Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Elle E. Kay
Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym? Why or why not?
I write under two pseudonyms. I chose Ellie Mae Kay for my children's fiction because I had already published non-fiction under my real name, and I wanted to create clear separation between genres. I didn't want readers buying Zebras of Hope thinking it was for kids when it's actually about living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. When I wrote my debut Christian fiction in 2015, I applied similar reasoning and became Elle E. Kay. Interestingly, I'm now called Elle or Ellie more often than Ellen (my given name).
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
I have 26 published books, 23 of those are Christian fiction. My favorite is Bodyguard's Fake Bride. The protective hero is a kilt-wearing Scotsman who brings the heroine to a castle in Scotland for his family reunion. I adore everything about this book! Ironically, it doesn't sell as well as my other titles, possibly because readers assume they need to read all the authors in the multi-author series. But it's actually a standalone, though readers can start with The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride for character backstory.
Why do you write in your particular genre?
I write romantic suspense/thrillers because that’s what I most like to read. I like a gripping story that
How are your characters like you? Different?
Stella from my debut is probably the most like me, but even in that one book, I made her mother a children’s book author, so that was me sneaking in there. In the second book in that series, Claudia plays piano and sings similar to me. Each heroine has a little piece of me in them, but they also have something about them that I admire in others. For example, Claudia is a marine reservist. Stella has unshakable faith.
Can you share a real-life event that inspired your writing?
My biological father was a police officer who went to prison. Inspired by the Hero took the pain from that experience and turned it into a book. In that same book, the hero’s sister suffers from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (which I also have), so I felt I was able to make her situation feel authentic through my own experiences.
How does/did your job prepare you for being a novelist?
I've worked in several fields, primarily legal, where I served as both paralegal and tech support/network supervisor. The legal experience gave me valuable insight into the system. Though, I've mostly avoided legal thrillers because after living it for years, writing it feels too much like work! The tech background, however, has been invaluable for the digital aspects of a writing career: websites, promotion, all the technical elements many authors struggle with.
How has your book changed since your first draft?
What is your next project?
I'm working on the second book in my Toxic Truth series, Midnight Masquerade. It's up for preorder now and scheduled to release in October. The story follows Dante and Lisa, who were introduced in Midnight Offensive, as they face a personal connection to a human trafficking ring alongside someone selling US intelligence. They must stop the threat before it culminates at the masquerade ball charity event.
About Project Sentinel:
Her memory is gone. But Faith Flanagan is about to learn what she believed about her past was a lie, and the truth could kill her. Two years after the accident that shattered her world, Faith is haunted by unsettling dreams and the growing suspicion that she's not who she thinks she is.
When Elijah Knight, a dangerously attractive operative from a life she can't recall, crashes back into her existence, he brings a chilling warning: her husband was murdered. Faith, he claims, holds explosive files Thad entrusted to her—files that could expose a conspiracy wielding Project Sentinel, a terrifyingly advanced AI surveillance system with the power to predict their every move. Now, they're on the run, pursued by relentless enemies who will kill to keep their secrets buried and the files out of Faith's unremembering hands. As fragments of her past resurface, so does an undeniable, complicated passion for the man sworn to protect her. But in a deadly game of cat and mouse, where betrayal lurks around every corner, can Faith unlock the secrets buried in her mind before they become her undoing? And can a love she doesn't remember be the one thing that outsmarts the machine and the rogue officials controlling it?
If you enjoy gripping romantic suspense packed with secrets, high-stakes conspiracies powered by chilling AI, and a love fighting to be remembered against all odds, you won't want to miss Project Sentinel.
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/46rAwEM
Connect with Elle:
Website/Blog: https://ElleEKay.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElleEKay7
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elleekay7/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/ellekay
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elle-e-kay
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15016833.Elle_E_Kay
Website/Blog: https://ElleEKay.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElleEKay7
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elleekay7/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/ellekay
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elle-e-kay
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15016833.Elle_E_Kay
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Photo Credits:
Author/Book Image: Elle E. Kay
Pencil and Notepad: Pixabay/congerdesign
Surveillance Cameras: Pixabay/Joseph Mucira
I loved learning more about Elle! Thank you.
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