Please recommend a romance you recently read and enjoyed.I recently read LJ Shen’s Dirty Headlines, and as is always the case for me with her books, it didn’t disappoint. I’m a very visual person, and I find that consuming visual forms of storytelling helps keep my creative juices flowing, while not specifically trying to write. My current motto is “You can sleep when you’re dead.” What do you do when you feel stuck?I’m fortunate enough to never have suffered from writer’s block, but on the few occasion when motivation wanes, I force myself to write, no matter how paltry an amount. I write every day, more often than not, into the small hours of the morning, but I know that’s what I need to do to achieve my not inconsiderable short and long term goals.

It’s not always easy, but you’ve just got to get your eyes down, bum up and keep working and moving forward. However, one thing I’m currently living by is that you just have to keep on keeping on. What’s the most important lesson you have learned on your writing journey so far?It’s hard to pinpoint just one, as the past year as a published author has been a steep learning curve. In the meantime, when I want a break from the dining table, I head to our local café, or even IKEA for a change of scene. When that’s all done, I’m planning on taking it back over and creating a beautiful writing haven. However, I do have an office (aka the spare room), but it’s currently serving as a bit of a junk room during our home renovations. What’s your favourite place to write?Hmmm…I write at my three-metre-long kitchen table. I was a big reader from day one, so my first solo read was so far back I don’t remember it, but I do remember reading Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol at around nine or ten, which started my love for Dickens. There were many favourites though-Where the Wild Things Are was another that stands out in my mind. I still have a soft spot for Pooh to this day. I was enthralled by the combination of words and pictures. What’s the first book you remember reading on your own as a child, or your favourite childhood read?One of the first books I really remember loving as a child was a beautifully illustrated Winnie the Pooh picture book. MV will be attending the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous ARR2019 author signing in Sydney on 24 March. Her new novel, Finding Marnie, was released earlier this month. Up first to reveal her secrets is MV Ellis, author of four contemporary romances.

Today is the first in my 2019 interviews with women wordsmiths.

Break You by M.V. Ellis