Elizabeth Gilliland interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth Gilliland and I'm the author of the newly released What Happened on Box Hill. I love mysteries, adaptations/retellings, and classic literature, so this book really is the combination of all my favorite things. When I'm not writing, I'm usually grading papers or hanging out with my kid.

When did your love of books begin?

I always loved being read to as a kid, but I think my real love of reading began when I got into chapter books and got to dive in deep with stories. Some early favorites were the Babysitter's Club and R.L. Stine's Fear Street books (even though I was probably too young to be reading those).

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I wrote my first "book" in fourth grade, so it was probably around then. My teacher had us do a short story writing contest and probably did not anticipate the 50-page Star Wars/Star Trek fanfiction I turned in! (But I won, so it was good incentive to keep going.)

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

It's the best and worst job in the entire world. The highs are so high (publishing my first book! Going on tour! Getting to connect with readers!) and the lows are so low (rejection! Constant rejection! Even more rejection!). I just can't imagine not writing, though, so giving up isn't an option.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Don't base your success on anyone else. Success will mean different things to different people. Decide what would be a successful outcome for YOU--and if the only shape that takes is becoming a millionaire and being famous, then maybe think of a different career path. (There are easier ways to get famous.)

Tell us about your book/books:

What Happened on Box Hill was really the book I wrote purely for my own very specific interests, so it's been so fun to hear back from readers that they're also connecting with it. I'm a Jane Austen superfan, so I thought it would be fun to put all of her characters into one book, change the setting to a modern-day university, and see how everyone interacted together. It didn't take long before people started dying.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

There are really so many lovely and supportive people, and it's an awesome feeling to be part of this bigger group of people who are all working toward their dreams.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

I'd love to hear from you! So much of writing is done on your own, but this part of the process is meant to be shared, and that's part of why I chose to publish. I was tired of my books just sitting in word docs on my computer and never being seen. I want to find my tribe of weirdos!

Where can people connect with you?

You can find me on Twitter (@egilliland7), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.gilliland.52), or email me directly at bayouwolfpress@gmail.com