What does author Ella Medler want us to know about her?

The rules are simple. There are 20 questions but you only have to answer 10-15. let's see what Ella is willing to share...this is one of the best interviews I've had on my blog!

 As a writer, what drives you?

My readers. It’s easy to give up on a project. Readers who fall in love with your characters, with the worlds you create, and they have an incredible knack for poking and prodding you back into action. It happened to me. As much as my fans rely on me to entertain them, I rely on my fans to keep me going.

 As a woman, what drives you?

I am a woman – that should be enough. I’m driven and passionate by definition. I’ve also been lucky enough to be born a mix of several nations, so there’s some Latin blood in my veins, among others. I take the most excellent out them all and use it to my best advantage. ;)

 Can you tell us about The Hunter Series?

The Hunter Series is an action thriller trilogy, plus a spin-off which depicts the life of a secondary character, Tequila, and the traumas that have made her into what she became. So far, I have written and published the first two installments of the trilogy, completely changed my mind about where the conclusion will go – working on the outline for that one as we speak – and have completed about fifty percent of the research I need for Tequila’s story.

Nick Hunter, our protagonist, is a damaged man, an ex-contract killer who rebuilt his life. Trouble is, his old life hasn’t finished with him. Shady characters from his past step forward and seem unstoppable in their quest to destroy him and his family. In Blood is Heavier, book one, Nick Hunter’s son is kidnapped and his wife presumed dead in a house fire. Blood is Power continues from where the first book left off (though both books are stand-alone stories and can be read out of sequence) with Nick attempting to get to the bottom of what appears to be an unusually tenacious and resourceful web of powerful people. He discovers a net of human trafficking and corruption which leads him to his death. Unless he takes the deal. What deal? Read it and find out. (see my review below)

Happy Ever After or Happy For Now? Why?

Happy for now. Always. What happens when you have it all? When there’s nothing else you want? I don’t even want to think of that scenario. I make sure there’s always more to aspire to, new dreams, new targets, new projects. I write the same way I live – full on!

How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in your books?

Umm... a tiny bit... maybe...

Describe yourself in five words…

Impatient, opinionated, honest, caring, human.

 (In your humble opinion) best and worst book to movie adaptations…

There are no good adaptations, in my view. Books are always best. Your own imagination is the best producer, scene editor and director rolled into one. Worst... probably the Twilight Saga. Though 50 Shades will probably get the top spot, when it hits the big screen.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

I outline my action thrillers. I find writing fantasy easier without an outline. Techniques? I wouldn’t call them techniques – more common sense. There isn’t a definitive wrong or right recipe for writing anything, no matter what people say. Do what comes naturally, what’s easiest and what stops you from procrastinating. For example, I used separate word documents and split screens for one of my books, excel for timelines and chapter analysis, and separate folders for research. As for automated programs – they’re not for me. For creativity, I trust my own brain far more than a randomising computer program which is ultimately only as clever as its creator.

When were you first published? How were you discovered?

I spent a summer writing and re-writing the first three chapters of my fantasy satire book, Martin Little, Resurrected. In the end, I realised I needed to put myself under some pressure, or I’ll never complete it. So I wrote chapter four while researching agents in the UK, and then selected three agents to query every week for four consecutive weeks. Their turnaround time ranged from five to six weeks, and they all wanted to see the first three chapters, so my target was to have the book finished by the time any of the agents could have asked for the rest of the manuscript. Ha! No one wanted to see it. One of the twelve said he saw the potential in something like it, but they didn’t handle that kind of fantasy. Some didn’t even bother to send a rejection slip.

I was annoyed. In fact, I was fuming. So I did another round of research and found most agents liked crime, action or thrillers – far more than dealt with the fantasy or satire genres. So I started writing what became the Hunter Series and decided to skip agents and aim straight for publishers while I wrote. All three publishers I queried wanted to read the rest of Martin Little, and I was offered three contracts. One was a clear con, another said their list was full, but offered to take me on the following year. More waiting! Nah! I went with the third.

I became aware of the indie movement as I waited for my first book to be published. I did get offers from the publishers that knew me to take on Blood is Heavier, but by then I had decided to try and publish it myself. Being in charge of every aspect of the publishing process fits me and my impatience perfectly, and so I’ve stayed indie after my first book.

Incidentally, my indie-published books are doing much better than the traditionally-published one. That could be because of the different genres, or maybe I just got better at my craft, but that is one detail that makes me glad I made that jump into the unknown sixteen months ago.

Time for over and under… (In your humble opinion) famous overrated/underrated book?

I’m probably going to get lynched for this, but I don’t understand this fixation with the classics. Yes, I read them in school. That was in the days when pupils received reading lists at the beginning of the school year and were required to read and review a certain number of books – all classics, all boring enough to not have made a lasting impression. I liked adventure, I liked sci-fi and fantasy – what child doesn’t? Austen, Dickens, Hemingway – overrated. Shoot me! Shakespeare had a certain je-ne-sais-qoi – a spark of originality that appealed to me enough to remember his plots, even if I don’t remember the characters’ names. Few others make the mark.

 Overrated/underrated movie?

Anything nominated for awards, I avoid like the plague. They’re rarely entertaining, and their political agendas stink a mile off. Yes, I am a cynic. I live in the UK. It’s in the water, here. In movies, as in books, I look to be entertained. If I enjoy myself, if I laugh or experience another strong emotion, I’ll remember it. Books work the same way. I’ve spoken of overrated authors before, so let me speak of underrated movies now.

I was only young when I saw Hitchcock’s The Birds, and by all rules I shouldn’t have enjoyed it – the movie is far older than me – but by golly, do I remember it! I even remember the movie theatre where I saw it, and the fact that it was a matinée and I should have been in school. Now, that’s what you should aim for as an author, too. The readers should feel that book they’re reading, it should rock them to the core, and they should be able to tell their children and grandchildren about it while they experience at least some part of the same emotion they felt when they first cast their eyes over it. That is my aim, in my writing.

 How (or when) do you decide that you are finished writing a story?

When the characters have finished growing and the plot arc is complete. You can’t force an ending, and you can’t keep going past the natural conclusion, simply to add to the word count. It shows, and it’s disastrous. I so wish people knew when to stop writing. I read a book last week – five star all the way, till the 90% mark. Then it dropped to four. The ending was so badly fumbled and completely unsatisfactory, I didn’t even bother writing a review. Just as in life, know when to shut up. It’s not something that can be taught easily.

 People are always asking me this so I’m paying it forward. Where does your inspiration come from?

Anywhere and everywhere. I’m a people watcher; always have been. My mother tells me that, as a child, I used to take some toys and give them to my friends, then stand back and watch them play. Now, I could be sitting on a bench, and I’d notice people, then try to guess their story – an old woman walking a couple of steps behind an old man, yet still connected on a deeper level; a child pushing his sibling in a stroller; a teenage boy walking on the edge of a larger group of youngsters, almost as if he really would love to be ‘in’ but hasn’t found the strength of his self-worth yet to either walk away on his own, or butt into the conversation.

Ideas are everywhere. The ones I like best are news items which are perfectly suited to international conspiracies or intrigue. Love myself some conflict!

The good guy, the bad boy and the right guy…could they be one and the same?

Of course. We all are. We’re never all dark or never-ending brightness. We’re all creatures of shadow, shades and tints and nuances. In our day-to-day lives, we let some of ourselves shine through, but conceal other parts. We change depending on circumstances, we take out the bitch at times, and hide the Samaritan, when we feel we’ve been taken advantage of, or we morph into heroes when another human being desperately needs help. The good guy and the bad boy are made the same way. Both are real, and they certainly could be the same person. When that person is right for you, you’ll know.

The old adage “Write about what you know”...

... is OK if you’re happy to never develop. I would feel uncomfortable to go through an experience and get nothing at the end of it. I like learning. In some ways, I wish I could be a perpetual student. The internet makes that easy. I didn’t know, when I began writing my thrillers, what weapons the Special Forces used. I researched and found out. I didn’t know much about people or human organ trafficking, I didn’t know anything about the Maldives. I researched and learned, and I feel so much more accomplished for it. Was it easy? Hell, no. But you get out of your life what you put into it. The more effort you make to build an amazing product, an unforgettable book, the more satisfaction you get out of your job ultimately.

My review of Blood Is Heavier - The Hunter Series #1

My love for thrillers is officially back!

4.5 blazing stars!

Hotness Factor: All the action I need! 

Once again, no blurb reading for Danny! An action thriller set in London, I thought, this would just be a real treat for me! I used to read these types of books before and until early June I almost forgot how much I've always loved that genre. Readers may not realize how much research is involved in the writing process, especially for a genre like thriller. The thought of writing a fight scene still intimidates me :)

But Ella Medler...she delivered! (Sassy finger snap) She put me right in the center of the action, sometimes I even knew more than the characters which was frustrating...in a very good way. You know me, I'm always screaming at me poor Android and biting my poor lower lip when things are really juicy! Nothing like a book mentioning good and reliable Asda to make me smile... 

Nick Hunter... now who was daft enough to poke a sleeping bear like this one? The fact that we only scratched the surface in Blood Is Heavier of what Nick was really capable of...genius!

Tequila... a badass chick and a badass drink, I enjoyed her the most in this book! Girl Power! Duh...

I'm so happy, the second book is already out! I recommend! I recommend! I recommend! 

By the same author: 

The Martin Little Series (fantasy satire): Martin Little, Resurrected (published by Andrews UK - 2011)

The Hunter Series (action thriller): Blood is Heavier - 2012

The Eternal Series – in collaboration with K.S. Haigwood (paranormal suspense/romance): Eternal Island - 2012, Eternal Immortality - 2013

Future work:

Blood is the End (book three and last in the Hunter Series)

Deal With It! – Tequila’s Story – spin-off from the Hunter Series, by popular demand

Martin Little Takes Epic Action (book two in the Martin Little Series)

Eternal Inception (book three in the Eternal Series)

Pariah (book one in the Unwanted Series - drama)

Retard Ed (Sci-fi)

Author bio:

Ella Medler is a U.K. author and free-lance editor. She writes fiction in more than one genre in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books are action-driven and well-developed characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor. To keep up to date with her current writing and future projects, visit her website at http://ellamedler.wordpress.com/