Author Interview: Lisa Gabriel

Back by popular demand!

When did you discover you had a love of writing?

I have always enjoyed writing stories. When I was at junior school, I used to write long rambling adventures – when the teacher would have preferred a short essay. They said I had a wild imagination as though that was a bad thing. It might have put me off for life, but after one telling off too many, I just kept them to myself and took the option of writing poems instead. That taught me two things, poetry is a wonderful challenge for a writer and sometimes it is worth going it alone. I still write long, rambling stories though.

What genre/s do you prefer to write?

I have problems with niches and genres. To me, life has too many stereotypes and labels, so I write what I feel and hope it will touch someone else. Not all my work fits into the LGBT niche, but much does. Technically I suppose I am a multi-genre author, but I have a leaning towards history and, strange combination, the bizarre.

Do you enjoy reading as well as writing?

Yes, very much. As a child I was a voracious reader, and I used to be a real bookworm until I developed diabetic cataracts. Now they have been fixed I am reading more again.

What stigma do you wish you could break?

On a personal level, the stigma against bisexual women. It seems that men think bisexual women are loose and women think they are untrustworthy. Sure, some will be, but most are just as monogamous as straight girls or lesbians. On a political level, the whole trans thing worries me. I  wrote a story about a woman being beaten up because she was falsely mistaken for trans. We can’t help who we are or how we look. As an older writer who remembers all too well how difficult it was just coming out, I wish we could just practice tolerance and compassion for all.

What do you hope readers take away from your work?

I really hope they will enjoy the story and get into the characters and the settings. Personally, I have always loved a novel or story that taught or showed me something I hadn’t known or experienced before. I think that is reflected in my writing. I hope so anyway.

What do you feel is your biggest struggle?

In life, reconciling Christian faith and sexuality. This is true of many LGBT people in my limited experience. It isn’t an easy one. Some people abandon their faith altogether. Who can blame them? The world is enough of an intolerant place without enforcing rules made up by wandering tribesmen thousands of years ago. Other than that, the biggest struggle I have is getting started. Not just on writing, I confess, but anything. I suffer from inertia big time, but when I finally get going, I really do get my teeth into a project and will not stop until I have finished.

In your opinion, what makes a great cover?

Oh, that’s a good one. I think a cover that gives you some inclination of what the story is about, but it needs to be eye popping enough to get a reader’s attention. Graphics and font choice matter there.

What social media site do you find the most readers on?

I have never had much joy with Facebook as they seem to limit who can view your posts unless you pay for advertising, which I can’t afford. Twitter on the other hand has always had a big, supportive network of writers. It seems to be moving along Facebook lines though, which worries me, but I enjoy the whole Twitter experience. When we were only allowed 147 characters, I always relished the challenge of trying to say things in a very concise manner but these days it is easier.

Where do you want to be in your writing career five years from now?

Alive, I hope,😉  but as any writer would say, I would love more readers to give my work a shot. It isn’t easy to pigeonhole but I hope it is true to life. I also feel a great sense of history. There is so much change in the world now, but along with change for the better we should retain an awareness that it was not always so, is still not so in many countries, and we should honor pioneers, both known and unknown. It’s why I wrote The Wings to Fly and A Crofter’s Tale it’s also why I so love Gentleman Jack (based on the diaries of Anne Lister, for the benefit of those who haven’t watched it yet). It takes us back to a world we are well out of, but we must beware of complacency.

What’s your go to writing drink?

At my desk, peach and ginger tea, strong coffee, or fizzy water. I like to be totally sober when I write, even more so when I edit. Afterwards, a stiff whisky on the rocks; preferably a single Speyside malt like Tamnavullin, Glenlivet, or Glenallachie with some age to it, but I wouldn’t say no to a Bourbon, Canadian Club, or an Irish malt. When I finish a novel, Writer’s Tears goes down well.

Where can readers find more about you?

I hang out on Twitter as @persimew . My Facebook page is (1) Lisa Marie Gabriel | Facebook and I share any freebies there. Author Central on Amazon is Amazon.com: Lisa Gabriel: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle There are quite a few books on there. I have been a busy lass!