Interview & Giveaway with "Ransomed" author Elizabeth Ender

Earlier this fall, author Elizabeth Ender agreed to do an interview with me for The Inkpen Authoress. An interview complete with a giveaway of her debut book, Ransomed. 

I have not had the chance to read this book yet, but everything that I have heard about it tells me that Ransomed is a book worth reading. And it has a beautiful cover and you know how important covers are to me.

   Both of them have promised to protect me. My Lord is not here. The Stranger is. One said I would die if I left; the other says I cannot live unless I go...And to go with one means to forsake the other. 
   Do I stay or go?
   This is my choice. 

At long last, I would love to present to you Elizabeth Ender speaking on her story, Ransomed:

1. As a first time self-pubber, what was the hardest part of the process?

 Probably finding the time! Trying to self-publish as a full-time college student applying to medical school was, perhaps, not one of my more brilliant ideas. Getting breaks lined up with my illustrator's time frame and figuring out all the endless details that appeared out of seeming nowhere was definitely a challenge. Formatting was also somewhat of a nightmare, but, oy I learned a lot. :)

2. What was easier than you expected?

The final editing. After messing around with it every couple years on my own, I hired as an editor an author whose writing style I loved (Rachel Starr Thompson) and sent her the story rather expecting it to come back in pieces. How little she actually marked up and suggested changing, and how big a difference those changes made, surprised me. 

 3. How long did it take you to write Ransomed?

I wrote it when I was about thirteen, and I'm pretty sure I wrote it in not more than a few sittings. Since then, however, it has been through many beta-readers, several re-writes and much, much editing. Also, much sitting on a shelf, so the answer to that is somewhere between a few days and a decade.

4.  What was your first thought upon holding a copy of your book in your hands?

I ordered about three proof-copies before I was satisfied with my formatting job (which all said PROOF COPY on the inside), and then ordered a large order for people I knew personally. That order did not come until right before I left for medical school, so my reaction when picking up an actual a finished version of my book was honestly, 'It's finally here!' LOL. I think if the process had not been quite so long and if I had not been involved with every step of the way, there would have been a bit more awe. :)

5. Who did the fabulous cover-art and how did you decide you wanted to use that artist?

Louie Roybal III , who also illustrated the inside! I contacted several illustrators but kept running into dead-ends, and was somewhat on the desperate side when Jessica Greyson suggested him. I contacted him, and he was generously willing to give me a price cut since I am donating all net profits to ministry.
(Rachel: What a cool idea...I love that, especially since Ransomed is an allegory!)
 

6. In a world of consistently-growing technology, what are your feelings on e-books vs. their paper counterparts?

Personally, I spend enough time on the computer that picking up a book in paper form is a treat. As of now, I don't intend to publish an e-version of Ransomed, both because of time-constraints (formatting a different version is not high on my list of things I want to do :) and because, as an illustrated short story, I really do not see Ransomed as made to be read on a computer. But perhaps that belief is colored by my own memories of my mom reading to me as a child, and the hours and hours I spent curled up with a book. :) (If anyone has a different opinion I would be interested to hear it.)

7. What style book is Ransomed, and can we expect any future books to mirror its flavor?

It is a first-person short-story allegory set in the Middle Ages. :) Neither short-stories nor allegories are among my typical writing categories, though I do have a few first-person novels, and several involving castles and kings, etc. What I believe does tend to bleed into my writing, and I think all my novels can be classified as explicitly Christian, though perhaps not as extremely as this one. :) They will all probably be rather more different from this than alike, though.

8. Do you like pickles?

The answer to that question for most of my life would have been a rather emphatic 'no', but in the past month I have eaten both kimchi and swordfish and actually liked them both...Now I will say that, given that I sometimes like pickles with other foods, at some point I may begin to like them plain. :)

9. Do you drink tea or coffee? (This is a mandatory question for new interviewees on The Inkpen Authoress)

Good question. :) Tea, yes. Coffee, no. (Or not yet; we'll see what medical school does to me. XD)

10. Do you have difficulty hearing your words read aloud?

I tend to have a difficulty reading my words aloud...it just feels incredibly awkward and makes me royally self-conscious. I guess I have not often heard other people reading them...but I think for my longer stories it's a good idea -- hearing what people stumble over or how it sounds in someone else's voice is really good for catching trouble-spots. :)

Many thanks to Elizabeth Ender for letting me run her through the wringer with my questions. If you would like to try your hand at winning a copy of Ransomed, follow the instructions below! A winner will be chosen and notified on Thursday, October 24, 2013.

Mandatory Entry: 

Follow The Inkpen Authoress and leave your email address and name in a comment below. (2 entries)

Follow-Up Entries:

 Follow Elizabeth Ender's blog (2 entries)

Follow me (@Rachelswhimsy) on Twitter (1 entry)

Share this interview on Facebook (1 entry)

Buy a copy of Ransomed (and come back to tell me about it.) (5 entries)

Have fun, and let's all thank Elizabeth for taking the time out of her hectic med-school life to chat!

 

 

Elizabeth Ender. Current med student with a big imagination and unfortunate time-management issues. Lover of horses, cats, and sometimes puppy-dogs. Also a private pilot, because there is absolutely nothing like flying. Daughter & sister (family is forever). Music is necessary to my continued existence. Addicted to reading like I am to breathing. Story-teller, because it's in my blood. A child of the Most High King, because He loved me, created me, and made me His own through the precious blood of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.