Author Q&A with Ellie Alexander

Words cannot express how excited I am to share this post! Squeee!!! My first author interview on this blog! And it’s with Ellie Alexander!!! (I know, I’m using a lot of exclamation marks but I’m just so darn excited!)

As you may know from reading my blog, I’m a huge fan of cozy mysteries, especially culinary cozies, and two of my favourite series are by Ellie Alexander (which is actually a pen name of Kate Dyer-Seeley’s) – The Bakeshop Mysteries and the Sloan Krause Mysteries. Both of these series are ones that I eagerly await new additions to and I’m beyond thankful to Ellie for taking the time to answer some questions for me. In fact, when I started this blog, one of my goals was to do a Q&A with her, so this is a big milestone for me (I can take a break from blogging now, yes? Oh, that’s not how it works… right). So without further ado…

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m Ellie Alexander, mystery writer and overall dabbler in baking, beer, and the great outdoors. I write two mystery series. The Bakeshop Mysteries are set in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon (where I actually live) and feature a romantic pastry chef, Juliet Montague Capshaw who bakes beautiful, artisan pastries and stumbles upon murder. My other series, the Sloan Krause Mysteries are set in Leavenworth, Washington (where I frequently visit) a Bavarian village tucked into the Cascade Mountains. Sloan is paving her way as the first female craft brewer in town, experimenting with new beer recipes, and wait for it… finds bodies in the fermenting tank and slumped over the bar.

List three fun facts about yourself that we wouldn’t read in your  ‘official’ bio.

• I’m fluent in American Sign Language
• I can’t live without cilantro
• I am a horrible singer. Side note – this doesn’t stop me from singing off key in the car or the shower.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote my first mystery in second grade. It was titled The House on the Haunted Hill. My parents saved a copy which I still have today. It had very little plot or character development, but it did have some great descriptors, like cobwebs that swept across the hallway and creaky doors. I think I was destined to write cozy mysteries because the plot it did contain involved two girls who ended up at a haunted mansion when their bikes broke down. They explored the creepy old house and ended up finding bike repair kits in the basement. Once they fixed their bikes they rode off happily ever after.

Who are your favourite mystery writers?

I have so many favorites! My childhood favorites were Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. One summer when I was in junior high I read all of Agatha Christie’s books. I love Kate Atkinson, Frances Brody, Louise Penny, Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourn, and Jacqueline Winspear to name a few. Honestly, I read anything and everything I can get my hands on from mysteries to sci fi and historical fiction to literary fiction.

The one thing that no one told me before I started writing mysteries is that it’s really hard to read a mystery while writing one. When I’m working on a new book I read something outside of the genre and save my stack of mysteries for when I’m between books.

With at least two books coming out this year, you must have quite a busy writing schedule! What is your schedule like when you’re writing?

I write 2,000 words a day when I’m working on a new manuscript. I’m pretty regimented about my writing schedule. I write a first draft from start to finish without making any edits. I jot down notes about things I want to change later, but otherwise I just write until I get the story down. When I finish a first draft, I print it out, set it aside, and walk away from it for a few months. I find that I need distance from my writing to see where things are falling apart and what needs fixing. I’ll come back to the draft with fresh eyes and begin editing. It usually takes me two or three rounds of edits before I’m ready to send a book into my editor. The last thing I add to any of my books is the food. I want food to feel like a character, so I layer in recipes and descriptions of whatever Jules or Sloan are baking/brewing on the last pass.

The ninth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series (Live and Let Pie) just came out at the end of 2018 and the tenth book (A Cup of Holiday Fear) is scheduled for release this coming September. How do you keep a long-running book series like this fresh?

One of the gifts of writing a long running series is that I’m so connected to the characters and the bigger cast that I don’t have to spend a lot of time creating the world or thinking about what a character might say or do. I know immediately that Lance is going to burst onto the scene, comment on what Juliet is wearing, and kiss her on both cheeks. It’s also been fun to get to showcase and flesh out some of the secondary characters, like the staff at Torte. I’ve been picking a character to focus on with each new book, where those characters get to take center stage. The challenge with keeping the writing fresh for me is about the actual mystery. I’m too connected to the characters that sometimes I have to step outside of my head and remind myself to plant clues or get to the body already. I’m working on book #11 as we speak and to shake things up a bit we’re going back in time to the 1980s when Torte got its start. I’m super excited to take on this project and more than slightly nervous. I’m going to be writing part of the book in present day from Juliet’s perspective and part of it back in time from her father’s perspective. Fingers crossed, hopefully it will all come together.

Why did you decide to base your latest series around a brewery?

I live in the Pacific Northwest where craft beer is part of the culture. There are literally brew pubs on every corner, but historically the world of beer has been dominated by men. That’s really changing. There are a number of women taking leading roles in breweries of all sizes. There’s a great organization, The Pink Boot Society, that is working to highlight women in beer. I had read an article a few years ago about the interesting flavors and styles that women were bringing to the craft. At about the same time my husband and I were in Leavenworth, Washington, where the Sloan Krause series is set, for Oktoberfest and I learned that our favorite brewery in town, Icicle Brewing, was owned by a woman. That became my inspiration for the series.

Can you share with us a few of your favourite breweries and beers?

Well, since I’m a Northwest girl at heart I love a good IPA. The more hops the better. I also really enjoy pale ales, and reds. I’m not a huge fan of stouts or sour beers, but since writing the series I’ve had so many opportunities to meet brewers from throughout the region and taste new varieties and styles. I feel like my palate is constantly being expanded. There are so many great breweries. It’s kind of like books. So many breweries, so little time. A few of my favorites are Fort George in Astoria, Pfreim in Hood River, Crux in Bend, Caldera in Ashland, and Icicle in Leavenworth.

I know this will be a tough one, but which of your characters is your “favourite”? If you can’t answer that one, then which one do you identify with the most?

That’s such a great question and equally hard to answer! Really both Jules and Sloan are part of me. I think I identify with Jules on so many levels. First and foremost baking. Food has always been a love language in my family and I really enjoy getting to weave that theme into the books. Of course Juliet’s a professional pastry chef and I most certainly am not! Helen, Jules’ mom is based on my mom. She was a counselor and amazing home baker. She would get my friends and me to open up and dish about our problems over plates of homemade brownies and vanilla cupcakes. Sloan and I share many qualities too. She has a deep connection to her teenage son, Alex (inspired by my son who is a teenager and whose middle name is Alexander). Sloan is in her forties and knows who she is, which is another thing that I like about writing her. She’s not struggling with defining herself, but rather with what’s next for this new stage of her life.

Aside from your upcoming books, are there any other projects you’d like to share with us?

In terms of new projects, as I mentioned I’m working on the 11th book in the Bakeshop Mysteries and then I’ll turn my attention to the 4th book in the Sloan Krause series. I’m also getting ready to launch a Torte Test Kitchen series on my YouTube and other social media channels. I’ll be baking recipes from the books, as well as testing recipes for future books, and trying out recipes from some of my favorite professional chefs. I’m really excited to be able to bring the food in my books to life, so to speak.

To keep up to date with Ellie:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | GOODREADS

What are some of your favourite Ellie Alexander books? Was there anything in this interview that you found interesting or surprising?