Alexis Hall (whatever pronouns) does not like writing biographies or talking about himself in the third person. She lives in southeast England with their extensive collection of hats and four angry duckchildren.

I had the opportunity to interview Alexis, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, my name’s Alexis Hall, and I write books.

What can you tell us about your latest book, Confounding Oaths? What inspired this story?

It’s a sequel to Mortal Follies (although it can be read as a standalone). I tend to describe the series as a whole as “queer magic Bridgerton” although, given the way the third season of Bridgerton was received, that’s no longer quite the killer pitch it used to be. The slightly higher concept pitch is “what if Midsummer Night’s Dream was canon?” so the books are set in an alternative Regency where fairies, Hellenic Gods and general weird magic shit are all real. The narrator doesn’t outright say he’s Puck but he’s definitely Puck. Confounding Oaths itself is about a messy bench who lives for drama getting together with gay Black Sharpe.

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, especially speculative fiction and romance?

I don’t think I necessarily describe myself as “drawn to the art of storytelling”. I like stories in pretty much any medium and getting to write them is cool. As for what draws me to the various genres I write in, honestly I’m pretty basic. I like kissing and wizards and spaceships so I write in the genres that let me write about kissing and wizards and spaceships. Also swordfights.

How would you describe your writing process?

I wouldn’t. Sorry, that’s a glib answer, but one of the things I believe very strongly is that writing shouldn’t be mystified. Deep down, writing is a data entry job, and the process is that you sit at a desk, and you do it. (Obviously, it doesn’t have to be a desk).  And that doesn’t require you to be a special kind of person or be in a special kind of place or use special kind of tools.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or difficult? 

I don’t think I have a favourite element in that I think I like the whole thing in general. Going back to the data entry point, I will always say that the most difficult parts of writing are the most prosaic. Remembering you gave the character a dog in Chapter 3 and they haven’t fed them since Chapter 6. Finding a way to say “Character [X] walked across the room from the door to the window” without it sounding tedious, clunky, overwritten or flat. I’m not saying that things like plotting and editing can’t be hard as well. It’s just kind of an 80/20 rule thing in that a disproportionate amount of effort goes into disproportionately small details.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

Nothing. I’m a big believer that books should stand alone.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

Question: can you explain the fall back in good order rules from Warhammer: the Old World.

Answer: yes I can. When a unit loses combat, roll 2d6. If that number is greater than the current leadership of the unit (including modifiers from magic) the unit flees. If not, add the amount by which the unit lost the combat to the dice roll. If the number is now greater than the unit’s leadership (including modifiers from magic), the unit falls back in good order. Otherwise, the unit gives ground unless it has a special rule which says otherwise.

What advice might you have to give for aspiring writers?

Write something.

That’s probably a bit stark and the friendlier way to put is the old “it’s never too soon and it’s never too late”. If you even remotely think you might want to be a writer, or you might enjoy writing as a hobby, try it. You can try it right now with resources that you almost certainly have to hand if you are able to read these words. And if it turns out you don’t like it, you can stop. But if you do like it, and you keep doing it, then you’re a writer (whether you get paid for it or not).

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I’ve got another book coming out on 5^th November. It’s a re-release of Pansies (from my contemporary romance series, Spires). As for what I’m working on, I’m writing Father Material (the third book in the London Calling trilogy that began with Boyfriend Material). There’s some other stuff in the works but I can’t talk about it yet.

Finally, LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

Honestly, I feel quite uncomfortable making specific recommendations because people like all sorts of things and I don’t want to set myself up as some kind of authority.  But I keep a reasonably up-to-date Goodreads account if anyone wants to see what books I’ve read and enjoyed lately: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7032108.Alexis_Hall