Instagram- @elizabethsaloauthor
New release: Amazon in Exile
Tropes: Strong female character, dude in distress, different worlds
Exiled and overthrown.
Kalliope James was content to hide from her painful past until a chance encounter with sexy anthropology professor Sam Treadwell changes everything. An expert in Greek mythology, Sam knows more about the Amazon warriors than anyone, including Kalli herself—an immortal former queen of the Amazons who was banished from her homeland.
The life Kalli thought she’d left behind comes back to haunt her when Eris, a fellow exiled Amazon turned international smuggler and arms dealer, threatens the very existence of her people.
Kalli and Sam must race across the globe to stop Eris from carrying out her deadly plans. But, can Kalli confront her own personal demons—and her growing attraction to Sam—in time to avert disaster?
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for 20+ years, though I published for the first time in fall of 2023. I love stories and the escapism they provide. No matter what’s happening in your life, you can find a book that will help you and support you. They can bring you comfort or action and adventure. They can take you away from wherever you may be and show you new worlds. They can show you happiness and love in a world that can often be anything but happy and loving. I wanted also wanted to drive home the point that women can be just as strong and powerful as men are. They can be the heroes of their own story, and don’t always need to be rescued.
What most inspires your writing?
Honestly, I thrive on routine. The more consistently I write, the more easily it comes for me. The longer the breaks are that I take between writing sessions the harder it is for me to reel my brain back in and get back to work. I also just love coming up with fun new ideas for stories and almost always have more story ideas in my head than I could possibly have time to write.
What is your creative ‘process?’
My creative process involves a lot of brainstorming and coming up with unique ways to move the story forward. I tend to write paranormal romance stories, usually involving some amount of magic or special powers. In order to do that, there’s a lot of world building that goes on that helps define the scope and scale of the powers and the characters. Why can they do this thing, but not this other one? What can this character do that’s different from this other one? Once I have some basic ideas. I try to start outlining a story structure. It’s usually a lot more defined at the beginning of the story and looser the further it goes to allow for any changes of direction or brilliant ideas that pop into my head along the way. I start writing when I can mostly outline the first half of the book, and by the time I’ve written that far, I generally know what’s going to happen in the rest of the book.
Who do you look up to most in this profession and why?
Probably Nora Roberts. The woman is a powerhouse of an author and her energy seems unbounded. She somehow continues to crank out books year after year. I only hope I can get to even a fraction of her accomplishments one day.
What’s your most recent 5 star read?
I’m a huge fan of almost everything Lucy Lennox writes, and give basically all her books five star reviews.
I’ve also recently started reading Ilona Andrews (the Kate Daniels series) and really enjoying that.
What’s the most surprising thing about being an author?
The most surprising thing about being an author is how much time and energy you have to expend on things that aren’t actually writing. There’s this idealized view of sitting at your desk banging away at a keyboard all day long, but there’s so much more to it than that. There’s editing, design choices, social media, advertising, and basically running a small business. The things that crop up are almost never ending.
What is your favorite candy?
Generally gummy candy. Often of the sour variety.
What is something unique about you?
I seriously wish I had magical powers, but I don’t. Because I don’t, I take great enjoyment of writing about people that do have special powers. People who can do things I never could. I can craft them to be whatever I want them to be and give my characters whatever strengths (and weaknesses) I feel like they should have. I also love Greek Mythology, so that sneaks into my stories quite frequently (some times more blatantly than others).
Finish this sentence: “When she reached forward towards the doorknob ….
When she reached forward towards the doorknob, she froze in place as she sensed the power radiating from the other side of the door.
What is one of your exciting upcoming ideas/themes for a project you haven’t started yet?
I have recently started my next book series. I’m about halfway through book one of a four book series on elemental witches, though my brain is already off to the races with ideas for books 2-4. Beyond that, I’m not sure. I’ve contemplated books about mages and dragons, or some sort of shifter story.
Who is one of your favorite heroines and why?
Wonder Woman, at least as she’s portrayed by the first Gal Gadot movie. That movie heavily influenced my decision to write a trilogy about immortal Amazon warriors, so I gotta give my girl some props.
Who is one of your favorite villains and why?
Loki. He’s so insanely smart and clever, and always just on the verge of being good before he falls back into his evil ways.
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Cassie Swindon conducted this interview. Check out one of her nine published books. The Wicked Blue is a standalone (modern) fantasy romance that some would categorize as PNR. It’s a little mermaid gender swap retelling.
