Alice Liddell aka Lauren A. R. Masterson
(Alice is her chosen name, Lauren is her legal name).
“Start at the beginning, and when you come to the end, stop.”
–Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Lauren A.R. Masterson graduated from Columbia College of Chicago with a degree in Fiction Writing. During her college days, she began working as a freelance model eventually making it her full-time profession after graduating. She toured nationally, met scores of creative people, and had many adventures. After retiring from modeling, and experiencing a divorce, Lauren felt the drain of her creativity. But after finding a loving and supporting community she began exploring her writing talent and art again. Lauren is now a regular in the local Chicago writing communities and is dedicated to enhancing her craft.
Novels:
Love of the Sea
Tearing Down the Wall
Geisha Hands
Freja’s Baby
Freja’s Baby Shattered
Art Books:
Abandoned Bride
Absent Ventriloquist
Crippled Inspiration
Dreams and Flashbacks
Here, Now
Infidelity on a Sunny Afternoon
Mirror][rorriM
Not in Kansas
Oni: Whispers in the Snuff Box
Pallid Hours: Autumn Freed
Plunge the Soul Into the Quick
Recline
Swine Flu
Twig Noir: A Closer Look
The Asylum
Waiting
We The Fallen
Poetry Collections:
Synesthesia – Darkness
Synesthesia – Depression
Synesthesia – Experimental
Synesthesia – Nature
Synesthesia – Love
Synesthesia – Fables
Synesthesia – Pandemic
Where available:
https://alicetheauthor.wordpress.com/
https://cloudorchidpublishing.com/
http://ink-smith.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzOv_0hua3rYrULwLcg82QA
What sets your books apart from all others?
I write in several different genres and have different styles of writing depending on the project I am creating. Each story stands as its own unique work and offers a glimpse into the universe that is my imagination. My poetry can be pretty “out there”, but even my more “mainstream” works such as my mermaid fantasy novel Love of the Sea still flip common tropes on their head.
Asrai is an exiled mermaid princess training to take back her throne by defeating the usurper in mortal combat. But in order to secure her place, she must first find a mate, and she has chosen a human prince named Cormack. Rather than Asrai sacrificing her life goals and choosing to live on land with Cormack, she sets out to convince him to leave his life behind and help her achieve her life goals and live together in the sea. It’s themes like this that give a fresh perspective in my stories.
I prefer to write happy endings for my stories, as I myself have frequently read stories as a form of escapism. However, I do make my characters have to face trials and take a hard look at themselves in the mirror before they can earn their “happily ever after”. I frequently touch on difficult topics like loss and mental illness. Female empowerment is also an important aspect of my stories, whether it’s a warrior princess like Asrai, or a woman who needs the patience and support of a caring partner in order to help them shine like Freja. My characters are fully realized with dreams and goals; none are props or a means to an end.
Who is your target market, who should be reading your books?
This depends on each individual book. My romance novels are intended for 18+ audiences, whereas Love of the Sea and Geisha Hands can be read by YA audiences. My art books and poetry books are intended for more mature audiences, and often have specific demographics. Most likely though, at least one of my books in my extensive collection will be right for you.
What authors inspired you most and how so? What do you admire about each one?
Juliet Marillier is one of my favourite authors and has greatly inspired the way that I write my fantasy stories. I love the deep connections to real life history and lore, and the meaningful trials her characters face.
Victoria Hanley is another author that has greatly inspired me. The attention to details and the strong female characters in the story (strong despite their stations and circumstances) left a lasting impression on me and my writing.
What advice do you have to offer in support of other authors?
I always tell other authors and writers “Write what makes you happy. If you don’t like your own story, why would anyone else want to read it?” Writing stories that move you as an author are the best way to win readers and keep them coming back for more.
What is your genre of choice and why?
Fantasy has always been my primary genre that I read and write in, while Historical Fiction is a close second. However, I write a variety of genres: fantasy, historical fiction, romance, erotica, sci-fi, horror, short stories, poetry, and children’s books. I prefer to move about between genres in order to tell the story I currently have in my head.
How’d you come about discovery of your writing talent, gift or ability?
My gift for writing is something that I was born with and have always been aware of. I don’t remember a time in my life without knowing that my purpose in life was to be an author. Before I could read and write, I told my Dad little stories and made him write them down for me. I would make up stories to go on the pages as I turned them while my Mum was teaching me how to read. From there, I spent countless hours of my daily life writing in notebooks and typing away on my computer.
I started writing full novels by the time I was twelve years old, and I started writing professionally by the time I was in my early twenties. Writing is ma raison d’être. My writing abilities came as no surprise to my parents, as my Mum is also a writer, and several of the women in our family before her. I’m a “legacy writer” so to speak. And my parents have nurtured and supported my writing since day one. They have always been my biggest fans.
What are your future writing endeavors? What’s next on your authorship agenda?
I recently pitched my sixth novel Succumb to Darkness to a publishing company and am waiting to hear back. It is a vampire dark fantasy novel written partially in French with parallels to the French Revolution. I’m also working on writing a few other novel projects: Clover Companion (sci-fi romance novel), Be Mine (erotica novel), Space Race (sci-fi/cyberpunk novel), and Marie Antoinette (speculative historical fiction novel).
In addition to these, I’m reworking and illustrating an NDA writing project – a thirteen book YA fantasy series that will feature full-colour illustrations drawn by me. All thirteen books have already been written, however, I am reworking them, as I finished writing the last book back in 2008, and they need some serious updating before I begin submitting the series to publishers.
Is writing for you synonymous with living and breathing, or just something you do as a hobby, and how so and why?
Writing is ma raison d’être, my reason for being, the purpose of my existence. Without it, I would die. I have other creative pursuits I am passionate about, especially my artwork, however, writing will always be the most important priority in my life. I have so many stories I need to write and share with the world before I die, otherwise, my life will have been a waste.
What do you feel we need to hear or read more of, that is rare today in a book?
I think the market is shifting and starting to be better at telling previously suppressed stories – female empowerment, LGBTQ+ stories, POC stories, differently-abled stories, etc. But there is still much more to be done. More attention needs to be given to authors and stories that are not centered around white cis males.
What changes in the literary world would you most like to see?
The same as above. We need more focus to be given on authors and stories that have been largely pushed to the wayside in the past. We need to give the spotlight to others and provide more variety on bookshelves everywhere.
Indie/Self-Published Author and/or Traditionally Published? What do you favor more and why?
I am both traditionally published and “self” published. I own a publishing company with my best friend and business partner, Bryan Thompson, called Cloud Orchid Publishing. I’m also published as a traditional author with Ink Smith Publishing. I will continue to both traditionally and “self” publish books in the future. It all depends on the project.
Stories like Succumb to Darkness are going to be best served on popular markets, whereas complex projects like my novel Geisha Hands need to be kept in-house so that I can have 100% control over the work. A traditional publisher would never have touched Geisha Hands, as it includes Japanese text, footnotes, a 40-page glossary, and 46 full colour illustrations (drawn by me). And it’s a work I refused to compromise on. I have other projects like this that will feature illustrations, non-traditional formatting, and other such items that demand creative control and refuse compromise.
How is your writing controversial, profound or mind boggling, or how would you describe it?
I don’t aim for controversy or shock-value in my writing. I prefer to present ideas that sit with the reader, simmering in the back of their mind. My books are best described as vivid worlds. My attention to detail and my extensive world-building sucks the reader in and grants them imagery that seems almost real. This is thanks to my synesthesia – I can taste words and colours, so I utilize description extensively in my writing in order to create scenes that come to life.
What do you hope to accomplish with your literary creation? What change or enlightenment do you want to bring about in your reader if any?
First and foremost, I want my readers to enjoy my stories. If the only takeaway my readers have is that reading my books made them happy, then I have done my job. A greater achievement for me is if my readers learn something, whether they learn something about history they never knew before, or are granted a new perspective on a topic. That is an even greater win for me, but it’s not required. I don’t consider my writing “revolutionary” or myself as a “visionary”. I’m a storyteller. I have many creative visions to share with the world, whether through writing or art. That is my purpose.
What’s the greatest compliment that you ever received regarding your literary accomplishments and what did this remark do for you, how did it transform your life or your writing?
The greatest compliment I receive about any of my creative works is that it inspires them to create. Whether that be to create writing, art, performance, music, whatever. If my works inspire someone else to be creative, lighting someone else’s candle so to speak, then I have “won”. Helping others to find their creative joy is so important in the human experience, and I love it every time it happens.
What’s the most memorable criticism you received regarding your literary works and how did this remark transform you as a writer or influence your writing if at all?
There isn’t really any specific “criticism” that stands out for me so much as the importance of my books aren’t for everyone. I write in several different genres, so frequently, my readers will stick to a particular genre and love that particular story or set of stories. It’s rare that I have readers who want to read all of my books, or at the very least, go home with a varied stack of books. Most readers who enjoy Love of the Sea are not going to enjoy Oni Whispers in the Snuff Box. But I’m glad I can write for different readers so I can bring enjoyment to a wider audience overall.
If you could ask a question of your favorite author of all time, what would the question be? How would you answer that question -yourself?
I’m not sure what I would ask Juliet Marillier. I’ve honestly never really thought about it. I’m sure I would love to know the basics: “What inspired you to write your stories?”, “What research did you do?”, etc. But in terms of anything really inspirational or specific, I really don’t know. I’m not a big celebrity or “hero” type of person. I’m a big part of the Chicago writing community, and I have many author friends. I frequently pick their brains about their writing processes and what inspires them. I’m constantly learning from my community and find inspiration from them as well.
What have you sacrificed, if anything, to be a writer, or to write as you do? What have you gained from writing, how has it rewarded you personally?
Ultimately, I work as a freelance creative person, so I have sacrificed a lot in order to live the life I do. My life is rather uncertain, I live paycheck to paycheck. I can’t afford any sort of luxuries like going on vacation or buying expensive items. I’ve also utterly devoted my life to my creative works. I missed out on the typical “college experience” because I was too busy working on my writing and artwork, and the beginnings of my modeling career.
I didn’t go to parties or hang out with friends. I’ve dealt with many people in my life who have tried to force me to “get a real job” and “grow up” and put my creative works as backseat hobbies. While I have worked corporate office jobs in the past, I never stopped creating. I spent all my time outside of work in order to work on what truly mattered to me. My hope is that someday, my life will be easier and more financially stable, but until then, I refuse to give in or give up. It’s just too important.
Little Alice co-editor of Cloud Orchid Magazine
LittleAlice@cloudorchid.com
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