Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Name of Author: Lauren Palphreyman (@LEPalphreyman on Wattpad and Twitter)
Title of Book: Cupid's Match (link: )
Favorite Authors: Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, Stephen King, C.J.Sansom and J.K.Rowling are some of my favourites, but I'll read pretty much anything!
Bio:
I spend my days daydreaming and working full time as a research analyst in London, and I spend my nights dreaming about being an author, reading and scribbling stories. I carry a notebook for writing and a book for reading at all times (which makes my bag really, really heavy!), I love the smell of train stations in the morning (filter coffee and breakfast food, yum!) and I really like knitting but I'm terrible at it (I have just about mastered the unpatterned scarf)!
Can you explain what your book is all about?
A paranormal organisation of cupids try to stop Lila from getting together with her perfect match; the dangerous, notoriously good looking,original badboy...Cupid himself!
They say the two can't be matched, but Cupid has other ideas...
Lila soon finds herself drawn into a world of supernatural creatures, myths, and danger as Cupid enrols at her high school to find her, a stern yet attractive Matchmaking Agent attempts to protect her, and she discovers that the matchmaking organisation itself will go to extreme and deadly lengths to make sure that the match doesn't take place.
Who is your target audience - and why?
Cupid's Match should appeal to people who enjoy YA, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. There's also a touch of action in there, and quite a heavy influence of Ancient Greek and Roman Mythology. Going from what readers have compared it to, I'd maybe describe it as an odd mixture of Percy Jackson, Vampire Diaries, and The Mortal Instruments (which sounds bizarre but if you read it you might understand!)
What is 'paranormal' about your story?
There's a paranormal race of trained, arrow yielding cupids who work for the Cupids Matchmaking Service, along with a few other paranormal races and myths which you will have to read the book to discover!
Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?
Definitely some romance, fantasy, and a bit of action too.
Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?
I don't make any kind of formal plan, I tend to have the key points of a story in my mind and I know where I want the story to end. From there I just kind of join the dots. For me it's most important to just get an idea on paper, and to write! I think Wattpad is generally a great place to experiment with ideas.
Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?
Every now and again I might realise something I'd expected to happen isn't too realistic, or I'll think that something I'd originally planned for a character to do or say doesn't make sense anymore. In those cases I just have to be flexible; as long as the plot is still moving forwards I'm happy for my characters to take over and write themselves from time to time!
You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?
For me it's all about grammar, style, pace, making sure there are no boring bits, and generally bringing a story to life. To write well I think you need to write lots, write often, and experiment. Don't be afraid to get things wrong.
One final question, this being the Paranormal genre: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
No, nothing spooky at least. I was convinced as a child that I saw the shadow of Santa Claus's sleigh against my wall on Christmas Eve! Does that count?
