LGBT FICTON AUTHOR
Recently, I started a Slack Channel for Wattpad Authors looking to encage more with the community. Victoria, a LGBT Fiction Author, is one of our lovely members. Today, she is here to tell us a little about herself, her journey as an author and her newest novel, The World According To Alicia!
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INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2016
AB : Victoria, we’ve actually know each other for some time now. You participated in my last reading group where I made your current cover for The World According To Alicia. I know you’ve also read some of my work and have been a follower of mine for a long time but I am disappointed to say, although I am familiar with your work, I am not with you as a person. I feel like that needs to change so before I ask about your novel, can you tell me a little about yourself?
VN : Sure. Well, I was raised in Georgia for my most of my life; my family moved here from North Carolina when my dad got stationed at Fort. Steward. It's me, my mom and dad and my younger brother and our three dogs too. I'm a writer and a musician, having played clarinet for six years and I'm a standing black belt in taekwando.
AB : Wait — Wait — You can write, play the clarinet and officially kick major ass? That’s amazing and your parents must be pretty proud of you. You officially have more talent than me and achieved more in your life than I am ever going to manage. Its safe to say I am impressed and we haven’t even gotten into the meat of your writing!
Speaking of writing though, when do you first start writing? What drew you to this craft of mad women and men?
VN : I first started writing around ten; my class had come back from seeing Bridge to Terabithia and I got so inspired I ended up writing a fanfic about it. I liked the idea of being able to venture into a world and eventually even create my own. I wrote my first (albeit cringeworthy) story in the 6th grade about two vampire sisters trying to save the world from an evil cult. And of course I looked up to Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King, so their madness helped fuel my own.
AB : Ah, cringeworthy writing about vampires. I believe that is the mark of every aspiring author because my first story, at twelve, was about a pair of vampire lovers. Thankfully, I have moved past that stage and I know you have as well with your newest novel, The World According To Alicia, since I have had the privilege of reading a few chapters.
I have to be honest in the fact it has been almost a year since I read what you’ve wrote so can you refresh my memory by telling me a little about The World According To Alicia?
VN : I’m sure your vampire story was much better than mine turned out to be.
AB : I wouldn’t be so sure, but never mind our vampire phase. You were going to tell me about your newest story.
VN : Well it's the story of Alicia Kurt and how she manages being not only the child of two preachers but also her sexuality and how that incorporates into her faith.
AB : That sounds interesting and like a very unique idea. Not many people, that I’ve seen, write about how their sexuality and faith co-exist although I imagine it can be a real struggle for a lot of people. Where did you get your inspiration?
VN : My inspiration came a bit from my old experiences. When I was younger I struggled a lot with my faith and my budding sexuality and I wanted to be able to convey that in a way that was relatable. I also wanted to show a different side of the LGBT community and how the black community views something as complex as homosexuality.
AB : I can’t image the pressure you must face as a woman of color and a member of the LGBT community since both groups face a lot of criticism. It’s a little inspiring that you are choosing to tackle such a heavy subject in The World According To Alicia. Can you tell me a little bit about your plans for the novel?
VN : As for my plans, well, I'm not sure. I don't really sit and plot out my novels; I just write them so I'm not sure where the story will go. I do know I plan to give Alicia and Roxanne a happy ending.
AB : I love happy endings. Do you happen to have an excerpt you’re willing to share of Alicia and Roxanne’s story?
VN :Oh absolutely.
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“I don't care about your sexuality or your faith Roxanne, just like I said over the phone; those things don't determine who you are. Hell, I've met plenty of people who claim to be such good, clean, Christian people on Sunday and by Monday are going right back to the same ways they were condemning. So in my opinion, faith isn't a good indication of how good or bad a person is, just because we don't believe in the exact same things doesn't mean one of us is better than the other.”
"You really are something else, Alicia Kurt,” she said with a smile while setting her food down and stretching; a loud yawn escaping her lips before she set her arms down and cracked her knuckles; the usual popping sound made my ears twitch.
"Well, I don't like hypocrites nor do I think you should judge someone just because they are different than you are.”
"I wish more people were like that. I wish more people were like you.”
My cheeks flared and I glanced down at my food, trying desperately to digest the forsaken butterflies that went into a frenzy in my stomach. We sat in silence for a few minutes just listening to the sounds of nature as they called and fluttered and swirled around us, I picked at my food some, counting the slices of tomato and the fragmented leaves of basil as they clung and swirled to the bright red sauce that coated the spaghetti.
"Alicia." I looked up as she called my name and was met with a pair of soft lips pressing against mine.
My eyes widened, the world stopped, everything in that moment seemed to come to a grinding halt as my brain tried to wrap itself around the situation. The kiss was soft and tentative, her lips moved against mine with a skill I couldn't comprehend, couldn't return. This was my first kiss after all and it was with Roxanne.
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AB : It’s safe to say that is an amazing except that is sure to draw a few readers in! Alicia sounds like a very understanding person and I love what she has to say in the first paragraph. Roxanne is spot on when she says Alicia is something else. I agree one hundred and ten precent. Which character do you relate to more? And why?
VN : I think I relate to Alicia and Caprice; they're both girls trying to be open and out in a world where they're not sure where they stand yet. Caprice is bold and courageous but not without her own inner feelings of inadequacy. Alicia is liberal in her views but she's also a pleaser; she doesn't really want to upset people and those traits show a lot in my own personality.
AB : Your characters sound like complex, well rounded individuals and I love to see that in a book. I really need to start reading The World According To Alicia again because clearly, it’s a fantastic novel written by an extraordinary young women.
When you are done with Alicia’s story, what will you work on next?
VN : Thank you so much, and I'm not sure, I've got a friend who would love to see Caprice's story.
AB : That would probably be fantastic!
VN : I got this idea for a forbidden affair between a gay space escort and one of his wealthy clients and there's a thing floating around about a cop who sells her soul in exchange for the power to get revenge for her murdered partner, so clearly my head never can stay in one place. I'll probably break out the dart board and see what I land on.
AB : Do I get a vote? If I do get a vote, I am totally casting in for a cop who sells her soul. That sounds amazing. Also, a gay space escort sounds like a new and exciting idea. Maybe you should make a list and just slowly but surly work your way down it! Your imagination is fantastic but that doesn’t surprise me!
Anyway, enough of my gushing! It’s not very attractive so thank you so much for joining me today for an interview. It’s been wonderful. Before I let you go get busy with your work, is there anything you’d like to say to your readers?
VN : I just might do that and no thank you for having it. It was awesome. And to my readers I'd like to offer my thanks for sticking with me and my work and I hope you'll all continue to support me as I grow.
I hope Victoria gets all the success she absolutely deserves for being not only a wonderful writer but an extraordinary person! Check out her novel, The World According to Alicia!
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY AUTUMN BREEZE
BEST SELLING LGBT AUTHOR OF LOVING ANNA, GRIM LIFE, & AFTER THE I DO
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AUTHOR BIO:
Born and raised in the Southern end of the United States, Victoria started writing for fun when she was ten and by the time she was twelve she knew she wanted to do more with it. She's been published twice through a program she was a part of in middle school called DEEP. Now at 19 she's a studying English Major, living in an apartment with her closest friend, an extensive Avengers collection and is currently working on her breakout novel The World According to Alicia.
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