Indie authors are the lifeblood of what I do, creating illustrated character art, author portraits for their marketing and even full book covers. I work with authors who match my values and it’s time to shine a light on these wonderful people!
Please welcome Lowri Charles!
Author of ‘Call it Fete’ and ‘This Is Going to ruin the Tour’ coming in 2026.
Hello Lowri! Please introduce us to yourself and your books.
Hello! I’m Lowri Charles — Civil Servant by day, indie author by night. I’m a roller skating, crocheting writer of queer, fat-positive books.
What will make people fall in love with your main characters?
My characters are as real as they can get. Even if they’re working in high-profile jobs, they still have the same worries and concerns as me and you. From Alex, the single gay dad who’s desperately trying to prove he can be a member of the Perfect Parent Club in Call it Fete, to Rhys, who thinks his new co-worker Lucy is trying to steal his best friend from him in This Is Going To Ruin the Tour. It just so happens his best friend is one of the world’s most famous pop stars (at least in this universe), but that doesn’t stop those feelings from being real and relatable.
What tropes can people find in your books?
Forcing idiots together and making them fall in love is my speciality, so you’ll always find some elements of forced proximity. Otherwise, I love writing about grumpy / sunshine and enemies to lovers vibes, difficult families, small towns/cities, very British places.
“Forcing idiots together and making them fall in love is my speciality” – Lowri Charles Author
What will surprise people most about your book/s?
They’re still a bit spicy. I write comfort food in a book form – cosy stories you can stretch out on a sun lounger, or curl up in front of a fire with – but that doesn’t mean they’re not just the little bit spicy.
What is your favourite thing about being an indie, self-published author?
That I control it all. Like some evil overlord… No, only kidding. I could never be evil. But I do control what’s in my books, what my books look like, who gets to read them (or at least I can steer the right crowd towards my books), when they get put out in the world. I wouldn’t trust my babies with anyone else.
What has been your biggest challenge or barrier to publishing your books?
Money! God, I hate that it comes down to that but being self-published is expensive, especially if you have no skills other than writing. Some authors are great at putting covers together, or can draw the most beautiful character art, but not me. And time. I’m a senior manager in my profession, belong to a roller derby team, care for my nan. Doesn’t leave a lot of time left for writing.
What has been your biggest challenge commissioning artwork in the past?
Finding trustworthy artists. Call it Fete is marred by bad experiences – an artist who I learned traced a lot of the art she sold, and I can no longer get hold of my cover artist. AI is rife in our industry (yuk) so it’s important to me to find artists who believe in the same things I do, including not using AI in our works.
How did you discover my work?
Either someone recommended you, or you reached out. Either way, it was in response to a plea I put on Threads for a good artist who doesn’t use AI and was reasonably priced. I checked you out, adored your style and we are currently enjoying our HEA after you ticked all two boxes!
Lottie: (I love that we got our happily ever after Lowri!)
Artwork by Lottie Thomson, commissioned by Lowri Charles for the upcoming romance novel ‘This Is Going To Ruin The Tour’.
What appealed to you most about working with me and how was your overall experience?
Your style is gorgeous and it fits in with the aesthetic I’m trying to create with my books. On top of that, you came across as good people on social media, and that’s something I value a lot. Working with you was a dream. No change was too big and I felt it was a collaborative effort to create my beautiful art.
“I felt it was a collaborative effort to create my beautiful art.” – Lowri Charles Author
What does having appealing character art mean to your marketing and to your readers?
Everything! Indie authors still have a reputation of looking unprofessional, and it’s something I’m desperate to dispel. Having art available for my books means I can provide something extra to my readers, something to frame or admire.
Are there any other professionals that you’ve worked with that you’d like to recommend to other authors?
The only other artist I recommend nowadays aside from you is @a.loveunlaced
Lottie : (What beautiful work! Go check them out folks!)
Where can people buy your books and follow you on social media?
Call it Fete is available now. This is Going to Ruin the Tour is out in 2026.
Lottie Thomson (Charlotte Thomson-Morley – she/her) brings character art, portraits and book covers to life for indie authors. Based in the UK and with over 20 years experience as a freelance illustrator, she specialises in consciously inclusive and playful art, supplied ready for use for print marketing and on social media alike.
Indie authors are the lifeblood of what I do, creating illustrated character art, author portraits for their marketing and even full book covers. I work with authors who match my values and it’s time to shine a light on these wonderful people!
Confidence creator, trainer, speaker and author of inclusive childrens book ‘Find your Fabulous’ illustrated by me, Lottie Thomson.
Hello Vie! Please introduce us to yourself and your books!
Hello! I’m Vie Portland and I help people Find Their Fabulous! One of the ways I do this is through my inclusive children’s picture books. In my first two books the main character goes on different imaginary adventures with her mum; Emily, the main character, has a limb difference but it’s not part of the story, as I wanted readers to see we all have far more in common than what makes us different.
My third children’s book doesn’t have a main character, as there’s lots of gorgeous children on every page; this book, called ‘Find Your Fabulous!’ is a confidence boosting, mindfulness encouraging, book, where many children will see them and their friends represented.
What will make people fall in love with your main characters?
They fall in love because they see children like them and their friends in the book; representation matters! We all deserve to feel seen.
What will surprise people most about your books?
Probably the inclusion. My third book is the most inclusive of the three, but the first two are still more inclusive than most. All of my books are written in a large print, suitable for the majority of visually impaired readers; my third book also has a BSL signed version, and a Braille edition available. As well as the representation across the books.
What is your favourite thing about being an indie, self-published author?
I love that I have final say in things, that I don’t have to follow trends, or limit anything, because every choice is mine.
What has been your biggest challenge or barrier to publishing your books?
Costs. I want to work with illustrators whose work I love, and not have to go for ‘cheap’ or AI, and those illustrators deserve to be paid well. I also choose to publish outside of Amazon, so people have more choice from where they buy the book, and that costs more. But I am very proud of all of my books, and they are all beautiful, so I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.
What has been your biggest challenge commissioning artwork in the past?
Thankfully, the illustrator of my first two books, I have known for years, and she is a friend, and I have followed the illustrator for the third book for a very long time and really wanted to work with her, so I haven’t had a problem commissioning artwork at all, as I know some fabulous artists.
How did you discover my work?
Through the burlesque community! I bought one of your prints a very long time ago, that still makes me smile, and I knew your style would really suit what I wanted for Find Your Fabulous! I also knew that you are as passionate about inclusion and representation as I am, and that really matters to me.
What appealed to you most about working with me and how was your overall experience?
I loved working with Lottie, and would love to work with her again. She understood what I wanted and created such beautiful images. After following her and her art for many years, and loving what I saw, I am so pleased that she exceeded the high expectations I had for her.
What does having appealing character art/book cover/author portrait mean to your marketing and to your readers?
It’s wonderful to be able to share beautiful images that so many children can feel represented by.
Are there any other professionals that you’ve worked with that you’d like to recommend to other authors?
I worked with the brilliant Dr Jennifer Jones, who is the reason why I started writing again, and she got me believing I could write a book (I’ve now written several!), and she also did the editing and formatting for my children’s books and my book for adults. And Donna Mcghie, who illustrated my first two children’s books, has a beautiful style reminiscent of Shirley Hughes, and is a joy to work with, too.
Thank you for your time Vie! Where can people buy your books and follow you on social media?
My books are available on most online book stores, including Waterstones, Hive, and Amazon.
