Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Valentine . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lisa, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I believe this career is something you never stop learning with. I began writing as a way of dealing with difficult situations in my life. I’ve always written from the heart.
I learn by making mistakes. Every time I publish a book, I learn something new. Whether this is from other authors or just from the process itself.
I learnt very quickly that you have to write for yourself before you write for anyone else. Write what you love and the right people will love it too.
Authenticity is the most important skill/quality to have. You have to be yourself. You’re sharing pieces of yourself in your work, so being authentically you self is essential,
The biggest obstacle I’ve faced is judgement. Being a spicy author has a lot of stigma attached to it. It adds a whole other layer of issues when going through the publishing process. I’m also dyslexic and I’ve found this quite difficult too. This is something I try to manage. Not all authors can realistically afford the best editors, so having a process helps.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Lisa, I’m 35 and I published my first book in 2015. I’ve suffered with several illnesses since I was a teenager and I began writing as a way to fill my days. I read everything that interested me and when I ran out of books that piqued my interest, I began writing my own.
I write spicy paranormal romance books. I’ve written two complete trilogies and I’ve just written the first book in my third trilogy. I chose spicy paranormal romance because it’s my favourite. Nothing is impossible when you write about magic.
I believe I’m different because I weave parts of myself and my trauma into my books. I’m not scared to get really personal. I’ve walked a difficult path and I’ve turned that into stories.
I’m most proud of having babies named after my characters. Three different readers have chosen my characters to name their children after, and it’s still surreal to me.
My readers are amazing. They usually relate to the darker parts of my books- the trauma and the heartbreak. They become as invested in the characters as I do.
The most important part of my stories is the depth. I write stories but I also write people. Each character is a story all on their own.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’m incredibly lucky- I have a really good tribe. It’s taken me years to build it, but I did it slowly. I don’t just share my work. I show my life too. I let my personality have free rein. If I’m having a bad day, I’ll be honest about it. If my health is bad, I’ll share it. If I’ve done something ridiculous, I’ll share it. The people that follow me, know me- they know all of me. I talk about important topics that I believe deserve a platform.
Again, I think authenticity is key to having a good following.
When I released my last book, I barely did any marketing running up to it. I was going through one of the toughest times of my life. On the day of my release, I had a record number of sales. I didn’t realise how amazing and supportive my community was. They were there for me without me having to ask.
They know me- they’re like a big group of friends.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to see my books made into films. There’s no dream too big and I’m aiming for the biggest dream I can think of.
I have a few missions/goals- some personal and some solely career based.
I’d love to buy land and create a writing retreat in the Scottish Highlands. I live in Scotland and the highlands are magical. All creatives deserve the inspiration that comes from visiting the Scottish Highlands.
I’d love to see my books in a shop. I’d be so proud to see my book in an airport shot or sitting in a bookshop window.
The big dream is seeing my stories played out on the big screen.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @lisavalentine_89
• Other: TikTok: @authorlisavalentine