Author Interview with L. Salt!
Hi, L.Salt welcome to the Indie Publishing Group website! Introduce yourself to us. Tell everyone who you are, where you’re from, what you enjoy doing, your hobbies and interests.
My pen name is L. Salt and I’m a multi-genre writer from the United Kingdom. I write exclusively for Crazy Ink Publishing.
I was born in Belarus and lived for many years in Ukraine and Russia, then finally settled down in the North of England, where I currently live with my husband. I studied History of World Culture and did my Master’s Degree in Art Expertise at the St. Petersburg University of Culture and Arts. My interest in writing dates back to my teenage years. Apart from creative writing, I have a passion for traveling, arts, history, and foreign languages
When did you start writing and why?
I started to write at school, at the age of 12-13. I wrote a sci-fi series about time travel and another dimension. I always liked to tell stories, creating new, fancy worlds
Which is your favorite book you have written and what gave you the idea for it?
I love them all, but my debut novel “The Ways We Follow” is probably my favorite. My life in Russia’s second largest city (St. Petersburg) has inspired me to write this novel. Although the plot of the story set in the future, I want to show the world how real Russia looks like, destroying all daft clichés people normally associate with Eastern Europe in general and Russia in particular.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
It came to me accidentally, but I think it reflects the main ideas of the plot. Four best friends are searching for their ways to love and freedom.
Who helped you with the cover? Or did you design it yourself? What was your inspiration for your cover design?
My publisher, Crazy Ink Publishing, designed it for me. St. Petersburg skyline became an inspiration for it. On the cover, you can see the most iconic buildings in the city in the purple-ish background of the white night.
What are some of the themes of your story?
“The Ways We Follow” is a futuristic urban drama, the first book of a duology about four best friends, living in a big city, who try to find their own ways in this life, overcoming different challenges–from love to betrayal, from revenge to a murder. The friends also face the government controlling institution, the Department of Censorship, which gains control over peoples’ minds.
What’s your process when you sit down and decide to start writing a book and do you have a system?
Normally, I write down a general idea first, then make a plan (something like scenes’ sequence or a storyboard). Sometimes I write a story from the beginning to the end. Sometimes I write different (incoherent) chapters/scenes and then put them together.
Who are some of your favorite characters and why?
I’d say I love them all, both good guys and bad guys. I’m fond of Christina and Axel Lisarovich. They are siblings. Constantly being under threat of prosecution, they always protect each other and their friends. Isaac Ridenburg is a war veteran, a real patriot who is ready to sacrifice everything for his country and people, including himself. Daniel Polanskiy, a mad genius architect, designer, and creative director of “Design Revolution”. He’s not ready to give up his creative ideas even under pressure of the Department of Censorship.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
So many of them…It’s difficult to pick up just a couple. In my teenage years, I read a lot. I was into travels, adventures, history, I enjoyed sci-fi as well as horror like Stephan King’s type of stories. At University, I preferred more philosophical and sophisticated reading like Albert Camus, Sartre, Herman Hesse, Carlos Castaneda. Nowadays, I read historical fiction (authors like Philippa Gregory, for example) and thrillers/adventures in Dan Brown’s style.
Have you got anything you’re working on now?
My second novel, a sequel to “The Ways We Follow”, a drama/sci-fi story “Angels of Zion” will be published in July by Crazy Ink Publishing. Also, I’ve just finished my short story for “Beyond Wonderland” anthology which will be released in September by Crazy Ink. It’s a thriller/magic realism retell of the good old classic.
If you could have any superpowers what would they be?
Power to become a world-famous author and producer.
If you could travel to any location in the world where would you go?
My plans/dreams for this year is a long-planned, but always postponed trip to Israel. The Holy Land is an amazing source of inspiration. I hope this time my dream to visit it will come true. I would also visit such exotic places like Japan, Singapore, or New Zealand.
Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?
I hope to publish more books in different genres and make writing my main source of income and a full-time job. I also hope in 5 years’ time, my book/books will be turned into a movie.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview, L. Salt! Take a minute and check L. Salt out on the links below! If you would like to do an author interview, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
We also have a great Author Resources page which is constantly being updated with useful links and information!
L. Salt Author Twitter Account
L. Salt Author Goodreads Account
L. Salt Author Facebook Account
L. Salt Author Blog
