"For most religious people, the word Hell is reserved for a place that somewhat resembled the emotional trauma of high school plus some fire thrown in there; for me, Hell was defined by the four walls of my home and the boundaries of a soccer field."

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[Italics are me (the interviewer), and bold is Lia/LightentheShadows (the interviewee)]

I N T E R V I E W    T O O K    P L A C E :  A P R I L    2 0 1 8

Haha, I think we may be in completely different timezones so I may have to message you all my questions. Is that alright? xx

That is fine! (I think that might be happening too) 😄

Haha, alright then. Take your time xx

What inspired you to write your story? xx

I was inspired to write "Spandex is Mandatory" (SIM) because I love superheroes - comic books and superhero movies were basically how I learned English aside from Harry Potter - and when I signed up to Wattpad, I was thrilled to see that there were so many superhero books available! But, as I read on, I was sad to find that most characters - even if they promised otherwise - were often very stereotypical and none of the stories shed light on hard subjects - which is a critical factor I had always loved in superhero stories. So, I set off to try and write a superhero book that kind of stood on its own beside other superhero books on here. Now, I don't know if I achieved my goal, but at least some people have enjoyed the story anyway 😄

(I love superheroes and Harry Potter too! I've watched all the Marvel movies that have been released so far and watched Harry Potter more times than I can remember. What I love most about these is that there's still  a "real" factor to them, so it makes sense to want to have that in your stories as well ❤️)

What do you want readers to get out of your book? xx

I like to represent a lot of disabilities and diversity in my writing without having those character's defining factor BE the fact that they're disabled or diverse. I really want people to see those disabilities are not labels stuck on people's foreheads and that they're still - obviously - PEOPLE. I also wanted to bring to light a few real issues (forms of abuse, true poverty, depression, PTSD) that I often feel are glorified and horribly misrepresented in books, and have them portrayed as close to the truth that I could get.

But, most of all, I wanted to introduce a new type of "strong female character" that you don't see much. She's still afraid, she's still working through hard things, and she's not nice to everyone or hates everything, but she keeps going because, at least to me, being strong means you keep going despite any obstacle that's thrown your way, not that you're rude and capable of kicking anyone's arse, and I think that's a really important message to get out 😄

(I'm sure many people suffering from these disabilities/illnesses appreciate your efforts in shedding the truth on these subjects. I personally can say it really means a lot when disabilities are not romanticised, and readers can view them for their true colours. Thanks, girl! ❤️

Strong empowering women are great to read about, but I feel literature sometimes minimises what a strong female has to be in order to be "strong", so it's great to know an author diversifying the means of what characterises a "strong female character" as such xx)

Where were you and what were you doing when you found out you placed/ TPPA-Approved? xx

I was in my room, writing up one of my latest SIM chapters and - I'm not kidding - I literally sat there with my mouth gaping when I realized SIM was one of the only books that had made it on the list without winning!

(Yes! I'm sure that would have been a proud moment ❤️)

What does this mean to you? xx

It means more than I can express! English is my second language, and I'm often very nervous about my writing in English, so being on a list with so many great writers boosts my confidence up more than I can even say and it makes me beam at the fact that people are enjoying one of the little worlds in my head 😄

(Awww, well I didn't even realise that English is your second language because of how great you are with your English! In fact, you're probably a lot better than I am, and English is my first language 😄)

What are you up to at the moment? What do we have to look forward to from you? Do you have anything written-wise for us to look forward to in the future? xx 

At the moment, I'm publishing a short story titled "Chasing Paper Planes", which is a very different writing style and genre than what I've previously posted on Wattpad. I'm also writing up the sequel to SIM, titled "Masks Are Optional". I am in the planning stage of co-writing an untitled superhero novel with a friend, and I'm slowly beginning to write out what I hope to be an incredible Sci-Fi novel that I hope to publish under my real name someday 😄  

As for the future, I have no idea what it will hold!

(Ooo, sounds like we have a lot to look forward to! I'm sure they'll be just as great as SIM, and good luck!

I wonder if TPPA inspired the title... 😉)

So I see you've started writing the next book of your "SUPERHEROES SUCK" duology - how is that going? Anything us fans have to look forward to? 😉

Yes, I am writing the sequel for "Spandex Is Mandatory" which is titled "Masks Are Optional'! It's going pretty well and the writing is going pretty fast, so hopefully, can start publishing soon! I can't give any spoilers, but I can assure my readers that there is A LOT of secrets and new revelations that are going to be unravelling in this book - some of which I'm sure will shock at least most readers 😉

(Ooo, sounds super mysterious and exciting all at once! xx)

You came into this competition with less than 10K, how does it feel now having it nearly at 150K? xx

It's surreal! When I started posting SIM, I had about 20 followers and - judging by the number of superhero books already around and quite popular - I had low hopes for the book in general. I was amazed when the book passed 1K, and to see the numbers increase so fast is as shocking as it is wonderful! The feeling is unlike anything else I've felt before, especially since the number of comments and wall posts I get really show me that there's a lot of people who thoroughly enjoy the book, which is all I could ever ask for 😄

(Awww, that's so sweet! ❤️)

How did it feel when your book reached #1  in Adventure? xx

#1 in Adventure is one milestone I was almost certain I'd never reach, so reaching it before even finishing the book literally made me scream so loud that my mom rushed into my room! It's an incredible feeling to know that so many people are enjoying my book so much that, not only are they taking time out of their day to read it, but they're also voting and commenting! Every time I get a notification, my heart lifts a little bit, not going to lie 😄

(I can definitely understand that feeling! It feels so great knowing someone appreciates your work, and almost surprising when you realise you're not the only one who's in love with your own little creation xx)

The TPPA Form states that you've been on Wattpad for 3-6 months - what do you think helped with your early success? xx

Interact with your readers and never EVER get cocky! These readers are people that have lives and are taking time out of their precious day to read your book and maybe vote and comment! If you can, thank them! Reply to their comments! Show them your appreciation in every way you can; it'll mean as much to them as their support means to you 😄

 Also, never get cocky. Nobody wants to read a book from someone who thinks they wrote the next Harry Potter and that they're better than everybody. An author with a bad personality on a social site like Wattpad is suicide for your book!

(I totally agree! Even the smallest interaction can have a big wave effect on who takes the time to read your work, and getting cocky is only going to pull people away. No one likes those sort of people, not even on a good day xx)

The TPPA Form also states that you don't set goals while writing, so what keeps you motivated? xx

Honestly, my motivation are my characters! For SIM, I didn't even plan ahead, I just wrote out the story and let what needed to happen, happen. For me, this works because my favourite part about a book is dynamic characters, and this way, your characters will most definitely run the show! Really, the motivation for me just means getting into my narrator's head and taking the story where it already wants to go 😄

(Wow, that's so cool! I don't think I could ever do that, but it just goes to show that everyone has such a different writing style that's unique to them xx)

Wow! Thanks so much for answering so quickly! xx

(Cheers for such a great interview, Lia! ❤️❤️❤️)

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[INTERVIEW WAS PUBLISHED: JUNE 2018]

- review yet to be released -