Too many of my
friends live too many time zones away. One
of those, is the talented Elle Amberley.
Elle released her latest novel, Lost in Your Time, this spring and was so
gracious to stop by and chat with me today. I could write a thesis on the reasons I admire and love her. Instead, I will let her do the talking. Enjoy!
Look at Elle and one of her sweet babies... adorable!
Jen: Tell
me a little about your inspiration that led to your latest novel, “Lost in Your
Time?” I think it is so poignant with how globally connected our planet
has become with social media. At any time, any one of us could be “one
click away” from making defining choices in our lives.
Elle:
You've done your homework Jen, love that. Yes, Lost in your time is all about
that moment when Natasha clicks on that link. It happened to me. One moment I
was just about surviving and the next I jolted back into life. The power of a
memory, something that had happened more than twenty years ago. Another
country, another life, a little girl who was a fighter.
I’d
like to think I would have regained my “joie de vivre” eventually but I got a
massive kick that day. I just stared at the screen transfixed. What I saw was
familiar, in the way I’d heard this song before, but it also confused me as the
last time I’d heard it was “that” summer back in Corsica. I must have been 10
years old. Yet, more than 26 years later, there it was. I’d never liked French
music, yet, I remembered the words. It was such a recent setting too, but very
exotic, in a place that didn’t make any sense.
The
beauty of it completely floored me, provoked this intense reaction. I recently
read a quote about how you never experience music as powerfully as you do in
your teens. A few years ago I would have agreed with this, that no band can
recreate that intense gut grabbing feeling you get in your teenage years. Life
can be full of surprises, especially if you’re open to them.
Jen: Memories
can be so powerful! Especially when they
find us after so many moons pass us by. It always amazes me how a place, a song, and even a scent can send my thoughts into the past. The mind is an amazing time machine.
What book is on
your nightstand right now?
Elle:
Groan. I have no room on my nightstand. I get so many books sent to me,
friends, publishers... It’s lucky I’m a fast reader. Let’s have a look.
Night by Elie
Wiesel, the new Murakami, Magic Hour
by K. Hannah, The Life you’ve Imagined,
A Mother’s Wish, The Last Boyfriend... Are you still with me?
Do you have a new
project in the works?
Elle:
A new project, me? I have so many new projects I'm running around like a mad
woman and can't sleep at night. No change there then. I often work on two or
three projects at the same time. I know nothing about writer's block. I've come
to the conclusion that rather than being slightly schitzo I'm
just creative. At least that’s what everybody has been telling me. I’ll
take it.
Jen: I love that you take on multiple projects,
stories in your mind/on the pages at the same time. I think so many times, as authors and manic
writers, we feel like we have to backburner ideas and finish works in progress
first. I am so glad to see you embrace
the manic writer in you!
If you could
have lunch with anyone, living or deceased, whether they are important to you
personally or someone you find fascinating, who would it be and why?
Elle:
Well, now you’ve done it! Made me go all emotional :)
I
would love to have a good chat with my grandfather; he passed away on my eighth
birthday. I adored him; he's the only person in my family who never did me any
harm. Over the years I've made my peace with what happened in my
childhood and put the ghosts to rest while writing Nowhere Left to Hide. Still I wish somebody could enlighten me
about my mother and the rest of our family. So many questions will never have
an answer. I wonder how things would have turned out if he had been in better
health.
That
said, I don't live in the past so I'd love to have you around for a good old
chat and also many of the wonderful friends I've connected with thanks to the
Internet.
Notice Elle's glass is empty...
Jen: I didn’t
mean to make you tear up; so sorry. I
try not to go Barbara Walters on people and open the floodgates. *Jen sends hugs across the miles* And I KNEW it was me all along that you wanted
to dine with! Ha! I think that we would be escorted out of the joint,
at closing time, for loud and boisterous behavior that lasted over an 8 hour lunch.
You and I are
alone, and have the entire ice cream shop to ourselves. Can you imagine
the joy? Tell me what the ingredients would be in your favorite sundae,
and don’t forget the cherry on top!
Elle:
Yum, I picture Italian ice-cream. In France you can order a Dame Blanche, I love
that, it's vanilla with hot chocolate sauce and cream. Café Liégeois is also a
favourite, coffee ice-cream with hot chocolate sauce.
How
about apricot, rhum raisin and white chocolate? I do love to try lots of
different flavours.
Look! Baby raisins!
Jen: Because it’s
you, I will try a bite of the raisin ice cream.
Just for you. Only you! My general rule for raisins is that they
should always fly solo. For some reason,
they creep me out in cookies, breads; you name it. When eaten alone, they make me smile! Maybe that’s a childhood phobia from a raisin
incident gone badly. Hmm…
Little known secret;
you and I are both gluten free girls. If you came over to my house for
dinner, I would make you my fabulous
pizza from scratch. What would you cook for me?
Elle:
You know, I’d love that. Don’t keep tempting me, I’ll end up on the next plane.
I
must confess I used to cook a lot but these days I'm spoiled, my husband does
much of the cooking. I love fish and I never eat meat. Eating is still very
much a struggle for me because of my health problems. My husband was horrified
when I was diagnosed with coeliac. What was I going to eat? Well, of course,
the coeliac thingy is the last of my problems. Some days I’m able to eat one
food, the next not. How are you with humus and avocados?
Elle:
I love pinning. Isn't it so much fun? Mostly I pin pretty pictures of my
favourite places and especially the ones featured in my novels. I also pin cute
animals, arty and crafty stuff. Often one of my children will peer at the
screen and coo 'pin it, pin it...' which is why I now have boards for them. So addictive!
Have a
wonderful day!
XOXO
Jen
