Interview With Fantasy Genre Author Leslie Anne Lee

Cindy Mitch Interviews Fantasy Genre Author Leslie Anne Lee 

Editor’s note: We’ve previously published several of Cindy Mich’s interviews, including filmmaker Paul Odgren and Staten Island’s own Renee Graziano of Mob Wives. She also spent an afternoon at the new non-profit AMT Theater. 

The following is from Leslie Anne Lee’s website 

“Leslie Anne Lee has been writing almost as long as she has been walking. She wrote her first book at age six, and won her first award in the second grade. She loves all sorts of different authors, but her favorites are Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, C.S. Lewis, and Leon Uris. 

In her formative years, our protagonist was deeply influenced by her early encounters with literature, which served as the cornerstone for the rich imagination she would develop over time. Guided by her mother and grandmother, she immersed herself in the pages of beloved classics such as the Chronicles of Narnia, Little House on the Prairie, and Anne of Green Gables…

Ms. Lee also writes poetry, Op- Ed pieces, and literary essays. She also is a consummate actor and dancer. She lives with her family in Fresno, Ca., but would love to be somewhere else. Somewhere with much more “scope for the imagination.” 

Taken from an article in DeMode Magazine

1. From our research, you started writing in your youth. Please tell us the difference between what the written word meant to you at age six, versus now as an adult. Have you ever considered pursuing any form of education in this particular field?

At age six, everything in your mind is magic. Your imagination is always on overdrive. It is fantastic. Then, the world starts to suck the magic out of you, and you have to find ways to keep it alive. That is what writing was for me as an adult. I don’t want magic to disappear for people. I find it in everything from sunsets to watching the Fireworks at Disneyland with friends, wedged between people I love the most. I want to be able to create stories that give people an escape and the tools to spark their imaginations and make their own magic.

2. You are a resident of Fresno, California, which I am told has a vibrant arts scene. Do you have a strong collaborative network in your neck of the woods?

The art scene is vibrant – in certain areas. It’s deeply rooted in culture and tradition. The issue is everyone wants to be THE one. We all have big dreams and aspirations, and only a few of us ever make it. However, we are a community, and we do our best to keep one another’s aspirations alive. The film talent here IS off the charts. There is so much raw, unfiltered talent here, it’s crazy.

3. One of the genres you have published has been poetry. It has been said that poetry has been attracting a bigger and broader audience in the last year. Would you concur with this statement? Also, how is creating poetry more of a struggle or simplistic than other forms of writing?

I would agree. I think this nation needs an outlet to, as Dylan Thomas wrote, “rage against the dying of the light.” Poetry gets all your feelings out there in a few lines. I think it makes us brave to read great poets like Maya Angelou and realize that adversity crosses all races and religions. So, it is simplistic in that really, there are no rules when it comes to poetry. It is more of a struggle in that we, as poets, set our own boundaries and then fight to break them.

4. Due to the condition of the country the last few years, I imagine that it is difficult to decide on just a few subjects for Op-Ed pieces. What dictates the type of content you cover?

I am picky when it comes to Op-Ed, because if I am going to write one, I know I am going to offend someone. So, it has to be about something that really irks me – like women’s rights, immigrant rights, and, in general, the need for human decency.

5. Every writer has their own work space when it comes to putting words on paper. For you, this is often your vehicle. This is certainly a unique way to create. How efficient is it to have your car act as your office?

Well, I have kids. Those guys are ALWAYS busy doing something. We live on the edge of town, so driving anywhere for them is going to be a distance. I like the quietness of my car – especially when it is drizzly and gray outside. I have my laptop, my blanket, and a pillow, and I am happy. The only challenge is charging my laptop… but I am working on that.

Advertisement

6. You have self-published a number of books. Why the election to not try traditional publishing? Of all the books you have written to date, which is your favorite one and why?

Believe me, I would LOVE for a traditional publishing house to pick me up. It would make life so much easier. So far, no one has. I think that is due to the saturated market. It is now easy to submit a manuscript. Just upload it. You could write the greatest story ever, but it will sit on a publisher’s desk and never be seen. Self-publishing guarantees my work is out there. To date, I think my favorite is my first fantasy – Child of Dawn. Writing it was so far out of my comfort zone. I had been dared to write a fantasy, and, of course, I accepted. With fantasy, you have zero rules and zero boundaries. You get to create whole universes that are defined only by the limits of your own mind.

7. It has been said that you are turning some of your books into screenplays for film. Has it been a difficult transition, as books and screenplays are different?

At first, yes. It was like writing in a foreign language. Now, I love it. It was a totally unexpected detour from writing books. Presently, it is my greatest obsession to not only have someone purchase them – but also utilize local talent to make the films come to life.

8. Lastly, what are your goals for 2025?

* Honor my mentor, my English teacher, who kept me writing when I wanted to quit. He is currently battling cancer.
* Finish the third book in the Legend of the Vale series, entitled The Ashwalker.
* Find a buyer for the screenplays.
* Walk a red carpet and/or attend a film festival.

Leslie Anne Lee. Image Credit – Cindy Mich

Leslie Anne Lee. Image Credit – Cindy Mich

To learn more about Leslie Ann Lee, visit: Leslie Anne Lee

Banner Image: Leslie Anne Lee. Image Credit – Cindy Mich

Cindy Mich

Cindy Mich is an award-winning journalist/media personality who is also a filmmaker and Founder of the independent film festival, Art is Alive, now in its seventh year. Her total listening audience is at 205,000 to date. In print, she currently contributes to various digital publications, along with having owned and operated her own publication, The Art is Alive Magazine. After eight issues, her readership was at 78,000. She performs the duties of a professional film judge, having screened over 800 films in the last few years - along with covering various film festivals as accredited media. Further, she has taught in both the public and private sector. In 2023, Cindy is adding a distribution arm to her film festival, and soon will be releasing her made for television series on medical misdiagnosis, Hurt by Healthcare.