Hi Ellen and welcome to Little Northern Soul! As my reviews of Learn to Love Again and Dear Darling show, I'm a big fan of yours. So my first question has to be - what's the plan now... are you working on another book? Can you tell us a little about it?
Hi Laura!! First of all thank you so much for having me on your wonderful blog, it’s an absolute pleasure to be here. I am currently working on a new book, in fact, I’m working on 3 *covers face* We have more Lexi and Ryan coming next year, hopefully a little Lexi and Rosie treat but my next release will be Perfume & Promises. I’m quite excited about this as we have a splash of Hollywood, a brooding rock star, a true villain and a quaint little English village. That’s all I can tell you for now though ;)
Where do you get inspiration for your stories from?
I get my inspiration from so many places. Travel tends to be a massive influence for me; sometimes I’ll go on holiday and can be doing something mundane like buying ice cream when an idea will smack me in the face and I have to write it down before I forget it haha I also get a lot of inspiration from my day to day life. Most of my books contain real life incidents too, and certainly Dear Darling was a book where I got to take a lot of my old work experiences and throw them out there with a little more drama. No Adam though, he was entirely fictional I’m afraid.Do you have a favourite character out of all your books so far?
This is such a hard question……I really love Rosie from The Story of Us and Home for The Holidays. Rosie is the kind of kick ass friend that I would love to have by my side, her character is so much fun to write. Ellie was a lot of fun too because I could take a lot of myself and throw it into her.
Your books are filled with such emotion, how do you get characters feelings to jump off the page and be so realistic?
Ah thank you! I just try to put myself in their shoes. If I was in whatever situation, take Lillie from Learn To Love Again for example, if I had been in her shoes, the grief would have swallowed me whole and I would have blamed myself completely for my husbands death. I just try to make them as genuine as possible and I find that helps.
Is there any other genre of book you'd like to write?
I’d love to write a suspense novel, something gritty to sink my teeth into. I adore writing chicklit, and romcoms are my fave, but sometimes it’s nice to think about flexing your writing muscles and showing what else you can do.
What does your average writing day look like? Well I look completely unpresentable for a start haha I’m quite a seat of my pants kind of author, it depends what mood I’m in. I’ll sometimes spend hours plotting in my little notepad, but sometimes I’ll dive straight in and start writing a scene if I know exactly what I need to get out. The day passes by so quickly though, when you’re consumed with your new friends and new world, coming up for air and food is actually an inconvenience. I try to make sure I have a few snacks handy so that I can sit and write without worrying about breaking off because once I do, I find I’m easily distracted with housework or Netflix. In fact, who am I kidding, it’s usually always Netflix!
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I actually always wanted to be a vet, until I realised what grades I’d need in science, then I set my heart on becoming a performer. I’ve always been obsessed with the theatre and musicals, so I guess doing something creative has always been there at the back of my mind.
How did you find the publication process? Do you have any top tips for aspiring authors?
Daunting. It can be so very daunting, but the satisfaction of having your book on Amazon or in print is like nothing else. It makes all the tears and tantrums and dark circles worthwhile. My advice would be never give up. Cliché, I know, but your dream is absolutely achievable if you’re determined! I’m lucky to have a great support network now, too, and without the support of bloggers and other authors, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
How did you celebrate your last release day?
I was pretty boring really. It’s usually the same thing, a take away and a relaxing night watching a film because I’ve been so busy in the run up to release day and on release day itself that I just need to collapse in a heap.
When you're not busy writing, how do you like to relax?
If I’m not binging on a new series on Netflix, I’m a serious book addict and holiday planner. I’m one of those big weirdos that likes to google places and research until I can’t focus on the screen anymore because I find planning holidays so much fun – even theoretical ones haha.
If you could invite any 5 people to a dinner party you were hosting, who would they be and why?
Ooooo good question!! Well, Alice Clayton and Lindsey Kelk because they are both huge inspirations for me. Taylor Swift because I just freaking love her and I think she would be an amazing dinner guest. Hmmm, we should have some men there really too…..OOOOH Noah Mills because he’s the inspiration behind Adam in Dear Darling aaaaaaand Ed Sheeran. I love, love, love his music and he’s just such a cutie.
If I'm right in thinking this your a fellow Yorkshire resident too! What's your favourite thing about Yorkshire living? High five to the Yorkshire team! I certainly am a Yorkshire girl and I think sometimes it’s easy to forget just what a gorgeous county we live in. Sometimes I try take a step back and look at the country roads I drive on daily and it makes me realise we’re pretty lucky to live somewhere like this. Also, Yorkshire puddings! I mean, need I go on?
Finally what's in store for you in the near future?
I have some law exams to take in January but after that, I’m hoping to publish many more novels, attend some author signings and travel much more.
Quick fire round:
Tea or coffee? Coffee
Summer or Winter? God, definitely Summer!
Book or film? Book
Cosy night in or big night out? Cosy night in
Harry Potter or Hunger Games? Argh…..Hunger Games
Paperback or kindle (E-reader)? Paperback
Sweet or savoury? Sweet
Thanks so much for coming on the blog Ellen, it's been an absolute pleasure and I can't wait to get my mitts on your next book! Good luck :)
Thank you again for having me on your blog, I’ve had so much fun! xxxx
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