Interview with Ashley Elliot

A year and a half ago, I signed up for something called the June Crusade, where I was assigned to a girl named Ashley Elliot for book critiquing. Long story short, neither of us actually ever got around to the critiquing part, but I loved her book, and it sits as my favorite YA contemporary ever.

And now, it's published! Becoming Nikki is available in Kindle and paperback, and I highly recommend it.

What would you do if you were given the opportunity to rebuild a broken relationship?

  Alec and Nikki Scott are the perfect ice dancing duo, executing flawless technique and brilliant performance abilities each time they compete. No one doubts their camaraderie, not even their closest friends.

   But looks can be deceiving. Off the ice, their relationship is in shambles. Ice dancing is the only thing they have in common anymore... and Alec wants to quit.

   Just as Nikki feels like their relationship can't get any worse, an unexpected tragedy crashes into her life. She's left struggling with a difficult choice as her opinion of her brother slowly starts to change.

   Whatever she decides, she knows her life will never be the same.

And today, I have the author over for interview!

Welcome Ashley! Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your writing journey?

Absolutely! I'm a writer (obviously), musician, bibliophile, and, most importantly, a child of God. I've been writing ever since I was ten and I've loved (nearly) every minute of it! : )

Now about your book Becoming Nikki. Why do my readers need to read it?

Because it's awesome. ; )

 

Kidding.

Without tooting my own horn or anything, I think it's a really inspiring story, and one that can impact a lot of people, if they let it. It's about relationships, which I think a lot of people struggle with today – myself included – because of all our modern technology that keeps us “friends” but not friends. *steps off soapbox* I'm done. ; )

How did you become interested in Ice Dancing?

Through the 2010 Winter Olympics. I still haven't gotten over how beautiful it is!

Do you have a favorite character in Becoming Nikki?

Haha, I don't think so... I always say it's Bennett just because he has a special place in my heart, but I love all of them.

Can you tell me a bit about your favorite authors?

I have, like, a million favorite authors, but two of the biggest are Wayne Thomas Batson and Robert Whitlow. I've read nearly all of their books (about twenty-six combined!), and they're all great. I have my favorites, though – of course. ; ) Mr. Batson writes Fantasy and Mr. Whitlow writes legal thrillers with a spiritual twist, and I love both of them muchly.

Favorite movies?

The Captain America movies, To Save a Life, Julie & Julia, Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, and Star Trek (the new ones). I have a wide variety of favorites. ; )

Have any writing quirks that you wouldn't mind sharing?

Hmm... I nearly always have something to drink – preferably sweet tea. I've gotten used to writing with one song on repeat, too. It gets me into a rhythm that helps my writing.

Any music that you enjoy listening to while writing?

It depends on what I'm writing, but it's usually something like film scores, Josh Groban, or random CDs.

The last Hobbit movie is coming out. What are your thoughts here?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I'M GONNA DIE FROM THE FEELS. (The end.)

Finally, what is your favorite verse?

Yikes, that's a hard question. I love the whole Bible. : D My favorite book is Ephesians, and I really like Psalm 139. Does that count? ; )