My guest today on Awesome Authors is the fabulous
mystery-suspense author, Ellis Vidler. I’ve known Ellis since I found the
supportive writer’s group, Sisters-in-Crime, and their sub-group, the Guppies.
Ellis is an author, editor, and speaker. She grew up in North Alabama, studied
English and art at All Saints College for Women, and thoroughly enjoyed
studying creative writing under the great Scott Regan. She also taught elements
of fiction at a community college. Her home is now the South Carolina Piedmont
with her husband and dogs.
(From the author’s bio): As a child in the South, Ellis
spent long, hot days imagining herself an Indian or pioneer or musketeer. At
night she (and her whole family) read. From Tarzan and D’Artagnan to Anne
Shirley and Nancy Drew, she lived them all. No angst in her childhood. So what
did she do as an adult? Write fiction, what else? She loves creating characters
and making them do what she wants, but mostly they take off on their own and
leave her hurrying to catch up.
Hi Ellis! Thanks for
joining us. J Tell
us a little about yourself and your writing:
EV: I grew up on everything from Tarzan to Nancy Drew and
Jane Eyre, and I’ve always loved reading and writing. My career began with
illustrating and morphed into editing and technical writing. Now I write
fiction and love it.
DV: When did you know
you wanted to be a writer?
EV: I can’t remember not wanting to be a writer.
DV: What compels you
to write?
EV: The characters in my head—they want to have their
stories told, even though the stories evolve and shoot off in new directions as
I write them.
DV: What do you enjoy
most about writing in the crime genre? Dislike? How much research goes into one
of your books?
EV: Suspense is what I aim for, but there’s always an
element of romance. Relationships are part of life, and for me, they make a
story richer. I can’t stick with the required elements long enough for them to
be called romances. For example, in Prime
Target, the main characters don’t meet until Chapter 10, a no-no in
romance, but that’s the way it worked out. It’s a love story on my terms.
I research everything, trying to get the details right. It’s
an obsession, but it’s also a good way to get sidetracked. One interesting fact
can lead me down a lengthy detour.
“Relationships are part of life, and for
me, they make a story richer…”
DV: Sounds familia .
J In the McGuire
Women series, your protagonists have psychic abilities. Why did you choose to
go in that direction with your main characters? What were the challenges you
faced?
EV: My grandmother was psychic. I think hers was considered
telepathy. She knew when any of her family was ill or injured, no matter where
they were. I was there and saw it, so I know it was real. After Haunting Refrain came out, I found out
her brother had the same ability. Psychic ability has always fascinated me, in
spite of the charlatans. One of my cousins has some of it; however, none of the
family “gift” passed to me.
DV: Do you ever
include your own life experiences in your plots?
EV: Yes, they do work their way in, but I alter them to fit
the story. My main characters tend to like what I like and experience many of
the same things. In Cold Comfort,
DV: What are you
currently working on?
EV: I just approved my first audio book, Time of Death and Haunting Refrain will be Prime Target and get it to my
beta readers. I love it, but the story is different, and I don’t know how it
will go over.
out next month. I have two terrific
narrators and can’t wait for the books to be released. Also, I’m trying hard to
wrap up
DV: That sounds
intriguing! I can’t wait… What’s your process when you write? Do you outline or
just get an idea and run with it?
EV: Until now I’ve been a pantser, running with a vague
idea, but I’m determined to have something of an outline for the next book. I’d
like to know if something’s not going to work before I’ve written 100 pages.
DV: I know that
feeling. J Tell us about your road to publication.
What words of wisdom would you like to impart to writers who are just starting
out?
EV: Study your craft and persevere. My first book, Haunting Refrain, was much more luck
than judgment. I had no idea how little I knew. It’s amazing that a publisher
actually wanted it. I’ve been both traditionally and self-published. There are
pros and cons to each. Writers have to decide which one suits them. Personally,
I like the control I have in doing it myself and intend to stick with “indie”
publishing.
“…I’m determined to have something of an
outline for the next book. I’d like to know if something’s not going to work
before I’ve written 100 pages.”
DV: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Where do you see
the publishing industry in 5 years?
EV: Ideally, I’d like to have several more books out. Ebooks
are becoming more and more popular, but I don’t think print books are going to
disappear. With the advent of earbuds and tiny players, audio is gaining too.
It’s a very exciting time for writers—lots of change and opportunity but the
main thing is still to produce a good story. That won’t change.
DV: What strategies
work best for you when promoting a novel?
EV: Goodness, I’ve tried so many. Twitter, Facebook,
freebies (I doubt if I’ll do any more of those), ads on certain reader sites… I
have a blog with lots of articles, I but rarely post now.
Luck, timing, and word of mouth are the best, and you have
no control over any of those things.
“It’s a very exciting time for
writers—lots of change and opportunity but the main thing is still to produce a
good story.”
DV: If you could
travel back in time (or forward) where would you go and why?
EV: I wouldn’t give up electricity, hot water, the
microwave, or the Internet. I like my creature comforts. J I’d probably
go back to my twenties (a long time ago) and get serious about my writing
sooner.
DV: Hmm. Good idea.
Now, if I could just figure out where I put that pesky Time Machine… Thanks so
much for stopping by today, Ellis! Good luck on your new releases!
If you’d like to find out more about Ellis and her work,
please check out the links below:
NOTE: This is reposted from DV Berkom's blog (with photos updated).
