Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in a small town north of Toronto where I spent the majority of my time reading books, jumping off train bridges, and sliding down snow-covered hills in garbage bags.
After working for three bookstores in my teen years, I began to write books of my own. Just after my eighteenth birthday, I left that small town and set off to see the world, armed with a few notebooks, and my favorite pen.
I currently live abroad, perpetually in-transit, with my fiancée, who should’ve been born in 9th century Scandinavia, and our four-year-old daughter, who’s caught our wanderlust already.
This Body Won’t Break is my first published novel, and is part of a series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, This Body Won’t Break, is set to release on September 5th, 2017. This book was inspired by a question someone once asked me. That question was, “Who would you become if you found out your entire life was a lie?” From that one question, the idea grew to become not only a novel, but a series of novels drawing inspiration from my own life experiences as well as other popular novels in the same genre.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What writer doesn’t?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The author who first inspired me to want to write as a career instead of a hobby was Holly Black, when I was only about 13 years old. Since then, there have been many other authors who’ve both influenced and inspired my own writing.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I am hard at work completing The O-Negative Series. Once this series is done, I’ll have to chose between one of my other developing ideas. Right now it’s between a YA epic fantasy (Think LOTR if the entire cast was in their teens or early twenties) or an Urban Fantasy/Mystery which would reflect my love of travel and feature many countries and cultures from all around the world.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Instafreebie has been invaluable. Aside from that, I enjoy working closely bloggers and reviewers to get visibility.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
The first draft is going to suck. Don’t judge yourself based on your first draft. You’ve written a novel, and that in itself is a huge accomplishment. Once you’ve got that, there’s nowhere to go but up. Don’t give up. it may take a rewrite or two, or even three or four, but if you believe in your story, in your characters, then you will get there.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Stop trying so damn hard and write the next book.’ – They were right.
What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished reading The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. I enjoyed it immensely.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! This adventure in self-publishing has been filled with learning, tears, and so much hard work. And I can’t wait to do it again. And again. And again.
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?
Pride & Prejudice. The Hobbit. The Handmaid’s Tale. And maybe All the Light we Cannot See.
Author Websites and Profiles
Lea McKee Website
Lea McKee Amazon Profile
Lea McKee’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account