Author Interview with Leandi Cameron

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future? This is quite a hard question – I would love to see the future, the changes that have happened, and how ‘gracefully’ we have ruined our beautiful world. I would love to see how technology has changed our lives and if we have taken our own advice on environmental issues and stopped the war on terror. I would love to see whether people in South Africa have finally come to a point where they can truly tolerate each other, and that Nelson Mandela’s ideals have finally made its way into our hearts, lives and future.

I would love to see whether Rhino’s are still alive or extinct, and whether we were able to stop the illegal trade of their beautiful tusks. All of these things are definitely issues that I would love to have a glimpse in on, but what I would love the most, is to go back in time. I am fascinated with so many eras gone by. Our history is what makes us; it is what forms us, and it is what will dictate our future and, therefore, it is the best place to start – at the beginning of everything. How fantastic would it be to go back in time; to see the earth form; to see people live in caves; to see the Ice Age; to see people living in Venice, dressed in masks and beautiful attire and living lives of promiscuity? How fantastic would it be to really be present, absorb all of those era’s, create memories and bring them back into today’s reality and be able to make them true, once again, and writing a book about my ‘travels’ back in time. No truer account of history can be told than that of someone who has lived it. I am fascinated with history. It truly is what has formed us today.

If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose? I have been asked this question before, and truly, it is a hard question, because there are many people I would love to have to dinner. Unfortunately, some of the people in my dreams of the perfect dinner don’t really always include people who actually lived. Many of my characters are fantasy and people I wish into being. Wouldn’t it be wonderful! But, to be realistic, here is my list, and don’t laugh!

Thor, Zeus or any mythological god or goddess – yes, this sounds weird, but how cool would it be to meet an actual mythological god? They were, indeed our first gods before we modernised

Jesus – I would love to be in on his adventures and love to ask the many ‘why’s’ I have in my head.

Socrates – a master philosopher, and I could listen to his stories and thinking all day long.

Plato – Imagine having Socrates and Plato sitting around the same table, deliberating abut their different philosophies. I would be fascinated.

Charles Darwin – a master of psychology, with ideals and a thought process that absolutely astounds me.

This would definitely create a very interesting dinner conversation!

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you? My husband, because I would love for some good conversation and to share adventures with.

A rubber duck boat for when I decide to get off the island.

A magic wand – one always have to defend yourself against all the evils and weird creatures lurking in the dark. Besides, when you’re done having your adventure, you can conjure yourself back to reality.

What is one book everyone should read? I love philosophy, and it is quite inspiring to read the philosophies of some of the great minds of the past. One book that I believe everyone should read is the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. It is a heart-wrenching, eye-opening and a humbling novel. It looks deeper into the psyche of the human-being and shows us in our true raw form.

If you were a superhero what would your name be? Atheria

If you could have any superpower what would you choose? I would be able to change forms – which means, I could be anything or anyone I want aka a shapeshifter.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Rum and Raisin is quite nice, but I don’t eat ice cream all that much – I am more of a chocolate kind of girl.

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose? I wouldn’t want to ‘meet’ anyone per se, but I would love to see my father again.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Not big on breakfast, but if I do eat breakfast, I love to indulge myself into bran muffins.

Night owl, or early bird? Definitely a night owl.

One food you would never eat? Asparagus – absolutely disgusting.

Pet Peeves? People who can’t write but who call themselves writers. Writing is a form of art, and some people misuse it, don’t respect it, and never realise the true power of it. I also despise nasty people. Because I was bullied throughout my primary and high-school years, I absolutely stand firmly against bullies. Even among adults bullies still exist, and nothing makes me so unhappy as seeing or experiencing someone look down upon others or treat them as lesser. We are all equal, and we all deserve to be treated with respect.

Skittles or M&Ms? Definitely Skittles.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. Who would ever have thought that shapeshifters were created because of a brawl between two gods for the love of a human – it is a new, fresh take on modern-day paranormal fantasy, and teenagers can still indulge in their favourite genres of love, vampires, werecats and other mythological characters; all in one novel.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? The follow-up novel in the A Tale of the Other Kind series, A Therian Struggle is currently in the works. I am also thinking of writing a non-fiction book on mythological characters, aimed at entertaining teenagers on the facts and beginnings of their favourite paranormal fantasy characters.

I further want to explore creating separate novels for each of my characters due to their strong presences and background stories that I have created for them – they all deserve to tell their stories.

I further want to deeper explore children’s literature, with a tale that was written by my father and I a long time ago, that is too beautiful of a story of love, loss and triumph not to tell, and will be an uplifting tale.

I also have a series of books that I have half-written that I have to revisit and probably complete. So, there is quite a bit that I have set out for my writing career. As a newspaper editor I would probably continue building on our newspaper to make it the best in our district.

But, for my company that I own with my sister, House of LeaVik, and through which I chose to independently publish my novel, I would like to grow it and make it a self-sufficient and powerful entity in all three of its specialties – editorial, publishing & design; makeup artistry & fashion styling & the online retail store we are currently pursuing. Dreams never end and I will always have goals and projects that I will be working on.

What inspired you to want to become a writer? It probably sounds like the world’s biggest cliché, but I was born to be creative. I was born to write and sketch. My veins are filled with ink and my hands itch to put pen to paper. I am drawn to books like addicts are drawn to their drugs and alcohol. When I write, or draw, I feel liberated; I am exported to another world that I create for myself – one I wish I could live in. I become my protagonist, and I become my characters. And for those periods when I indulge, I am nothing but my characters. They are who I am.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. Nothing felt more profound than the moment that I finally completed my novel and had the final hardcopy in my hands. Years of hard work and a dream was finally realised. I finally feel that I have made it. Now, only, I hope that others will enjoy it as much as I did writing it.