Exploring the Mind of Harleigh Beck: Horror, Romance, and Inspiration

I was born and raised in Sweden, where I spent most of my childhood climbing trees and getting lost in the woods. I’m very spontaneous at heart – two weeks after graduation, I bought a plane ticket and flew to England. 19 years later, I’m still here. Since then, I’ve been blessed with a supportive man in my life and three teenage children who give me a reason to smile every day.
I have a deeply introverted heart and a spiritually inquisitive mind. I’m an avid reader and enjoy a variety of things ranging from nature and philosophy to movies, Shakespeare and food.

I’ve always been writing for as long as I can remember. Writing is how I explore and work through my emotions. It’s something I’ve always done. A friend once challenged me to publish a book, and that’s how I began sharing my scribbles with the world.

I’m not entirely sure. Horror is a confronting genre to write. Stephen King once said (and I’m paraphrasing) that to write horror, you should draw from your own fears. And I relate strongly to that. I write a lot of erotic horrors with psychological elements, because that’s what resonates with me most. I’m always asking myself, “What would scare me in this situation?” and then I build the story around that fear.

Horror is my favourite genre, whether we’re talking books or movies, especially psychological horror. I want stories to shove me so far out of my comfort zone I never find my way back. Shake up my lil snow globe and force me to confront the nightmare in my head.
My all-time favourite horror movie is The Descent, but with the original British ending (they changed it for the American release.) Other favourites include Sinister, Insidious, The Black Phone, Jennifer’s Body, A Nightmare on Elm Street and the first three Scream movies (hello, nostalgia). The list goes on.

MGK is such a talented artist, who isn’t afraid to play around with different genres. He does it so effortlessly. With him, it’s a case of “hold my beer”
I have endless admiration for creators who play with their craft and don’t box themselves in. My favourite song is In These Walls, but I also adore I Think I’m OKAY and Lonely Road.
Not to mention that his latest release Cliché makes my heart happy. One day, I hope to see him live. It’s on my bucket list, and you’ll come with me!
Oh, I’ve also been listening to his cover of Empty Out Your Pockets x Boulevard of Broken Dreams on repeat lately. Sorry, it’s impossible to pick just one favourite. The guy has raw talent.

As for my playlist, I’m an older Millennial, and an 80’s rocker girl at heart. I love the classics, Alice Cooper, Vixen, Nirvana, Metallica, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, etc.

My books all have my heart for different reasons. I wrote A Voice In Chains when I was going through a particularly dark time with my writing and was struggling with a lot of self-doubt, but I kept going. That story will always be important for me because I showed up for myself and my love of writing at a time when it would’ve been easier to give up. Obsession is another story i’m very proud of. Those characters put me through the wringer.

I loved co-writing. It was such a fun time. What’s it like writing with another author compared to writing solo? Writing alone is just about me and my process. Writing with someone else is different because you’re working with someone whose thoughts and ideas of where the story should go might differ to your own. It’s very good practice to work with others. There’s always room for personal growth.

 I rarely plot. It stifles my creativity in a lot of ways to plot. I couldn’t plan out the twists and turns that my stories take. They’re as much of a surprise to me as they are to the readers. However, I do always have to know the final plot twist that the story hinges on. Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are was inspired by a nightmare of mine that started out normal and then slowly got progressively more confusing until nothing made sense. Which is why that story is in three parts – each part making less sense.

The doctor hands her a small of bottle of antipsychotics and tells her to take one pill twice a day. When she asks him what happens if she doesn’t, he answers, “Bad things.”
Do with that what you will 😉

I’m a very avid reader. Always have my head in a book. My TBR is miles long. 
My Dark Prince by Parker S. Huntington & L.J Shen is one of my most anticipated reads. I have loved the series so far! 
Other books I can’t wait to read this year include Ania Ahlborn’s upcoming horror The Unseen, and A Twist of Luck by Jaymin Eve.

I’d like to take this opportunity to bring attention to writers who don’t get seen enough. Authors I love include:
A.E Murphy. I really hope she’ll release more books one day soon. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her because her stories always surprise me. She’s an author who plays with her craft, and I’m here for it. Her book Naked or Dead is one of my all-time favourite books. A few years back, I met her at a signing and fangirled like crazy.
Audrey Rush. Her style of erotic horror tickles my brain. It’s deliciously unapologetic and never fails to make me squirm with unease. 
K.L Steele writes the most delicious shifters, and she’s one of the sweetest women I’ve had the fortune of getting to know in this lifetime. 
A. Atkin’s. I adored and inhaled her debut novel Them Bones, and I can’t wait for her to write more.

Don’t take life too seriously. Everything will work out in the end. Life offers endless opportunities for growth, and mistakes are an important part of that. So don’t be too hard on yourself. Give your energy to the few people who show up when you f*ck up. And to those who check up on you. Always be kind, even when it’s hard. Most importantly, you can’t please everyone, and that’s okay. Not everyone has to like you, and that’s a tough lesson to learn, but you’ll get there.

I think it would be pretty handy to be able to move objects with my mind. My house would be a lot cleaner, for one.

I find the opposite gender easier to write. I was very much a ‘tomboy’ as a kid, and I’ve always connected easily with the opposite gender. Growing up, I had mostly male friends.

Funnily enough, I use place names while I write. All my characters are usually called Sarah and James in the first draft. I pick their names and the book title last.

I always pick the title last. My stories usually have a random project name before I decide on a title.

I’m lucky to have very supportive people around me. My mom won’t read my stories, but my hubby reads them all.

Yes and no. I think there’s always some degree of nerves involved. Ultimately, I know my stories won’t be for everyone, and there’s a certain peace and freedom in that. I do get nervous before I send out the ARCs though. A lot of my ARC readers have ARC read for me for a lot of years, and I really don’t want to disappoint the lovely souls who’ve supported me on this journey.

I have mentioned this before, but it’s worth mentioning again. The reader is meant to figure out who The Bridge Killer is in Obsession before the reveal. It’s not the big plot twist, and it was never intended to be. If anything, its purpose is to distract from the real twist. I wrote two of the scenes in particular to help the reader figure it out. In other words, I reveal the killer without telling the reader outright. Why? Because there’s a certain horror in seeing the scenes unfold when you know who the perpetrator is. That way, you get an insight and a front row seat to the sadistic enjoyment they get out of tormenting Savannah. That element would’ve been lost if I wrote it as a “who dun’ it” story.

This is a deep question. A Voice in Chains had a few elements from my life worked into the plotline. Generally, the characters live very different lives to me and are very different to me, personality wise. Writing is my therapy though. Some of the darker story lines can be very healing to write because they allow room to work through some of my own trauma.

Believing in myself and my self-worth. It’s hard not to compare yourself to others at times. 

I’m a mood reader and a mood writer. I always have more than one project on the go. On average three.

I don’t go anywhere near Goodreads. I have a saying: “My reviews are none of my business.” It always makes my day when readers tag me in good reviews or reach out to tell me they enjoy my stories, but I don’t seek out feedback. I write the stories I enjoy and trust that someone, somewhere, will resonate with my storytelling.

I do. I’m like a trained house cat. Every morning after the kids have gone to college and school, I make a coffee and read a few chapters of whatever book I’ve got on the go (It’s my cardio before the weights. Gotta warm up the brain). Sometimes, I’ll clear my head for a bit first and let the story unfold before I finally open the laptop to write.

I’m currently working on my first Universe – Harleighverse. 
Aside from that, I’m working on my fourth angel story, “Touched by Light.”

A typical day in my life is non-descript. I wake up, brew a coffee, read for a bit, and cuddle the cat if he lets me. After the kids leave for college and school, I brew another coffee and sit down to work for the day. Later in the afternoon, the kids arrive home, and we have dinner. After that, I either read, spend time with my hubby, or watch a movie with one of my kids. My teenage daughter is a big horror fan like myself, and we watch a lot of movies together.

I get asked this a lot, and I never know what to answer. Most people know me for my erotic horrors, but I dabble a lot. As a result, I have everything from erotic horrors to contemporaries in my backlist. I think a good place to start is either with Obsession, Conjure, Sinister Legacy, or my angel series. Why? Because they’re dark and twisted. If you want something more emotional, A Voice in Chains or Phantasm will be a better choice.

I’m at Wonderland next month. I have some more this year, but I can’t remember at the top of my head. Do I get nervous? No, not anymore. I’m just excited to meet the readers and other authors.

Usually visiting websites and watching YouTube videos.

Lead with kindness, always