Author Spotlight: Alana Greig ~ See Beth Write

Today's featured author is Alana Greig. I first met Alana when we were connected to the same publishing house. I'm happy to say we became friends and I'm glad she's answering some questions for us.

Tell us a little bit about you. Where are you from? What kind of books do you write? How many books have you written? Do you set your stories in the area you live in?

Thank you so much for inviting me to take part in this interview. I am originally from London. I moved to Bristol when I was 11 and stayed there until I was 22. Then It was a 9 year stint in North East Scotland and now I ma back on the west coast in a town called Weston Super Mare.

I mostly write books that have a fantasy element. Recently I have been trying my had at new genres such as paranormal romantic comedy and horror.

I have three books out, come October 31^st; with other ongoing projects in the works.

Usually no I don’t set my books in real places as I am not all that good at directions or geography haha. Having said that one of my upcoming titles is set in the town that I know live in. only briefly though.

Most writers I know are voracious readers. What kind of books do you like to read? What’s your favorite book?

I love to read, it is my first love. Recently I have not had a lot of time to do so. I am hoping to change that in the coming weeks. I really enjoy horror. I like a book to get me thinking but not be so complex that I feel there will be test questions at the end. I also enjoy paranormal romance from time to time and books that have an element of truth to them. I am not very good at setting my books in the real world so reading ones that are is a bit of an adventure.

My favorite book. That is like asking me to pick my favorite child. There are so many authors that write the most amazing books. 1984 is in the top 10 for sure as is the Dairy of a Serial Killer but Erin Lee and forever and always by Beverly Hollowed. Anything by Shani Struthers as well she writes amazing paranormal horror.

Let’s play a quick game of “This or That”.

Real books or e-books? Hard one love real books because they are wonderful to hold and smell. But due to my dyslexia reading a paper book is not always easy. My kindle I love it is small and fits in my coat pocket. But it is cold and needs charging. So I guess kindle for ease but paper books are my true love.

Coffee or tea? I only drink herbal teas.

Sweet or savory? Savory every time.

Dogs or cats? Both I have two cats Milo and Ralph but I loves dogs as well. I even had a parrot.

Summer or winter? I guess out of those two winter. I like spring best. I hate being hot.

Would you mind telling us about your writing style? Such as: Do have a routine? Do you need complete silence or blaring music? Early morning writing or late nite writing?

This horrified my editor, I don’t have a routine I never plot my books either. Authors everywhere are cussing me editor too haha. My writing style has chanced a lot since my first book. I cant really tell you what it is. I write however the book comes to me. Music is an interesting one. When I was writing the start of PULSE which is the book that follows on from my first novel The Aurora Stone I had upbeat music on because the lead works in a nightclub. Other titles I have to have either classical instrumental’s or silence. One of my tricks is to sit with my headphones on with nothing playing. They shut me off from household sounds and that helps me to concentrate. I am not a morning person at all. I write best from lunch time onwards. It is not unusual to find me typing away at 1am.

Do you have a favorite “writing” snack?

I try not to eat at my laptop, It makes a mess and then I have to go wash my hands. I am OCD about hand washing and I hate a messy keyboard. Usually I just have my cup of tea on my left and I am set.

Which do you think is the hardest to write: the first sentence or the last one?

The last. I am always unsure of how to conclude a story; and quite often change the ending a few times. My newest book was the first one that I wrote start to finish and changed very little. The ending is the same now as it was in the first draft. But that is rare for me.

What is your biggest distraction while writing?

Social media and teaser making. I really need to turn off my WIFI when I ma writing. With all my friends living in America it is not an easy thing to do. This is one of the reasons I wish I was a morning person as they are all asleep then.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Write what you want to write and be your only competition. So many authors it seems are so busy trying to be better than their peers that they forget that every book they release, every review and every sale is a success. I try very hard to only worry about what my spread sheet says and how my writing is developing and hopefully improving.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Do not be afraid to fail. There is no failing in this business there is only room for improvement. Get a good editor and proof reader if you are self-publishing. If you are looking for a publisher check them out first and never sign anything until all your questions have been answered. Most importantly enjoy what you are doing. Writing is a great form of expression and you are now the master of the worlds you create. Lastly never delete. Save it in a new file you never know when that paragraph might be just what you need in another title.

What’s next for you? What do your readers have to look forward to?

My newest title Love you in Pieces is something very different from my other works. ~I think for my readers it will be quite a change. In the coming months I hope to have short stories in three anthologies and another two next year. I am also writing my first Horror which will be out by summer 2018 and finally the last two installments of my co-written Reality series will be released early 2018. So there is a lot happening and I hope that with each title my writing improves and I can deliver on the new genre. Its exciting and extremely daunting.