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At just 22, Katie Lewis is already a published author of two books. She lives in Benamargosa with her family who moved there from Cardiff, Wales when Katie was a baby. Her inspiration to write comes from a love of reading books by authors including J. K. Rowling. She writes as a hobby when not giving after-school English, Science, Maths and Spanish classes to both primary and secondary pupils. Katie writes in English and in Spanish and her books are in libraries in schools in the Axarquía and Wales.
–How long have you been in Spain?
–My parents moved the whole family out to Spain just after I turned one, so I've been here for almost 22 years.
-Why did you come to Spain?
–Well, my parents wanted to raise us somewhere where we'd be given better opportunities as well as better futures, so here we are!
-When did you start writing?
–I started writing properly when I was about 10. I'd written short stories as a child, but 10 was when I started to actually create my own stories and feel genuinely excited about the prospect of doing it as a hobby.
-When did you discover you had a talent?
–I still don't like to call it a talent, I just think I'm very passionate about writing and therefore found the confidence to take a leap of faith and put my story out into the world. I think what sparked said confidence was when my editor first read the prologue of A Curse of Love and Law and told me she was hooked pretty quickly. She compared it to the feeling of reading the first Harry Potter book, which is one of my all-time favourites.
-Who helped you?
–One of the first people to sort of guide me onto the path was my Spanish language teacher in school. I used to write short stories for her classes and she was the first one to tell me that I had a gift for writing. Little did I know that she had kept all of my stories and, years later when I went back to the school to do a presentation about my very own published book, she gave them all back to me as a gift and told me she had always believed in me. Another person who really helped me was Alice, my editor. She made me believe that A Curse of Love and Law was good enough, and without her I don't know if I ever would have taken that huge step. Having people who believe in you is so important and it boosts your confidence in ways I wasn't even aware of. Surrounding yourself with people like that makes achieving your goals a reality and that makes a huge difference, coming from someone who struggled with self-confidence for a long time.
-What advice have you been given?
–Since I self-published I haven't actually been given much advice about writing. I've learnt plenty along the way, but most of it has been through my own trial and error. If anything, believing in myself is the most important piece of advice I've been given and that applies in any field, not just writing.
-So what are your books about?
–I write young adult fantasy which is mostly aimed at teens and adults. The best way I can describe it is fiction, fantasy, drama and romance all bundled up into one genre. My inspiration comes from every fantasy book I've ever read, from my favourite authors such as Sarah J. Maas, Cassandra Clare and J.K. Rowling. Their characters, worlds and stories just made me want to create my own.
-How many books have you written so far?
–So far I've written two and I am currently writing book number three out of four in the Cursed Series.
-And your books are already in school libraries?
–I visited my old school here in Benamargosa last year and another school in Cardiff later where copies of a Curse of Love and Law were purchased to keep in the libraries.
-Do you write in Spanish or English first?
–I always start off in English. I write the entire book and then once it has been edited and proofread I write it in Spanish. I'm unsure as to why that is, seeing as I speak in Spanish just as often, if not more, but there's something about speaking in English that I find much more comfortable.
-What does the future hold?
–Hopefully my future is filled with plenty more books. I love writing and having it as a hobby and not a full-time job is what keeps it so fun for me. I write how and when I want and therefore don't feel the pressure of deadlines or supervisors. If I have writer's block, I take a break and come back when I'm ready. It could be an hour, a day, or a week. I don't rush my characters or their stories and I love being able to do things at my own pace.
-What advice would you give to other budding young authors?
–Believe in your words. Have the confidence to write what you truly wish to write, and most importantly, do it for yourself. Have fun, create stories and characters you absolutely adore, and just see where it takes you.
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