with Leanna Ellis

Patterings
Tell us about your epiphany moment when you decided you were going to seriously pursue writing and eventually publication.
Once upon a time, I was a teacher but I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. I was trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to do when my sister suggested I start writing, “because I was always scribbling in a journal.” That seed took root and grew. And at the end of the school year, I quit teaching to become a writer. So writing was never a hobby for me. From there it’s been a long journey of almost twenty years. Quite an adventure!

Which of your books (published or upcoming) has been the most fun for you to write and which character is your favorite? Why?
Whichever book I’m writing is usually the one that is the most fun. Facelift was difficult for me to write because I needed to start writing it the month after my father passed away. In a way, I was walking a path similar to Kaye’s in the book because I had to choose joy. I also needed an emotional facelift. So I think in going through that it actually helped me to write it.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
In writing Facelift, it was sitting myself in a chair and getting the words to come, being patient and not forcing them, just enticing them onto the page. Quite often staring at the blank page is more difficult for me. I actually like the rewriting process better. Once there are words on the page, I can maneuver them and fix them, rearrange or even delete. But a blank page…that’s so hard!

Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote? Why?
That’s a tough question because the different characters all kept my interest. Marla was probably the first character that came to me. She’s the ex-mother-in-law who has a botched facelift. But Kaye’s resilience intrigued me. And then there was Jack. I kept learning new and interesting things about him. Loved him! But then there was Cousin It. She was a ton of fun because I used a lot of experiences from my labradoodle puppy, The Hilo Monster (as we affectionately call her).

 What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
That’s another tough one. I don’t think of myself as quirky but I must be because I come up with pretty quirky characters, including the book I’m writing right now—an Amish/vampire book. That may be just plain wacky!

Are there things you put off doing because you dread them?
Marketing. Marketing is hard for me. It’s way, way, way out of my comfort zone, more like the Twilight Zone.

What would a perfect day for you look like?
A few weeks ago, I experienced one of those perfect days. I was in Kauai with my family. I woke up early, long before my husband or children did, and I wrote a few pages on a proposal while sitting out on the lanai and listening to the surf. Then when they woke up, we went for breakfast then to the beach for sun and snorkeling. Later that afternoon, I was lying in a hammock, listening to the surf (again!), watching the waves roll in and reading. It was a perfect day.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I’m very eclectic in my reading. I read books with my kids, so anything from children’s and YA, which is often fantasy, to Amish to literary to NY Times best sellers, from romance to thrillers. I like a wide assortment of books. I even love to read biographies. Those are fascinating!

Are there certain foods or snacks keeps the words flowing for you?
If I allow myself: peanut M&Ms. But I try to restrain myself on that.

Are there spiritual themes you like to write about?
I usually just write whatever the character needs but I will say perfectionism has come up a couple of times. But the books were completely different.

What lesson is the Lord teaching you right now or recently taught you?
Trust. And little baby steps with that. But He is so faithful and loving in His teaching. I’m also in the middle of studying Daniel, which has been a wonderful study and has in so many ways mirrored what I wrote about in Facelift.

When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?
Facelift releases October 1st! After that, Forsaken, the first book of the Plain Fear series, which is my Amish/vampire book, releases August 2011. Then True Grits, a B&H release, comes out September 2011.
Thanks so much, Patty, for having me here! Blessings to you and your readers.


You can purchase Facelift from CBD, for your Kindle and from Amazon:


Leanna is giving away a copy of Facelift. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment by Monday, October 18th and check back on Tuesday, October 19th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on this post and once on yesterday's spotlight with Leanna Ellis. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar.
**Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.


6 comments:

  1. Would love to read this one. Although I have to say I'm intrigued by the Amish/Vampire combination.
    rsgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. i love leanna's novels...thanks for the chance to read this one :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great interview! Please enter me in the giveaway for Facelift. I'd love the chance to win Leanna's book.

    Lyndaschab at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love her books. Thanks for the giveaway.
    wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like a great book! Count me in!

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  6. Enter ME! Enter ME!
    You know my email :P

    ReplyDelete

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