Lesi Tesfaye

Author Bio: My name is Dalesia, but most people know me by my pen name of Lesi Tesfaye. I am a New Orleans native born June 29, 2004, and I have been writing since I was 7 years old telling stories to my classmates in the 3rd grade. After that, I have been soaring with different ways to express my writing. From Screenwriting, Directing, Books, Podcasts, and so much more.

Author Interview:

1.What inspires you most to write?

What really inspires me to write is the stories in my head that are waiting to get out. Growing up, I never liked the books that were given to me in middle school (Harry Potter Books Rahhh) . I used to hate them because they were filled with things I wasn't interested in. Then from that day forward, I realized I had to be the one to tell the story and make the books that would interest the girls who are just like me.

2. What is your favorite genre?

My favorite Genre varies between Romance and Horror. I always love suspense and the smut. And when they mix together, Whew chilee...Romance has always been my thing as a Hopeless Romantic Cancer. I always like to read about the love I hope I get to have someday.

3. Who is one author you admire if any and why?

I can't really pick authors because I grew up reading so many, but if I had to pick my current favorite author, it has to be Navessa Allen. The author of "Lights Out" and "Caught Up" Even though her two most popular books are Dark Romance, she never fails to add the humor in her books. And for the book to be hilarious, you have to be a real life comedian to execute it.

4. How do you overcome blank writing spells?

When someone tells me about blank writing spells, or Writer's block if that's what you mean. I believe it's a myth. It took me 6 years to realize that it was just a hidden term for procrastination. Why I say that is because when it comes to writing a book, you have the ideas, the story plot, and everything planned out. There's no way you should not sit in front of a screen and not even place that story on paper/document. Everyone wants to be perfect and please everyone with their books, not realizing that they have the talent and the ability to attract the audience that is meant for them. But 16 year old Lesi thought differently than 21 year old Lesi. She would listen to music and began to maladaptive daydream her book plot in her head and see how it would fit in her book. (Please, don't try this at home.)

5. What legal publishing advice can you give?

Don't let them "Deadpool" your shit. That's all I can really give.

6. How many books have you written, are any a bestseller yet?

I have written Four books. Two books are a WIP (Forbidden Fruit, Maestra: Life after Death) and two are published (Maestra: The Femme Fatale, Sound of Love). Unfortunately, my published books aren't best sellers. But that is my dream. At Least one, if not all get noticed,I'd die happy.

7. If you had the opportunity to rewrite one movie script which would it be, why?

If I could rewrite one movie script...that's a really hard question to be honest because there's a lot of bad movies I've seen per say haha...but I would really want to rewrite Catwoman (2004). It's my favorite movie, not just because it's a Black Catwoman, but her story actually made some sort of sense and to link it with Egyptian cats and warriors and how Catwomen have existed for centuries was fire. But the movie was really rushed, I would love to go back in and rewrite the entire script, giving us a deep dive on why Patience became Catwoman, more scenes between Patience and Laurel Hedare---considering she was the main antagonist, and possibly scenes with Catwoman bonding with the other cats around the way.

8. What are some difficulties you've experienced in your writing career; how do you handle book critiques/criticism?

The biggest difficulty I have experienced as a writer is Imposter Syndrome. Even though I don't believe in writers block, Imposter Syndrome is fucking real and it sucks. When you look around and see authors, even indie authors get a whole lot of praise, custom arts, ARC sign ups way easier. It makes you feel like your work is useless. Comparing myself to others is something I always did as a little black girl because everyone around me gets so much great treatment and I just get a bullet in the heart. But the more time I began writing what was most passionate to me, the more I was more appreciative of my talent and the things I do and I'm not gonna lie and say I overcame it, but it's a working process.

9. What are your best experiences in your writing career?

My best experience in my writing career is getting to be able to meet people who have the same interests as I do. Being able to have supporters in my "Butterfly Garden" as I like to call it makes my heart whole. Having people who not only push me to be a better writer, but also make sure that I am good mentally, puts something in my soul.

10. Do you prefer to write in silence and or have some sort sound in the background?

I hate quiet. I go to sleep with sounds in the background (rip, my future husband) When it comes to writing, I play music and I have a ton of playlists based on the books I write. Playing music helps me with my hyperfocus habits when I'm locked in on writing.

11. What are some encouraging words you'd give to another author/writer?

"If you stop writing now, the characters you made and their entire world will die with it. Give them life, save your creations."

12. How did you decide the pricing of your material; how did you go about promotion/advertising and distribution of your work?

When it comes to pricing, I think of myself when looking for my next book. "How much would I really pay for a book that only has 300 pages?" Then worth comes into play as well. I spent over a year working on this book, I have to show people that it's worth something. I usually don't promote as much because I'm shy, but the way I promote is I don't center my book around tropes. Because it's not a trope, it's a story. I promote it showing what's inside of the book, giving people a glimpse on what's gonna happen.

13. Why should anyone read your book?

There's three different reasons for my top 3 books

Maestra: The Femme Fatale - I was very angry when I wrote this book. I didn't want to tell a story where the man saves the girl, or a book about a girl living in sunshine and rainbows. I wanted to write about a girl getting free and the justice she deserves, something we rarely see in real life as much.

Sound of Love - I wanted to write a journey of a plus size girl, trying to love herself. Especially when a man who sees the world in her. I think that book resides in me because of how much I am just like the FMC. I suffered bodyshaming, eating disorder, and also showing how self love starts at home and can haunt you in adulthood.

(WIP) Forbidden Fruit - I have rarely seen many Dark Romance books with Black main characters. Yet alone ones that aren't just "bondage" and "neck grabbing" but way darker than some people think. Also showing the side that people pleasers can also be pleased themselves.

So the main reason why I think anyone should read my books, is because of how much it connects with real life. Body Positivity, Black Love, Black Woman Rage, BDSM, stuff that people usually hide in the media. But I'm not afraid to tell it.

14. Did you have a book coach?

My book coach was my High School Freshman English teacher. I remember first doing a writing piece in his class and he grew a liking to my writing. When everyone submitted their work, he would always read mine thoroughly and continued to read it until he found one tiny mistake. Then he'd give me my paper back and tell me to write it again and sometimes, I didn't even know what the problem was. I'll never forget when he sent my writing to a local magazine in my city and I got published in the magazine about 4 more times after that; or the time he brought me a 100 writing prompt journal.

15. What was your favorite subject in school?

Kind of contradicting, but I hated English in middle school. Even when I wrote stories in middle school and it was shared around the office at my school, I still hated it. I grew to like English when I took college classes in my Junior year of high school. When I was able to write my own way instead of reading a text and just going off from there. But besides English, I always loved Sociology and Math. Being able to yap about just anything and everything in the world and being able to solve problems by just using my brain caused me to love that.

16. Are you self-published or have an established publishing contract elsewhere?

I am a self published author. By choice, I have always been an independent girl, hence why I felt I didn't really need a publisher. Even if i made mistakes I always corrected them and got them somewhat straight.