S L Saunders
Repawter: Lisa Greener
How did you choose the names of the characters?
Some names, like Ellie, Bill, and Grandpa Jo, came easily to me, but I derived some of the more complex names from an old book called “The Dictionary of Mysticism,” including Ahriman and Ahura Mazda. Those two names are Zoroastrian (a very old religion) and helped shape the book’s overall narrative of good versus evil.
How long did it take you to write your first book?
Oh, goodness, a long time! Around 20 years.
What was the inspiration for you to write the book(s)?
My children. I wanted to write a story for them. The first inspiration for the story was when we were all visiting a family member who had a lovely arched-shaped window and a red velour settee. That’s where I imagined the scene in chapter one where Ellie encounters Octavian.
Do you write in any other genres?
Yes, last year, I branched out into the genre of romance, particularly supernatural romance- I think it is great fun and light-hearted writing.
Are you writing, or have you written another book?
Yes, several! I have a full draft for a romance book, and I’m halfway through the second book in the Ellie and the Underworld series, ‘Ellie and the Keeper of the Keys.’ I have several others outlined, one of which is a children’s book. Furthermore, ‘The Little Book of Christmas Stories,’ a Christmas anthology from Green Cat Books, includes my short story, ‘The Ghost of Christmas Cheer.’
What is your favourite book of all time?
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, I must admit it has been a long time since reading it.
What one piece of advice would you give someone writing their own book?
Not to give up! There were countless times I thought I would never finish ‘Ellie and the Underworld,’ but I did.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
It was writing my book as stated in the previous question, I doubted if I would ever finish writing ‘Ellie and the Underworld,’ but then I found Green Cat Books online when an old friend of mine, ‘Elijah Barnes,’ author of, ‘The Witch And Jet Splinters,’ published his book. I remember looking at who the publisher was and what publishing packages they offered. I reached out and gained their help, and the rest is history, as I now have my book published.
What is your favourite food?
Tiramisu is my all-time favourite food, but as a diabetic, it has to be a rare treat.
What is your favourite type of music?
Oh, difficult as I love many genres of music – but recently I have been loving the band, ‘Jungle.’ They are a mix of electronic, funk, pop and soul.
Where is your favourite place to be?
This is another hard question to answer anywhere, in the natural landscape, especially by the sea. I visited the beautiful Scottish island of Iona, several years ago; it had the whitest sand and bluest sea, and it was breathtaking.
Finally, and most importantly... What was your most embarrassing moment?
I’ve experienced numerous embarrassing moments; lots will remain private, but I’ll share this one. One day, I was chatting with my partner, and I said, ‘Oh, I love that Gilet.’ My partner laughed at me, I had pronounced it in the way I had read it, ‘Gilet,’ and not in the way it is supposed to be pronounced as ‘Jee-lay,’ with the ‘g’ being soft almost like a ‘j’ and the emphasis on the ‘lay,’ part. It just goes to show we are all learning every day, and all make mistakes, but we still do have a good chuckle about it, and I continued to pronounce it as ‘ Gilet.’
