Natalie Hopkins Interview Published on: 05, Nov 2024

I didn’t particularly enjoy my childhood, I spent lots of time doing activities that would keep me out of the house.

I did Ballroom dancing from age 2-22 and a fond memory was dancing in Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

It was a story on AO3, it was about a relationship between two women on a holiday resort in Sharm-el-Shiekh

My developing Spirituality has helped no end with my creativity and development and I am still growing in all aspects of my work.

I have numerous ideas and stories scribbled down to make stories from.

I was developing shamanic skills and during meditation kept seeing wolves and squirrels. I was told both were my totem animals and they began visiting my garden and I kept seeing them everywhere.

I studied some Mythology and the Tree of Life has a tiny messenger squirrel that runs up and down it. All tiny signs around me.

An insight into my twisted sense of humour and some discrimination aspects that are important to me and should be explored by everyone.

I grew up visiting my grandparents farm that was set in the woods and overlooked the riverbank where I learned to swim. Seeing Roman artefact's being unearthed on a weekly basis and playing in the amphitheatre while pretending to have been there.

I’ve recently moved to the top of a mountain in Pontypool where I have a fantastic view from my bungalow of the mountains to one side and right across the river to Weston-Super-Mare in the other direction. The mists rising and settling in the mountains and views towards Abergavenny have always made me think of dragons and their breath travelling through the valleys.

Recently we lost our oldest boy George but the other two help me relax, the one boy comes to lie on me when I meditate and does it with me. My little spiritual baby Berticus (Bertie).

That you can be whatever you want to be, love whoever you want to love and do exactly as your spirit guides you to do.

Don’t ever be forced to conform because that’s what is expected of you. It’s your life to do exactly what you want to do with it. Like is meant to be fun, enjoy it while you can.

I’m curious to see where my mind travels. I enjoy fantasy because I can make it anyway I want and nobody can say that’s not how it should be. It’s my creative world and there’s so much freedom to be me in there.

I am writing about humans in fantasy and fiction and a friend mentioned I write good smut so I’ve began doing that but with lesbian relationships which are completely under represented.

I’ve recently parted ways with the publisher and have regained by intellectual property back, so now I’m thinking about going down the self publishing route or manifesting into the Universe for a new publishing company who will actually promote my work and work with me rather than just leaving everything up to me to do it all.

My influences growing up were Enid Blyton then Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Piers Anthony, Agatha Christie to name but a few.

Terry Pratchett showed me my own twisted humour can be appreciated by others. Piers Anthony’s use of puns and sarcasm was enlightening. Both authors made me chuckle out loud and that’s exactly what I want my readers to do.

I think life is way to serious with everything going on in the world and humour should be more important to help people relax and destress. Laughter is so powerful, it reduces stress and helps people feel better in a world of anger.

More humour and I just want to express my gratitude to those readers who enjoy reading my work.

There’s always going to be some areas of darkness but love and laughter will always have the upper hand and the last word.

It has been a very nice experience and hopefully it will continue.