Hsien W. Lou's debut novel, Sparked, is an epic, otherworldly tale of the vampirical undead, stealing Sparks from people on Earth to use to extend their own lives.
Hsien, what
motivated you to become an author?
I
have always had an interest in writing and wanting to express
personal, interesting and strange tales. I hope that people would be
able to relate and find them interesting and fun.
What
is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Writing
is enjoyable, creating a whole universe with unique, simple
characters and placing them in interesting, puzzling situations and
finding how they solve them is great fun, at times it seems like the
characters begin to write themselves.
Do
you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes,
it was about two children. A boy and a girl. The boy was trapped in
another world that was linked to the girl's mirror. So one day the
mirror in her bedroom cracked and she entered the world to save the
boy but she ended up trapped there too. It was a horror tale, it did
not end well.
When
you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I
spend it working as an environmental consultant, volunteering at
church, reading, spending time with family and most importantly
sleeping.
What
is your writing process?
My
writing process begins with a strong storyline. I like to create
original storylines and once this is done it is quite easy to follow
through because it tends to place a foundation and you continue to
flow from there.
When
did you first start writing?
It
seems like I have been writing forever but I do recall starting with
poetry and then deciding to write short stories and now novels.
What
are you working on next?
I
am working on three new books, the sequel to sparked, a romance novel
and a fantasy book about a mage. I realised I really like writing
fantasy, when I write the story, it flows out easily.
What's
the story behind your latest book?
It's
about a lazy thirteen year old mage whose parents are the most
powerful mages in the universe but he has no powers at all. He
witnesses the culprit who kidnaps a few of his classmates at school
and goes on a journey to save them and in the process finds his
powers.
Where
did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I
grew up in a small town and a close knit family. And since my family
is a big supporting factor and most of the time we get a long
fairly well, I always want all the characters in my book to have
happy endings but it is almost never the case.
Do
you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on
you?
I
think Terry Pratchett's Mort had a big impact on me, I love his
writing so humorous and interesting. He can really liven up his words
and characters.
Describe
your desk
My
desk is a mess, there are random papers and sticky notes and
different coloured pens scattered everywhere. My laptop is placed on
top of the papers, I don't think you can see the colour of the desk
any more, instead of brown I think the appropriate name is paper
desk.
What do you read for pleasure?
I
read fantasy books, I am currently reading Brandon Sanderson's Words
of Radiance. It is a great read, especially the main character
Kaladin, I enjoy the way he is overcoming his personal challenges.
What
inspires you to get out of bed each day?
My
loud alarm clock.
What
do your fans mean to you?
They
mean a lot, I do hope they find an interest in the books and I
believe it is important to gain their opinions of the story and
characters. I think it is important as fans/ readers assist you to
improve so I do value them and their opinions.
How
do you discover the books you read?
Sometimes
I will randomly pick a book in the fantasy section of the bookstore
and read it. I find appealing storylines that attract me and also
inspire me to write.
Who
are your favourite authors?
Terry
Pratchett, C. S. Lewis, Victor Hugo, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles
Dickens, Julia Quinn, Lewis Caroll, Mark Lawrence
Thank you, Hsien, and best of luck with your novel, Sparked! Sparked is scheduled for release Dec 2014/Jan 2015, so look out for it in all your favourite places, like www.swannbooks.com
