Author Interview | Lezel Simons | She Was A Warrior All Along

‘She Was A Warrior All Along‘ by Lezel Simons is a collection of poems dealing with love, heartbreak, and eventual inclination toward self-love. The poems in this book have ‘love’ at its center. And the poems do portray how the purity of love does transform into the toxicity as well.

In a candid chat with Bookish Fame, Lezel Simons talked about her poetry book, her journey as a writer, contemporary scenario of reading and writing, and gave some tips for the budding writers too. Read on!

Please introduce yourself to our readers

I love this question in interviews. My name is Lezel Simons. I am a soul on an earthly journey. Discovering who I am again. Writing to make sense of it all and to share my experience of this beautiful life. I am a physiotherapist, widow, mom of 2 boys, and a new author. I love poetry. I write and blog about my life everything from being a mom to spirituality. My poetry is mostly about love.

When did it dawn upon you that you wanted to be a writer?

I have memories of myself enamored with books from around 5 years old. I was an early reader and read fervently. I started writing stories around 8 years old making my own little books with whatever stationary I had. This continued into my teens. The library and I were good friends. I never did think of it as a career possibility, so I followed my second love and went into healthcare to become a physio.

I always wrote for myself but stopped somewhere between getting married and having children. After my husband passed away over 2 years ago, I started writing again as a means of coping. It became a cathartic process and I fell in love with poetry. Last year I had this overwhelming urge to share my writing which leads me to self-publishing my first offering.

What inspires you to write books? What are the things which catch your attention?

I would say emotion definitely. Real-life experiences. The wonder of life, this world, and the universe at large. It is all rather magical if you look with the right lenses. I have never been much of a talker and quite introverted, so writing is my voice and I have a lot to say.

Tell something in brief about your book She Was A Warrior All Along?

My debut was written more for me than to be published. The story I’m telling is deeply personal and took a lot of courage to share. I love poetry because It can be interpreted differently but the basic message still comes across.

She Was A Warrior All Along | Lezel Simons | Book Review — She Was A Warrior All Along

She Was a Warrior All Along is my journey towards self-love, catalyzed by romantic love and the love relationships with family and friends and me coming to an understanding of what love is through these experiences especially with a significant other. How we are all connected, how we love, why we are who we are and the pain and beauty of it all.

How do you organize yourself, as a writer, to keep track of the world you’re writing about?

I am not a very organized person in general. I am very passionate though. My writing is much the way I live now. At the moment. Go with the flow, and when inspiration hits, I dive right in and don’t come up for air till I am exhausted. It works for me.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or a full-time profession?

As a little girl yes but not later. Maybe due to external influence or maybe just the universe guiding me along a more scenic route to get here anyway.

How did you approach the writing process this time around? Do you have a set routine or does it vary? And how do you manage it with your full-time work?

I have been transitioning out of full-time work for a while now. Working part-time at the moment and writing most days. I used to write and work on my book late nights and even through the night. Then lockdown came and allowed me the opportunity to focus more on writing while being mommy 24/7. It is still challenging but to me, a writer is working in every moment learning, experiencing, and finding inspiration.

How would you describe the contemporary scenario of writing and reading around the world?

Oh, it is such an exciting time right now. We are such resourceful and creative beings. The change in climate in terms of technology, society and the world becoming a dynamic mesh of diversity is leading to new ways of being creative. So much collaboration is possible. With reading and writing, there is interest and interaction across genres, cultures, languages, everything. It opens up such variation and vast access for the reader and the writer.

How crucial are marketing and promotions when it comes to selling a book?

It definitely helps to sell books. It is more important for me to connect with people through my writing and for me to enjoy what I do. The practical stuff is absolutely necessary. I prefer to create relationships with fellow writers, authors, and readers as a priority to marketing and promotion. It feels less forced and more authentic.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

I love to read. I read almost anything. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, romance. It just has to move me or teach me. I have way too many authors I enjoy to list.

Any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers?

Writing is a labor of love. It doesn’t have the full effect if it doesn’t come from passion. Trust your inner voice. Have confidence that what you have to share is significant. Be unique. You may just find there are so many that will resonate with you or enjoy your work.

Are we going to hear more from you in the future?

Yes. I am working on publishing my second poetry collection. Writing two other books. One non-fiction and one fiction as well as another possible project, that I won’t reveal just yet. Hoping to have you read and review that too.