An Interview with L J Smith

I began writing seriously in 2019 when I took early retirement after a thirty-four-year career in education. I live in Perthshire in Scotland where I enjoy gardening, walking, theatre and cinema-going, as well as cycling and cross-stitching.

My interest in writing came not just from my own reading but also from the process of teaching others about reading, writing and understanding the written word. The ideas for my first novel came from my experiences in education and travelling in Europe, as well as my enjoyment of a well-told psychological thriller. I focus on human behaviour and individual motivation when faced with life-changing events and difficult decisions. Relationships are at the heart of the novels. The decisions made by the characters and the relationships they develop drive the plot.

The inspiration for this first novel, Listen To Mother, came initially from a trip to Florence in 2011. However, the main inspiration was a desire for others to experience the world from the viewpoint of someone with high-functioning autism whose struggles with the reality of life result in his joining a world in the shadows.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I have always enjoyed writing and, although never published until now, I always found writing an enjoyable and emotionally challenging experience. I completed a degree in English and once I started teaching the amount of time I could devote to writing became very limited. Hence the reason I waited until I retired. I have a very broad taste in literature and it would be hard to say that one author or one book has influenced me. However, the books I enjoy most are those where the characters interest me and their actions drive the plot.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I visited Florence in 2011 with my husband and other family. I found it to be a very beautiful city where it felt like anything could happen. The ideas for this novel were formed during that trip but, not until I retired, was I able to put finger to keyboard and create this work. Finding the title was the most difficult part of the process and I ran through several titles as I was writing it, changing it and amending it as I went. In the end this title was chosen after my husband read the final draft. He said, “It’s got to be that one!” And I think he was right.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

It was quite amazing to see my book and hold it in my hands. The journey to getting published had been a long one with many disappointments along the way. In fact, I nearly gave up sending it to anyone at one point. So to see it in book form, to admire the cover and see all my words printed on the pages was very exciting.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

Reading any book is an individual experience and each reader will have a different response to what they read. And I’m fine with that. However, I would hope that the characters in the book would excite some sympathy and understanding when the world is viewed from their perspective. I would also hope the readers find it to have an engaging and exciting plot.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The actual writing of the book was the most rewarding part of the process but working with the excellent staff at Blossom Spring Publishing to bring it to life was both interesting and enjoyable.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I have completed a second novel, A Father’s Daughter, which explores the lives of one nuclear family. It focuses on the complexities of family life, those things that are said and those that are unsaid as well as the secrets that motivate individual choices. However, I’m currently working on a dystopian thriller entitled Alone.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.