Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Elle Klass, author of Baby Girl.
.jpg)
Elle says:
Elle says:
My life is not one of pure excitement although its had its moments. I was born in Redwood City California, just outside San Francisco. I spent my entire childhood and beginnings of my adult life in the San Francisco Bay Area. I love the city and I love the Forty Niners. I currently reside on the east coast in a suburban area attached to a overwhelmingly large city, area wise, straddling the Atlantic. My hopes and dreams are to one day move further south or west on this peninsula and live beside the ocean, preferably the Gulf.
Eleven years ago I began a teaching career which I still am currently working at. It has its benefits but also drawbacks which seem to be growing by the day. The one benefit it did allow is summer breaks where I could write stories instead of the daily hum drum of a 9-5 24/7 job. Not to say I don't like teaching. I adore the many students whom have crossed the threshold of my classroom doorway and I find myself most delighted when I find they have forged decent paths into adulthood. I have spent countless summers creating stories which I will publish in due time. During the ten months of the year I teach makes writing and editing a difficult task but I find the time and paid leave also helps. Okay, I won't lie when I use paid leave it's for vacations or emergencies but mental health days are an emergency as the school year draws closer to summer.
My latest task is the slow daunting task of editing Eye of The Storm and finishing Baby Girl. Within the next couple months look forward to Baby Girl: Book 2.
Tumblr- http://elleklass.tumblr.com/
1. How many books do you plan on publishing in the next two years?
I plan on publishing the next three Baby Girl books in which the
reader will eventually find out all Cleo's families dirty secrets, why
her mother abandoned her, along the way a few laughs at the awkward
situations she finds herself in. I plan on completing and publishing
Eye of The Storm this year. Eye of the Storm is a horror/suspense
novel in which Sunshine finds her perfect reality threatened by
another woman's tragedy, Eilida. Slowly their lives begin to
intermingle while Sunshine desperately seeks their connection. Next
year I plan on writing the sequel to Eye of the Storm, where the
reader travels into the past and delves into the world of Evan
O'conner and Det. Burkhalder, I also want to finish and publish Just
Another Day, a wacky novel about a high school biology teacher and her
students as they encounter a seriously crazy eventful day.
2. How did you decide on the cover art for your books?
My oldest daughter, Renae, illustrated the cover of As Snow Falls and
the inside picture. I simply gave her an idea of what I wanted and
she's read the story, using her talents she drew a beautiful picture
which gets many compliments. I would love for her to illustrate more
books for me in the future. The other covers I designed myself
layering and tweaking pictures.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
My favorite place to write is somewhere quiet and comfy,noise
distracts me while I'm writing so quiet is a biggie. I also load up on
whatever I need before writing such as coffee, water, snacks close by
because when I write I enter that world and probably won't come out
for hours.
4. Who is your muse/where do your most creative ideas come from?
My creative ideas come from all over, something I saw while observing
people at a restaurant, my wild and crazy dreams, or simply my
overactive imagination. Every story is unique and none have come from
person, place or thing in particular although while I'm writing I put
strange true tidbits into each story such as boogie woman in As Snow
Falls, she was real and evil or Sunshine's apparition in the kitchen.
I once thought I saw a ghost in my kitchen but when I looked again she
was gone. I created Sunshine's ghost to look similar to the one I
thought I had seen.
5. When did you decide to become a writer?
I published my first book several months ago but have been steadily
writing for 8-9 years, since my daughters became old enough they
didn't need my attention 24/7. I have decided within the past year to
become a writer. My family has always asked when I was going to
publish something but it was the tragedy of losing a close friend that
made me realize life is far too short not to follow your dreams.
6. If you could choose any famous author to critique your work, who
would it be and why?
7. Do you want any of your works to be made into a movie?
Sure, I would be flattered if someone came to me wanting to make one
of my books into a movie, although I wouldn't want them to butcher the
story. As an excessively visual person my stories are motion pictures
in my head when I'm writing.
8. If you could choose a soundtrack to go with your latest book, what
musicians would you choose?
I would probably choose Evanescence, and maybe Oasis for a couple
songs and if this sound track was for Eye of the Storm than Plain
White T's and Delilah would have to be on the soundtrack.
9. What time of day do you prefer to write?
I have learned to write whenever I get the chance as a full time
teacher I have little time to be picky about the time of day but I
know I write best when I first wake up with a cup of hot Starbucks
home brewed coffee and a dash or Bailey's Irish Cream. The last couple
hours before I go to bed is also a creative time for me.
10. What is your favorite book-based movie?
My favorite book based movie is the Hunger Games, now having said that
I have never read the book. I rarely watch the movie and read the
book, not because I'm one of those people that is bothered by the
discrepancies but I already know the ending which takes half the fun
out of it. There are plenty of books and movies out there that I
haven't read or seen their endings. I also love True blood, and yes I
have read all the Sookie Stackhouse novels. True blood is very loosely
based on the books therefore the ending every season is always a
surprise.
I plan on publishing the next three Baby Girl books in which the
reader will eventually find out all Cleo's families dirty secrets, why
her mother abandoned her, along the way a few laughs at the awkward
situations she finds herself in. I plan on completing and publishing
Eye of The Storm this year. Eye of the Storm is a horror/suspense
novel in which Sunshine finds her perfect reality threatened by
another woman's tragedy, Eilida. Slowly their lives begin to
intermingle while Sunshine desperately seeks their connection. Next
year I plan on writing the sequel to Eye of the Storm, where the
reader travels into the past and delves into the world of Evan
O'conner and Det. Burkhalder, I also want to finish and publish Just
Another Day, a wacky novel about a high school biology teacher and her
students as they encounter a seriously crazy eventful day.
2. How did you decide on the cover art for your books?
My oldest daughter, Renae, illustrated the cover of As Snow Falls and
the inside picture. I simply gave her an idea of what I wanted and
she's read the story, using her talents she drew a beautiful picture
which gets many compliments. I would love for her to illustrate more
books for me in the future. The other covers I designed myself
layering and tweaking pictures.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
My favorite place to write is somewhere quiet and comfy,noise
distracts me while I'm writing so quiet is a biggie. I also load up on
whatever I need before writing such as coffee, water, snacks close by
because when I write I enter that world and probably won't come out
for hours.
4. Who is your muse/where do your most creative ideas come from?
My creative ideas come from all over, something I saw while observing
people at a restaurant, my wild and crazy dreams, or simply my
overactive imagination. Every story is unique and none have come from
person, place or thing in particular although while I'm writing I put
strange true tidbits into each story such as boogie woman in As Snow
Falls, she was real and evil or Sunshine's apparition in the kitchen.
I once thought I saw a ghost in my kitchen but when I looked again she
was gone. I created Sunshine's ghost to look similar to the one I
thought I had seen.
5. When did you decide to become a writer?
I published my first book several months ago but have been steadily
writing for 8-9 years, since my daughters became old enough they
didn't need my attention 24/7. I have decided within the past year to
become a writer. My family has always asked when I was going to
publish something but it was the tragedy of losing a close friend that
made me realize life is far too short not to follow your dreams.
6. If you could choose any famous author to critique your work, who
would it be and why?
7. Do you want any of your works to be made into a movie?
Sure, I would be flattered if someone came to me wanting to make one
of my books into a movie, although I wouldn't want them to butcher the
story. As an excessively visual person my stories are motion pictures
in my head when I'm writing.
8. If you could choose a soundtrack to go with your latest book, what
musicians would you choose?
I would probably choose Evanescence, and maybe Oasis for a couple
songs and if this sound track was for Eye of the Storm than Plain
White T's and Delilah would have to be on the soundtrack.
9. What time of day do you prefer to write?
I have learned to write whenever I get the chance as a full time
teacher I have little time to be picky about the time of day but I
know I write best when I first wake up with a cup of hot Starbucks
home brewed coffee and a dash or Bailey's Irish Cream. The last couple
hours before I go to bed is also a creative time for me.
10. What is your favorite book-based movie?
My favorite book based movie is the Hunger Games, now having said that
I have never read the book. I rarely watch the movie and read the
book, not because I'm one of those people that is bothered by the
discrepancies but I already know the ending which takes half the fun
out of it. There are plenty of books and movies out there that I
haven't read or seen their endings. I also love True blood, and yes I
have read all the Sookie Stackhouse novels. True blood is very loosely
based on the books therefore the ending every season is always a
surprise.
Contact info for Elle Klass:
Whitehall publishing webpage- http://whitehallpublishing.com/ek.html
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/ElleKlass
