Lindsey Kelk is the internationally bestselling author of books including the I Heart series, The Christmas Wish, Love Me Do and the forthcoming YA romantasy series, The Bell Witches.

As well as writing, Lindsey co-hosts Tights and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network. She also hosts and produces the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage.

Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and two cats.

Welcome to the Hive, Lindsey. Let’s start with the basics: tell us about The Bell Witches – why should readers check it out?

Thank you for having me! The Bell Witches is a southern gothic, coming-of-age fantasy novel set in mysterious Savannah, Georgia, that deals with themes of family, friendship, first love, legacy and dynasty, and what you would do to protect those things. Also, as you may have gathered from the title, there are witches. If you love Twilight or Buffy or The Vampire Diaries, then this is the book for you. Because I also write romcoms, lots of people have asked what age it’s suitable for and I would honestly say, if you’ve ever been or ever plan to be sixteen, then you’ll see yourself in here.

As for why they should check it out, why is this the hardest question? Because if they don’t check it out, I will cry? I worked so hard!

Tell us a little something about your writing process – do you have a certain method? Do you find music helps? Give us a glimpse into your world!

Not to shatter any illusions but you don’t even want a glimpse. My writing process mostly involves me, sat cross-legged on a pink velvet sofa, destroying my lower back, wearing a Taylor Swift t-shirt and sweatpants, mainlining Coke Zero and Haribo while swearing at my laptop. Unfortunately for everyone involved in my publishing, I have no discernible structured process, I have a deadline and a laptop and an imagination, and every time, I dive in and hope for the best. Planning has never really worked for me, all I have is a general idea of the story – usually a clear vision of an inciting incident, maybe a set piece or two, and the shape of the ending – but how we get there is always a mystery. That’s what I love most about writing, discovering the story as I go. Mostly I write in silence so I can get lost in the story but sometimes I’ll listen to an ASMR video or ASMR pomodoro sessions (shout out to Sarah Lavender ASMR) and I always write better later in the afternoon and into the evening. I’m very much a creative night owl. 

Speaking of worlds, what inspires your worldbuilding? Do you have a magic system/s? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?  

There is no system. I dream of a system. As someone who makes it up as she goes along, it’s a constant case of jotting down notes, going back to correct things to make it fit – not an efficient way to write but I just can’t do it any other way. Thankfully, with The Bell Witches, worldbuilding felt very natural. The story is set in Savannah, Georgia, a city I love so much and lends itself so readily to a fantasy novel. Taking all that beauty and history that already exists and weaving the magic of The Bell Witches into the tapestry was such a joy. Much of the lore of the book was inspired by Savannah itself, the Spanish moss, the live oak trees, Bonaventure Cemetery, it was all there, just waiting to welcome my family of witches.

What (or who) are your most significant fantasy/sci-fi influences? Are there any creators whom you dream of working with someday?

Growing up, I was a massive fantasy reader without even realizing it. My dad was into Tolkien in a big way and I was obsessed with the Narnia books. As I got older, I moved onto horror fantasy, Point Horror, James Herbert, Stephen King, Anne Rice, and when I wasn’t reading, I was watching it on TV. Cut me and I will bleed Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Truly, I have consumed so much pop culture fantasy, from The Craft, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries all the way through to True Blood, it had to come out one day. And here we are. 

On the creator front, day in and day out, I have to stop myself from begging Juno Dawson to let me sit quietly at the side of her, basking in her glory. I’d write with her, chat with her, do her shopping, walk her dog, whatever she needs. I love the HMRC series so much, I could cry. I think she’s a genius.

We see such varying opinions from authors when it comes to the time of editing their books. How have you found the editing process? Enjoyable, stressful or satisfying?

Even though I was an editor before I was a fulltime writer, I have to admit, editing is my least favourite part of the process. I love to create and discover rather than finesse and improve even though I know editing is what makes the book good. There’s always going to be part of me that feels like I’m getting my homework back covered in red pen when I get my editor notes. I definitely subscribe to the theory that your first draft is the hunk of marble and each edit sculpts it into something closer to the vision you have in your head, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the fine sculpting as much as heaving the stone onto the work bench in the first place.

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover! How involved in the process were you? Was there a particular aesthetic you hoped the artist would portray?

The cover is entirely down to the incredible team at Magpie. I honestly left it all to them, trusted them implicitly and look where we ended up. It’s one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen, from the art itself to the finishes on the physical copy, I just want to be looking at it and touching it all the time. Teagan White, the artist, absolutely smashed it – the southern gothic vibe, the connection to nature, I honestly could not love it more.

Can you tell us a bit more about your characters? Do you have a favourite type of character you enjoy writing?

I’m such a cliché – I love a villain. Give me an arched eyebrow and some snappy banter and I’m yours. Dialogue has always been my favourite part of writing, chippy back and forths, emotional connections, declarations of love, all of it, but it always seems like villains end up with the best lines. The concept of hero and villain is purposely ambiguous in The Bell Witches, lots of shades of grey, but there is no ambiguity when it comes to Ashley’s sass. I loved writing her completely. 

The world shifts, and you find yourself with an extra day on your hands during which you’re not allowed to write. How do you choose to spend the day?

*Don’t say watching Million Dollar Listings, don’t say watching Million Dollar Listings*

Definitely not watching Million Dollar Listings. I’m originally from the UK but now live in Los Angeles, so it would really depend on where I am in the world. If I’m at home, I’m sleeping in, I’m hanging out with my cats, I’m probably reading which I find really hard to do when I’m writing, and I’m definitely catching up with friends over some spaghetti and meatballs at Little Dom’s. If I could be anywhere in the world, you’ll find me on my brother’s sofa watching professional wrestling (no lie, I co-host a wrestling podcast called Tights and Fights) or visiting Savannah, getting dinner at The Grey and wandering around my favourite squares.

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

Would it be really wrong to say Angel from Buffy? He could give me a piggyback, I don’t weigh that much and he’s very strong. If that doesn’t work, it’s probably going to have to be a dragon. The chances of me coming through battle in one piece are slim to none so at least this way I’d have ariel maneuvers and weapons built in. It doesn’t have to be a big one, as long as we can get far away, fast. That said, I also think I’d get along well with Smaug. He too would’ve ordered the Space NK advent calendar the second he got the pre-sale email alert. We have a lot in common.

Tell us about a book you love. Any hidden gems?

Not fantasy but I just read a book called The Sons of El Rey by Alex Espinoza and I cannot stop thinking about it. It’s a multigenerational story of three men in the Vega family, beginning with Ernesto, who was a luchador in Mexico City, then following on to his son and grandson and their lives in East Los Angeles. The plot is so fascinating and the world so rich and clearly constructed but at the same time, it’s also incredibly vulnerable and achingly beautiful. I’d recommend it to anyone.

Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Have you any upcoming projects which you can share?

Absolutely! Just last week, I finished the first draft of the sequel to The Bell Witches so right now my attention is mostly on that. It was so fun to run straight back to the gang and continue their adventure. I’m so ready to start writing the third book but before I do that, I have to write my romcom for 2025 which hasn’t been announced yet so I’ll keep that quiet for now.

Are you planning anything fun to celebrate your new release? Do you have any upcoming virtual events our readers may be interested in?

Could not be more excited to be appearing at YALC in November on the Blossoming Romantasy panel, it’s my first time and I’m very giddy. There will also be a virtual event to celebrate publication and hopefully one other in-person event to announce very soon! 

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

Honestly, I write to escape and most often read for the same reason. Hopefully someone will pick up The Bell Witches and by the end of it, they’ll feel a little less alone, a little more seen, or at the very least, I hope they were able to escape from reality for a few hours and come back to the real world happier than when they left it.

Thank you so much for joining us today!

Thank YOU!

The Bell Witches is out tomorrow, 26th September! You can order your copy on Bookshop.org