena!
Tell us a little about yourself. You're an author...what else?
I always say that I’m very hard to pin down and just describe. I’m a very eccentric person. I’m a major nerd for most all things Sci-Fi and Fantasy and have been for as long as I can remember. I was introduced to Star Wars at the age of four. The rest is kind of history. I’m also a metal head who loves most all types of music. Rock and metal are just my favorites, especially symphonic and gothic styles of it. I also have a big love for history, my specialties are Medieval through Early Modern (Renaissance and Reformation) Europe and Imperial Russia. Those are what intrigue me the most. The quick way to describe me is I’m a bit unique. I’m a certified crazy cat lady that’s a mix of goth and nerd with bits of a few other things. I’m definitely my own person, and that’s something I found very hard to not only become but be confident in.
You are a co-author of a series as well! Color me impressed. What was it like working so closely with another writer?
Co-writing can be a challenge at times. I will say, first and foremost, that I am very grateful the writer I’m working with is my best friend. She’s basically my sister, and I don’t think I could possibly do a co-writing project with anyone else. To take on this type of project to where you are working hand-in-hand with another writer, you both have to be able to have the kind of relationship outside of the work to where you understand each other as people, not just writers. The best thing about it is how we can help each other and push each other to keep going. We’re like this outside of our joint project, The Passion of the Dragon Saga, but this truly helps us be able to tell the story we want to tell about Vlad the Impaler. A unique and fascinating subject matter is also helpful in this situation, one that where you both have the same goal. Without all of these things, it’s very difficult to co-write anything with another writer much less tell the kind of story that Rayna Kingston and I are trying to tell.
You also have two poetry collections out. Which came first for you, being a poet or being a novelist
Honestly, it’s hard to say. I wrote stories as a young child but started writing poetry in my teens. So, I’m really not sure what actually came first. Poetry was more of therapy for me and I had never intended on sharing it. I decided to when I realized what the work of other poets had done for me and feel that if just one person is helped by the words I wrote when I was in the pits of a depressive hell, then sharing these tiny pieces of my soul have been worth it. My plan had always been to focus on being a novelist and apparently things truly have changed for me.
Share your experience with self-publishing! What made you decide to pursue self-publishing instead of traditional?
Instead of self-publishing, I’m working with a very small Indie Publisher. My choice to do that over traditional, after discovering that traditional is not the ONLY way to go now, was for one major reason. I’m a control freak. I can’t lie about that. When it comes to my work, I don’t want anyone telling me what must be done. I want to keep my say in all things related to my writing and that’s why I chose to publish the Indie way.
Do you have any tips or advice for anyone considering self-publishing their book?
My biggest tip is to never expect your book to soar to the best seller list after coming out if you’ve never published before. That’s very rare for an Indie. I learned this lesson myself. If you want to sell big, you have to work at it constantly to not only keep writing and publishing but establish yourself. You have to build a following and without that it’s hard to just sit back and watch sales come in. I’m still establishing a readership and following myself. I can admit I don’t have steady readers or book sales. I know it frustrates the hell out of me, but I’m not letting it stop me. I’m going to keep working at this until I do reach my ultimate goal. That’s what anyone must do to make it as an Indie Author right now.
Who are some self-published authors you look up to, or that inspired you to follow this path to publication?
What has been your most rewarding experience as an author?
It is always rewarding to complete a project and to have someone tell you they love it. Anything like that is very rewarding for me. However, the most rewarding has been one of the most unexpected events. I was with Rayna and her daughter, Lorilei, at a bookstore in downtown Bucharest when we were living there. We were there to try to speak with the director about having our books sold there. He had already left for the day but one of the workers wanted to see our books. We had copies with them so we showed them to her. She was a young girl, probably in her late teens, and very kind. She flipped through the copy of my first poetry collection, Behind the Mask, and got drawn to one of the poems. I remember very well that it was Journey and I could see her quickly get emotional. She asked if she could buy that copy. It was my personal copy from the first printing but from the look in her eyes, I couldn’t tell her no. I happily signed it for her too and she gave me the biggest hug. It was the most unexpected but rewarding thing for me. It is certainly something I could never forget either.
And last but not least, do you have anything currently in the works? What can your readers expect from you next?
As I said earlier, my brain is always going on something, but I do indeed have a few things in the works. The next release that I’m attached to will be the third installment in mine and Rayna Kingston’s The Passion of the Dragon Saga. Souls Ignited: The Story of Vlad the Impaler and the Women He Loved will pick up right where Love in Flames left off in the saga of Vlad, Erzsébet, and Erdenia’s lives. There’s a lot of real history we tap into for this series as well as giving stories to the rumored and known women in the famous Romanian Prince’s life. Souls Ignited is releasing on July 24, 2018 and it is nowhere near the end of this saga. After that, my focus will turn back to The Elements of Ilysia series to work on the second book, The Prophecy Unveiled. I’ll be balancing between the realms of Historical Romance and Fantasy for the time being. While I’m having thoughts about another poetry release and I have another series in the early development stages, I’m not willing to add anything else to my plate at this time. I am excited though at where both series are going and certainly hope that readers continue to enjoy them.
What a wonderful way to end out little interview series. I hope everyone enjoyed as much as I did, and I hope everyone has learned something to help them along their personal writing journeys. Best of luck to each of my interviewed authors, and best of luck to you!
Click these links to view Helena's other published works on Amazon:
Phoenix from the Ashes: Poetry from Personal Struggle, Rebirth, and Triumph
Behind the Mask: A Collection of Poetry
Passion of the Dragon Saga
Help a blogger out:
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Do me a huge favor and purchase from the links above so I can continue to provide you with content!
And as always, if you have any writing questions for me, leave a comment and I will do my best to write a post in response!
Connect with me on GoodReads, Pinterest, and Instagram!
I always say that I’m very hard to pin down and just describe. I’m a very eccentric person. I’m a major nerd for most all things Sci-Fi and Fantasy and have been for as long as I can remember. I was introduced to Star Wars at the age of four. The rest is kind of history. I’m also a metal head who loves most all types of music. Rock and metal are just my favorites, especially symphonic and gothic styles of it. I also have a big love for history, my specialties are Medieval through Early Modern (Renaissance and Reformation) Europe and Imperial Russia. Those are what intrigue me the most. The quick way to describe me is I’m a bit unique. I’m a certified crazy cat lady that’s a mix of goth and nerd with bits of a few other things. I’m definitely my own person, and that’s something I found very hard to not only become but be confident in.
Tell us about A Darkness Awakens. Where did this story come from?
Oh this is a fun one to get into! I originally got the idea for this story when I was about fourteen. I just turned thirty this past March, so that tells you just how long this has been in my brain! Originally it was just the general idea about my main characters and the basics of the story. It was originally going in this one direction and I was working on it with one of my closest friends at the time. A lot changed to where I was working on it completely alone. It did originally come from my brain and she was totally fine with it. I evolved the story multiple times over the years, with the first thing being removing her contributions and completely adjusting those plans to something new. A couple of years ago, things really started to come together with the last evolution I put the overall concept through. So now here it is, half my life of working, developing, and world building to finally see the first book completed and published. I must say that it feels great to see it reach this point and there’s so much more of this story to go!
Oh this is a fun one to get into! I originally got the idea for this story when I was about fourteen. I just turned thirty this past March, so that tells you just how long this has been in my brain! Originally it was just the general idea about my main characters and the basics of the story. It was originally going in this one direction and I was working on it with one of my closest friends at the time. A lot changed to where I was working on it completely alone. It did originally come from my brain and she was totally fine with it. I evolved the story multiple times over the years, with the first thing being removing her contributions and completely adjusting those plans to something new. A couple of years ago, things really started to come together with the last evolution I put the overall concept through. So now here it is, half my life of working, developing, and world building to finally see the first book completed and published. I must say that it feels great to see it reach this point and there’s so much more of this story to go!
You are a co-author of a series as well! Color me impressed. What was it like working so closely with another writer?
Co-writing can be a challenge at times. I will say, first and foremost, that I am very grateful the writer I’m working with is my best friend. She’s basically my sister, and I don’t think I could possibly do a co-writing project with anyone else. To take on this type of project to where you are working hand-in-hand with another writer, you both have to be able to have the kind of relationship outside of the work to where you understand each other as people, not just writers. The best thing about it is how we can help each other and push each other to keep going. We’re like this outside of our joint project, The Passion of the Dragon Saga, but this truly helps us be able to tell the story we want to tell about Vlad the Impaler. A unique and fascinating subject matter is also helpful in this situation, one that where you both have the same goal. Without all of these things, it’s very difficult to co-write anything with another writer much less tell the kind of story that Rayna Kingston and I are trying to tell.
You also have two poetry collections out. Which came first for you, being a poet or being a novelist
Honestly, it’s hard to say. I wrote stories as a young child but started writing poetry in my teens. So, I’m really not sure what actually came first. Poetry was more of therapy for me and I had never intended on sharing it. I decided to when I realized what the work of other poets had done for me and feel that if just one person is helped by the words I wrote when I was in the pits of a depressive hell, then sharing these tiny pieces of my soul have been worth it. My plan had always been to focus on being a novelist and apparently things truly have changed for me.
Share your experience with self-publishing! What made you decide to pursue self-publishing instead of traditional?
Instead of self-publishing, I’m working with a very small Indie Publisher. My choice to do that over traditional, after discovering that traditional is not the ONLY way to go now, was for one major reason. I’m a control freak. I can’t lie about that. When it comes to my work, I don’t want anyone telling me what must be done. I want to keep my say in all things related to my writing and that’s why I chose to publish the Indie way.
What do you think is the best thing about the self-publishing industry?
Retaining personal control over my work. Like I said before, it’s not something I can give up easily. I’m more my own boss with my work, even being with an Indie Press. I like being able to control my goals, my deadlines, etc.
Retaining personal control over my work. Like I said before, it’s not something I can give up easily. I’m more my own boss with my work, even being with an Indie Press. I like being able to control my goals, my deadlines, etc.
What is the worst thing?
This industry is very large and it can be the worst thing about it. It’s very hard to establish yourself and get your work out there so it gets attention, sales, etc. It can be extremely frustrating! I’ve wanted to just give up a few times but I’m too stubborn to do that.
This industry is very large and it can be the worst thing about it. It’s very hard to establish yourself and get your work out there so it gets attention, sales, etc. It can be extremely frustrating! I’ve wanted to just give up a few times but I’m too stubborn to do that.
What surprised you the most about self-publishing?
Oh this is a hard one! I guess I would say how there is always something new to discover about this industry. You never seem to know what all you think you do. It’s constantly reinventing itself, evolving, and growing.
Oh this is a hard one! I guess I would say how there is always something new to discover about this industry. You never seem to know what all you think you do. It’s constantly reinventing itself, evolving, and growing.
What is one thing you wish you would have known before self-publishing?
That just because you think you have this great story that is best seller worthy, does not mean sales will come overnight or even quickly. It takes a lot of work and you have to keep at it day in and day out. I was overconfident when I first published but time has definitely taught me that lesson.
That just because you think you have this great story that is best seller worthy, does not mean sales will come overnight or even quickly. It takes a lot of work and you have to keep at it day in and day out. I was overconfident when I first published but time has definitely taught me that lesson.
Do you have any tips or advice for anyone considering self-publishing their book?
My biggest tip is to never expect your book to soar to the best seller list after coming out if you’ve never published before. That’s very rare for an Indie. I learned this lesson myself. If you want to sell big, you have to work at it constantly to not only keep writing and publishing but establish yourself. You have to build a following and without that it’s hard to just sit back and watch sales come in. I’m still establishing a readership and following myself. I can admit I don’t have steady readers or book sales. I know it frustrates the hell out of me, but I’m not letting it stop me. I’m going to keep working at this until I do reach my ultimate goal. That’s what anyone must do to make it as an Indie Author right now.
Who are some self-published authors you look up to, or that inspired you to follow this path to publication?
No particular or specific author inspired me to go Indie. It was a path I chose for myself because of not wanting anyone else to have more power over my own writing than I would. As for Indies I look up to, I look up to any of those in the community who like me wish to keep it as a community of friends who support each other instead of a bunch of authors in competition. I’ve ran across this competitive thing and it really irks me. We all deserve success and we should support that for each other. I’m all for doing what I can to help other Indies. I refuse to selfishly act as if I want to help them and never actually follow through. I don’t make empty or fake promises. That’s just not who I am as a person, and I admire my fellow Indies who like me are striving to do the same thing.
Alright, let's discuss writing.
How long have you been writing?
For as long as I can remember I’ve been making up stories. I grew up an only child so my imagination ran wild and never stopped as I aged. I think I started writing when I was actually learning to read and write. I remember being in kindergarten and writing stories in my giant notepad. A year later, not only did I win an award in my county for writing but another story I wrote I was asked to read at a PTA meeting. Writing was something that continued almost passionately for me, like it was just as much a part of me as any other portion of my personality. As I learned and grew, I started working to become a better writer. I took writing classes, entered school writing competitions, had work displayed, etc. Then in my sophomore year of high school, one of my closest friends at the time and I started the school writer’s club. We kept it going until we graduated. I’m not sure if it remained after but it was thriving while I was there. I wrote original stories, fan fiction…you name it. Poetry came in majorly in my teens as well, my therapy for day to day issues as well as the mental health struggles I was going through and still go through. I continued to study and craft my writing until I got to where I am now. Having recently turned thirty, I feel like I’ve been writing for lifetimes!
How long have you been writing?
For as long as I can remember I’ve been making up stories. I grew up an only child so my imagination ran wild and never stopped as I aged. I think I started writing when I was actually learning to read and write. I remember being in kindergarten and writing stories in my giant notepad. A year later, not only did I win an award in my county for writing but another story I wrote I was asked to read at a PTA meeting. Writing was something that continued almost passionately for me, like it was just as much a part of me as any other portion of my personality. As I learned and grew, I started working to become a better writer. I took writing classes, entered school writing competitions, had work displayed, etc. Then in my sophomore year of high school, one of my closest friends at the time and I started the school writer’s club. We kept it going until we graduated. I’m not sure if it remained after but it was thriving while I was there. I wrote original stories, fan fiction…you name it. Poetry came in majorly in my teens as well, my therapy for day to day issues as well as the mental health struggles I was going through and still go through. I continued to study and craft my writing until I got to where I am now. Having recently turned thirty, I feel like I’ve been writing for lifetimes!
What does your process look like? Walk us through a typical writing session for you.
Even though I’m very much a creature of habit, things can certainly vary for me. There are two musts in all writing sessions for me though: caffeine and music. It depends on what I’m working on and where I am with it exactly what the session entails. I could have headphones in doing handwritten notes in a designated notebook or working on the computer. I do a lot of stuff in Pinterest on my phone and computer for making aesthetics. I like to do a mixture of work by hand and on the computer so my sessions vary quite a bit but there’s always caffeine and music.
Even though I’m very much a creature of habit, things can certainly vary for me. There are two musts in all writing sessions for me though: caffeine and music. It depends on what I’m working on and where I am with it exactly what the session entails. I could have headphones in doing handwritten notes in a designated notebook or working on the computer. I do a lot of stuff in Pinterest on my phone and computer for making aesthetics. I like to do a mixture of work by hand and on the computer so my sessions vary quite a bit but there’s always caffeine and music.
I'm always interested in hearing about other writers' rituals before or during writing. Do you have any?
Not really. I’ve never been super ritualistic with it. I always have a notebook for that project though. When I’m developing something before doing major writing work on it, my main thing is to write it all in that notebook. It’s where I keep all of my timeline notes, character notes, histories, thoughts, ideas, etc for that project. I have a nearly full five subject notebook for The Elements of Ilysia. I have other thoughts in a general idea notebook and one future project that has it’s own notebook. If I have anything that can be seen as a ritual, then my notebook thing is definitely it.
Not really. I’ve never been super ritualistic with it. I always have a notebook for that project though. When I’m developing something before doing major writing work on it, my main thing is to write it all in that notebook. It’s where I keep all of my timeline notes, character notes, histories, thoughts, ideas, etc for that project. I have a nearly full five subject notebook for The Elements of Ilysia. I have other thoughts in a general idea notebook and one future project that has it’s own notebook. If I have anything that can be seen as a ritual, then my notebook thing is definitely it.
What are some books and/or authors that inspired you to be a writer?
I had always written stories even when my main reading was Amelia Bedelia, Wayside School, Nancy Drew, and such. I remembered Ella Enchanted really sparking something in my brain, but that spark didn’t go wild until the Harry Potter series started coming out. Then I got introduced to Tolkien which just ignited things even more. I was so filled with ideas and inspiration! I was then introduced to Laurell K Hamilton, Sylvia Plath, Kim Harrison, George RR Martin, Philippa Gregory, etc and I found myself in a place where I saw possibilities were endless. I had been reading Shakespeare and Poe for years at this point. I was just having my eyes opened to more and more worlds, more and more possibility that just showed me that it only took one little idea to create something huge.
What has been your most rewarding experience as an author?
It is always rewarding to complete a project and to have someone tell you they love it. Anything like that is very rewarding for me. However, the most rewarding has been one of the most unexpected events. I was with Rayna and her daughter, Lorilei, at a bookstore in downtown Bucharest when we were living there. We were there to try to speak with the director about having our books sold there. He had already left for the day but one of the workers wanted to see our books. We had copies with them so we showed them to her. She was a young girl, probably in her late teens, and very kind. She flipped through the copy of my first poetry collection, Behind the Mask, and got drawn to one of the poems. I remember very well that it was Journey and I could see her quickly get emotional. She asked if she could buy that copy. It was my personal copy from the first printing but from the look in her eyes, I couldn’t tell her no. I happily signed it for her too and she gave me the biggest hug. It was the most unexpected but rewarding thing for me. It is certainly something I could never forget either.
What keeps you motivated and inspired to write?
My inspiration comes from everywhere honestly. I tell people that I can’t turn off my brain much less my overactive imagination. I feel like there’s always something in there that I just have to get out on paper before it drives me completely insane. My motivation comes from my need to complete the story. I’ve started telling something that I have to finish. It isn’t just family who is driving me insane for more. It’s also my need to finish it and bring the story to its final point so it will stop making me insane. My ideas are literally alive in my head and they do have the tendency to torment me if I’m unable to get them out. I don’t enjoy torture so I write to keep my own sanity. These characters, these stories, these thoughts deserve to live and be known to the world, which is what keeps me writing on.
My inspiration comes from everywhere honestly. I tell people that I can’t turn off my brain much less my overactive imagination. I feel like there’s always something in there that I just have to get out on paper before it drives me completely insane. My motivation comes from my need to complete the story. I’ve started telling something that I have to finish. It isn’t just family who is driving me insane for more. It’s also my need to finish it and bring the story to its final point so it will stop making me insane. My ideas are literally alive in my head and they do have the tendency to torment me if I’m unable to get them out. I don’t enjoy torture so I write to keep my own sanity. These characters, these stories, these thoughts deserve to live and be known to the world, which is what keeps me writing on.
What is one thing you want everyone to know about your writing?
There are no limits to what may come out of me. I don’t limit words, thoughts, beliefs…anything. Anything can happen in things I write and I refuse to let anything in this world hold me back. We are only limited as humans when we allow ourselves to be. I’m a historian on top of a writer and I take a lot of inspiration from history. History itself is not always pretty, so what I write won’t always be either. The point of studying the past is to learn from it so we do not repeat it. I believe if we try to erase the bad things from the past we doom ourselves to repeat it. I do not want to doom myself to repeating mistakes from my own past. I’m always learning and creating. So, if there is one thing to know about my work, it’s that there are no limits.
What is the best writing advice you have ever gotten?
I would say it’s a combination of never stop writing, embrace critiques as they help you become better, and never believe your work is perfect. I can’t tell you who gave me each piece of advice. I’ve gotten a lot over the years but those are three big things that stuck with me. I can admit taking criticism can be hard. There are times I have to step back and remember that I can either get angry or get better. I have to remember that my actions make or break me. So those three things, I have chosen to hold close and remember that together they help me get better.
What are your thoughts on the indie author community?
I think it is a great community! It is a young community and we all have a lot of learning and growing to do overall. I believe it’s something that we can all do as long as we all work together. The only way that we Indie Authors are going to keep charging to success is by working together. We need to do more for each other in a consistent manner. We can do that by more than just liking posts and the occasional share. We need to buy and review each other’s books. We need to do everything we can to show that we are a solid community of peers that work together for each other’s success, not against each other as if it’s all a huge competition. I believe if we can continue to follow that path and be a big family that wants to see us all succeed than this community can grow to be bigger and more successful than we currently imagine.
There are no limits to what may come out of me. I don’t limit words, thoughts, beliefs…anything. Anything can happen in things I write and I refuse to let anything in this world hold me back. We are only limited as humans when we allow ourselves to be. I’m a historian on top of a writer and I take a lot of inspiration from history. History itself is not always pretty, so what I write won’t always be either. The point of studying the past is to learn from it so we do not repeat it. I believe if we try to erase the bad things from the past we doom ourselves to repeat it. I do not want to doom myself to repeating mistakes from my own past. I’m always learning and creating. So, if there is one thing to know about my work, it’s that there are no limits.
What is the best writing advice you have ever gotten?
I would say it’s a combination of never stop writing, embrace critiques as they help you become better, and never believe your work is perfect. I can’t tell you who gave me each piece of advice. I’ve gotten a lot over the years but those are three big things that stuck with me. I can admit taking criticism can be hard. There are times I have to step back and remember that I can either get angry or get better. I have to remember that my actions make or break me. So those three things, I have chosen to hold close and remember that together they help me get better.
What are your thoughts on the indie author community?
I think it is a great community! It is a young community and we all have a lot of learning and growing to do overall. I believe it’s something that we can all do as long as we all work together. The only way that we Indie Authors are going to keep charging to success is by working together. We need to do more for each other in a consistent manner. We can do that by more than just liking posts and the occasional share. We need to buy and review each other’s books. We need to do everything we can to show that we are a solid community of peers that work together for each other’s success, not against each other as if it’s all a huge competition. I believe if we can continue to follow that path and be a big family that wants to see us all succeed than this community can grow to be bigger and more successful than we currently imagine.
And last but not least, do you have anything currently in the works? What can your readers expect from you next?
As I said earlier, my brain is always going on something, but I do indeed have a few things in the works. The next release that I’m attached to will be the third installment in mine and Rayna Kingston’s The Passion of the Dragon Saga. Souls Ignited: The Story of Vlad the Impaler and the Women He Loved will pick up right where Love in Flames left off in the saga of Vlad, Erzsébet, and Erdenia’s lives. There’s a lot of real history we tap into for this series as well as giving stories to the rumored and known women in the famous Romanian Prince’s life. Souls Ignited is releasing on July 24, 2018 and it is nowhere near the end of this saga. After that, my focus will turn back to The Elements of Ilysia series to work on the second book, The Prophecy Unveiled. I’ll be balancing between the realms of Historical Romance and Fantasy for the time being. While I’m having thoughts about another poetry release and I have another series in the early development stages, I’m not willing to add anything else to my plate at this time. I am excited though at where both series are going and certainly hope that readers continue to enjoy them.
What a wonderful way to end out little interview series. I hope everyone enjoyed as much as I did, and I hope everyone has learned something to help them along their personal writing journeys. Best of luck to each of my interviewed authors, and best of luck to you!
Click these links to view Helena's other published works on Amazon:
Phoenix from the Ashes: Poetry from Personal Struggle, Rebirth, and Triumph
Behind the Mask: A Collection of Poetry
Passion of the Dragon Saga
Help a blogger out:
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Do me a huge favor and purchase from the links above so I can continue to provide you with content!
And as always, if you have any writing questions for me, leave a comment and I will do my best to write a post in response!
Connect with me on GoodReads, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Happy writing!
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