Beth Freely Author

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

I was born and raised in upstate New York and as a kid, I got to live in Great Britain for about 2 years. That had a profound effect on me and my love of anything that has to do with the United Kingdom can be seen in my works. I am a die-hard Captain America and Winter Soldier fan. I love Star Wars (but not the last three movies!). I ride horses, spoil my cats and grandson, and can be found on Thursday afternoons on Taskforce: Geek Spoiler Alert talking about the latest television show we decided to cover.

2. When and why did you start writing books?

I have been writing since I was about 8 years old. I won my third-grade contest with a book I wrote about a monkey named Topaz. I've been writing ever since. It was after sharing some successful fanfiction with friends online that made me realize I was in the wrong field and should be writing as a career.

3. What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

I discovered I had a knack for writing in my mid-to-late-20s. I tried my hand at some freelance copywriting and found that I seriously enjoyed it. I obtained my Bachelors in Journalism & Mass Media Communication and embarked on a career of professional copywriting for a few years. In 2018, I obtained my Master's in English and Creative Writing and switched gears so that I could focus on my novel writing.

4. Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

At the moment, hands down, Dorian Gray. My novel "Behind the Eyes of Dorian Gray" won me my publishing contract. That novel was my first published and will always have a special place in my heart.

5. Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

Again, I would have to say "Behind the Eyes of Dorian Gray." I wanted to incorporate elements of Oscar Wilde's original story into mine and at times, the research almost got to me. I went through two paperback copies before I was done! LOL!

6. Who is your favourite author and book?

I have a few favorite authors. J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert are my top two. Books: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit; all of the Dune novels.

7. What book are you reading right now?

I'm currently reading "Asher" by Livell James.

8. Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Inspiration comes from everywhere for me. I can find it in a movie, in music, in poetry. For example, my recent novel "The Loch" was inspired by Maroon 5's song "Unkiss Me" and Richard Armitage's reading of "The Sheperd to HIs Love."

9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spare time? What is spare time?

10. Do you have any new books in the works?

I'm currently working on "Beyond The Steps Of Stone." This was the first manuscript I ever finished. I set it aside for a while because I wasn't ready to make the necessary changes to the story to make it better. Now I'm editing it for publication with a hopeful release date of November 2021.