Ellesea Loves Reading: 11/23/20

Monday, 23 November 2020

Book Spotlight and Author Q and A: Warwick's Mermaid by Ellie Gray

Welcome to author Ellie Gray and many thanks from me for taking the time to answer my questions. Linn x

Q. We're currently in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. What five things are helping to improve your quality of life at this difficult time?

Snacking – unfortunately, being at home for work means I am eating more!
Reading – I have re-discovered an appetite for reading, which I am really happy about. In a busy world, taking time out to read can sometimes feel like a luxury. I am loving losing myself in another world, or someone else’s story.
Watching films – again, losing myself in a feel-good film is really helping at the moment.
Moving house – has been incredibly stressful (as house moves always are), made worse by the pandemic, but it has certainly given me something else to think about. We have also moved into our dream home – a period house – so I am thrilled to be living here and making the house our own.
Feeding the birds – over the year, working full time from home, gave me the chance to spend more time in the garden. It was full of birds and I really enjoyed watching them, getting to know the regular visitors. It felt good to connect to something so positive. Since moving into our new home, there are very few birds, but I’ve put out lots of bird feeders and am slowly starting to see more birds visit the garden – hopefully, they will continue to increase as they realise there is food for them here.

Q. Do you have pets, if so, what?

Until recently, we had two cats and a chinchilla. Unfortunately, our chinchilla died earlier this year, but he had lived a long and happy life and died peacefully in his sleep. He had such a big personality for such a little furry friend. My daughter recently moved out into her own home and the cats have moved with her, as they were her cats. So, I am currently without any pets, for the first time in my life. I do miss having a little furry friend to talk to, but have to say that I’m not missing all the cat hair!

Q. Who in the writing world is your greatest influence?

Enid Blyton was my first real introduction to reading, and the worlds and adventures that she opened up to me as a child were amazing. Without realising it, Enid Blyton allowed me to see that writers had the ability to transport readers straight into someone else’s story. As a teenager, I read many Mills and Boon books, and they resonated with me in terms of romance, but also understood my need for a happy ending. Even now, I find it difficult to watch or read anything without a happy ending (or happy for now). The world is a tough and stressful place, particularly now, and I also work in a stressful sector, so I read and watch films for escapism, to escape the harsh realities. I’m a happy ever after girl.

Q. Describe your perfect day.

Spending a sunny day in the garden with my family, laughing, joking, eating and playing silly games. The sun would be shining, birds singing, and there would be no restrictions on being able to hug them. I have a large family, and not being able to see them all year has been difficult, as it has been for so many.

My perfect day would be a very simple day with my family.

Q. What project are you working on currently?

I’m currently working on a romantic suspense novel set in North Yorkshire and at Christmas time. My three published novels have all been contemporary romance, so this is a slight change of genre, but I am really enjoying writing this story, and can’t wait to be able to share it with my readers.

Warwick’s Mermaid

Having escaped an abusive relationship, Chloe MacGregor is determined to put the past behind her. The little cottage high up on the cliffs overlooking the beautiful North Yorkshire town of Whitby is her safe haven, somewhere she is free to be herself.

When the arrival of her new neighbour and boss, Luke Warwick, threatens her peaceful, sheltered life, Chloe is forced to confront her past and to re-evaluate who she really is. Falling in love with Luke is not part of her plan but, to her surprise, Luke is falling for her too. The only thing preventing their happy ever after is Chloe herself. Will she ever truly learn to leave the past where it belongs?

Amazon http://geni.us/warwicksmermaid

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/742773

Apple http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781370540884

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warwicks-mermaid-ellie-gray/1126986525

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=9781370540884

I’m a contemporary romance author, published with the lovely Tirgearr Publishing, and am a proud member of the Romantic Novelist Association. I live in the beautiful East Riding of Yorkshire in the UK and, although I work full-time in the public sector, my favourite pastime, when not writing, is wandering around old stately homes.

My debut novel, Beauty and the Recluse, was published in February 2016, closely followed by my second, Love on the Nile, which was released in the Summer of 2016. My third novel, Warwick’s Mermaid, was published in October 2017 and I’m currently working on my fourth.

A few random pieces of information about me:

Favourite TV shows – The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Nashville, Dr. Who, the Great British Bake-off.
Favourite Music – I’m an 80’s girl!, country, sixties, Elvis, classical (when I’m writing)
Favourite Food – Indian, tapas, crisps
Favourite Drink – black coffee (copious amounts when I’m writing) sauvignon blanc