Featured Author: E.L. Farris

[Tawdra Kandle]

Tell us about your book: 

When high-powered attorney Helen Thompson discovers that her fifteen-year old daughter has been sexually assaulted, she takes drastic measures.

Finding herself in trouble, Helen must relinquish control and put her faith in a process she knows to be flawed. As a team of lawyers, therapists and women from a safe house help Helen and Phoebe find hope and healing, a sociopath lurks, waiting for his moment to strike.

A lyrical, dark fairytale that will resonate with fans of women's literature and psychological thrillers, RIPPLE delves into the nature of evil, without seeking to provide final answers to the issue of what makes a human commit evil acts. And while the author takes readers to scary places, she ultimately shines a light on the human condition and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit in the face of great tribulation.

Where did the idea of your (latest) book come from?

I started with a question: what would my life look life if I still practiced law? The answer was that it would look just as chaotic as it did then: it would start, as my day started the day I started writing Ripple, with barf and a broken down bus. I intended to write from the POV of an attorney, Cassandra White, and track her as she balanced work and family. Meanwhile, I had an idea of the sort of client she would represent based on a case that fascinated me in law school, in which an abused woman killed her husband. This case created the concept of the burning bed defense to homicide, and I wanted to figure out how this would play out in a case involving defense of a child.

Who and what inspires you to write your books?

I admire strong heroines. I like stories of hope, courage and redemption. I'm inspired by women I meet every day, who soldier on despite having suffered at the hands of others--who find a way to create beautiful lives out of the wreckage of their past.

Each author has her own fascinating journey. How did you begin writing?

I had wanted to write a “Great American Novel” from a really early age, and had left college the first time to pursue this dream. But life, and my own struggles with substances and mental illness got in the way. Writing brings me closest to myself, and in the past, that soul of mine was pretty troubled. So I set down that dream and went into a profession that would pay the bills.

And yet, I was unsatisfied. Unfulfilled. Practicing law left me numb inside. I didn’t admit this to anyone, but once I’d paid off my law school debts, I was done. I had children and never went back. Through this, I kept journals and the only time I ever felt really alive was when I was writing—or running.

But still, I was afraid to write that GAN. It took almost dying in a car accident to make me live each day like I was dying, to borrow from Tim McGraw. That happened on November 16, 2009, and I vowed from then on to stop hiding from my past and from myself. And I did. That’s when I started therapy and when I started writing for real.

What has been the most pleasant surprise about being a writer? How about the most unexpected downside?

Seeing my own words in print, and seeing how excited my children are to see my books, has been an awesome surprise. The unexpected downside is how much time I must dedicate to marketing as an Indie.

Do you have any particular writing routines or rituals?

No!

Do you write in order?

Sometimes. I write scenes, and often these scenes get reordered as I weave the storylines together. And if I get stuck on one scene, or one sequence or part of a book, I will work on something else until I get "unstuck."

What is on your playlist when you write?

Depends on what I'm writing, what mood the characters are in, and what the characters like. For example, in Wave, the sequel to Ripple, the lead male character likes country music, so I have been listening to more country music while I write.

Favorite writing snack?

I don't eat while I write.

Where do you like to write?

In my study.

Do you have any advice for authors wanting to publish?

Write, write write, and don't skimp on editing.

Are you currently working on anything else?

I am writing Wave, finishing edits on I Run, and also on Michael's Hand.

Who is your favorite character and why?

Phoebe, the fifteen-year old victim of sexual abuse, is my favorite character because I feel protective toward her and hopeful for her.

Favorite book of all time?

Faulkner's The Sound and Fury or J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

I think breakfast says a lot about a person. What is your perfect breakfast?

Kashii Lean Crunch

Please tell us in one sentence why we should read your book.

E.L. Farris' writing is like a vortex, quickly pulling you into the story and sucking you into an emotional whirlpool of betrayal, pain, loss, and finally, recovery and healing.

Amazon/BarnesandNoble/KOBO

Website