Lilly’s King author Natalie Le Roux describes her publishing journey
Natalie Le Roux speaks three languages and never watches TV. An avid reader, she was born in Poland before emigrating to South Africa at the age of four. As a child, she spent much of her time in the local library, reading books such as Goosebumps and the Nancy Drew mysteries before moving on the Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
Now living in the UK with her two sons, she writes fan-favourite romantic science fiction stories on Inkitt. Her alien invasion romance series was adapted for the GALATEA app as the popular hit The Torian Warriors.
We interviewed Natalie for The Writer’s Blog to learn more about what it’s like to publish on GALATEA and what she’s writing now.
Writing to fill the time
Natalie started writing stories ten years ago when she couldn’t find the kind of stories she wanted to read. “I studied Business at college in South Africa,” she says, “but after my first child was born, I found myself with a lot of free time. To fill it, I decided to try and write a story. As they say, the rest is history.”
That first book became The Realm, a story about Isabelle, who encounters the breathtaking alien Fleet ship captain Mikhlas after leaving her abusive husband. When Mikhlas tells her a fantastic story about her royal destiny, Izzy sets out on a journey that will change her life—and the lives of everyone in the universe.
Natalie published The Realm on Inkitt after seeing a Facebook ad for the Inkitt platform. “I was still very new to writing, so I wanted a free site where readers and writers could leave feedback without costing them money,” she says.
Publishing on GALATEA
After The Realm, it was her series about young medical student Lilly, originally titled Lilly’s King on Inkitt, that earned Natalie a GALATEA publishing contract. Lilly finds herself embroiled in a battle for her life when a horde of monstrous aliens attacks Earth. As Lilly and her sisters try to survive the alien horde, a battalion of deadly, otherworldly soldiers shows up to fight for Earth, and Lilly finds herself in a new battle—one for her heart—when handsome and dangerous warrior king Bor claims her as his mate. Now published on the GALATEA app as The Torian Warriors, it’s a captivating three-book series.
So, how did Natalie feel when she got an email offering her a publishing contract with GALATEA?
“Honestly, I thought the first email I received was spam. I just ignored it and carried on,” she says. “After a few days, I remembered the email and sat down to research GALATEA. That’s when I knew it wasn’t spam. Once I realized it was real, I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited about it. Now, my third book will be going up on the app soon.”
The best writing advice
Writing on Inkitt where fans can interact with each chapter has boosted Natalie’s confidence. “The most important thing I learned was to believe in myself,” she says. “I never thought my writing was any good. Then the comments and reviews started coming in, and with each five stars or comment about how much the readers loved it, it boosted my own confidence and made me want to write more.”
What’s the best writing advice Natalie has ever received?
“Just write it!” she says. “Doesn’t matter how crazy it sounds, or stupid, or unrealistic, just write it. You can always edit later.”
She continues to write more books and is currently working on book five of The Torian Warriors series for GALATEA. “I don’t plan my stories,” she says. “The characters never seem to want to stick to the plan. So, I come up with a general idea of what will happen and let the characters lead me there.”
A sci-fi teaser from Natalie’s latest book
Meanwhile, on Inkitt, Natalie’s latest book is Flame & Kate, a story about a cursed alien dragon shifter king who meets a small-town American woman. Natalie graced us with a teaser from this latest book:
Rage boiled through the skies over the Almorian Empire as thick, angry dark clouds churned furiously and grew heavier.
Each of the seven planets under the rule of the Almorian Emperor quivered in fear as billions of people gazed at the skies of their various Homeworld with worry and fear for why the Goddess was so upset.
“I curse you all!” The enraged, booming voice of Enigma, the Prime Goddess of the Almorian people roared out through the air, sending a wave of icy cold hatred through the body, soul, and essence of each Almorian.
Murderous storms broke out over the oceans, forests, deserts, and plains of the empire, sweeping and tearing at the ground like razor sharp claws scarring the flesh of the planets below.
Trees were uprooted, flying through the unyielding winds, tearing down the walls around the massive white stone palace of the emperor. Large, incredibly heavy boulders broke from the crumbling walls, falling to the ground, their impact masked by the ear-piercing rumble of thunder that shook the ground.
“I curse you all for a thousand years!” The furious voice called again as another wave of rage and pain swept through the population of all the Almorian planets, reaching far into the universe to those in ships in the distant darkness.
We can’t wait to read more!
Follow Natalie Le Roux on Inkitt to keep up with her latest releases.
Download the GALATEA app to read The Torian Warriors and more!
