What is your favorite word? Bookish
- What is your least favorite word? Kardashian (or anything related the Kardashian clan—need I say more?)
- What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally? Moments of quiet. I try to find time to meditate every morning. The act of calming my mind and going inward helps open me up creatively. On days that I don’t meditate I can feel a difference in my writing. It doesn’t flow as easily and feels like a struggle. I think taking time out to be still is the best thing you can do for your soul and for any creative endeavor.
- What turns you off? Mean people. I hate witnessing people being cruel to others. I firmly believe that what we put out into the world is what we receive. Tiny acts of kindness can have a profound impact, whether it’s smiling at a stranger on the street or simply thanking a barista for making your morning cup of Joe. The only good thing about mean people is that I get to kill them off in my books. I always say, “Be kind because a mystery writer might be watching.”
- What is your favorite curse word? Damn. I think it comes from watching Gone with the Wind, like, a zillion times when I was a teenager. I loved Clark Gable and would replay his famous line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” over and over.
- What sound or noise do you love? Spring birds chirping in my backyard.
- What sound or noise do you hate? The sound of cracking knuckles. Shudder. It makes me cringe every time.
- What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A therapist. I think to be a good writer you have to be a really good listener and observer. The same is true for therapists. I would like to try my hand at the profession, although I might find it challenging to stay neutral. I get way too involved in other people’s stories. Call it the curse of being a writer, but I’ll make up entire life sagas about two strangers having dinner at the table next to us when my husband I go out to restaurants. My husband loves it—or maybe not!
- What profession would you not like to do? Anything involving numbers or math. There’s a reason that words are my medium. I’m terrible when it comes to even the most basic math. My twelve-year-old just chuckles when I offer up my services with his math homework.
- If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Your mom is waiting for you. My mom died when I was in my early thirties and I miss her every day. If there is a Heaven I know she’ll be there grinning with a huge cup of coffee and a plate of cookies in her hand.
Ellie Alexander is the author of the Bakeshop Mystery Series (St. Martin’s Press). She is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research.
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The fifth book in the Bakeshop Mystery Series is titled Fudge and Jury and was released on January 3, 2017.
The Girl with Book Lungs 