It's What You See In Your Head: An Interview With Elle G. Keating

The funny thing about horror is that it's all about the images that you conjure up for yourself (but don't worry, the bedsheet will protect you!). Debut author Elle G. Keating joins us to talk about nightmares, her recently-released first book Don't Wake Up and current WIP, the road to getting published, and the subjectivity of horror as a genre in this unexpected Canadian take-over episode. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to Booked All Night, the podcast where hot takes meet craft notes and no one gets enough sleep. I'm Jeff. I'm Katie. I'm Julia. I'm Maggie. Get ready for unhinged hot takes. A whole lot of books, midnight giggles, and zero shape. Grab your blankets, booklets, it's time to get booked all night.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Welcome to Booked All Night, the podcast where hot takes meet craft notes and no one gets enough sleep. I'm your host, Julia, and today we're joined by L. G. Keating. Yes? Yes. You got it. Author of Don't Wake Up. Hello, uh, L. How are you doing? I'm good. How are you? I'm good. Welcome, fellow Canadian. I love this. Yes. Um why don't we start by you giving us a little pitch for Don't Wake Up?

SPEAKER_01 0:51

All right. Well, Don't Wake Up. It's a psychological horror, basically following a young painter who struggles with her inner demons. Her life soon goes off the rails when an evil presence haunts her nightmares and slowly blurring the lines of her reality. It touches a lot on grief, self-worth, vulnerability, and stuff like that. I love that. That's so fun. I love a good horror.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

So as you can see, fantastic. All I have dedicated to. You know, some people, it's not for them, but I don't know. Just make me get up in the middle of the night like right.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

It's you know, horror is so subjective, where some people find it so terrifying, like movie-wise, even books, and then other people are like, oh, that wasn't scary at all, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Right? Like I personally, I'm not a horror movie person. I don't like watching it, but I'll read it all day long. Yeah. In my head, it's less scary.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Exactly. Well, a lot of people who like friends of mine who have read the book, they're like, oh, it wasn't too scary. And then other people like, oh, that scene was so frightening. And it's it's again, it's what you see in your head, right? Definitely. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

I guess let's get started with some character superlatives. So we get to know the don't wake up cast a little better. So the first question is what character is most likely to say, let's split up?

SPEAKER_03 2:16

Hmm.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

I would say my main character's best friend Amelia. Okay. She's very much on the realistic side, but not realistic in a way that she believes everything. She'd be like, Oh, let's just let's split up. Yeah. You go that way, I'll go this way. Yeah, exactly. Like you're on your own rule to not do. Right? I can see her being like, You're you're on your own on this one. Right. Because she kind of does that in the book.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Yeah. It kind of just leaves her. And you're like, where'd she go? What are you doing? Yeah. Have you never seen a horror movie?

unknown 2:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Um, who would be the worst roommate?

SPEAKER_01 2:59

I would have to say Abel. I don't want to give too much away on him, but I think it'd be him. That's fair. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

I mean, not great.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

No.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Um, who is most likely to accidentally summon a demon just to see what happens?

SPEAKER_01 3:17

I think it would have to be Abel again. Yeah. Yeah. Just like let's just give it a go. Yeah. Why not? I could see him being with like a group of friends and just let's let's hit a Ouija board and conjure something.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

Who is most likely to have a cursed Pinterest board?

SPEAKER_01 3:34

I would say, oh, that's a good question. I don't have a lot of characters in my book, so I'm not too sure. That's okay. Yeah. You can rename someone who's already on there. Yeah. Hmm. I'm gonna go with Lila on this one. Just because after everything that starts to happen, I can see her being on Pinterest and getting cursed in another way. I don't know. Just decorating her house with extra spooky stuff.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

Just leans into it. Yeah, right. Yeah. Um, and then who is most likely to befriend the monster instead of running?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

I'm gonna go with Amelia again.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, 100%. Yeah. She's just like a little Dululu. Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

Like, come on, girl. This is a real one. Jump on the bandwagon, listen to your friend.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

Exactly. Um, I just want to give a little shout out. We have someone watching on YouTube who's celebrating that we have two Canadians. So welcome. I love that so much. Hello. Um, all right, so let's talk about the book a little bit. The lines of reality are blurry for Lila. What inspired the idea of a haunting that lives inside dreams?

SPEAKER_01 4:55

I've always been interested in the concept of nightmares. Like we've all had bad ones. I know I've had bad ones in the past where you just wake up and it's like, oh my god, that was so real. Like, what if 100% that actually was real? What if you woke up and it just continued? Um, also, movies like Nightmare on Elm Street, definitely one of my favorites growing up. I think it was one of my first horror movies I watched, so that kind of ingrained in me. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

Yeah. I haven't seen that one. I've uh like I said, don't watch horror movies, read horror, but uh, I've definitely heard about that one. And I'm like, that sounds terrifying. Too much. Exactly. Or like, what do they call that one thing the when you wake up and there's like the do you know what I'm talking about? There's like this sleep paralysis demon. Yeah. There we go. Sleep paralysis. It's not sleep demon, but I've definitely experienced that a few times.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

During writing this, I watched a documentary. It was called, I think it was called The Nightmare, and they touched on like sleep paralysis and everything. And it was a bit of research because I'm just like, that is terrifying. And people are like, oh, it could happen anytime. Yeah. Uh big involvement there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

Definitely. I have two dogs, and I'll just lay there and be like, if there was something actually here, the dogs would be barking. Exactly. Yeah. Like kind of helps me with that. Next question. Nightmares can feel so claustrophobic and visceral. How did you capture that balance between fear and fascination?

SPEAKER_01 6:35

That's a good question. Uh, how did I capture it? I don't know, other than from experience, I guess, having those nightmares myself and thinking back to uh to all that kind of inspired and put it into it. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:51

So I guess you're talking about nightmares, like do you feel like you have a lot of nightmares which kind of brought this on, or just like a regular amount?

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Just a regular amount, just I find them so fascinating. It's like what and I guess I I can't say I do watch a lot of horror, but I don't think they're the reason why I have the nightmares. But when you do, it's just like you wake up and it's like, what was my mind thinking? Like, what did I eat last night that made it jumble my subconscious, you know? But it's but is it more than your subconscious, right? That's that's what went into creating demons and stuff, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

That's fair. It's like, is there something else in the universe that's like telling me? Yeah, like influence me a little bit, like I don't know about that. Yeah, exactly. Um, and then last question here uh for this section Lila's also an artist struggling with self-worth. How does creativity and insecurity feed into horror? And I guess this book in particular.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Well, as being a debut author, doing it all my own, independent author, it was very much I write Lila like myself almost. Like I've had friends who read it and they're just like I just picture you when I'm reading about Lila. Not that I've been through any of that stuff, but like the whole self-worth and it uh the trust issues and stuff, that's very much pulled from my own experience. Uh fear of the future. Like you dive into something with creativity, especially. It is anybody gonna like this? You know, she has her social media following that yeah, there's lots of followers, but there's nobody's buying her paintings. It it takes a lot from my own life, I guess. That's totally fair.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

I mean, I'm an artist as well, and it's definitely I've been to some uh like art gallery showings and whatnot, and everyone comes around, oh my god, I love your stuff, but no one buys anything. And you're like, Do you really write it? Are you sure? I don't know if I want to do this again. Yeah, okay, it's fun. It's so daunting, yeah. Right? Yeah, I guess we can jump into the first game. This will be great. Yay! So this first game is never have I ever uh spoiled my own book, horror edition. Uh-oh. We're going to tempt fate with some author confessions. You'll tell us whether you've done it or not, but if you've done five or more, you have to spoil something tiny. We won't make you do a big one from your book. Ready? Okay. Never have I ever killed off a character just to see if I could.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

I don't think I have. No. Fair enough?

SPEAKER_02 9:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

No? Perfect. Uh, never have I ever scared myself while writing. I have. Okay. One in one. This is fun.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Which part can I ask? Uh, I guess that could be a bit of the spoiler. Uh, I was writing the scene where she's in bed watching a movie and her closet door creaks open and all this scary stuff starts to come out, or some yeah. Uh, and I'm sitting there writing, and literally, I don't know, it's quiet in the house. It was nighttime. I write a lot at night too, and all of a sudden I hear something. Yeah, right. Add to that inspiration of horror. Uh, yeah, I heard something fall or knock over in the hallway, and I just stayed in my room.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

I'm like, no. No, it's fine. We're done. We're done leaving the room for the day. Go over, lock it, crawl under the covers. This this sheet will protect me. Right? So funny. Okay. Um, never have I ever added a G dream sequence just to mess with the reader.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

No, I don't think I have. They're all very intentional.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

Cool. Yeah. Um, never have I ever named a character after someone I secretly dislike. I have yet to do that.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

No, I have not. Just add that to the list. Yeah, right? Should add that in my next book.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

Change, change like the first or last letter. Yeah. It wasn't you. I don't know what you're talking about. Not at all. Uh, never have I ever written a scene so creepy I had to stop and turn on a light. I guess that kind of goes with the uh scared yourself part. We'll just we'll skip that one. Okay. Uh never have I ever written a character who's actually based on a nightmare that I had.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Written a character that was based on a nightmare or a nightmare. Yeah. Okay. I guess that would be a yes, because I mean, I none of the nightmares that Lila had, I had, but I wrote a her character based on my own experience with having nightmares. So yeah. That's fair.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

Never have I ever let a character die just because it made the story scarier.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

I guess I would say I did. Yes. Perfect. What am I? Two for two. Uh well two for three. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

It's like I'm doing a bad job counting. Uh never have I ever written a fake out death and immediately regretted it. No. No. No. You cut that one?

unknown 12:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

Uh never have I ever made a character suffer purely for pacing reasons. Yeah, I did. That's fair. Yeah. And never have I ever realized too late that I was the villain in my own draft.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Like I was the villain while writing it. I don't want to take away, I'm not going to say anything in the ending, but I I would say yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

Love. All right. Yeah. That's five. So I mean, you did give that one spoiler, but if you have another one, we would love to hear it. Just a little one.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Just a little bit. Try to think of a little one. Um, in the nightmare, obviously, even looking at the cover, you know, it's a lot of forestry and that kind of stuff, and the bridge and crossing over the bridge. It's more hellfire, I guess. If she jumps into that, yeah. Again, I don't want to give too much away because obviously there's a twist, but it's all good. That's perfect.

SPEAKER_02 13:16

That was really fun. I love a good one. I love that. Yeah, perfect. Me too. It's been a while since I've played that, so it's great. Right? Normally there's alcohol involved. Yeah. All right. Um, so this is about your writing and craft. All right. Word depends so much on atmosphere and pacing. What are some things you keep in mind to keep the tension going throughout the narrative?

SPEAKER_01 13:42

That one's hard because, especially in books, there's gonna be a lot of filler. And so you need to watch your pacing, right? Obviously, you don't want it to be too dull and boring for like two chapters, three chapters on end. I try to make sure there's at least an event that happens like between one or two chapters, just to keep that um that pace going. Yeah, it's always in the back of my mind, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

Yeah. Like I'm getting bored as the writer, better thrust. Yeah. Exactly. Um, all right. What kind of fear fascinates you the most as a writer?

SPEAKER_01 14:20

I th I'd say like paranoia and isolation, which is a lot of this book, and it's built into my next one. Uh being isolated and being left alone, like when you're going through something so scary and traumatic, and just everybody says you're crazy like in this book, and that just passes her off. It leaves you very isolated. That's what scares me. Uh, my next book that I'm writing is more slasher uh trope, and it's in a cottage, and again, it revolves around isolation, and I guess that's just my shtick.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Well, yeah, I guess if you find that the the scariest or the most scary, yeah. That doesn't sound like proper grammar. Um yeah, I guess that would be the the thing you might lean into most, which I completely agree. Isolated fear, being alone, no one to help you. Or like this is why the breaking up, you want to split up, you go one way. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Yeah, I guess never works. No world. Or even like um one of the scariest movies I've seen, like the strangers, like being in those kinds of isolated situations, just terrifying. Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

No, thank you. The the trailers scared me. So that was a big no. Right. Last question here for this section: how do you know when a story needs more space to breathe or more time to terrify?

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Again, I guess it would just be based off of like the pacing intention of the book. I I I guess I don't like to write a lot of filler, so I I keep it, yeah, I just try to keep it going. A lot of like people read who've read Don't Wake Up have asked or have reviewed it and said like it's very fast-paced and it keeps you that kind of stuff on your toes. And I just keep it in mind that you know that's the kind of stuff I like to read. So I write generally the same way.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

That's fair. I mean, I can definitely remember reading it and feeling like this is the climax.

unknown 16:29

This is the climax.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

I was like, can you can we get to like if this is where I think it is, where are we going next?

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Yeah, right. I kind of do that with my next one too. I I yeah, that's just what I like to do.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

That's funny. All right, we're gonna move into game two. All right. So in this game, we're doing literary would you rather nightmare edition. Right. So would you rather never sleep again or sleep but always have nightmares?

SPEAKER_01 17:01

Sleep but always have nightmares. There, yeah, I it's a nightmare. Most if unless it's like my book, you're gonna wake up and be fine.

SPEAKER_02 17:10

That's fair. Um, would you rather be trapped in a Stephen King novel or a Jordan Peele movie?

SPEAKER_01 17:17

I wouldn't want to be trapped in a Stephen King novel. Yeah, no, I mean I'd I'd have to go. And then's a little twisted. Yeah, so I guess I wouldn't want to be in a Jordan Peel movie either, but just wasting it out. Yeah. Oh well.

SPEAKER_03 17:34

It'll be what it is. I'll figure it out.

SPEAKER_02 17:38

Um, would you rather have a ghost haunting your house or a demon haunting your dreams? I would oh, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

So if the demon's haunting my dreams when I wake up, is he just gone or is it like my book? Because I think I can deal with that where if it was like I woke up and it was just gone, no demon. But ghost in my house, I mean, it's staying there. So that one's there also when you're sleeping. Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

So I'm gonna go with demon in my dreams. That's yeah, that's fair. Yeah, just lingers a little and then leaves. Um, would you rather write a book that terrifies everyone or one that breaks everyone's heart? Terrifies everyone. Yes, I'm just crazy like that. Thanks. Sorry. Um, no, no, it's I love it. I mean, you did a great job with the horror. So thank you. You're welcome. Um, would you rather find an ancient cursed object in your attic or realized you are the cursed object?

SPEAKER_01 18:42

Ooh, I'd rather find the ancient or cursed object and get rid of it.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

That's fair to toss it.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Right, it keeps coming back.

unknown 18:52

Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

The rest of my life. Just trying to get rid of this thing.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

Exactly. All right. Uh, so this is our unhinged round. Okay. If Lila's entity could speak to you directly, what do you think it would say?

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Well, he's done it a few times. I think he would continue to say, let me in. Yeah. Thank you. No, I'm okay. Thanks.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Yeah. Um, you wake up in your own story. What's your survival plan?

SPEAKER_01 19:26

See, I don't know if I would be fight or flight. I think for the most part, I'd be flight. And it would just take off. I'd have no plan. Yeah, just for the best. I don't know if I would survive my own books, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

That's okay. Yeah. I mean, we all think we're gonna be the ones that survive the zombie apocalypse. And honestly, I would want to be the first one to die. I don't want to, I don't want to go through that.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

I'd rather not be a zombie or go through that. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, watching the world just crumble and people turning on each other. No, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 20:05

No thanks. I'm good. Um, you can bring one horror icon to a sleepover with the booked all night crew. So you're hanging out, I guess just with me in Canada somewhere. We'll we'll meet in the middle. I'm in Alberta, you're in Ontario. I guess we're going to Manitoba. Oh, yeah. Maybe not. Maybe not. We can go northern Ontario, maybe. Oh, perfect. I do like that plan better. Yeah. We'll go to Sud Sudbury. Sudbury, there you go. In the summer. Yes. Um, yeah, I guess so. We bring one horror icon with us. Who are we inviting? And what snacks are we bringing to appease them?

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Hmm. I I I'm gonna go with one of my two favorite horror characters. I'm gonna bring Chucky just to make it interesting. Wow. There he is, right there. Oh, good.

SPEAKER_02 21:04

I'm so happy for you. This isn't like your bedroom, right? Like this is your office. You can go off the floor.

unknown 21:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:14

Like, oh, no, he'd be going in a lock. He was a Christmas present. From who? My son. Oh my gosh. Your mom, I love you.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Oh, that's funny. What's your favorite Chucky movie? Uh my favorites. I'm gonna go with number two. Just because I love the last scene or the yeah, I guess the last scene where they're in the toy factory and there's all these Chucky dolls being made. It's great.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Yeah, so good. I love that for you. I guess um, so what snacks are we bringing to appease Chucky?

SPEAKER_01 21:52

What does Chucky like to eat? I don't know. Well, he's a doll. So why not that? Oh let's let's bring him Doritos. I don't know. I feel like I'd like a Dorito.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

Yeah. He's coming to the sleepover, but we're making a salt circle. And he's making a salt circle. Exactly. Um, last question is for anyone who helped you get the book out in the world, agent, editors, publishers, beta readers, workshop partners, they all deserve thanks. So is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to today?

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Uh I've got a few. I'd like to shout out my editor, Sean Leonard. He is, he was fantastic. He brought my manuscript to perfection. Um, I'm working with him again on this next book, and I think he's somebody who I'll continue to work with. Um, and my I guess beta readers, my friends who looked at the book before even finished editing, were uh my friend Carrie, Alyssa, and Raquel. They have supported me throughout this and told me I can do it when I didn't believe I could. You know, when imposter syndrome hits and you think, oh, I can't I can't do this. Nobody cares. They were the three friends. Yeah, exactly. They were the three friends who were like, you can do this, you will. And it was great.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

And I did. I love that. Yeah. That's fantastic. Are you a full-time author now? Is that kind of your that's my goal. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 23:21

I'm still working a full-time job while writing, so it's it's a hard balance, but I've been able to figure it out. Like I said, I write a lot at night. That's mostly out of convenience because you know, work during the day, and when I'm not working, I'm with my I have a nine-year-old son.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

So do you feel like when you're at work during the day? I guess depending on what you're doing, you don't have to share that with us. But are you kind of planning what you're gonna write that night? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

You're thinking about it all the time. You're like, notes app, here we go. My notes app is full of ideas, it's just flooded. Yeah. Uh someone hack her phone. Especially the first one, because it was just so like already in my head that I'm like, I gotta get this down. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

Yeah. What would you say your timeline was between starting the book and publishing the book?

SPEAKER_01 24:15

So because I started in January, I can kind of gauge that from January to October. It was 10 months. Wow. Yeah. I feel like that's fast. It is fast, yeah. Uh, but I mean, the concept of the story started in June of 2024, so I guess but I didn't start fully writing it until January, which is why it was a little easier getting it out of my head because I already had the ideas. It was just, you know, adding the filler, making the big scenes and stuff, right? But yeah, uh, by the time I finished editing and getting it all done, it was maybe July, August, and then production and cover design, all that kind of stuff came after. That's that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

I love that. Thank you. Um, I mean, might as well like get it all out, right? I there's a few authors that I I really like that it's taken like so long for them even to think about the next book, and you're like, Can you? We're all waiting. Yeah, just go sit down. Just go sit down and write. What are you doing? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

You have social media. Come on.

unknown 25:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:18

Like, stop going to so many interviews. I'm done with this. Um, and then I guess I just have another question for you. Um, what made you want to write a book? This is your first book, and clearly you have a full-time job, so so I've always loved writing.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

I started writing in high school, like short stories, essays. I always loved English class. And after high school, it was kind of like, I'm gonna write a book. I'm gonna be an author. That never happened, obviously. Life gets in the way, life got in the way, yeah. And just a few years ago, I actually got sober and started writing as therapy. Thank you. It's been four years now, and I started writing as therapy. I wrote during that time like a thriller sort of mystery book that will never see the light of day. Was not a fan of my own writing then, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:15

I mean, it's definitely hard to get into it. I know when I first started podcasting, we recorded for an entire year before an episode saw the day, like the light of day. Yeah, like we you you're gonna have to you have to hammer out all those uh nitty, gritty things, and then finally feel the confidence. Have you always written horror?

SPEAKER_01 26:38

No, yes and no. Not always, obviously. I I was big into thrillers more, but then I started getting really like bored of it because it was all very much the same, I guess, of who I was reading. Um, so that's why I switched into horror in 2024 and I was like, this is my genre. This is what I know how to write.

SPEAKER_02 26:58

That's awesome. Is there any author that you pull a lot of inspiration? Not inspiration, but um are actively going back to when you are reading a horror or thriller book?

SPEAKER_01 27:12

My biggest one that pulled me back into horror was Grady Hendricks. Uh, I read Final Girls Support Group and I was intrigued, and I read all of his books, and I'd say I don't take the same style as him, but yeah, I anything he releases is an autobi for me.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

That's awesome. Yeah. I like you, you know, we all have our our number one fan author, and you just like can't wait for the next one. That's great. I'm sure there's gonna be uh lots of fans of yours that just can't wait for that second book. Um, and I guess with that second book, is there anything you'd like to share about it?

SPEAKER_01 27:50

Yeah, uh so the plan is it will be released in July. It's a summer slasher female rage revenge story.

unknown 27:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Yeah. Oh yeah, this female rage, I'm sure you're writing it well. Oh, I it was something I needed to write, I guess, because like I wrote this book, which it was more like she needed to be saved, whereas this one, she's the one saving everybody. That makes sense. And I love camp horror slashers like Friday the 13th and stuff like that. So yeah, I wanted to write one myself. The plan is July 14th will be the release date.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

Do we have a name?

SPEAKER_01 28:31

Oh, yeah. It's called Blood. Oh, that's okay. It's called Blood on the Cottage Floor. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Uh sounds great. I just got a cover design done and I'm looking to reveal it in like April. Have ARC set up in May. Yeah, very excited.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Did you use the same artist for this cover as you did before?

SPEAKER_01 29:00

No, I actually found another one. She was amazing. I think I'll be using her from now on, though. Like I love my cover designer. Um price, price was iffy for me.

SPEAKER_02 29:11

So that's so fun. I'm so excited for you. Especially like releasing a summer horror, you know, just as summer starts.

SPEAKER_01 29:20

That's so exciting. See, that's my thing with this, is like I'm I want to release when like the setting of my book is like in Don't Wake Up. It was very autumn October, right? And so I was like, okay, Halloween release. And this one, Summer Slasher, you gotta have it out in summer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

Yeah, for sure. Um, and when did you say it was getting uh released to ARCs? Have you already chosen, I guess, ARC readers for that?

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Not yet. So I I'm still planning it all out, but I'm hoping May, latest June.

SPEAKER_02 29:55

Yeah. Do you have an ARC sign up that people can go to or are you picking your own sort of thing?

SPEAKER_01 30:03

I want to create a sign up, but I'm also letting like my Instagram followers, whoever wants to, uh sign up to DM me because that'll be like first come, first serve, sure. But I will definitely be releasing a sign up probably in April. Well, I will be checking your Instagram.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

All right. Speaking of, do you want to share your Instagram handles or any of your social media?

SPEAKER_01 30:27

So across, I'm on Instagram, threads, and TikTok. Uh across all of them, it's at or dotwriter.l. Fantastic. Or.writer. L. E. L. L E.

SPEAKER_02 30:41

Yes. Yes. Not the letter L. First name L. Yes. I'm just so excited for you that you are feeling confident enough in this first book, and you've had such a great response in this first book to be able to then release a second one. I know that, you know, that's hard to get that, you know, next one going, especially like, did did everyone like the first one?

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Well, and a lot of it is yes, I want to be a full-time author, but I'm also doing it for me because yeah, I guess I was an important thing. Yeah, I guess like when I started writing again, I was getting sober, and then I felt like I was stuck in this rut. And I was like, I need to do something more. And now instead of like sitting at home watching TV or reading a book, it's like I'm gonna write my own book. And it it yeah, it gives me a lot of something to look forward to at the end of the day. Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

Will you write a book? Not I don't want to say related to sobriety, but with sobriety in it as a theme or concept. Is that something you would write about?

SPEAKER_01 31:49

It's definitely something I've thought of. It's not gonna be very much touched on in this book coming up, but maybe in the future, yeah. When it's more reflective for me, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

Yeah, I've struggled with a different addiction, not with alcohol, but with other substances. And same. It's been three years for me, but it's definitely still even hard to talk about. Yeah, you don't even want to like, yeah, I did the thing. Yeah, it's still it's still kind of new. Yeah. So I admit. Is there any last things you would like to mention as we wrap up?

SPEAKER_01 32:28

Well, yeah, my well, the book is out. Uh, don't wake up. You can get it on Amazon, of course. You can also get it through Apple Books, uh, Indigo in Canada, Hards of Noble. All the links are on my all the links are on my um Link Link Tree, yeah, on social media. Also, I will be having events coming up in March. I have a couple book signings, uh, if you're in the Southern Ontario area, of course. Uh and what well, the next book again comes out July 14th, but I'm trying to start a newsletter to uh for every month to kind of give updates on everything. So sign up for that as well through my link on social media. Awesome. Um, do you want to plug some of those events that you're going to? Yeah, so March 7th from 11 to 3, I'll be at the chapters uh on Vega Boulevard in Mississauga, Ontario. And March 14th, I'll be at the Indigo at Square One shopping center in Mississauga, Ontario. Not from a Mississauga, but I live close, so bigger city.

SPEAKER_02 33:35

Yeah, just just a little bigger. Are you planning on going to any other events or is there any event that you would aspire to be? I guess invited. I'm not totally sure how authors get into events, if it's like a sign-up or if they're invited, but what's like the top event that you're like, if I could be there, that's the one.

SPEAKER_01 33:56

I don't know if there's any top. I mean, there's a lot in America that I know I'm just not gonna be going to anytime soon, but like yeah, same. And I wouldn't be able to go there and uh see you either. We're not doing yeah, no. Um, but uh, I know I I think yeah, I signed up for Dreadcon that's in Burlington. I'd really like to go to that one. So I think that's in either I think it's October, but that's one I'm trying. I want to go to more conventions, like author conventions. Like the book signings are great. I've only done one, but um, they're fantastic. But I'd love to go to a convention to meet other authors and have that community surrounding me.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

Yeah, that's awesome. I love that. Um, there's definitely a few on uh the West Coast where I am that uh are always pretty fun. There's um the Canadian Rockies one in May, and then there's the BB4E one, which is in Vancouver at the end of July. So I don't know if those are on your radar, but I will be going to those if you'd like to hang out.

SPEAKER_01 35:08

Yes, I need to go to the city. Love it. Well, keep those in mind.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

Fantastic. I love that and would love to, of course, meet you. I'm always a big supporter of Canadian authors, and it's so fun. I didn't realize you were Canadian until I was like Googling you for this interview. I was like, okay, I'll read the book and and all that stuff. And then I was like, she's Canadian. Bonus points. Exactly. Um, is your um cottage book based in Canada? This one's not coming out.

SPEAKER_01 35:45

I based well, borderlines, like Michigan.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

Yeah, fair enough.

SPEAKER_01 35:49

It's it's close enough. Yeah, I had to appease the the vast majority of people who are reading my book, I guess, right?

SPEAKER_02 35:56

That's fair. You're like, I guess I'll point you over here. It's like Canada Light, right? Awesome. Um, I guess we're ready to wrap up. So that is a wrap on this episode of Booked All Night. We'd love for you to be a part of the conversation. So don't forget to rate the show, drop a comment, subscribe, and send us some fan mail. Booked All Night is produced by Rob Cook and his cats. So when you share an episode, be sure to tag us at Booked All Knight Pod on Instagram and threads and give us a shout out uh to our guy in the sound booth and demand cat pictures. For more updates and to check out the reading schedule and learn more about the upcoming interviews, visit bookdallnight.co. Until next time, booklets, this is Julia and LG Eating signing off and reminding you to stay booked all night.