An Interview with Ellen Ashe
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This month we will be talking with Ellen Ashe about her career, her latest story to be released in July 2006, and what is to come in the future. Thanks Ellen for taking to time to talk with us! Thank you for having me! 1. Congratulations on your newest release, A Mistress for Marcos, due out this month. This was your new “Twilight Zone style” story, very dark and full of erotic sensuality as is common in your works. Can you tell us a little bit about the story? Madeline revisits an old estate that is in ruin, a place of happy memories when as a girl she spent summers with her eccentric aunt. Buildings, especially ones with history, have a tendency to hold their own memories, have hearts that beat as long as someone still loves them. And Madeline discovers a mysteriously unique lover within the estate’s crumbling walls. He is more than meets the eye… 2. I know this may be a little difficult to answer without giving away key elements to the story but I’ll bet you are up to the challenge! Your concept of Marcos, and Aunt Lucinda, for that matter, I found fascinating. I know I had two main thoughts running through my mind the whole time as to how the story would pan out. Where did you come up with such an appealing idea? Years ago while living in England I stood in a centuries old manor house called Haddon Hall. I don’t claim to have a sixth sense, BUT, I felt a presence. I sensed a deep sorrow over a forbidden passion. Then it was gone. The feeling has stayed with me all this time. With this story I put myself in a position of searching for what was lost. And I created that dark gypsy-like lover who could fill the void. 3. Since Madeline is a novelist in A Mistress for Marcos, it brought to mind for me a question. How much of Ellen do we see in your stories? To be honest probably a lot more than even I would like to admit! I see the heroine as a separate person yet often I am viewing her world through my eyes. As an author I really don’t think it’s possible to avoid integrating my personality traits into the main character. Having said that, these women are stronger than I am even though we share the same passions. 4. One thing I’ve noticed about your stories is that you love shock value, putting twists on the endings that are bound to make readers sit up and say “Whoa! What just happened here!” as well as leaving a little mystery to the story which forces readers to make their own decisions about what is going on. Is it difficult to work that “wow” factor in to your stories? How or why? Not difficult but it takes time to consider twists. I don’t actually plot out what is going to happen. I start writing and let the characters develop. The characters in themselves are usually troubled or tormented or have dark secrets, so the worlds they ‘exist’ in are unusual. The combination of the two creates the crooked path the story follows. I don’t follow norms- so don’t look for that ‘sweet’ factor in my writing! 5. You have written stories of varying lengths, from full novel to short story. Is the writing process for a longer novel different from writing the shorter stories? If so, how? Shorter stories must be direct, to the point. There’s no room to flesh out the bones, and I have to make every word, every expression, even scene excruciatingly important to the overall theme. This can actually take longer than writing a full length novel. 6. What was it that made you one day decide you were going to be a writer? Did you always know or was it a surprise to choose this career path? It all happened quite by accident. Summer 1999 my best friend and I sat on the beach and talked about what we’d do if we had the chance to spend a week with our favorite movie stars. I decided I’d write her a short story for a Christmas present- change the names to protect the guilty. Once I got going I couldn’t stop. The short story ended up being 90,000 words long. I loved the process of writing so I tried writing another book ‘for real’. Then another. And another. I was hooked. Those manuscripts were Love Not Forgotten, Lady Outlaws and then my favorite The Sorcerer’s Mark. It’s an addiction now. I have to write every day! 7. I’ve not read all of your works yet, though I am currently working on rectifying that situation. J I have noticed in the stories I have read that you most definitely venture along the lines of darker ideals and plot lines. I’d maybe even venture to call it your “signature” so to speak. What do you consider to be your “trademark” in your books? Pinpointing a specific genre for my stories is difficult because I envelope several- deep passion a must, fantastical worlds, magic, the supernatural- there must be an element of what could never be in real life. More of a “what if”. What if we could be thrown back in time? What if a haunted house spoke? What if the evil in a man’s heart could be rectified? What if death was merely a shift in dimension? Trademark- the unknown of the human psyche and limitless possibilities. 8. Since you do tend to go for darker and more erotic stories, I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you what it is that draws you to that kind of tale? I guess it’s my own peculiar interpretation of what is supernatural. I’m drawn to books and movies that explore the vast depth of the spirit and the eternal power of love. I don’t think there’s anything more supernatural than love. It transcends time and space and most certainly, death. 9. In Midnight Tryst, you had some very unique sex scenes in there, especially the opening scene, which I’m sure made more than one person raise their eyebrow in surprise. How hard is it to come up with those kinds of ideas? That dream sequence at the beginning, in part, is mine. I have a recurring dream about swimming in the ocean without sensing the cold or the fear of what lies beneath. A freedom from the elements. That in itself is erotic. So I started writing the dream in detail and then, of course, took creative liberty by fanning the flames. 10. To date most of your novels have been dark paranormal romances. Do you see yourself continuing to write this genre or do you have plans to branch out? Well, Lady Outlaws wasn’t really dark. The time slip into the Wild West is probably the only ‘traditional’ romance I’ll write but that’s not something that’s written in stone either. Since the supernatural fascinates me I’ll likely stay with that. You see, I can write wildly imaginative concepts and no one can come back and say, “That’s not accurate.” I love that gray area between black and white! 11. If you had to think back and pinpoint who it was that inspired you to be a writer, who would you say? Would you say these same people have been most influential on your writing style? If not, then who? Although I didn’t realize it at the time, it was that summer afternoon on the beach that inspired me to write. And, to let you in on a secret, famous faces drift through my mind when I create characters. Dorantes in Midnight Tryst is Johnny Depp, Devon in Lady Outlaws is a young Robert Redford, Wyldelock in The Sorcerer’s Mark is Adrian Paul. As far as staying the course in writing I couldn’t do it without the continual support and encouragement from my husband. 12. This is one of my favorite “signature” questions to ask in an interview. If you had to write a short paragraph about your writing to convince readers to give your books a shot, what would you tell them? “Are you tired of the same position? Willing to spice-up your reading pleasure? Want to venture a little closer to what is dark and dangerous, seductive and safe? Then crawl beneath the covers with one of my heroes. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” 13. Your debut novel, The Sorcerer’s Mark, was just released in trade paperback in April 2006. How did that feel to see your first “baby” in print for the very first time? My heart constricted with pride. My Sorcerer is a delight to me and I am so very pleased he’s out in the world. Despite being a writer words fail me to describe my joy. 14. The ending to The Sorcerer’s Mark really surprised me and I loved how it turned out. I also know from you mentioning it on your Yahoo Group, Minds Eye of Dark Fantasy that you were surprised by how it turned out as well. Can you tell us a little bit about the process of coming up with endings sure to stun readers? There’s no process to explain. The ending surprised me as much as anyone. I didn’t even know until I got to the end and I guess it’d be safe to say that my fingers on the keyboard were used as the Sorcerer’s conduit. That makes it truly magical! 15. The previous question works as a perfect lead in to this one. How much advance plotting goes into your writing process? Do you plan everything out ahead of the time or do you just start writing and see where your characters lead you? I plan very little. I ‘see’ the characters in my mind’s eye, let them talk to me about the problem they need to overcome and then I start. The first page is usually the most difficult, but once I get into the groove the characters take it from there. 16. I know this is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child, but if you had to name one of your books that stands out from all the rest in your heart, which would it be and why? Wyldelock, The Sorcerer’s Mark. He’s powerful, handsome, ageless, charming and incredibly vulnerable, tormented, scathed. Despite his magic he needs Olivia on so many levels. He is pure fantasy but at the same time so human. I absolutely adore him! 17. Which characters, if any, in your books just jumped out at you screaming for their story to be told? Did you have any shy ones whom you had to gently coax into letting their tale to be told? My mind is a constant tumultuous buzz of voices. They all audition to have their worlds and their stories told. As long as my heart beats I will honor each and every one. 18. What do you have in the works? Can you give us any teasers? My drawing board is stacked! But nearing completion is a novella titled, No Ordinary Affair. Max is tired of life- his wife has left him, his private detective business is faltering, he’s lonely and he’s on the verge of ending it all. But a woman comes to his office asking for his help to get the dirty on her cheating husband. The instant attraction is too strong for either of them to fight. Yet she has an odd habit of appearing and disappearing into thin air. He starts to believe he is actually having an affair with a ghost. Ah, if only it were that simple… Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me about your books, Ellen! Do you have anything you’d like to say in closing? A puzzle in prose… take from this as you will! Beautiful Beast An emotion akin to terror overtook exhilaration. “Are we alone? Is it safe?” She took his hand, one lonely response. And then she spoke his name, void of sympathy, yet soothing. Alone. Not safe. Her flesh was porcelain white, lips crimson. Impenetrable coldness fueled the woman within, whispering of a slow welcoming death to all that lived beyond the blurred shadows. The door, at least, was locked. “You came to me,” she sighed, softness belying a stolid stare. The lust behind her eyes had stirred, sensing his need. Hot blood was feeding the cruelty of fantasy. He closed his lids, waiting for providence to deliver one sweet solitary act. Her weight was upon him; his touch forbidden. The stocking coiled, vile serpent, biting both wrists. Bound by its black silky skin he rested inside obedience, submission. Responsibility was no longer a cruel master; he belonged to this, the beautiful beast. A murky red fluid passed over his mind. He yielded to delicate freedom, and prayed it might forever infest his being. Yet the door would eventually unlock; the demon would flee, having taken a small splinter of his soul, its reward, his price for this sin. But for now… “I must have your dream,” she said, within the dream. “Of course.” He spoke without words, unable to move. She touched his tether that was her smooth tight stocking. “I must have you.” And he succumbed to her fluid movement, the ecstasy of perpetual fire. He gave up his unquiet passion; the quest within his own soul was liberated. Only vaguely could he understand that when the door cracked open he would have no option but to follow. Never safe, or alone; the shared beast was freed. Please visit Ellen's website and find out even more about her wonderful books! Read reviews of Ellen's books: A Mistress for Marcos (coming soon!) - The book will be released July 7 from New Concepts Publishing Interviewed by
Kelley |