Author Interview - Alex Bell

Alex Bell is the author of 2 adult novels The Ninth Circle and Jasmyn and her latest book Lex Trent versus the Gods is her young adult debut.  I really enjoyed Lex Trent versus the Gods (you can read my review here) and was thrilled when Alex agreed to do an interview with me.

Cheats never prosper.  At least that's what everyone else would have you believe.  But Lex Trent knows better.  Lex knows that, with a bit of luck, the quickest route to success is to lie, swindle and cheat all the way to the top.

Unfortunately Lex has taken his scams a step too far...  Rather than see his neck in a noose, he's forced to go on the run in a world of irritable Gods, fearsome magicians and strange beasts.

But luck is still on his side, just.

The God's favourite pastime is The Games... and Lex has just become one of the human playing pieces.  With fame, glory and untold wealth at stake, Lex isn't going to lose (especially as that so often involves dying) - in fact, he fully intends to beat the Gods at their own game.

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Interview with Alex Bell
 
S: Thank you so much for coming to chat with us today Alex, it's great to have you here!

S: Can you tell us about yourself?
AB: I'm a full time writer, proud Great Dane owner, and avid reader. I've travelled extensively, studied law for quite a long time, and have a special fondness for vegetarian haggis. I also suffer from an advanced stage of Siamese-cat-besotment.

S: It mentions in your biography that you're only 23 so having 3 books published already is an amazing achievement!  How did you find the road to becoming a published author?
AB: I was quite lucky, and got published relatively young, but I still wrote three books, a load of short stories, and spent two years sending things out and getting rejections before I got my agent, and then my publisher. So although I got there in the end there were still a few bumps along the way!

S: What is your writing routine - where & when do you write?
AB: I used to write at night when there were fewer distractions, but I can't do that any more because of my Great Dane, who wakes up very early each morning. Now I write during the day until about six o clock in the evening. I prefer to write at home as I generaly find public places too noisy, but I do occasionally go to a coffee shop for a bit of variety.

S: Do you have any advice for would-be authors?
AB: Read as much as you can! Also, write as much as you can - even if it isn't very good at first - and try not to be too discouraged by rejections. But I would also say to take in advice that is helpful to you, and disregard that which isn't, because I got a fair bit of bad advice when I was starting out, and am glad I didn't listen to it!

S: I love to find out what sort of music my favorite authors like.  Do you have a sound track you listen to when you're writing?  What kind of music do you listen to when you want to relax?
AB: I can't listen to music when I'm writing as I find it too distracting. If I want to relax then I will probably listen to Leonard Cohen. Leonard is the only thing that enables me to sleep on planes! Other than that my tastes are quite eclectic, although I think my Bobby Vee and Herman's Hermits albums are the ones I've played the most.

S: You've created such a detailed world for Lex - you could never tell which fairytale or mythological creature would crop up next!  Did you have to do a lot of research before writing the story?  Where do you get your ideas from?
AB: I didn't really do any research for Lex because the mythological/fairy tale stuff was already there in my head. I'm not really sure where the ideas came from either - they just seemed to pop into my head as I was writing! But I was inspired by the Jason and the Argonauts film, and some of the Ancient Greek legends I'd read.

S: I really enjoyed reading Lex Trent versus the Gods and was excited to see that you will be publishing book 2 in the series next year.  Can you tell us anything about book 2?  How many books are you planning to have in the series?
AB: Book 2 sees Lex involved in another Game, but this time with bigger and better locations, and even more exciting hijinx! Lex also meets his match in the form of a new companion - an outlaw cowboy named Jesse who is almost as much of a scoundrel as Lex is himself. I don't have a set plan for how many books there would be in the series, but I definitely think I could have a lot of fun with Lex before his story was over.

S: Could you tell us a little about your adult books The Ninth Circle & Jasmyn? (I can include cover pictures & book blurbs here if that is easier?)

AB: The Ninth Circle is a religious-themed, mystery thriller whose main character is suffering from amnesia, and trying to work out who he is and what's happening to him. It's set in Budapest, told in the form of diary entries, and involves a lot of angels and demons.

Jasmyn is a supernatural mystery with an element of romantic suspense. After the main character's husband dies unexpectedly she discovers a host of things she never knew about him, and finds herself drawn into a fairytale mystery involving swans, black roses and Bavarian castles.

S: Do you have any other projects on the go?
AB: I'm working on another adult book at the moment, which I hope will be finished in the not too distant future!

S: I'd like to say a massive thank you to Alex for taking the time to visit us today.  It's been great fun chatting to you & I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.
 
You can find Alex online at her Website, her Blog or on Twitter