P.I.
Alltraine is an award winning poet and author. She has won several
international poetry competitions, and her poems have been published in
separate anthologies.
She
teaches English Language and Literature in London.
She earned her degree in BA English from Queen Mary University of London, a
Post Graduate Certificate in Education and Master’s in Teaching at the UCL
Institute of Education, University
of London.
Before
moving to London,
she lived in the Philippines
where she was ensconced in the rich culture encrusted with dark myths and
enchanted tales. She draws inspiration from these in her writing. Although she
has lived indifferent places and experienced different cultures, she always
enjoyed the constancy of writing in her life. Her favourite authors include
John Milton, Virginia Woolf and James Joyce.
Her
latest book is the YA fantasy romance, Heartbound.
For
More Information
- Visit P.I. Alltraine’s website.
- Connect with P.I. on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about P.I. at Goodreads.
- Contact P.I.
Can you tell us what your book is about?
Heartbound is a YA/NA Fantasy novel set in two different worlds. It follows the
story of Petyr, who comes to the human world on a mission to find a cure for a
disease that is killing his kind. He is meant to be a superior being, but he
finds himself confounded by the unexpected complexities of the humans. When he
meets a human girl, Scarlett, he feels emotions he’s never felt before. Through
him, we see our world and the typical things that we go through (e.g. love)
from a different perspective. At its core though, Heartbound is about questioning and finding one’s own identity,
trying to find a resolution between who you’re meant to be and who you want to
be. It’s about finding the bravery and courage to go against the tides, refuse
to conform, and fight for something that means everything to you but means
nothing to everyone else.
Why did you write
your book?
The idea for the novel came to me unexpectedly, and it
compelled me to write. When a powerful
idea hits a writer, it’s no longer a choice. You have to write it, or it will
drive you mad. It hit me so hard that I had to stop what I was doing. I picked
up a pen and paper and started to scribble. My husband walked in and found me
on the floor with pieces of papers around me. At that point, the outline of Heartbound was completed—chapter by
chapter, from beginning to end.
Are you consciously
aware of the plot before you begin a novel or do you discover it as you write?
I usually have an outline of the narrative, the bigger
picture if you like, but I don’t plan the small details. I have fun discovering
those as I write the chapters.
Open the book to page 69. What is happening?
Petyr comes face
to face with the Forbidden: “The
most incredible wave of urge swallowed up every sense, every principle, every
belief, and everything else that I was. No longer capable of thinking about
anything else, I was overwhelmed by the possibility of having a taste of the one
true sublimity. Intense compulsion pulled me closer to the human standing
in front of me, urging me to commit the Forbidden.”
Have you suffered from writer’s block and what do you do
to get back on track?
For me, writer’s
block happens when my head is filled with all the noise of day-to-day life,
work, etc. I wait until it’s quiet enough, usually in the early hours of the
morning, close my eyes, and listen to the characters.
Which holiday is your favorite and why?
I love beach
holidays—sun, sand on my toes, song of the waves, salty breeze…
What do you like the most about being an author?
There is such
delight in creating a whole world.
What kind of advice
would you give other fiction authors?
Write for yourself. It doesn’t matter if your style doesn’t
fit the current trend or if some circles won’t consider it “good writing.” Write
because you want to, and write whatever the hell you want. Writing is not a way
to fit in or please others. It’s one of the very few things in the world that
allows the liberty to be true to oneself.