Thank you for joining us for our third and concluding installment of our conversation with newly published LDS chick-lit author, Elodia Strain. If you missed parts one and two, click here.
Elodia, I mentioned in my review of your book “The Icing on the Cake” that I’m sure you have a long career ahead of you. What are you working on now? What can we expect to see from you five and ten years in the future?
As we finished up yesterday, I had just mentioned my Mexican heritage. I really want to write a story that has all of that color in it. I just finished reading a novel about a young woman in an Italian Mafia family and am now reading a novel about a Greek-American woman. It’s fascinating to get a look into those worlds. I think I would love to write something with a bit of my own heritage in it. But that’s probably a few books away.
Right now I’m working on the sequel to “The Icing on the Cake,” and I also have another book that’s very close to me that I’m working on. It’s a lot more personal than anything I’ve ever written, and I think it’s an important story to tell.
As far as many years in the future, I have a whole notebook full of ideas. I keep notebooks everywhere for when inspiration strikes. All I know is that I want to keep writing until my mind won’t let me anymore. Someday I’d like to write something with my dad. He’s a closet writer, and I think it would be cool to do something with him. He has some great ideas.
What do you find is the biggest challenge in being a writer?
I think it’s that sometimes a book editor or a magazine editor or a newspaper editor will just say “sorry, we’re not interested,” which can sound an awful lot like, “I know you just handed us your heart, but sorry, we’re going to have to rip it out.” That’s the one aspect that can stink.
But when I think about that I think about JK Rowling, who was rejected numerous times before the first Harry Potter book was published. Now she’s number 2 on Forbes’ list of the twenty richest women in entertainment. I love that a writer is on that list, it’s just so cool to me. Not that I’m into riches or anything—I’m just happy for a fellow author.
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
One of the best things about being a writer is seeing my book in a library. I have printed off web pages from a few libraries with the name of my book and “checked-out” next to it. Thinking about someone coming into the library, finding my book, and then taking it into their home is just such a thrill to me.
Thank you for this interview, Elodia, and thanks to all who have joined us. Keep your eyes out for books by Elodia Strain, and be sure to check out her website.
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