42 Stories Anthology Presents: Leslie Soule Interview

 

Leslie Soule, Judge for the Fantasy Chapter

Biography

Leslie Soule is a fantasy writer who has won the Fiction Award from the Sacramento State Writing Club, for her novel Fallenwood. In addition, she has recently released a book of poetry titled My Mentor, Death, currently available from Terror House Press.  

 

BAM: Hi Leslie. Thank you for your time for this interview. Where are you now?

Leslie: I am currently in Helena, Montana.

 

BAM: The capital city. So, where is your writing space?

Leslie: Sometimes I write at home, but most commonly, I find a cozy coffee shop to do most of my writing in.

 

 

BAM: Let’s get into some icebreaker questions. Tell me about some foods you enjoy.

Leslie:

I love sushi!!! Big chunks of sashimi. Oooh… 

BAM: Really? I've been in Japan for 10 years now. Interestingly, the first day I moved here, I had sushi from 7-Eleven's convenience store. It was better than anything in America I'd had. Anyway, what do you drink with your food usually? Coffee or tea?

Leslie:

I like both. I worked in a little British tea room for a while, making fish & chips and pouring the tea, and it was a lot of fun. I really liked that job. And I drink coffee every day, to help me get motivated in the mornings.

 

BAM: Cool sounding job. Now I'm imagining you doing a British accent. Same here, by the way. Coffee in moderation is good, but more than the mornings seems like an addiction. And tea is healthy for you. So, Leslie, let’s move onto writing. When did you realize you liked it?

Leslie:

I have always liked writing. When I was a child, I used to create stories on the word processor that we had. It helped keep my imagination active.

 

BAM: So, what inspires you as a writer?

Leslie:        I really love 80s fantasy films and classic high-fantasy novels. I’m currently reading through the books of the Mallorean series by David Eddings. I like how his novels embody a sense of friendship/teamwork/overcoming obstacles with the help of friends and such. I feel like a lot of more modern novels are missing that.

 

BAM: Do you play music any music while you write?

Leslie: No, I usually write in silence. I find that music sometimes gets in the way of my ability to concentrate.

 

BAM: What writer do you want to meet?

Leslie:

George R.R. Martin. I had a dream once that he had me over for a garden party and started making me a mint julep. Ha ha!

 

BAM: I had a dream once of reading the Winds of Winter. It's still just a dream. He's quite an accomplished writer. On that note, Leslie, again, thank you for your time. Why don't you leave readers with the greatest writing accomplishment you hope to receive?

Leslie:

I think there’s one that Baen gives out, made of hand-blown glass, that looks really neat. That one would be cool to win.

Social Media:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4349288.Leslie_Soule

NOTE: Image credit goes to https://deepdreamgenerator.com/