Book-A-Week Challenge Interview with author Ellen Dye

This week's Book-A-Week Challenge was Three's the Charm by Ellen Dye.

Learn more about Ellen and her writing with the interview posted below. Leave her a comment, ask a question, tell her how much you enjoyed her story. . .I did!

Who are you?

I’m Ellen Dye and my first novel is called Three’s The Charm, a contemporary romance published by The Wild Rose Press that’s filled with down-home fun, laughter and a very well deserved happily-ever-after between two people truly meant for each other.

And as for me as an author, believe me when I say Three’s The Charm is a dream that was a long time in coming.

I was first bitten by the writing bug when I was nine years old and stumbled onto my Aunt Nettie’s strictly contraband trunk of True Confession magazines. Naturally, being that they were strictly contraband, I was compelled to read the lot, breaking only to refresh my supply of Munchos potato chips and RC Cola. Somewhere near the bottom of the pile I decided I wanted to be a writer and create stories just as great as these.

Then, being nine, I promptly forgot all about it.

Fast forward a goodly number of years, having gotten the pesky business of growing up out of the way, to a local grocery store. My year old son was screaming with enough force to shake products from shelves while I was attempting to stem the noise by stuffing his mouth with animal crackers---and in that instant I saw Them. Each and every one of Sterling MacFadden’s True magazines were there on the shelf just waiting for me.

Long story made short---I bought the lot, devoured them and remembered I wanted to be a writer. Then my husband installed Word on my computer which prevented me from forgetting my decision to be a writer this time.

I began tapping away and submitting faithfully, thinking of all the publishing experience I was getting and preparing myself for a flood of rejections. But to my very great surprise about a month later I got The Call from an editor at True Love saying they wanted to buy one of my stories.

When do you write?

Literally all the time. I’m sort of a quirky little scribbler who can’t ever seem to keep a schedule. In fact it’s lucky that I can, through writing, claim status as an “Artistic Type”---otherwise I’d be widely known as a complete airhead. So, back to my “all the time” answer and how that works---I keep a spiral notebook with me always and when I get a free moment (even if it’s in the school parking lot waiting for my son) I jot down as much as I can.

When do you read?

Well, interestingly enough the answer is just the same as the above---all the time. I always have a book with me when I leave the house, literally, for any reason. I read everywhere from grocery store checkout lines to hair salons when I zip in for a trim. And hey, no good night’s sleep can ever begin without a good book to start if off, right?

Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?

I love this question because for me it’s a real stumper. To be one hundred percent honest the truth is I have no idea where my ideas, or the inspiration behind them comes from. I do vaguely remember wondering, as I took my desperate to get home cat out of the vet’s office, what sort of life a country vet would lead. And pretty much from that point on Three’s The Charm took on a life of it’s own, complete with characters.

How long did you write seriously before your first book was published?

The plainest answer to this question is ten years, but it’s not exactly accurate. I started off writing with no desire to write books. I wanted to write confession stories, short fiction for magazines and general freelance articles. And I did. I was also exceptionally lucky in that I mailed my first batch of confessions off and received The Call from the editor at True Love about a month later. And I was really happy with this sort of writing.

So it was about five years or so before I decided to write a book in addition to the freelance stuff. Three’s The Charm was about two years in the writing and polishing and then another year and a half or so to sell. And I have to say I’ve never had so much fun writing anything as I did writing Three’s The Charm.

Why do I write?

Because I love it---it’s as simple as that!

Thanks, Ellen for a terrific story to read and a wonderful interview. All the best!

Denise

Ellen’s first novel, Three’s The Charm is available now from The Wild Rose Press, http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ fictionwise ebooks and http://www.amazon.com/

Ellen also has a story in L&L Dreamspell's Romance Anthology http://lldreamspell.com/RomanceofmyDreams.htm

You can keep up with Ellen and her writings at http://www.ellendye.com/