Balancing Action and Banter: Author Interview with Elle E. Kay

You’ve now published several books, but what inspired you to write that first one? How long did it take you to write your first book that was published? How many rewrites did you do on it? 

My first book was non-fiction. It was about living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, so my struggles with EDS inspired that one. My fiction debut seemingly came out of nowhere. I just sat down one night and started writing it. That book was a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest, so that gave me the courage to keep going. I don’t know if I would call my editing process ‘rewrites’ as most of the content remains the same, but that first book went through a couple of rounds of self-edits, went to my critique partner and then had two more rounds of edits with my editor, Patti.

How do you go about plotting your suspense stories? 

I usually have a germ of an idea that I start with. Oftentimes, it’s the setting. For example, with the Pennsylvania Parks series, I thought I’d write books that would take place in our beautiful state parks and I knew they would be romantic suspense, but I had no inkling what the characters would be like or what the suspense plots would be.

What type of research do you do for giving realism to time clock ticking events?

As for research, having written four historical novellas in addition to my contemporary novels, I can safely say, the historical fiction required far more research. It’s not that difficult to find answers to most of the questions that come up for current day stories. In one instance, I needed information about bomb-sniffing dogs and their handlers, and I was able to find most of what the story required from government websites and videos.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

One part of a reader review for Midnight Offensive was a huge encouragement. It let me know that even though I write romantic thrillers, my faith is threaded through the story. The reviewer said, “As usual Elle’s faith and trust in an Almighty God shines through. The characters are challenged as to who they see as in control and causes them to examine their relationship with God. I always enjoy seeing how she introduces different scriptures to illustrate the need to put God in the center of everyday living no matter what the challenges are, she makes the Bible come alive.”

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you’ve used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?

Facebook ads are probably the most effective, but targeting is difficult for Christian authors. I wound up hiring them out after many years of doing them myself with little success. I also run ads with Amazon and BookBub with some success.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?

There are a couple of things. I love writing banter, so my first several books were dialogue-heavy. Those first books might’ve benefited from more introspective moments to balance the action and conversations. It also would’ve been helpful to have grasped how to effectively write deep point-of-view sooner than I did.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

Thomas Umstattd, Jr. suggests that the number one commandment is “love thy reader.” If you follow that commandment, you’ll write what your reader wants to read. He suggests finding your “Timothy,” an actual real-life person who represents your ideal reader. I chose a woman named Carol as she is a wonderful representative of my typical reader. If I remember to treat all my readers as I would treat her, the result is that readers will look forward to my newsletters and want to read my next release. If I don’t care about my readers, why should they care about me?

I’ve chosen to pray for my readers (if they share prayer requests), and I reply to most messages. It’s important for me to remember that my readers are people like me who have trials and triumphs, so I want to be there for them whenever I can.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?

Midnight Masquerade releases on October 8th. Here are some details.

When everyone wears a mask, who can you trust?
When CIA operative Dante Reyes discovers American women being trafficked overseas to fund terrorism, including his teammate's sister, he's forced into an uneasy partnership with HSI Agent Lisa Harper, a woman determined to prove herself capable of leading her first multi-agency task force.

Lisa has built her career on never depending on anyone, especially charming men who think they know better. But as their investigation uncovers a sophisticated network using dating apps to target military families, she finds her carefully constructed walls challenged by Dante's unwavering faith and protective instincts.

Racing against time to stop the final phase of the terrorist financing operation, Dante and Lisa must infiltrate an elegant charity masquerade ball where international buyers will gather for one last transaction. But the greatest danger isn't the enemies they can see. It's learning to trust each other when everything they've fought to protect hangs in the balance.

Sounds intriguing! If you'd like to learn more about this book and the other series she's written, here are some links to get you started. 

https://www.youtube.com/@ElleEKay7/ 

https://www.instagram.com/elleekay7/

https://www.facebook.com/ElleEKay7/

And here's a tip for my readers... sign up for her newsletter, and she'll send you a free eBook. Here's the link, so do it now. https://elleekay.com/newsletter-signup/