Literary / YA (older teen)
Publisher: Cur Dog Press
Published Date: February 7, 2019
Seventeen-year-old Kelly is in a spartan boarding school in northern Idaho, sent away for drugs—as planned. Her little brother Sammy is left home in Missouri, getting ready for high school. He is twitchy, quick, writes dark poetry and longs to play football. He’s also got a nose for trouble, and Kelly has left a sordid truckload. Her sadistic ex is involved, so is one twisted teacher, and so is the object of Sammy’s crush. He’s in deep, and Kelly’s warnings fall flat, and the consequences will be dire.
Author Interview:
For the record, please state your name.
Idyllwild Eliot
What inspired you to become a writer?
Life. Pain. Fascination with people. I had to get the emotions out somehow, so I just started writing. It wasn’t a lifelong plan or goal.
What are your hobbies?
Hiking, yoga, and coffee shop sitting.
What are you passionate about?
Prose. I love good prose, so I strive as much as I can to write compelling prose.
What interests are you into?
People and their actions. I’ve started reading some psychology books, the more educational kind, to better my understanding. I love to delve beneath the surface to see the real drivers to behavior.
What social media do you use to contact with your fans? Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Facebook and Twitter. But I’m not a fan of social media, so it’s a constant challenge.
What is your username on the different social media platforms? (do you want this information to be published)
@IdyllwildEliot — for Facebook and Twitter
What did you do before you became a published author?
Odd jobs. I did some service industry work, like at an ice cream shop, and some office gigs as well. Office jobs helped me learn spreadsheets that I use for planning. It’s the structured side of me.
Do you have another job other than writing?
I found that if I try to write and have any sort of real job, then both suffer. So I go back and forth from temp job to writing to temp job.
How long have you been writing for?
Ten years or so. Well Below Heaven is my debut, but I’ve got partial pieces floating around.
What's your writing style like?
I hear voices, and I put them down. I don’t know what kind of style that equates to.
What's your favorite genre to write/read in and why?
I tend to write gritty life stories, and read suspense. I’m putting a little more suspense into my works right now, but it has to start with the characters.
What's your least favorite genre to write/read in and why?
Horror. Even though I think Steven King is great writer, I have no desire to facilitate my nightmares.
Some writers have something playing in the background, do you and what?
Seldom. Every once in a while I’ll put on some ambient music—the new agey kind, or classical. As long as there aren’t lyrics.
What's the inspiration behind your books?
WBH was a purging of my adolescent angst. Of course, that angst seems to reproduce itself, so this may be an ongoing element to my writing.
If you could do it all over again, would you change anything about your books?
Yes. Always.
Is there anything you found particularly challenging about writing?
Finishing is brutal. The last words before it gets sent out are the hardest by far. That’s when the insecurities seem to quadruple in size, and grow horns and fangs.
Who are your cover designers?
Cur Dog Press did the WBH cover for me.
What authors are your inspiration?
Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway. I go back.
What is your take on fanfiction?
Not a fan at all. I don’t mind an homage or reference, but using someone else’s work is like sampling a song.
What advice would you give any newbie author or anyone that wants to pick up writing?
Write until you can’t write anymore. Then start again when you can. It fits any timeframe.
What are your fondest childhood memories?
Rough question. I truly enjoyed watching the neighbors play football in the snow. I actually played a few times, tackle. I wouldn’t recommend it to other girls, but for me it was wonderful.
And I liked the woods. I still do, which is one draw to the Pacific Northwest. The smell and the clean air are special.
If you Don’t mind tell us a little about your personal life?
If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep my personal life personal.
Do you have any causes, charities, foundations that you are passionate about and donate to? if so why? how did you get involved??
I avoid causes. They tend to overwhelm rationality. But I give to cancer research. And I always check the charity to ensure that the vast majority of the money goes towards the cause. Too many nowadays are moneymakers for the charity organizers and marketers.
Do you have any pets?
Not at the moment. But I love both dogs and cats.
Some fun questions now
What age were you when you were first kissed?
Twelve
Who was your high School sweetheart?
Too personal.
What did you want to be when you were little?
A news anchor. No longer.
What is your favourite colour??
Blue
What is your favourite food/s?
Fish tacos. Mahi Mahi #1, Cod #2.
What are you afraid of?
Liars. But it’s become more of an adversarial relationship that a fear.
How old were you when you first got drunk?
Twelve. But I think I was drunk on one wine cooler.
What was your first car?
An old Honda Civic.
Did you live in a house or apartment when you were a child?
House
What was your favourite tv show as a child?
That 70’s Show.
What was your favorite book?
The Catcher in the Rye is and probably will remain my favorite book forever. Other Salinger I didn’t enjoy nearly as much.
Who did you have a crush on when you were in school and how old were you?
No names, but twelve. That was a big year for me.
Tell us about your Book/S?
I know this should be old hat by now, but it’s not. So if it’s okay, I’ll just leave the blurb for WBH, which is my only published novel.
Seventeen year old Kelly is in a spartan boarding school in northern Idaho, sent away for drugs—as planned. Her little brother Sammy is left home in Missouri, getting ready for high school. He is quirky, quick, writes dark poetry and longs to play football. He’s also got a nose for trouble, and Kelly has left a truckload. And it’s sordid and dangerous. Her sadistic ex is involved, so is one twisted teacher, and so is the object of Sammy’s crush. Kelly warns him away, to no avail. He’s in too deep, and the repercussions could shock the town, and cost him his life.
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Tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something not many people know about? Can you share with us the best way to contact you and where to find your work? This is where you have the floor.
The full first draft of WBH was written on an unlined sketch pad, left handed. (I’m right handed)
I’m fairly private, so the best way is via the Cur Dog Press web-site or social media.
My work can be found online at all the prominent retailers—Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, Kobo, iBooks. A few local bookstores have picked it up. If you’re in Kalispell stop by The Bookshelf. In Carlsbad, California, try Fahrenheit 451 Books. They’re two of my favorites that sell new and used books.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with us!!!
About the Author:
After adolescence survived in the Midwest and a few obligatory years at the university, Idyllwild Eliot embarked on a journey of internal and external exploration. With stints in Houston, Louisiana, and even Thailand, where she studied yoga, Ms. Eliot has become a semi-professional vagabond. Most recently (at the time of publication) she has been experiencing the North American west. If not sipping a cocktail on a deck in the northern Rockies, she might be found bodysurfing in Southern California, watching Bald Eagles in Montana, or in some other picturesque town hiking, meditating, or sitting with her laptop open and, at its side, a stout mug of black coffee. Well Below Heaven is her debut.
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