Interview with Alethea Lyons

When and how did you start writing?

I’ve been telling stories since I was little. The earliest fiction I remember actually writing down was when I was six. I’ve got two from that age, one about a robot making unpoppable bubbles and one about witches in caves. So I guess I’ve stayed true to my genres ever since. My dad writes and my mom is also really creative, so it was a natural thing in our house.

Tell me about your books.

Well, I’m still writing witches, and there is a cave (kind of). The Seer of York series is about an illegal witch tasked with stopping arcane murders and curses. She gets together a multi-species, multi-faith team including her demonhunter foster sister, a forensic supernaturalist, a deception demon, a techno-witch and a cat. However, the closer they get to catching the killer, the more she realises she’s on the wrong side.

I also write a lot of science-fantasy and I’m querying a cyberfae novel about humanity’s reliance on technology to think for us, and how that saps creativity and empathy.

What writing advice have you been given that really helped you?

JFDI (Just F***ing Do It). Whether it’s getting words on a page or leaping into querying/publishing, there comes a point where you just need to get on with it. Don’t let the imposter syndrome voices in your head stop you. If the words aren’t coming, try something else, or write bad words and fix them later.

What was your favourite research activity you have done for a book?

I get to spend a fair bit of time in York. The Seer of York  books are alternate reality with some key historical differences, but I wanted to be true to the city as much as possible. Everywhere that the characters go are places someone in our world can go. There’s a little artistic licence, like I added a path down the river where there isn’t one, but for the most part, the books are accurate.

You have other passions besides writing how do they feed into your books?

I also grew up with music. My parents both play instruments, and my dad used to be in a band. He even composes. I play violin and mandolin, plus I love singing and was in a choir at school. Music plays a bit part in my books. It’s a key factor in the second Seer of York book, and the cyberfae novel is based on British folk songs.

What have been your greatest obstacles to overcome when writing?

Imposter syndrome has to be up there. I have so many amazing friends with incredible books. Burn out is another, since being published anyway. Actually get writing time and headspace can be difficult when you also have marketing and publishing demands on your time.

What message do you want people to get from your books if any?

From the Seer of York books, I want people to see that diversity is a strength. The characters are from different cultural and religious backgrounds, or are even different species, and they all have an important role to play. I use magic as a lens for the prejudice in our society. There isn’t much racism or homophobia in my alternate York, but people are afraid of anything magic related, even when it can help them. So I explore fear and isolationism through that.

With the cyberfae book, I wanted to highlight how we lose our souls when we stop thinking and let machines do it for us. AI stops us using our brains and our own creativity. This means we’re less empathetic, and results in war, pollution, and a kind of drudgery.

You are the Greater Manchester Events Organiser for the British Fantasy Society how do you think that has helped you in your writing life?

I’ve had the privilege of meeting some really amazing writers through events I’ve run or attended through the BFS. It’s not been good for my ‘to read’ list! It’s really great to have community in writing, either people who’ve already been there and can help, or folks in the same boat who can commiserate. It’s also been fun to connect directly with bookstores and readers. My favourite event was one on paths to publishing, e.g. indie press, trad, self-pub, because it felt like that one really helped some people who were just getting started.

What advice would you give other writers?

Build up a community. Find people to exchange advice with, get beta readers and beta read other people’s books. Publishing is hard, and having other writers alongside you is invaluable. Beta readers and beta reading will help you up your craft (and thicken your skin).

What are your current projects? What should we be looking out for?

I’m currently working on the fourth and final book in the Seer of York series. Book three, The Dreamwalker, comes out March 3^rd, (on preorder now) and the first two books, plus short story collection, are available now in all formats. Book one, The Hiding, is also on Kindle Unlimited.

What would you do if you didn’t write?

Be sad. Seriously. Writing is one of my main ways of decompressing and feeling less anxious. Plus, without it, I wouldn’t have some of my best friends.

What is your ultimate dream as a writer?

To have people read my books and for it to mean something for someone.

Author Bio

Pronouns: She/Ze

Thea is a queer writer of various types of SFF, including the Seer of York series published by Brigids Gate Press, and a number of short fiction works published by Eerie River Publishing, Bag of Bones Press, and others. She is currently querying cyberfae adventure Legend of the Bard.

She’s also the British Fantasy Society Event Coordinator for Greater Manchester. See Thea’s upcoming events page for details of what they’re doing.

Thea lives in Manchester with her spouse, our little Sprite, a cacophony of stringed instruments, and more tea than she can drink in a lifetime. (No bergamot ones, please.) She plays a lot of console RPGs. She used to play D&D and similar games before she had a small child. They enjoy going out to museums, parks, and woods. When safe, they go to the occasional protest. All of her books do have a bit of a political message in them.

Purchase links, website, & social media: https://linktr.ee/alethearlyons

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