Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi there, I’m K.S. Stanley. I’m from the West Midlands in the United Kingdom. I have a Brummie accent. I have an Arts and Humanities degree from the Open University. I work in the day for the National Health Service as a Co-ordinator and I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was a kid. I have an interest in psychology and I lean towards dark themes when it comes to the world of fiction. I have a very vivid imagination, it can keep me up at night!
I have two books available on Amazon: Hard Way Home and Eat Her Alive.
I also have short stories, beta novels and audio scripts available for free on Wattpad.com and Reddit.com
I’d love to become a full time writer one day.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hard Way Home is my debut book to be published on Amazon. It is a supernatural thriller set about a woman who works in a dead end job and is secretly planning her suicide. During this time, she finds out that her hero Brandon Rivers (lead singer of rock band, Fall Into Place) has gone missing from Holy Cross Hospital. She is on her way home from work when she is jumped by two men but is rescued by a mysterious stranger who happens to look exactly like the infamous musician, but he denies his true identity…
This book hits a personal string with me because it is based on a period of my life when I had chronic depression. I was lost in a deep dark spiral and writing this book helped me get out of that state of mind.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I commute for two hours each day on the way to my day job and I use the travelling time as a way to write. Having a note app on my phone is very helpful. If I want to figure out how a scene might appear to a reader, I create a script of a certain scene and post it to an audio community on Reddit.com and it gets performed by a voice actor. I’ve had two scripts grow into novels from this experience, one of them I’m working on right now!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are many authors and books who have influenced me. But the ones who stick out the most are Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Thomas Harris, Sam Millar, Anne Rice and many more…
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on three different projects at the moment. A horror and a sci-fi drama under my K.S.Stanley name and a crime thriller set in Hong Kong under my other writing name: Romilly Larson.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I was recommended to use Wattpad.com by a friend back in 2014. This was a great way to post my work and get readers viewing my work. I’ve received some wonderful feedback and it has helped me improve my writing. I still use this website to this day.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing to music in a busy place (e.g. a coffee shop or on a train) is a big support for me especially when I’m trying to reach a pinnacle emotional part in a scene. Sometimes, a loud surrounding can help you concentrate.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read and write A LOT!
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. It is about a gun shooter who takes people hostage in a Women’s Health Center. The police negotiator doesn’t realise at first that one of the hostages is his own daughter. Very suspenseful and dramatic!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Publishing my next novella which is a semi futuristic drama. It circles on important themes like depression and climate change.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
On Writing by Stephen King
Hannibal by Thomas Harris
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
The Dark Place by Sam Millar
I wouldn’t be happy if I had to give these up to light a fire.
Author Websites and Profiles
K.S. Stanley Amazon Profile
K.S. Stanley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account