Please welcome my fellow RWAOL member, Elise Noble. Elise, tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I haven’t always been a writer, that’s for sure. At school, I was a science geek, and when I went to university, I did an engineering degree. That was followed by a stint in IT, then I trained as an accountant. I bumped into my old English teacher the other day, and believe me, nobody was more surprised that I’ve become a novelist than her!
Away from work, I can usually be found riding my horse, who eats all my money, or walking my dog, who prefers to eat car keys. I also enjoy scuba diving and wakeboarding, as well as track marshaling at various motor races in the UK and France.
Q: What genre are your books?
A good question, and one which I sometimes struggle to answer myself. I’ve got a terrible tendency to break the rules, so rather than sticking to the usual romance tropes, I cross over into mysteries, thrillers, and humor as well.
My stories range from straight-up contemporary romance to romantic suspense, to romantic comedy, to romantic thrillers, and usually, they’re a mix of all of them. I write the books I want to read.
Q: What are you working on at the minute?
I’ve just finished drafting my twenty-first novel, which is a romance about a rather uptight property lawyer who secretly lusts over the hot model at her life drawing class. He’s got secrets, while she comes with three cats and a creepy next-door neighbour.
I’m taking a break for a couple of weeks to catch up on reading and research, then I’ve got two ideas fighting for headspace – the tenth book in my Blackwood Security series, and a possible project about the outrageous goings-on in London’s investment banks, which would be based on real events.
Q: What is the hardest thing about writing?
Finding the time to fit everything in around my day job. It’s a real push to get it all done – not just the writing, but the editing, formatting, and the hardest part: marketing.
Q: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
My first draft of my first book took close to six months, but after twenty-one novels, two novellas, and a bunch of short stories, I’ve refined the process a little. I don’t write every day. Instead, I write in blocks, and when I start, I write quickly.
My record for a novel is six days, although I was off work at that time so I had more free time. Usually, it takes me closer to a month. Before I start, I’ll spend a few weeks thinking about the plot and characters, do some research, and write out a loose outline, chapter by chapter, of one to two thousand words.
Once I start, the first half of the book is slower as I get to know the characters, and most of the time the second half just flows. I do have a tendency to rush the endings, but now I force myself to slow down a little.
My first drafts come in a little shorter than the finished product, centered around the dialogue, but I self-edit as I go so they’re quite readable. I let them rest for a while, then read through with fresh eyes and add detail where it’s needed.
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block?
Not really – sometimes I’ll take a day to think over the best way to write a particular plot point, but I never get completely stumped. I always begin a writing project with an outline, although that has been known to change it as I go because the characters don’t always behave themselves!
Q: Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
Take some time out to think. Give your brain a rest and do something else rather than getting stressed over it.
Q: I see you write two series; Blackwood Security and Trouble? What do you like about writing series?
With Blackwood, it’s like visiting old friends each time I write a new book. I’m up to sixteen novels in that world now. Although each story features a few new characters, many of the others are recurring, which makes planning and writing so much easier. I don’t have to spend hours thinking about the characters’ backgrounds and motivations – I know them all already. I’ve got another five books planned, but three of the main characters have already appeared in other stories, and I’ve been setting up for those stories since the early books. My readers just don’t know it yet!
The Trouble books are more loosely connected, with just a little bit of crossover. I actually wrote the third book in that series before I wrote the second.
Q: Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?
I have a website, which usually has some freebies and contests as well as a bit more information about me and my books:
I’m also around on Facebook and Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/EliseNobleAuthor/
As well as Instagram, because I like to play with my camera in the little spare time I have:
https://www.instagram.com/elise_noble/
Okay, I confess. I’m mainly on Instagram to look at the hot men.
Join me on Saturday when we look at some of Elise’s sexy teasers. ~Tina
The Clog Blog 
[…] If you’d like to find out a little more about me, I recently did an interview with Tina Holland on her AuThursday Blog here. […]
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