We had the good fortune of connecting with Leslie Simon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Arizona and raised in an upper middle-class family alongside my five siblings. I was encouraged to achieve good grades, participate in athletics, and pursue my artistic passions. As a fourth generation Arizonian on my father’s side, I am deeply fascinated with Arizona history, particularly tales of Wild West outlaws like Billy the Kid, Belle Starr, and Doc Holliday. I have always enjoyed writing about morally gray anti-heroes and ‘others’, and exploring what sets them apart as wicked. Being raised in a state known for its rough-and-tumble past, in a household brimming with friendly competition, I learned early on to fight for my dreams and be outspoken. It has been a blessing in my career as an author.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the author of ‘Wicked Women’, a poetry collection told from the perspective of history’s most hated women. It begs the question, in a world where men are the monster-makers, what makes women wicked? ‘Wicked Women’ explores the various ways history has shoved women who misbehave to the margins in an attempt to silence their clamorous voices. It encourages readers to consider the nuances behind the headlines and discover what complexities spurred history’s most hated women to lives of crime, murder, and mayhem.
My poems “Tragedy of Paint-bound Love”, “The Suicide of Lucretia”, and “If I Were a Man” were previously published in Utah Tech’s Southern Quill literary journal (with “What Damned Creatures are We?” slated for publication in Summer 2025).
I am currently working on a novel that reimagines the story of the Bride of Frankenstein. It interweaves the stories of Dr. Frankenstein and his monsters with Jekyll and Hyde, Lucy Westerna, and Elizabeth Lavensa against the backdrop of Ripper-ravaged London and explores themes of medical malpractice, mental illness, loss, abuse, and found family.
I am also currently in the early stages of researching and plotting a historical fiction centered on the lives and deaths of the infamous crime duo, Bonnie and Clyde. I’ve taken to Tiktok and Instagram to share my findings with a swiftly growing social media following where I host regular livestreams answering questions about their formative years, their motives, and the poverty and trauma that cemented them as one of history’s most notorious crime couples.
The journey to publication is never an easy one. My first novel, a vampire western titled Untroubled Where I Lie (later overhauled and rechristened, We Were Monsters), has been rejected nearly one hundred times. It has never been picked up for publication, but it taught me how to be a disciplined writer, how to structure a book, and how to develop interesting characters. The beautiful thing about being an author is I am never lacking for stories to tell. When one novel is rejected, I turn my attention to a new idea and write on. With writing, no is never ‘no’, it’s just ‘not yet’ or ‘not in this way’. Once I came to that realization, the rejection process became much easier to navigate.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love to wander Magnolia Boulevard window shopping at Catnip Coalition, That’s a Wrap!, and Yes Baby Vintage. I have always been fascinated by clothing, especially antique and vintage apparel. To me, being able to appreciate and describe clothing in detail- the cut, the color, the material, the weight of the fabric- makes writing about a character’s appearance and style a breeze.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be where I am today without the love and support of my family, the guidance of God, and a slew of sage mentors that have uplifted me in my publishing journey. I would like to thank each and every one of them for keeping my head steady when my heart was a flurry of worry.

Website: https://www.simonsrevenge.com

Instagram: Wickedwomenauthor

Other: TikTok: @Sketching_perfection

Image Credits
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