1. Tell me about the Midnight Dragonfly series.
How did you come up with that story angle or idea?
Answer:
The
Midnight Dragonfly books are a series of romantic YA thrillers following the
visions of a teenage psychic in New Orleans. A Louisiana native, I’ve always
adored New Orleans’s French Quarter and Garden District, in particular the
beautifully haunting architecture. Many buildings there date back 200 years!
As it so
happens, back during the sleep deprived days after my little boy was born, I
woke up one night from one of the most incredibly detailed, vivid dreams I’d
ever had. I’d more than just seen a group of teen sneak into an old abandoned
mansion--I’d been with them. I’d gazed into the darkness, and smelled the
decay. I’d felt the fear, and the crazy blast of excitement at the prospects of
a game of truth or dare. My heart was
still racing when I woke up. The images lingered. I kept thinking about what I’d
seen, and from the questions came: What happened next? What if one of the teens
was a psychic? What if she saw something…something bad? What if she had a
premonition? What if what she saw actually happened? What if no one believed her, or at least, no one
but the last guy she should let herself begin to fall for?
As I
answered those questions, the Midnight Dragonfly books were born!
2. How did you get interested in writing this
particular genre (YA-lit)?
Answer:
It wasn’t a conscious decision. I didn’t sit down
one day and decide, I’m going to write YA.
The story came to me, and it was 100% Young Adult. I’d been writing
Romantic Suspense for years, but I knew this story--Trinity’s story--was more than just a romantic thriller. It
was a journey of self discovery, of Trinity finding her place in the world and
becoming who she’s meant to become. That journey wouldn’t work if I forced her
into any other genre.
3. What kind of research did you do for this
series?
Answer:
Tons! There
was research on my characters, for which my nieces (to whom the first book is
dedicated) helped me out enormously. I laugh when I think about the random
texts they received at all times of day and night, and graciously responded to,
all the way from “what would you say/do if XX happened, to kind of graffiti is
on the bathroom walls at the clubs you go to, to what do you find most romantic
in the whole world?
I also did a good bit of research into psychic
phenomenon and New Orleans, post Katrina. It was incredibly important to me to
paint a portrait of how badly Katrina hurt New Orleans, but also the resilient
spirit of the city and the people, and how rebirth and rebuilding is
everywhere. As it turned out, resiliency, rebirth, and rebuilding became
powerful themes throughout the series.
4. What's a typical working day like for you?
When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?
Answer:
I love writing. I love creating. I love exploring
story-worlds. My mind is always spinning, whether I’m at the computer or not.
Typically I’m at my desk 4-5 hours per day, 5 days per week, with “mind work”
happening the rest of the time. I’m constantly grabbing my phone and recording
voice messages or jotting random notes. I’m not sure why, but my absolute best
thoughts come to me at times when it’s hardest to jot them down: in the shower,
while driving, and while running.
As for goals, I stick with weekly goals, rather
than hard-core daily goals. I know how much I need to get done every week to
meet my deadlines, and while I do divvy this up by day, having a weekly goal
allows me some wiggle room if something comes up, such as a sick kid--again,
I’m not sure why, but there is some bizarre corollary between imminent
deadlines and sick children!
5. What is the hardest/easiest part of writing
for you?
Answer:
That’s an awesome question--I’ve never been asked
that before. The easiest part is the characters. Once they form, they become so
vivid to me, it’s like they’re part of me and I’m part of them. I feel what
they feel, want what they want. Hurt when they hurt. Sometimes that’s
emotionally tough, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.
As for the hardest part…I think it’s letting go. I
could fiddle with my stories forever, letting my characters turn left instead
of right and exploring what happens next. There are so many possibilities, it’s
tough to choose one and run with it. With every book I’ve written, there’s
something I’d love to change, all the way from adjusting an existing scene to
scrapping it altogether and replacing it with something completely different.
6. What’s the best thing about being an author?
Answer:
The chance to explore. There’s nothing static
about writing. Every story brings new challenges and possibilities, new
characters to get to know, worlds to create, mysteries to solve, love to feel,
decisions to make…crimes to commit. Over the years I’ve found myself delving deeply
into human behavior and psychology, to the point where I’m the go to person for
family and friends wanting to know why someone is doing something. It’s an awesome experience to bring diverse
characters together, and see what happens.
7. What are you working on now?
Answer:
On my desk next to me are Line Edits for the
third book in the Midnight Dragonfly series, FRAGILE DARKNESS. In addition to those, I’m exploring
possibilities for where Trinity goes next, as well as fleshing out several new
series ideas. I’m not sure what’s going to bubble up first, but I can promise
you lots of action, adventure, mystery, and romance!
8. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Answer:
To believe in yourself and never give up. Each of
us has stories to tell, and only you can tell them. The writing life can be
incredibly hard. You spend tons of time alone, creating, and then you toss your
creation out to the rest of the world, to see what they think. Some will love
it, some won’t. That can take a toll of your confidence and your dream. But I
have a plaque across from my desk that reads, “You’ll miss 100% of the shots
you don’t take,” and I essentially live by those words. You have to believe in
yourself and follow your dreams. It’s the only way they can come true.
9. Do you have any favorite authors or favorite
books?
Answer:
Far too many to list them all, but as a sampling:
The Stand by Stephen King
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
10. What question have you always wanted to be
asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
Answer:
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in the
name of book research?
Jumped into a swimming pool with my hands tied
together (to see if I could stay afloat)--and broken into a place long
abandoned (can’t say where--yet!) to see what it would feel like, and what kind
of trouble I could get Trinity into on the other side!
11. If you were writing a book about your life,
what would the title be?
Answer:
LOL! The first thing that popped into my head was
LOST IN SPACE J Then: ONE DAY AT A TIME. But
seriously, after thinking on this for more than a few days, I’d have to say DREAMING
IN COLOR.
Flash Questions:
1)If you could trade places with a person for a
single day, who would it be and why?
Answer:
Two people: 1) my husband. I’d LOVE to know how
his mind works and 2) JJ Abrams. I’d love to know how his mind works, too (see
below)!
2)What was the last movie you saw?
Answer:
Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE
3)What is your biggest TV addiction?
Answer:
LOST!!!!!!
OMG, I miss that show. Before LOST, it was ALIAS. Post Lost, FRINGE is
filling in nicely. I guess you could say
I’m a JJ Abrams fangirl J
4)Guilty pleasure?
Answer:
Ultra dark chocolate and red wine!
5)Fruits or veggies?
Answer:
Fruit.
6)Favorite childhood toy?
Answer:
Any book I could get my hands on.
7)What did you have for breakfast this morning?
Answer:
Key lime flavored Greek yogurt.
Me: Thank you for taking the time to answer these
interview questions for me.
Ellie: Thank YOU, Casey! Your questions were terrific and thought-provoking!
About the Midnight Dragonfly Series
Glimpses. That’s all they are. Shadowy premonitions
flickering through sixteen year old psychic Trinity Monsour’s dreams. Some
terrify: a girl screaming, a knife lifting, a body in the grass. But
others--the dark, tortured eyes and the shattering kiss, the promise of
forever--whisper to her soul.
They come without warning. They come without detail.
But they always mean the same thing: The clock is ticking,
and only Trinity can stop it.
Find out how in Broken Illusions (St. Martin’s Press),
available May 8, 2012.
About Ellie James
Most people who know Ellie think she’s your nice, ordinary average
wife and mom of two little kids. They see someone who does all that normal
stuff, like grocery shopping, walking the dogs, going to baseball games, and
somehow always forgetting to get the house cleaned and laundry done.
What they don't know is that more often than, this LSU J-School
alum is somewhere far, far away, in an extraordinary world, deeply embroiled in
solving a riddle or puzzle or crime, testing the limits of possibility,
exploring the unexplained, and holding her breath while two people fall in
love.
Regardless of which world Ellie’s in, she loves rain and wind and
thunder and lightning; the first warm kiss of spring and the first cool whisper
of fall; family, friends, and animals; dreams and happy endings; Lost and
Fringe; Arcade Fire and Dave Matthews, and last but not least…warm gooey
chocolate chip cookies.
You can follow Ellie
on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Midnight-Dragonfly-Books-by-Ellie-James/154988421236309
Her next book, BROKEN ILLUSIONS, will be available from
Griffin Teen May 8, 2012.
Giveaway: Comment below with your name and e-mail address to be entered to win a signed copy of Shattered Dreams (Midnight Dragonfly, #1) and enter the contest above hosted by Ellie in order to be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of Broken Illusions (Midnight Dragonfly, #2). Ends 5/30.
