Which authors have most contributed to or influenced your indie experience?

Rae Wilde (then Knowles) and J. Patricia Anderson were the ones who really got me into the indie scene. Rae was having a lot of success with small press publications and J. Patricia Anderson was another self-pub I’d beta read for. Both of them told incredible stories that were simply not palatable to trad pub.

What practices, rules or disciplines do you set yourself when it comes to writing?

Sprinting/Pomodoro works well for me to get the creative ball rolling. Since becoming a mom, I’ve found it harder to get into the right mindset. Once I’ve done a couple of sprints, I tend to be off in my own world and then it’s very difficult to come back. Generally, I’m a chaos writer. I know the beginning(ish) and the end. What happens in the middle is largely up to the characters. Once it’s drafted, I cover my walls with plotting post-its.

What real life hobbies or interests inspire your writing?

There’s a lot of music in my books. In the Seer of York my main character, Harper, is a violinist like I am (a significant detail in book 2). Legend of the Bard, which is standalone cyberfae, is based on British and Irish folk music. My love of folklore, maths, and science are also inspirational. I know way too much science about how my magic systems work, even though it’ll never be on a page.

What have been your greatest indie author successes/milestone achievements?

Doing an event with a bunch of fairly well-known authors and actually selling (and signing) some books. Being invited into the Secret Scribes, a group of amazing indie authors. I’ve had 100 reviews on The Hiding which is really exciting. I told myself I’d be happy with anything over a 3 star average, and I’m over 4 stars, so I’m proud of my book. Honestly, biggest achievement, just getting a book into the hands of readers I don’t know and them enjoying it.

What’s the best interaction you’ve ever had with a reader?

I did a reading event about two years ago and I was thrilled to sell a book at it. There were about a dozen authors reading, and I think I was the only indie, so even selling one book felt like a major achievement. It was also the first book I signed for someone I wasn’t related to. Roll forward to early 2026 and I’m looking for ARC readers and people to be on my street team for book 3, and that random person apparently enjoyed my book so much that they signed up for both. It meant a lot to have made that kind of impression on someone, though I also find it mindboggling. 

What should people expect from your books?

I hope a good story first and foremost, but one with a lot more to it. All of my writing has some kind of political message. In the Seer of York books, the big one is that diversity makes us stronger. You’ll also find my writing to be really atmospheric, with folkloric inspiration, and strong female and queer characters.

What have you got coming up or what are you working on?

I have a couple more live events over the summer including one over at Nottingham Central Library ‘Queer the Shelves’ at the end of June. I’m working on the fourth and final Seer of York book, The Mistlings. Once I’ve sent that to my editor, I’ll be exploring self-pub options for my cyberfae novel and probably starting a whole new project.

What do you need in order to have a really productive writing session?

Someone else to take my child out for a while. I’m only semi-joking. If I’m writing and he’s asleep or in the house with someone else, my mom-brain is still switched on. It’s difficult to write something atmospheric and creepy, or charged with romantic tension, when my brain is constantly listening out. Other than that, I can write pretty much anywhere. Headphones are a plus if I’m writing at work, while travelling, or in a cafe. After a little while, I don’t hear anything anymore, but having some music helps drown out other noise until I hit that groove. A pot of tea is also useful to have for a writing session.

You can find out more about Alethea over on her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alethearlyons

This is a shortened and slightly updated version of Alethea’s original interview. The full interview is available to our Patreon members. You can find out more about our Patreon and additional content here.