Interview With Author Ellie Lerum
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I’m Ellie Lerum, a mother of two beautiful girls, a wife to an amazingly talented artist, and an author.
My family, both immediate and found, have been incredibly supportive through this journey and provide a lot of feedback; I’m grateful to each of them, as this road can be rather lonely at times. My husband, for instance, completes all of the artwork within my books as well as the covers themselves while my found sister is the first person I trust with the written works as a beta reader.
Currently, I’ve written two full-length novels, three novellas, and a handful of short stories that were featured in various anthologies. All of my works focus on some aspect of life that people shy away from; grief, death, pregnancy loss, disability, mental health, trauma… all topics that we really do need to discuss more and remove the stigma around.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’m releasing Phantom in the Dark on October 21, a gritty fantasy that becomes allegorical. Phantom, as my husband and I call it for shorthand, was originally written in 2022 after we lost our first pregnancy. I found that I was incredibly alone during that period, especially when no one around me could identify with that grief. I was also diagnosed with generalized anxiety and depression during that period, offering new insights to my own mental health but a severe lack of individuals willing to discuss the matter. With that in mind, I decided to fight against the silence and give myself, and others who experianced similar situations, a voice.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say I do, outside of setting up a canopy tent most days and doing all I can to remain outside. I’ve come to associate my desktop computer as the social media and planning center while my laptop, which I take most everywhere, is my writing device; using my laptop outside has become a staple during the summer months.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
J.R.R. Tolkein has always fascinated me, but I think one of the books that really influenced me was ‘Love, Ruby Lavender’ by Deborah Wiles; when I was younger, this book was the first introduction I had to prolonged grieving as the main character worked through the loss of her grandfather and her grandmother’s eventual vacation.
I’m also a huge fan of Rick Yancey’s Monstrumologist series. It’s a gothic horror set in 1886 New England that follows the young apprentice of a monstrumologist (monster hunter, for lack of better explaination). It truly was a glimpse into writing horror without gratuitus gore, minimal violence, and envocative descriptions that made me unsettled at night.
What are you working on now?
Outside of working on book launches, I’m writing the third book in the Cassy series. Specter in the Shadows focuses on the idea of marriage, childrearing, and leadership amid the uncertainty of the world. Characters met previously in the Cassy series are rejoined in Fort Haven, an old outpost, and discover that the world around them has erupted into sieges and war; not only must they navigate that stress, the main character, Jean, is faced with having to either choose magic that serves her purpose, or turning away from magic to follow a god she doesn’t fully trust… but who can save her.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is a huge one for me, but I also do in-person sales at craft fairs and markets. Facebook allows for digital connections, and reaches a larger network, but the in-person sales are my favorite as they let me meet people and hear stories from others. I’ve heard many testimonies, many stories of heartbreak, and tales of triumph since starting this journey, some of which shared in confidence after reading my works. It’s a huge blessing, and I’m so grateful for it.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I highly recommend that new authors ‘swallow the frog first’, a term that Mark Twain is said to have coined. Whatever the hardest task is that day, finishing it first means that you don’t have to dread doing it later in the day. There’s more motivation to get it done in the morning, and you suddenly have more desire to do other things afterwards.
I also believe new authors have to have community. An acquaintance of mine said there are three things people shouldn’t do themselves; cut their own hair, touch scissors after a breakup, and edit their own work. Others in their circles can read their work and point out issues, and they can do the same for those around them.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The local pastor once said that the inability to celebrate other peoples’ blessings cummulates in the inability of receiving blessings joyously yourself. I hold tightly to that, especially as a self-published author. It’s so easy to look at achievements and be envious, which isn’t where I want my heart to be.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Courageous, by Randy Alcorn, as well as The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I believe my writing journey is to continue until God tells me otherwise, and so I’m going to follow characters in my books until their stories are done. After Specter in the Shadow, I’ll be doing a novella with my husband, another childrens book, and then Wraith in the Light (the fourth and final book in the Cassy series).
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is a hard one, as it’s such a good question! I’d likely take The Hobbit, The Monstromologist, and the Bible.
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