This Week’s Feature Author Interview with
Lyss V
Hi Lyss V, welcome to the Indie Publishing Group website. Introduce yourself to us. Tell everyone who you are, where you’re from, what do you enjoy doing, hobbies and interests.
Hey! Thank you for having me. I’m Alyssa Tan, born and raised in the Philippines. I love Math (which is sometimes surprising to hear from a teen like me), and I absolutely love to piano and swim. If you don’t see me typing frivolously on my laptop, then I’m probably playing the piano to clear my head. It’s either that or I’m binge watching Suits.
When did you start writing and why?
I started writing back in fifth grade. It started with a project where I need to write a fairy tale, but I fell in love with creating new ideas and giving my own twist in them. My teachers gave me the push I needed to continue this newfound passion of mine till writing has become a long-term favorite hobby. With new ideas popping in my mind almost every day, I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing.
Which is your favorite book you have written and what gave you the idea for it?
It has to be Letters From Sam To Kylie, which is the book that I will be talking about today. It’s my favorite because unlike most of my books, this takes place in high school with two best friends. I guess this has become one of my most relatable books I’ve ever written as such that it provides conflict known by each pair of friends or lovers–and that is trust. The idea came to me while I was on the beach, and the whole message in the bottle thing came to mind immediately. I didn’t write it at that moment. I let it develop in my mind for months till my close friends Samuel and Kyla inspired me to finally start it. And when I did, I didn’t stop.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Letters From Sam To Kylie revolves around letters. It weighs a lot on the letters Sam has written for Kylie in order to convince her to forgive him. The names of my main characters, as noticed, were named after the two friends who got me to start this book.
Who helped you with the cover? Or did your design it yourself? What was your inspiration for your cover design?
There is still no official cover for the book as it is still in the works. But what I do plan for the cover is for it to be light and simplistic. It must have a feel of comfort and trust because that’s what the whole book is about.
What are some of the themes of your story?
One of themes is friendship. In the book, you’ll see Sam and Kylie’s friendship develop from when they first met to where they last left off. You’ll see the problems they faced, the laughter they had, the stress they took, the secrets and fears they shared, everything. There’s also themes of trust, love, and family.
What’s your process when you sit down and decide to start writing a book? What is your process and do you have a system?
I don’t think I have a process. I just write stuff that doesn’t make sense on my document and just switch it up a notch when I’m done ‘trashing’ my idea.
Who are some of your favorite characters and why?
My favorite character, outside of my work, has to be Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. She’s a strong female character who doesn’t rely on anybody. And even though she’s what one calls ‘book smart’, she still understands the value of friendship and love. Another one of my favorite is Will Herondale from the Infernal Devices, because who doesn’t like him? He’s sarcastic, funny, and self-sacrificing. He’s the type of hero everyone will root for.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
J.K. Rowling and Cassandra Clare. Hands Down.
Have you got anything you’re working on now?
I’m actually working on a lot of things. One of them is called Searching Happiness (title of the work is temporary) and it’s about a college sophomore trying to find her own happiness after her boyfriend (who she makes her goal to keep happy every day) suicides. Another is The Vestimortis, a fantasy novel that deals with evil faeries and demons in a place far worse than hell.
If you could have any super powers what would they be?
I want to control the water, because once you control water, you control everything. And imagine when you get irritated with someone; you could easily douse them with water!
If you could travel to any location in the world where would you go?
Greece definitely. I’m a huge fan of Greek Mythology so it’d be lovely to visit the temples and sights.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview. Take a minute and check Lyss V out on the links below!
Letters From Sam To Kylie Goodreads Page
Letters From Sam To Kylie Blurb
Sam Kallis wants Kylie Darthrow to forgive him.
The problem? She wants absolutely nothing to do with him.
However, when Sam finds himself in a comatose state, Kylie receives a bottle of twenty-two letters, and she know that this might be the last thing he will ever give her. As she reminisces the past, a new perspective of Sam will arise and a basket of regrets and failed promises will soon be brought to light.
After everything that has happened, will Kylie be able to forgive him? And if she does, will Sam ever wake up to hear it?
Because a friendship mixed with feelings and betrayal could only last so long before someone throws it away
LETTERS FROM SAM TO KYLIE WILL SOON BE RELEASED IN MAY!
