Mary Ellis Interview

Q: How did you get your start writing fiction and what genre do you predominantly write in?
A. I started writing short stories in my twenties, then abandoned fiction until my forties. When I returned to fiction, it was to full-length mysteries. I’ve also written historical romance and Amish romance, but my favorite genre is mystery/suspense.

Q: What does your writing space look like?

A: I am lucky enough to have two writing spaces. One is my office, which also doubles as our guest room, and the second is a screened-in porch for nice weather. I love to create my stories while the birds are singing and squirrels and deer are only a few yards away.

Q: What part of a writing career do you find most difficult?
A. As most authors will attest, time management is the most difficult part of being a fulltime professional writer. How can I juggle sufficient time to write with promotion and marketing and still have a personal/family life? I certainly don’t have the answer, but I’m open to suggestions!

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Island of Last Resorts?
A: Kate Weller’s boss, Nate Price, has some exciting news: Julian Frazier, a friend of one of his PI agency’s wealthy clients, has invited the Nate Price Investigations team and their partners on a trip of a lifetime to his home on Elysian Island, an exclusive retreat off the Georgian coast. But there’s a catch. Frazier has written his own murder mystery script, and the PIs must work out whodunnit. As they’re about to discover, though, the murder Frazier wants them to solve is a real cold case, and there’s a killer twist that isn’t in the script . . .Unable to reach the island and her coworkers, Kate is sure that someone wants her to stay away. Can she reach Elysian Island and stop a savage killer before a deadly game reaches its conclusion?

Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?
A: I truly enjoyed bringing back old characters from previous books in the Secrets of the South Mysteries and the Marked for Retribution Mysteries. “Reunion” books are so much fun to write because you can tie up your loose ends. I believe what I liked least would be remembering the little details from previous stories—hair color, eye color, nicknames, and everyone’s peculiarities. So many readers have far better memories than me!

Q: What is the main theme or spiritual message of this book?
A: I believe the spiritual message of my book is that hatred and revenge hurt those who harbor it more than the intended recipient. We must surrender our anger and disappointment and the need to “get even” to the Lord.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. Right now I’m working on a brand new series, Murder on the Bourbon Tours. My heroine is a born-and-bred city girl who is sent to Kentucky to cover the popular bourbon distillery tours. Not only does my heroine not drink, she finds a dead body on her first day of research. Things quickly spiral out of control for my ambitious travel writer.

Q: If you could have dinner with 2 people, who would they be?
A. I would love to have dinner with two former friends that I lost contact with. Would I still have anything in common with people who were so important at one point in my life? As I age, I can’t believe the often temporal nature of friendship in our lives.

Q: Do you have a favorite hobby?
A. Yes, I love to ride my bike. We have a great bike trail through the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area close to my home in Ohio. Trees, lakes, rivers, historical sites—this trail encompasses a wide range of bio-diversity.

Q: What is the most rewarding thing you have ever done?
A. I believe the most rewarding thing I’ve done was to volunteer for our county’s homeless outreach. For one week every other month, I shopped and cooked for homeless families sheltered in our church’s basement. I was able to share the word of the Lord with some lovely people.