Give us a little bit about your background and when you first started publishing.
I’ve always been an avid reader. I remember going to the library and coming home with ten books to read for the week! I fell in love with historical romance, particularly Regency romance, and dreamed of one day writing my own books but never thought it could actually become my reality. I began a career in Journalism and Communications, but wrote a couple of novels for fun. Then one day in 2017 I learned more about how self-publishing worked, and decided to put one of my books up on Amazon and see what happened… and my current career began! I feel incredibly lucky to now be able to do what I love full-time.
Historical Setting Related:
- Have you visited the places you’ve written about or just read about them?
For the most part, I have not had the opportunity to visit, but thank goodness for all of the books, videos, and photos available to allow me to explore them from halfway across the world. One day when my kids are older I would love to visit England and see all of the places I have written about!
- What interesting settings have you used (homes, battlefields, events in history, etc)?
I’ve explored a lot of London, including the Vauxhall Gardens, White’s Gentlemen’s Club, Convent Garden — all of the usual haunts. The Napoleonic Wars, of course, make their way into my novels. I also most often base the primary London home or country estate on an actual home. I research photos and floor plans to really get a feel for it. In my Unconventional Ladies series, each story goes beyond the usual settings to some interesting places, such as the Newmarket racecourses, the London docks, a newspaper office, and one of London’s banks!
- Why did you choose the particular period you write in? What is it about that era that speaks to you?
There is something about the Regency era that has always been so utterly romantic to me. Perhaps it is because that is the era of story I fell in love with reading, but it has a certain appeal that speaks to me. I also like to write characters that break the rules (hence, The Unconventional Ladies), of which there are plenty in that era!
Writing Process:
- What inspires you to create a certain character (give example)? Have you ever changed the character arc because it didn’t work with the story-line?
Sometimes characters are initially based off of someone I know, or someone from history, and then they morph into their own entity. I often write the first chapter or two, introducing the character, in order to allow them to truly express themselves before I write my outline. I typically find the story line will change as I go as opposed to the character changing, though sometimes the character’s circumstances might change as well. For example, when I wrote Lady of Mystery, I wrote the first scene of the novel before writing any outline, and the character of each woman began to emerge.
- Do you have a certain quirk in your writing process? Do the stars have to be aligned or do you have to have your favorite tea? Where do you do your best writing?
With young children, it can be easy to get behind, so I’m pretty rigid about writing a certain amount of words (or editing a certain number of pages) every day. Sometimes the words flow effortlessly and sometimes I have to come back and rework them, but getting them down is key. My best work is in a place that inspires me, such as out at the lake, or in my backyard in the summer. I walk or run my dog every morning, and that’s usually when inspiration for scenes or characters strikes!
Miscellaneous:
- From all your books, who is your favorite hero and why?
I feel as though I shouldn’t choose favorites, but I fell in love with Eddie while writing Lady of Fortune. He was one of those heroes who was a genuinely good person and put others before himself. He was charming and humorous, and the kind of hero I would want!
- Outside of your own genre, what’s your favorite genre?
I love to explore all eras of historical romance, but I do sometimes enjoy a good thriller or vampire novel for a change of pace!
We hope you enjoyed learning more about Ellie, be sure to check out her new book titled “Lady of Charade” Book four in her “Unconventional Ladies” series releasing 07/30/2019.
