Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m A.D. Ellis. I’m the author of A Torey Hope Novel Series which contains four books, and Torey Hope: The Later Years. The second series is a spin-off of the first and will eventually have four books, but it has two published at the writing of this interview.
I’m a busy wife, mother, and inner city alternative school teacher along with being an author.
I love music and my tastes range from Christian and gospel, to bluegrass, to country, to pop, to rock, to indie artists, to the classics. I don’t have rules when it comes to my music, if it’s catchy or has great lyrics, I’ll listen to it.
I love to read, however I don’t get as much time to as I’d like. I love to write, letting the stories pour out of my head and take shape on paper is rewarding.
I’m a lover of pizza, chocolate, unsweetened iced tea, sweetened hot tea, Mexican food, and Denny’s cheeseburger, fries, and ranch. I also get a natural high when I can find awesome deals at thrift stores. A pair of Tommy Hilfiger pants for $2.00 with the tags still on? Heck yeah!
One thing you may think makes me crazy is that I get up at 3:30 am to go to the gym. I *hate* getting up that early, but I *LOVE* the feeling a good workout gives me for the rest of the day. The early morning is the best time for me, it’s my only *me* time. So I make it work.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest release is Sawyer. It’s a male/male romance. I had no intentions of ever writing a male/male romance. Not because I’m against them, I *love* to read male/male, I just never thought I’d write one.
But, I also never planned this second series. From the moment I wrote Sawyer’s name in the first series as a little boy, I knew he was gay. So when I decided I’d take the little boys and have them grow up and come back to Torey Hope to settle down, I knew I couldn’t write three of them and not give Sawyer his story.
So I asked readers if they had any gay friends or family I could talk to. I wanted to make the story as realistic as possible. I was introduced to a dear reader’s son, Brett. He has become a close friend and he truly made Sawyer’s story what it is today.
Sawyer’s story was in my head from the beginning of the idea to write this story, but Brett’s input made the story realistic and so much better than it would have been without him.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t stand to have anyone behind me while I write. I need music, usually without lyrics if I’m writing. Lyrics are fine if I’m doing read-throughs. I usually need hot tea by my side.
I also have to have time to write. I’m not one who can pound out a scene on a lunch hour, I need to be in the right frame of mind and not distracted.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is only an interview, not a chapter book, so I can’t go into that much detail. I have been reading (or being read to) since I was a little girl. As I got older, I fell in love with romance novels.
When I got my Kindle in 2012, I realized there was a whole community of independent authors who were writing and publishing without the backing of big name publishers and I wanted to give it a try.
I have a handful of author friends who have inspired me and continue to support me as we all travel this long, bumpy, rewarding path of being an independent author.
What are you working on now?
At the time of writing this interview, I’m writing book 3 in Torey Hope: The Later Years. It’s titled Zach. I wish I was one who could pop a story out in a month or two, but I started writing Zach right as school started and it’s been very slooow going.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I have the most connections on Facebook, but I wouldn’t call it a successful platform for promoting. I also use Twitter, Instagram, Amazon author page, and my own website along with my newsletter to reach readers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t EVER engage with readers in a negative way. Just don’t. Bad review? Don’t respond. Nasty comment? Don’t respond. Also, don’t let yourself get involved with the drama-mamas. There are tons of them, it’s best to just keep writing, engage with your readers in positive ways, and find a few close author friends.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Wow, I’ve gotten a lot of good advice.
In my personal and professional (teacher) life, “Be patient, have faith” are words I’ve always tried to follow.
In my parenting life, the best advice I ever got was “Take all the advice you’re going to get, sift through it, throw out the bits that don’t work for you, keep what does work, and just love your baby.”
In my author life, “Keep writing” is a good one. “Have your work edited” is another good one. “Toughen up” is great because you’ve GOT to have thick skin when it comes to bad reviews and negative comments.
Overall, I think advice I got in 8th grade and this again just recently has been the most helpful. “Not everyone is going to like you” and “You may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you’ll likely be someone’s favorite brand”…..good words to live by; I just try to be myself and if people like me, great. If they don’t, that’s okay too.
What are you reading now?
I’m on a male/male romance kick right now. Truly, these days, if I get a moment to read, I’m picking up male/male. I love all romances, sweet and tough guys, those words and scenes which make your heart beat faster and your breath hitch in your throat.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will finish this second Torey Hope series, and then I will likely lock myself in a closet and mourn their stories being over. I truly think of them as my family and friends and I love them dearly. But, after I recover, I hope to start some new books whose ideas are fluttering around in my head.
What is your favorite book of all time?
This question is soooo not fair! Okay, I’m going to go with one I just recently found. I love it because it’s such a fantastic representation of reading and writing and the joy of books. It’s called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Here’s a link: http://amzn.to/1KwcnMJ There’s also a short film of this story which won an Academy Award. It’s a great book for all book lovers!
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A.D. Ellis says
Thanks for the interview! I enjoyed it!