LEE FRANKLIN GOES THROUGH GREEN HELL

After ten years in the Australian Army , Lee Franklin has been a personal trainer, logistics officer, and the mother of three boys. Recently moved from Western Australia to the Yorkshire countryside with her family, and with the full support and belief of her husband Marcelo, Lee is finally able to focus on her writing, exploring across genres with her words. This is just the beginning…

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Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
 
I’m not your regular woman. I would rather be throwing axes than cooking, discussing the best ways to kill zombies than homework, and hiking through the woods for hours with my dogs than walking through a shopping mall. My husband is from Argentina, and together we are raising three amazing boys. Originally from Western Australia, we have moved to beautiful North Yorkshire and we are loving it. I supported my husband to get to where he is now, and now he says it’s my turn.
 
I’ve always been a massive reader; it was my way to escape a tumultuous childhood. I always dreamt of writing, but my English teacher informed me I would never make it as a writer, and so I never really emerged past teen-angst poetry before life took over. I studied Tae Kwon Do and boxing and served in the Australian Army in logistics. I was deployed twice to East Timor. I have driven all around Australia, both personally and in semi-trailers for the Army. After my second child, I left to become a personal trainer. Being fit and active have always been massively important to me; I find it easier to write action and fight scenes if I am better connected and in tune with my body.
 
I’ve worked a variety of jobs in logistics, mostly for the government. Some I can’t tell you about, or I might have to kill you. But this Yorkshire writing life is definitely for me.  

To get the ball rolling and get everyone relaxed, here is a hopefully lighthearted question to break the ice. Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life and have them complain to you about the way you treated them in your work.

OMG, who would I start with? I treat them all a bit bloody awful, even my favourites. Especially, my favourites. I guess maybe Doc from Green Hell. He’s a priest turned medic, nabbed by some beastly alien, and had his rib cage ripped open only to be shredded by a landmine. He is a sweet guy, decent human being, no matter how much I messed him up. My only defense would be: the more I like the character, the spectacular exit plan I have in store for them. Wear it as a badge of honor…I guess.
 
Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
I have to say horror hasn’t been a massive influence in my writing. Not consciously anyway. I never read horror growing up. I grew up watching action flicks. Anything with Arnie or Stallone was my bread and butter. I consumed pretty much any book that came my way, starting with Enid Blyton at age four. Historical fiction (any period prior to guns) I thoroughly get lost in. I discovered horror as a byline of the action flicks with movies like Predator and Aliens leading the charge. Which is funny in itself as I’m not particularly into sci-fi. I guess if it has enough action it will hook me. Looking back, all of the above has created the hot mess that is me as a writer and undoubtedly comes out in my work.
 
The term “horror,” especially when applied to fiction, always carries such heavy connotations. What’s your feeling on the term “horror,” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?
 
I believe the knee-jerk reaction to “horror” is slasher films. Stupid teenagers making inexplicable decisions followed by copious amounts of blood and gore. I believe Peter Laws non-fiction book The Frighteners tackles these assumptions nicely. Essentially, horror is healthy, grounding, and a part of the natural order. Horror through film and books help us deal with our fears in a safe space. How do we get this to a reluctant audience with pre-conceived ideas is tricky. Maybe it lies in the merging and blurring of genres that will lead them in, who knows? Besides, horror is subjective as we each have different fears and squeamish tolerances.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world. Where do you see horror going in the next few years?
 
I doubt any horror I could write at the moment could surpass what’s happening to the world politically, environmentally, or technologically. There’s a plethora of horror fodder to be explored as the world sits on the precipice of a new era. I believe we’ll move more away from the human psyche (serial killers) and into the potential consequences of where we are headed –dystopia, social collapse, evolution of new creatures for the new world, etc.

Given the dark, violent and, at times, grotesque nature of the horror genre, why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

I believe people enjoy reading horror as it grounds us in our own mortality. It allows us to experience pain and misery through others in a safe space. If your life is only ever full of sunshine and rainbows, you will never appreciate and embrace the beauty of it. What is the saying, the best thing about pain is you know you are still alive.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

I feel we have the horror genre pretty well covered. Well, that is if you read from a broad range within the genre, and it’s a very broad genre. There are so many new voices being heard now, with fresh stories. There is something for everyone if you look hard enough. I would definitely like to see more folklore from indigenous communities.  For example, the Australian Aboriginal community has some outstanding stories and characters that are truly horrific. It probably is there but I’m not looking hard enough. If you know of any, please send them my way.

In the past, authors were able to write about almost anything with a far lesser degree of the fear of backlash, but this has all changed in recent years. These days authors must be more aware of representation and the depiction of things such as race and gender in their works. How aware are you of these things, and what steps have you taken to ensure that your writing can’t be viewed as being offensive to a minority group? 

This was very important to me in the writing of Berserker – Green Hell. My main character is a bi-racial Australian Aboriginal male in 1960s Australia. I wrote how things were, not how I wanted them to be. I did actively seek out collaboration from within the Aboriginal community and I was fortunate to find it.  I didn’t want the story to be focused on race; there are many other themes that drive the story forward. Pinny’s race, while important to the story, is only a thread in a larger tapestry.  I found it a precarious line to balance, but believe I have, with collaboration and support, found the right balance. I did seek collaboration with Australian Vietnam Veterans but didn’t have such luck. Undoubtedly, I will offend somebody, more likely a Texan or an American. But, I believe it’s my job as a writer to be as accurate as possible regardless if we like the truth of it or not.

Does horror fiction perpetuate its own ghettoization?  For example, Julia Armfield’s latest collection Salt Slow has a cover that most horror fans would walk past in a book shop and one that probably is not marketed as horror. Does the genre’s obsession with horrific covers cause more harm than good?
 
I think like in any industry, we play to what works. What the market recognizes. I wouldn’t say it’s an obsession as much as a habit. The cover of Berserker Green Hell is definitely stock-standard horror and is more the publisher’s vision than my own. Maybe we could be more subtle, but then we might end up with more complaints in our reviews by misled readers. I’ve seen it happen.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?
 
Ummm me? I’m new and upcoming. No, seriously, DJ Doyle is somebody to watch for in the splatter scene with her Red books. She also dabbles in a fair bit of Irish folklore and hosts an awesomely funny Irish priest.  
 
Luc Vors, I really enjoyed his Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, a grey psychological twisted mess. I think he’s in the process of releasing a revised edition.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?

Anything pumped full of action adventure. Predator, Indiana Jones, Conan the Barbarian. My biggest inspiration, writing wise, would be Australian author Matthew Reilly. While not horror, his pieces are reminiscent of Indiana Jones on steroids; it’s fast paced, head spinning, neck-snapping action with some really great characters and Dan Brown-esq storylines. 
 
Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative, that have stayed with you?

So far I have only been blessed with positive reviews. I am certain that will change at some point because I don’t expect everybody to like my style or story, and some will just find fault with it, because that is what they do. It is my first novel though, so I would be bummed out if it was perfect because then there would be no room for growth or improvement. I will always put out my best work, I just hope that my work keeps getting better.
 
I must say that my first ARC reviews from Karen Perkins (an European Awarding winning author of Yorkshire Ghost Stories), Simon Clark (Night of the Triffids, Blood Crazy, etc), and Peter Laws (The Frighteners and his Matt Hunter series) were amazing and blew me out of the water. Not only their reviews of my work, but the personal notes I received on my writing were a truly amazing experience. All of these are well established, experienced writers within the industry, that owed me nothing. The fact that they loved my work is very encouraging and still makes me buzz.  
 
What aspects of writing do you find the most difficult?

Self-belief. I am still pretty new to this game, and I am constantly asking if I’m an imposter. But, mainly editing. I really truly suck at editing. Punctuation and grammar are definitely my Achilles heel. I am improving, but why I never learned it through school or reading is beyond me. I blame it on a life of speed reading.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

I haven’t found it yet. Hence a pen name.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way they sound or the meaning?
 
Names are important to me. In Berserker – Green Hell, a lot of my characters are named after people I know, or a play on their names. My main character Pinny is actually named after my father. I used it as a placeholder and then it just stuck. But a few more are named after my eldest and youngest sons. The middle son is missing out so far, but that’s okay. He’s the middle child and used to it.
 
Writing is not a static process. How have you developed as a writer over the years?

Well as I’ve not really been writing yet for years, it’s hard to gauge, so far. I guess I’m more confident in my voice and comfortable with my style. I’m transitioning from that fine line of purple prose into what has been suggested as great imagery. 

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regard to your writing?

Your first draft is putting sand in the sandpit. You can’t make a sandcastle without any sand. And, don’t get bogged down with the first perfect sentence, or chapter. It will change with each draft. Worry about it at the end.

For to many writers, the characters they write become like children. Who is your favourite child, and who is your least favourite to write for and why?

There’s a lot of me in Pinny; he is reactive, non-confrontational, and just tries to keep life as simple as possible. That’s probably why he’s not my favourite child, he reflects my weaknesses. He will evolve, or I might just do what you do with all recalcitrant children and lock him in the basement.
 
Jacinta Harding is definitely my favourite child and everything I would love to be. Smart, sexy, and assertive. Okay, yes, she has some psychotic “Thanos” type tendencies, but no one is perfect.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why?

My short stories are quite diverse as I am trying new things all the time. But definitely my favourite is my novel Berserker - Green Hell. They say write the book you want to read, so I did. It’s action packed, yet still deals with relevant themes and is deeper than just a gore splatterfest. It combines everything I enjoy: action, conspiracy, cryptids, and others I can’t say too much about without giving it away.  

Do you have a favourite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?
 
“The jungle rippled out towards us just before the shockwave kicked me in the solar plexus and carried me bodily over the lip of the gorge. Aviation fuel roared in a huge, blistering explosion and flickering tongues of orange flame blotted out the endless green as we rolled down the side of the steep embankment like sacks of meat and bone in some ghoulish pinball machine.”
 
Can you tell us about your last book, and what you are working on next?
 
Well I’ve talked enough about Berserker – Green Hell. I’ve started work on its sequel. I’m thinking Berserker-Sand Fire or something to that effect and it will be much more international. We’ll be in a Russian gulag, the Australian Outback, and tearing through the U.S. I would love to have this ready for Stoker-Con 2020 in Scarborough, UK.
 
Will there be more Berserker after that? Only the readers can decide. 

If you could erase one horror cliché, what would be your choice?

That stupid people making stupid decisions that are obviously going to get you killed.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

I’ve just finished reading Them by James Watts and quite enjoyed it. The last book that disappointed me was Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter. It’s a great premise and should have been so much more, I feel she really just pulled the punches

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?
 
“Hey Lee, can we make your book into a movie?”
“Sure, let’s talk.”

Berserker: Green Hell by Lee Franklin 

A terrifying debut novel set during the Vietnam War.Australian Lance Corporal Terence 'Pinny' Pinfold and his squad find themselves in the midst of the living hell of the Vietnam War.Known as Reapers, their job is to go in after the firefights, collect dog tags and any evidence of war crimes.As each soldier tries to make some sense out of a senseless war, there are more questions than answers as mutilated, butchered bodies are discovered the further to the North they venture.Pinny soon finds himself at the very core of the real war - in a secret underground facility amongst hybrid creatures which belong only in the very worse nightmares.With Pinny's aboriginal bloodline, the enigmatic Doctor Jacinta Harding believes she has found the perfect specimen...Pinny might survive the war, but he might not save himself.

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