Hey there everyone.

Tonight we have a guest in the Author Interview series who is an incredible poet, a maverick and a gentleman who has just launched his debut novel.

May I present to you all author Lee Richard Kirsten as he takes the stage to chat with us about his writing, influences and his passions.

Thanks for reading and as always, enjoy the show.

 

Hi there Lee, thank you for spending some quality time with us and for being our guest here today.

Let’s start with your debut novel “Colour of Drugs”. You mention that it took ten years to write and it was a labour of love, blood, sweat and tears. Your tagline also states that it is voodoo literature at its best. Can you tell us more about that voodoo that you do so well? What sort of journey are we going to be taken on when we dive right in and partake in some of your prime contemporary fiction?

As Colour of Drugs has no plot…I guess you could call it a memoir with a series of flashbacks and episodes of the peripheral that unfolds much like a high-octane travel log or a dream sequence in which everything imaginable is being sucked into it. Therefore, expect the unexpected. Everything poured into Colour of Drugs has been taken from real life…Although some scenes did get blown out of proportion – hence the reason why it has been categorized as a work of Fiction.

You also have a monumental release called “The Poets Bible: v.1-3.” It is a stellar, free-wheeling collection of 13 years of poetry, short stories and plays. I myself have bought several copies for myself and friends, the book is a work of art. Please give us some more background to what kind of things we will discover in this electrifying tome of vintage Kirsten and tell us why you decided to collect your writings in this particular way.

The Poets Bible got its name because I wanted it to stand for a collection of work that would inspire the next generation of hardcore, voodoo poets. Therefore, it’s a kind of hand guide for those hard living rebels out there who are still in love with the craft of writing and the art of living. Each piece of writing that comprises The Poets Bible is a documentation of my growth as a poet. Each poem having being written after an epic episode of debauchery, or during some kind of hard-luck-lesson-trial of life that got thrown upon my young, stubborn, self… Being then so deeply locked into the realm of experimentation, exploration and the celebration of this sweet magic life, as we know it.

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing? And what do you find the easiest?

Writing itself for the sake of writing, now that is a real bore. But to breathe and to move freely, this is what it means to allow the writing to become natural – alive. And this is what writing Colour of Drugs has taught me. For the most authentic sequence of words is only alive, for me, when I read not what’s on the page…But when I read off the page…As if the words already know how they want to fall. This is the sweetness. Reading not with your head. But reading with your being. For we all resonate toward truth. And for me, the best way to make my writing vibrate is to write with swagger. For instance, if I read something I wrote and it gives me a headache…Then surely I know…Okay…That was unnatural or forced. This is how I let the words guide me…Like finding the connection between my voice, and the energy that is the story; the monster that is the mastery…Something along those lines, I guess.

Who are some of the authors in general that inspire you?

Hemingway. His simplicity. How he got his vision across…Nudging the reader along so that you’re basically painting the story for yourself. And then Kerouac – the most beautiful and tender writer I’ve ever read. And lastly, Dylan Thomas – I mean; who else can write a short story or tell a tale like Dylan Thomas. He’s like the Uncle Arthur of bedtime storytellers.

What sort of research do you do to write your books?

Well, as Colour of Drugs is mostly based on true life… All the research needed was by getting my ass kicked by life… Along with having a good listening ear…Paying attention to the life stories of others. So yeah, being a good punching bag, a good listener and having a good memory, all helps.

Why do you write?

It’s the only thing I can do moderately well. Everything else I pretty much suck at. Added to the fact that writing is the only thing that makes me feel complete. For me writing is like, you know; when you’re a kid and dressed up in different fancy dress costumes – the thrill you get by being in character and acting out a part, there is a kind of ecstasy attached to that; just living in your imagination where everything is brighter, vibrant, cosy and magical.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I think my entire childhood has been the inspiration. The colour and the vibrancy of it, along with all the people I grew up around. There’s a stack of quirky characters in my family, plus the odd circles my family moved about in. Also I’ve being surrounded by women my entire life. Especially when my mother used to do her visits, seeing friends, neighbours and family members. And so I would be dragged along, having to sit there and absorb all the gossip, and rumours, the highs and lows of our poor world, taking it all in like any good student of village narrative.

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps?
I guess being around friends that really count. Plus having good experiences. And also having side projects in mind. I believe that a writer should always have a hobby or be involved in some other form of creative process to keep the creative channels open. This way it makes it easier to tap into other parts of the mind and spark ideas that may inspire future works.

How do you deal with Writers Block?

I think if you have nothing burning inside of you that needs saying, you will always come across such an obstacle. Nothing should be forced. The tongue is a dangerous weapon – if not thee most dangerous weapon. Therefore, writers block could be seen as a kind of safety switch. That is why people should write only if they have good reason to.

You have access to a time machine. What advice would you give to your younger self?

I think I’d encourage myself to take on a healthier diet. For what you put into your body, reflects mentally, physically and spiritually – affecting your overall outlook and identity with the universe.

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

Lately I’ve been enjoying learning about design on Adobe Illustrator. But the most special is spending time with my two boys.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

I’m pretty excited about t-shirt designing, which has now got my full attention. Also I’ve been messing around with the idea of running a podcast – something mainly to do with health and the vegan lifestyle.

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to other aspiring writers?

Everything filtering through your senses has been given to you as subject matter, so nail it down and stamp your name on the seal.
And that’s a wrap! Thanks for being here Lee and letting us know more about you 🙂

Bio:-

Writer Lee Richard Kirsten was born on March 03, 1974, in Cape Town, South Africa. Kirsten began taking writing seriously from the age of 17. In 2000, Kirsten moved to London. He published “The Poets Bible” in 2005. A collection of 13 years of poetry, short stories and plays. In 2016, “Colour of Drugs”, Lee Richard Kirsten’s first novel was published.

You can connect with Lee on the following Social Media channels:-

Facebook:- Lee Richard Kirsten – Author (FB)
Instagram:- Lee Richard Kirsten – Author (Instagram)
Soundcloud:- Listen to Lee read excerpts from his works on Soundcloud for free
Tumblr:- Letchard (Tumblr)
Twitter:- Lee Richard Kirsten – Author (Twitter)
Website:- The Website of Lee Richard Kirsten

You can buy Lee’s books here (The Poets Bible can only be purchased via the UK/Europe link):-

Buy Lee Richard Kirsten’s books in Canada

Buy Lee Richard Kirsten’s books in the UK/Europe

Buy Lee Richard Kirsten’s books in the US/Rest of the World

Still want more? Well, there is a prompt over at The Daily Post that appears to be relevant to Lee’s debut novel. For more articles around the theme of ‘Vice’ then check out the links below:-

1. The Gad About Town – Deep Underground
2. 3 Ways I Cope with Depression Symptoms – Le Happyone
3. The Gad About Town – Be Careful What You Don’t Wish For
4. Le Happyone – 3 Ways I Cope with Depression Symptoms
5. Fluffy Pool – Veep
6. Copper Cranes – Soot
7. Vice and vise – zorazebic
8. Finally! – Heaven’s Sunshine
9. Vice: Daily Prompt – //Moments
10. HarlemATL Inner City Blues – The Black Files: A Slither of Truth
11. It’s All in Finding the Right Words – Vice
12. artifiswords – VICE
13. Making Up For The Days Lost – Melolontha by the River
14. DON’T WE ALL? – bettygich
15. tuckedintoacorner – Poetry 101 Rehab: whisper + vice
16. “Vice.” – Nomadic Adventurer
17. MC’s Whispers – The wrong choice
18. La Tour Abolie – On the eating of frogs for breakfast
19. Monumental Vices – just a little magic
20. I Will Fight Site – Straddling The White Line, Heading For a Wall
21. Turn That Radio Up – Feed My Frankenstein
22. No vices here – mum’s going nuts
23. Our Random View – Vice
24. tuckedintoacorner – Poetry 101 Rehab: whisper + vent
25. Purposive Writer – The Destination
26. Watch what you wish for!! – Rhea Khaira
27. Vice- Catsss!! – greyandgreyer
28. Sound ad(vice)? Yes, you can get arrested too…here’s how – Life of Di
29. Tell me your vice! – Abi&Stella
30. helen meikle’s scribblefest – Daily prompt: The saving vice
31. My new vice – Asleep At The Wheel
32. What is Sin? – Reflections
33. Vice – Leigha Robbins
34. Vice – CrossGear
35. Vice – Awordseeker
36. Of Scars and Vice and The Not So Nice – YUDITH’S Journal
37. LargeRoomNoLight – The Penman and His Vice
38. One Word Photo Challenge: Computer – Onto My Next 40 Years
39. Vice: Heroes Don’t Exist – Shelby’s Starlit Crossing
40. Devil Doll Musings – Toot Sweets
41. Light Motifs – The Vice Principle
42. Ad-vice NSFAnyone – Asleep At The Wheel
43. Gods and Men – Making Sense of Complications
44. kindergartenknowledge.com – What Vice? Just Look Around.
45. Time: Spend Don’t Save – khetarpalblog
46. Witch Hunters and Stardust – Odyssey In Atlantis
47. Vice – LazyHaze
48. April’s Perspective – Stop Vice
49. Leandra Knott Poetry – Lesser Vice
50. Vice – Vermont Book Works
51. simplywithin – A Vice I’m Willing to Live With
52. Wither Or Thrive – VICE – Uncomfortable Sociological Examination
53. recovery to wellness – Blogger Update and a Rash
54. A dirty mind once thought … – writemebad
55. The Daily Post – Progressing into Solitude – I Maybe My OwnVice
56. One more time – aYoKa
57. Michael J. Fite – How Can You Take Action Against Letting Your Vices Run Your Life?
58. Creepy Vices via the Museum – Blue Ribbon Fair
59. Today’s Prompt: VICE. Say cheese – Come in, sit down
60. Vice and Villains – Scattered Showers in a Clear Sky
61. Vice – Inner Whispers
62. Pre Race Carbo-Loading – Sneakers on Pavement
63. The night I was arrested on a vice charge – Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored
64. Welcome to Mother Willow – Vice
65. Barryjack’s Place – Que?
66. ‘Entering Outdoor Space’ – The Last Blog Available
67. Stolen vice (it’s all Jess’s fault!) ⋆ Obsolete Childhood
68. Writer 873 – Only Dice
69. hoosiersunshine13 – Six Month Sentence
70. Best Love Songs of All Time Theo Herbots – Wie is Theo Herbots ? // Who is Theo Herbots?
71. There’s always a choice – Mr.Brb_blog
72. manvsloneliness – Day 59: The Man and the Daily Prompt; ‘Vice’
73. kStan(ly) kSays – another unarmed teenager
74. SERENDIPITY – NO VIRTUE IN VICE
75. I love you – Site Title
76. Writing and Works – This House of Vice
77. Writer’s Block – The ink drop
78. I can see clearly now… – findingbreathless
79. Help- I’m a Cake Junkie! – shiftinbeauty
80. No Dice – by emily
81. 83 Unsung Heroes – Vice Or Virtue
82. Beautiful Friend – A Mile In My Shoes
83. Vice – A Thomas Point of View
84. Trying To Breathe – Ambivalence
85. Creating Scars. – TheTattooedBookGeek
86. Riley Central – Online Diary: ‘Mr. Riley and Mr. Pig’ – How I Believe Puppetry and Guitar Help My Students
87. Light & life – Please Roast Some Garlic.
88. Chris Writes – Finding Him
89. IF AT LEAST ONE HAD GONE RIGHT… OR THE DEVASTATING CONSIRACY OF TIME AND SPACE – A SCREENPLAY – ARJUN SHIVARAM
90. wordsareallihavesite – Vice
91. rhymeagination – VIRTUE AND VICE
92. Eye Crosser #9: The U.S. Debt Limit – The Mono-Economy of the New Millennium
93. Eye Crosser #7: The Shadow Banking System – The Mono-Economy of the New Millennium
94. Solitary For A Reason – Caillen James –Author
95. Making it write – Hypocrisy
96. Writer Sanctuary – What’s Stopping You From Becoming a Writer?
97. J9’s Next Chapter – Vice
98. Promises – november child
99. Like the Lamp – Morning Battles
100. Mind Boggling Rage – Sunken Thought
101. Musically Reviewed – Vice
102. When Soulmate Strikes – Let Me Stay Among The Stars
103. To Wear A Rainbow – pining….haiku
104. The Cliffhanger Chronicle – sinister puppeteer
105. The less open your Heart to others Thoe Herbots – Wie is Theo Herbots ? // Who is Theo Herbots?
106. Lisa’s Journal Blog – Vice- My Boots
107. The Gad About Town – Ad Vice
108. Vice is the Prompt for Today – Saint P. Blogging
109. Vice – disue
110. They, You and Me – expectation…haiku
111. Vice – Image & Word
112. A Drug of My Choice – atrangizindagieksafar
113. What you sow is what you reap – lovelyricism
114. Vice – Covert Novelist
115. On Vices – A Stretch of Silence
116. Suddenly Single… Minded – Mae West- Advice on Vice
117. Vice – Allison’s Written Words
118. ATG Successful Living – What it Means to be Pushing 30 and Unmarried…
119. Life with Jess – Bad Girl
120. Apotheosis – Vice: Daily Prompt
121. Your Nibbled News (c) 2016 YNN – One man’s vice is another’s addiction
122. Crossing Colorado – What Bad Habits Prevent You From Being Healthy?
123. prompt: vice – Burner
124. Are these Vices, I fear? – Random Thoughts and Musings
125. Vice of Humanity – eddaz
126. 7 (minus 1) Reasons Why it Is Folly to Move to Greece Permanently – GREECE LISTS
127. I Was Your Vice – Insidious Temptation
128. The Cat Chronicles – Daily Feline Prompt: Vice and the Feline
129. Timeandreflections – Darjeeling has no Dirty streets
130. charlesewaugh – Vice Admiral Bunting
131. lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown – Vice Detection
132. Sam’s Son Episode 4: Violet – A Walk in the Woods
133. In – A Short Conversation
134. Anton’s Ideas – VICE VERSA
135. The happy Quitter! – 868 people don’t like my post
136. sixty, single and surviving – Gluttony
137. Devil Go Rhyme – psychedelicwizard
138. Flowers and Breezes – Vice
139. The good night’s sleep – Walkthrough
140. Vice – antonellacostablog
141. Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss – Vice? no, just guilty pleasures
142. Wistful Memory of Abandoned Vices – Where’s the Windmill?
143. Myammy! Moving in together at 50… – Just a little advice…
144. There Are More Poets than Stars in the Firmament – she says it’s disgusting
145. copypower – VICE – Not Just A Mask
146. Cocaine is awesome! Haven’t I told you that? – 43 Street
147. Vice – dbpoetry
148. Random Brain Musings – Autographed Kindle
149. The dicey vice – rupalislale
150. Lost Property Repository – The Vices Of Steve McCroskey
151. Flying – Second Time Blogger
152. Devil Doll Musings – Welcome to the Jungle
153. Kimberlee K. – July/August Favorites (feat. The Demogorgon)
154. #TalkingTuesday – pins & ashes
155. Vice Versa – Postcard from a Pigeon
156. Vice (still) NSFW – Asleep At The Wheel
157. Warmth – indisputably inconclusive
158. The Vice – Living, Learning and Letting Go
159. She knew. – Bloggers Paradise
160. Inherent Vice – themanbehindtheglass
161. dinamicdynasty – Vice
162. Southern By Design – In My Opinion
163. Duel Realities – Unlearning
164. I’m a vice, but not today. – PsychPerspectives
165. Vices – MistryLand
166. The Cliffhanger Chronicle – Chapter 1. The Vision
167. Mistress of Vices? – Ripples N Reflections
168. Hot White Snow – A Walk in the Woods
169. Madeline Scribes – Surviving OBX Summers
170. Lost Property Repository – My Earliset Vice
171. Travel Much? – Roskilde Cathedral – The Masonic Crown Prince
172. the15thday – uk’ers crisps, my chips.
173. kristinakoti – A Vice Perspective
174. Pick your vice … – writemebad
175. The purple sunflower – Afterlife Love Story
176. iamdeltapositivenegative – Vice
177. Designer Sophisticate – Just call me Ms. Goody Two-Shoes.
178. The Big Me – Episode 01 : Class S – MeRoar
179. VICE – My QuotesVilla
180. the FLAVORED word – Why you should always be nice to your barista …
181. Vice – Bits of Poems
182. The Wandering Poet – A love for all things sweet
183. That infamous All Spice, Vice! – Chronicles of an Orange-Haired Woman!
184. The Executioner – a Vice or no? – mySestina
185. What is Vice? – Just Writing!
186. The less open your Heart to other, the more your heart suffen Theo Herbots – Wie is Theo Herbots ? // Who is Theo Herbots?
187. A Vibrant Palette – Accidental Spies
188. ….on pets and prisoners….. – daily prompt: vice
189. Frank Prem – meeting Nola
190. Lantern Words – No Matter The Vice