Elle Casey's Blog

Thank you, for everything.

Six years ago, January 1, 2012, I self-published my first book Wrecked. Now I have over 40 novels under my belt, some published independently and some by Montlake Romance. My books have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Croatian, Serbian, Turkish, Hebrew, and Portuguese. I have readers on every continent and in many, many countries. I feel like a magic fairy came out of the woods six years ago and waved her magic wand over my head while I slept, because my life for the last six years has been like a dream come true. That’s all because of my readers, and so here I am to thank you for making this life possible for me–for buying and reading my books, for reviewing them, for sharing them with friends, for being interested in my life, for communicating with me, and for being patient with me.

I’ve noticed something interesting about Life: it always seeks balance. A pendulum works on a balance, swinging first one way and then the next. I’ve learned that when life gives you good things, it will soon also give you bad things, challenges. When life gives you bad things, it will soon also give you good. And I’ve learned that it’s best not to get too excited about the great things and not overly sad about the negative things because soon enough, the pendulum will swing in the other direction. I try to always be grateful for the good times and patient during the bad, because life goes on. Every cloud has a silver lining. Balance will be restored.

In the first several years of my writer-life, I wrote a book a month. Every single month, without fail, I published a new full length novel. Then I signed on with a publisher and my schedule was no longer just my own. I still published a lot of books, but it was not possible to do 12 in a year. Then I had some personal tragedies roll through my world that further slowed me down–injuries, death, suicide. And then I got sick. And I got sicker and sicker still. Let’s just say that 2017 was a struggle. I managed to fulfill my obligations to my publisher for the books I had contracted to write, but I struggled with my independent titles. I let a lot of readers down and many of them let me know it.

This is why I thank you especially for your patience this year. Now that my doctor and I are getting a handle on this chronic disease I have, making dietary and life changes to lessen my symptoms and increase my energy levels, I have faith and fully believe that 2018 is going to be a great year for me, both in my work and with my family and friends. I’m fully committed to finishing the War of the Fae series–books 9 and 10 at the beginning of the year, to adding 3 more books to the Drifters’ Alliance series, and to starting a new adult fantasy/paranormal series. I have 3 new romances (Red Hot Love series) launching in 2018 that were written in 2017, so my romance readers will also be happy, I hope. Early reviews are great! Pre-orders now available for the entire series. I probably won’t write a book a month this year or next, but I will provide you with stories you can get lost in and characters you can either love to love or love to hate. That’s my goal, anyway.

Once again, thank you. I appreciate you. I am honored to have you as a reader and maybe also as a friend. And if you’ve been disappointed by my lack of follow through on War of the Fae, please accept my humblest apologies. I have and will continue to do my best to get these last two books out to you as soon as possible.

Sometimes Rules Should Be Broken

HOT TIP FOR WRITERS, EDITORS, AND GRAMMATICALLY PICKY READERS

I put up a post on my FB wall yesterday asking for people to choose between 2 options for a sentence being used in my manuscript (a fantasy novel narrated by a 17 year old girl), trying to find the one that was more grammatically correct. Responders were asked to select choice A or B. About half the people who answered, though, tried to create a choice C and D and included editing comments regarding my use of adverbs in the sentence, the root form of the nouns, and other various things. Over and over I read comments regarding this utter nonsense that adverbs shouldn’t be used in literature.

THAT’S RIGHT. . .I SAID IT’S UTTER NONSENSE TO CLAIM THAT ADVERBS SHOULDN’T BE USED IN LITERATURE.

I’m going to explain why in just a moment, but before I do that, I want to explain for those who don’t know my work why I think I know better than people who say this about adverbs.

If you skim through the reviews of my books, you’ll probably notice a common theme: readers find my work particularly engaging because they quickly become absorbed in the story and in the characters’ interactions. They feel like they’re “there” in the worlds I create. I’m pretty proud of those reviews and am thrilled I can do this for readers. I credit my ability to do this with the fact that I break a lot of traditional writing/editing rules. When one of my characters is narrating a book, I’m watching that character in my head. I “see” her or him. I’m “listening” to her or his voice. I’m essentially taking dictation of a movie I’m watching in my head. If that character happens to be a 17 year old girl, for example, she’s going to speak like a teenage girl. She’s going to use “really” a lot. She’s going to say, “Like,…” a lot. She’s going to snort and whine and roll her eyes and use cuss words. In my (not so humble) opinion, one of the most important things an author should pay attention to when writing is ensuring that her/his characters sound authentic in every way, because if they don’t, readers will sense it and will be put off by that character; they won’t connect with that character. And if you want readers to love your work, they need to be able to connect with its characters, even the bad guys.

So, that’s the background, and here’s my hot tip for writers and grammar-picky readers (editors, you’re next): Throw out that bullshit advice that you’ve heard from a hundred different “experts” saying writers should never use or should avoid using adverbs in their work. Instead, writers, commune with your characters and let them tell their story they way they naturally would. Readers, don’t get caught up in the rules; get caught up in the story. Writers, look at who is narrating and who *should* be narrating that story. Who is your intended audience? If your intended reader is a YA genre fan (who therefore would be kids or adults reading a story that would certainly focus on teen characters), your narrator is most likely going to be a young adult and should narrate/speak like one would. If your YA novel has adult characters, consider leaving some adverbs out of their dialogue unless that adult character has a younger, more casual way of speaking. If you’re writing adult literature, the narrator is likely going to be an adult and should therefore narrate like one would. Remember, not all adults are mature, educated, or serious all the time. Again, let the *character* decide whether adverbs are appropriate, not some how-to-write-great-literature textbook.

And here’s my hot tip for editors: Yes, authors need guidance with regard to proper grammar usage, punctuation, forming clear sentences, plot consistency, avoiding all kinds of rookie mistakes (too many to list here). But any editor who tries to fit every manuscript into one box of rules is doing a disservice to the writer and her/his readers. There is no one-size-fits-all manner of editing for all novels. Every project should be approached with an appreciation not just for the writer’s voice, but the characters’ voices as well. Many of the rules you believe you “know” to be hard and fast, really should flexible (see that adverb use there? I love it! It totally gets the point across in the way I naturally speak.)

With regard to the few who will poo-poo my advice here and say something along the lines of, “What does she know? She doesn’t write great literature. . .”, I say this: what is great literature? Who decides? In my (again, not so humble) opinion, it’s readers. It’s not critics, it’s not a university, it’s not Stephen King, or Strunk and White; it’s readers. Great literature is a piece of writing (a poem, a short story, a novel, etc) that grabs the reader’s attention and emotions, pulls her/him into the story, and leaves them thinking about it, the plot, and/or characters long after the last word has been read.

In closing, I present two examples that support my assertions: First, “The Road” by Cormack McCarthy. The entire (very popular, highly critically acclaimed) novel is a morass of extremely short sentences and unmarked dialogue that many editors (insisting that the rules be followed) would have collected together, smoothed out, and put all kinds of punctuation into; and in doing so, they would have destroyed the mood of the book, which is a huge part of its appeal. Second, “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, which is absolutely chock full of adverbs and is narrated by a very insightful and intelligent but irreverent teen girl. The reason why people loved this book so much wasn’t just because of the plot; the narration was right on point for this character (and incidentally broke all kinds of grammatical and writing ’rules’ in the process.) Sometimes, rules should be broken, and in the literary world, the results can be spectacular.

Writing As Therapy…A Beautiful (Obsessive) Mind

I’m one of those people who has an obsessive mind, which might explain how I’m able to write full novels in a short period of time. I focus on one thing really hard, and I have to get it done, resolved, or taken care of before my mind can rest. Once I fixate on something, it’s pretty difficult to get anything else accomplished in my life until that whatever-it-is is off my plate. This goes for everything, not just writing projects: needs, wants, desires, tasks…you name it…once it’s on my radar, it doesn’t come off until I’ve dealt with it in one way or another.

Sometimes this obsessive personalty issue is a great thing (lots of books!), and sometimes it’s a not-so-great thing. Recently, I realized just how bad it can get, to not be able to let something go from my head.

On March 23, 2017, my son’s godmother and a dear friend of mine took her own life.

She was one year older than me at 49, and had three beautiful children, one of whom is named after me and another who was born a few days before my middle child. The day my friend called to tell me she was pregnant with her third child, I was dialing her number to tell her I was pregnant with my second.

Since I found out about her suicide, I have not been able to think of anything else. I can’t work, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I cry randomly throughout the day. I’m up at 2 a.m. every morning feeling lost and confused, without purpose. I cannot even imagine how her children or husband are managing. We have so many questions, and the only person who can answer them is gone. This is not the same grief I suffered at my grandmother’s passing in February. She was 96 and died of old age; she lived a long and adventurous life. But my friend cut her own life short when she was healthy and young, with so much to live for. It didn’t make any sense.

Yesterday, one of her daughters asked me to tell her some stories about her mom, things I remembered about her, something she could share with her siblings. They want to know her as much as they can, since they will never have the opportunity to learn more about her firsthand. It broke my heart to think of my own children needing to go to near-strangers to know me. And it took over my brain. What could I tell them about their mom that they might not already know? That they would want to know? That they should know? And what should I keep from them…memories their mom might have preferred to keep to herself?

I’m in the unique position of having known their mom as a non-family friend in her younger years, when we were in our early 20s, before I had children and when her first two were very young. Her life was very different then. I was one of the few people outside her family circle who knew her well. Being a stay-at-home mom for most of her younger life, she didn’t get to meet many ‘outsiders’ and connect with them on a very personal level. I was definitely an outsider; I came from the other side of the country with a different mindset and attitude than she was used to. We bonded immediately when we met at a company training where we’d both been recently hired. We were kindred spirits.

I couldn’t get her death–her choice to take her own life–out of my head. I couldn’t get the conversations we’d had out of my head, the memories, visions of her face, her laughter. The reel of our friendship was a loop going round and round and round. I kept asking her spirit: why, why, why did you do this? How could you? What happened? But I didn’t get any answers. I was hoping beyond hope and praying that her ghost would appear and tell me it was all going to be okay, to explain…but the only thing going on was that loop in my head…still going, going, going. My obsessive brain was functioning at full capacity. It was 2:30 a.m. and I was up again, my mind unsettled and my heart hurting. There was only one thing I knew how to do at that point, so I swung my legs off the bed and put my feet on the floor.

I’m a novelist, and since writing is what I do, I got up and walked into the next room to face a blank screen and a blinking cursor. It didn’t take long before I started hammering away at the keyboard. After the first few words were put to screen, more came. Memories rolled out of the deep recesses of my mind covered in dust and grit. I remembered things long forgotten. A clearer picture of my friend began to appear, one that hadn’t been there in the days since learning of her suicide.

Maybe it’s natural to think of only the good things you miss about a woman and how kind and selfless she was when you hear of her death. You easily forget the more human side of her, the fallible side, the one that’s not as shiny or perfect. My first thoughts of my friend created a one-dimensional view of her that made her passing that much more tragic in my heart. How could such a selfless, lively, beautiful person choose to end her life?

But as I wrote these things down, these events and conversations we shared, a slightly different picture of my friend emerged…she took on more dimension, more depth. For the first time, I saw more clearly the sadness she carried in her life, even all those years ago before we had wrinkles and sagging body parts. I saw the things I’d missed or dismissed as inconsequential details of a ‘normal’ life because I’d been so wrapped up on my own little problems. I saw that my friend had been depressed for a really long time, that she’d put everyone else’s happiness ahead of her own, but had cleverly covered up her pain with jokes, laughter, and casual comments meant to brush away concern.

For women especially, this world can be really tough. We are trained from early on to sacrifice for husband and children, to put others’ needs first, to suck it up buttercup and to not persist or resist. To not sacrifice means to risk social castigation and pariah status with family and friends. How many times have we heard these words attributed to women who prioritize themselves or stand up against poor treatment: selfish, bad mother, bossy, abrasive, slut, nag, aggressive, shrill, neglectful? There’s a price we pay for playing along, because we are only human. No one can keep on taking hits to the chin and not eventually fall to the floor. And if you fall to the floor enough times, you might just choose to stay down. It’s called survival.

I think my friend chose to stay down for years and years and years…and then couldn’t get back up again, even with the help of religion, family, and friendship. Not that suicide ever makes sense…I don’t want to say that…but after I wrote that three-page commentary on our friendship, I began to see how a person might become quite sad with her life, how she might look back after 49 years and feel a depression set in that no amount of love for children, God, or family could overcome. To lose oneself is the ultimate death. I believe my friend felt like she had already died somehow, that whatever life she had left in her wasn’t worth anything anymore. She was wrong about that, but now I can imagine how she might have seen it that way.

I am left with a feeling of remorse so profound I cannot adequately express it in words. I grieve for my friend and the loneliness she endured, even while surrounded by loving family. I grieve for her children who will have to grow up and continue on without her, with questions that will always remain unanswered. I grieve for her husband and family members who will no doubt question whether they could have stopped this from happening. And I’m angry at myself for not being a better friend, for not reaching out more often, for not staying in touch with the wonderful person who I connected with so very long ago.

And yet, I have a greater understanding of her as a person and the choice she made, through my own writing. It’s helped me to see why she might have chosen to walk away from the pain instead of continuing to fight against it. It doesn’t make it less sad or less tragic, but it makes it easier for me to understand how a person who has so much, can sometimes feel they have so little. It’s helped me sleep an extra hour tonight, and it’s helped me to see my horses standing there with their kind eyes and heavenly smell, communicating to me that it’s going to be okay…we are all going to move on eventually and that’s okay. I couldn’t see or hear them for days, the sadness I was feeling taking over every inch of my head and heart. But I hear them now. I see what they see. Life is so very temporary. I will be with my friend again, and when I am, I will envelope her in my love like I should have when she was here on Earth with me.

The pain that has come with the loss of my friend will never go away completely, but I feel my mind coming back to my family, to my writing, and to my life. Writing through my pain has helped me realize the valuable lesson my dear friend has taught me…about the importance of reaching out to people who seem unhappy and about the importance of maintaining connections with people we love. Life gets busy, but it should never be so much so that we ignore the needs of the special people around us. And if you’re suffering, why not sit down with pen and paper or at the computer and giving writing a try?

REACH OUT

If someone you care about is depressed, please don’t let them suffer in silence. Here is a great website with lots of information on what you can do to help your friend or family member: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

If you’re thinking about taking your own life, of killing yourself, please take a moment read Suicide Help or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) in the U.S.. To find a suicide helpline outside the U.S., visit IASP or Suicide.org. There are people out there who can help you. All you have to do is reach out. And if you can’t reach out to any of these places for whatever reason, reach out to me. My personal email is me@ellecasey.com. I care about you. You are important. The problems you are facing right now are temporary. You can do great things with your life. I suffered from depression when I was younger and after the birth of one of my children. I made it through and I have a beautiful life that I am so very grateful for. Please don’t give up. Just reach out.

If you like New Adult/College romance books, better get clickin’

Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted on my blog. I’m going to have to remedy that. How about we start off with a little prize action? Yeah! Let’s do that!

Enter this contest to win not only 60+ New Adult/College Romance titles, but also a KINDLE FIRE. Yes, a Kindle Fire is being given away to one lucky winner. Hot damn. CLICK HERE or directly on the picture below to sign up to win. GOOD LUCK!

Thank You

Five years ago today, I published my first book. Today I have 40 books written, I’ve sold over a million copies of them, and I have the most amazing reader-fans an author could ask for. To say I am blessed feels like an understatement!

I just wanted to pause here on the 1st day of 2017 to say THANK YOU to all of you who have invested in my work with your money and time. I hope my stories have given you many moments of happiness and escape from everyday life. I hope your 2017 is filled with great books, love, happiness, good health, and the very best life has to offer.

War of the Fae Series ending…coming soon! And a special thank you to those who’ve been waiting…

My die-hard War of the Fae fans are anxiously awaiting books 9 and 10, aka, the end of the series, and I have October 31st as the day for #9 to come out and November 30th for book 10. I’ve gotten umpteen messages from readers wanting to know when, when, when they can buy the books. I LOVE the enthusiasm (I really, really do), so it kills me to have to say this…but…I need just a liiiiittle more time for Book 9. (Ack! Don’t hate me!) I have been working ridiculous hours trying to get projects out the door (projects that piled up along with the WOTF books), and since I also need to sleep and sometimes see my family, well, it adds up to needing about another 2.5 weeks to finish #9.

BUT…(here’s the good part)…since I know this news is going to make some of my readers crazy (not nearly as crazy as it makes me!) I hope the next sentence will help you not be quite so frustrated. When the book is published in November, it will be available for 99¢ for a limited time. That’s 80% off the regular price! This 80% off deal is something I’ve never done for a new release mid-series (and probably never will again, since -knock wood- I hope to never be late publishing a book again), but I think it’s important to say thanks to all of you who’ve waited for this delayed book so patiently and kindly, lending your moral support when I had some family tragedies that interfered and life got a little overwhelming. I absolutely write for you, and I want this book to be something that makes you glad you took your valuable time to read it.

I’ll put buy links and the details of this news in my next newsletter, so as long as you’re on my mailing list, you’ll get the details right to your inbox. If you haven’t been getting my newsletters, but you’ve signed up, please check your spam folders or “Promotional” folder in Gmail. To sign up for the newsletter now, click this link.

And updated publishing schedule and thoughts on those kinds of things…

For the first three years of my publishing life, I was absolutely militant about my deadlines and writing schedule. I published on the last day of the month, every month, for years. This kind of pace and output was unheard of at the time, although I see some authors have taken on the challenge of doing the same or even more (crazy bastards that they are.)

Then tragedy struck the Casey household (not just once, but twice) and threw all my best laid plans to waste. I missed some deadlines and extended several others and then missed a few of those too. I learned something about myself during this period that I probably should have already known: I work best under pressure. This means that moving deadlines = not enough pressure = books don’t get finished.

It certainly didn’t help that I went from being an indie author to also being a traditionally published author with contractual obligations that could not be ignored regardless of the craziness I was dealing with in my private life. I don’t do breach of contract, so focusing on my projects for my publisher necessitated pushing my indie projects temporarily to the side, I’m sad to say. This disappointed a lot of readers (understandably), and increased my anxiety levels to the max. I don’t like letting my faithful readers down–it literally makes me sick, which then makes it harder to work (aka a vicious circle).

I am the world’s WORST procrastinator. Tell me I have a week to do a task, it’ll take me a week. Tell me I can get it done ‘whenever’, and it just won’t get done at all. I’m 47 now, and I’ve been this way my life, so chances of me changing–despite the fact that it makes me crazy to be this silly–are slim. With maturity comes insight and wisdom (hopefully) so I’m going to do what I can to be as productive as possible within the limitations presented by Elle Casey–this crazy, driven, determined, procrastinating woman who must write books for a living or she’ll go nuttier than she already is.

Saturday night is date night with my husband, rain or shine. It’s a couple hours in the week where we can focus together, chat about our dreams and plans for the future. Last week we mapped out my publishing schedule for the rest of this year and part of next. My plan is to stick to this schedule more rigidly than I did last year, but I’m also not going to be so militant that I neglect my family or myself. Three cheers for finding balance! Hopefully tragedy will not visit my household this year and interrupt my programming.

If you want to see what I’m going to be up to writing-wise, please see my publishing schedule, which is presented below, but always updated HERE.

August 2016

Bourbon Street Boys, Book 3. Get your copy here.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Edits on Bourbon Street Boys 4, Reading War of the Fae in preparation for writing the last books in the series (#9, and #10)

OCTOBER 2016

War of the Fae 9

NOVEMBER 2016

War of the Fae 10

DECEMBER 2016

Montlake adult contemporary romance, Book 1 delivery (release date 4-6 months after)

JANUARY 2017

Montlake adult contemporary romance, Book 2 delivery (release date 4-6 months after)
Edits on Montlake Book 1

FEBRUARY 2017

Montlake adult contemporary romance, Book 3 delivery (release date 4-6 months after)
Edits on Montlake Book 2
Bourbon Street Boys 4

MARCH 2017

Edits on Montlake Book 3
Read Drifters’ Alliance series in preparation for writing Books 4, 5, 6 in the series
Drifters’ Alliance 4

APRIL 2017

Drifters’ Alliance 5

MAY 2017

Drifters’ Alliance 6

JUNE 2017

Pilot TV episode for Drifters’ Alliance

Married to a Writer, Part 4

In last week’s installment of our Married to a Writer blog series, Craig told Noelle that he’s dog-eared all of the sex scenes in my novels. Read on to find out which one of my characters Craig inspired (and nope, it’s not who you might think!).

What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for Elle?

Craig: Oh, there are so many things… Right, Honey? I think she likes my Valentine gifts best. For the past several years, I’ve tried something new; I have her climb in my truck and head out into the countryside with a picnic lunch and a couple of rose plants in the back. I find a spot that looks right, a place along one of her regular driving routes, and plant the roses with her. Each spring we can see them blooming when we pass by. The first time I did this, I think she was a little worried when I parked off-road, pulled a shovel from the back of the truck, and asked her to take a walk with me into the woods.

Craig’s roses in bloom.

What’s your favorite genre to read?

Craig: I’m not sure I have a favorite genre to read. I guess I stay away from any chick-lit or full-on romance. I love anything by Steinbeck. As for more modern reads, I like Hugh Howey’s work (SciFi), especially Wool and Sand, and some favorites are Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz, and Private by James Patterson. I just finished I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes and loved it. I read it twice, actually. I suppose if I had to pick one genre it would be mysteries/thrillers/who-done-its.

What’s your favorite genre that Elle writes in?

Craig: I’d have to say her SciFi adventure Drifters’ Alliance. I’m a big Firefly fan, and she’s done a great job of carrying that feel into the series.

Do you have any literary ambitions of your own?

Craig: Actually, yes, thank you for asking. I completed a 120,000 page manuscript before we moved to France in 2010 and then published a few gardening books on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) while Elle was working hard at her teaching job. I’ve since written two other novels that need editing, but have never published any of my fiction. Maybe someday…

There are several husband-wife writing teams out there. Have you ever written any parts of Elle’s books? Or contributed to the direction of a plot?

Craig: I’ve never written any part of her books, but I imagine I’ve been the inspiration for some of her scenes (wink wink). I think it would be fun to try working with her, but her writing is at a much higher level than I could ever hope for. I’m afraid readers would notice the difference. It’s another one of those ‘maybe someday’ thoughts.

Do you read Elle’s reviews?

Craig: I read every one and am very good at remembering readers’ names.

If you could only pick one, which character of Elle’s is most like you?

Craig: I’m sure that I’m the inspiration for all her hunky male leads because she’s told me so time and time again, but if I had to pick only one it would have to be Tim the Pixie in War of the Fae. It’s something to do with his excessive gas problem.

Craig and Elle on one of their many adventures in France.

So, readers, I know Noelle tried to cover as much as possible, but do you have any questions for Craig about what goes on behind the scenes at Elle Casey HQ? Ask away in the comment section below!

Married to a Writer, Part 3

Last week we left off with Craig mentioning deadlines at Elle Casey HQ. Read on for the next installment of Craig’s chat with Noelle.

What’s it like at the house when Elle has a deadline approaching?

Craig: It depends on whether it’s a contractual deadline or a self-imposed one. If it’s a contractual one, then Elle buckles down and pumps the work out. She just locks herself away and works until she’s done. The self-imposed deadlines are a bit different. If the story is flowing then she works well into the night and I just try to sleep while she types away next to me. If the story isn’t rolling along then she needs to let things percolate. It’s obvious that when she misses a release date that she’s promised fans, it upsets her. She really feels a responsibility to her readers, and although she tries to hide it, her distress is obvious.

You’ve mentioned before you cook and clean for the family. What’s Elle’s favorite meal of yours?

Craig: When Elle’s on a deadline or working hard on a book, I do handle some of the cooking. She’s a great cook and likes to work in the kitchen, but if she can’t then I take over. I’m really a pretty terrible cook though, and about the only thing anyone has requested more than once is my spaghetti. I feel a bit guilty about that because all it is is hamburger and sauce from a jar.

Sitting down to a rambunctious family dinner.

Elle has been known to type up to 20,000 words in a single day. She must be exhausted after such an effort. How does she unwind after an intense writing session?

Craig: When she’s cranking out the words it sounds exhausting, but it actually invigorates her. I think she feels good about getting the voices out of her head and onto paper. Once in a while we have the kids order in pizza and just the two of us get away for a nice dinner or a drive in the hills. Lately what helps her unwind is playing with the horses or dogs. There’s something about watching them play that puts a big smile on her face and makes her laugh.

This is 26-year-old Funky, who’s wearing his special mask to protect him from pesky flies.

Do you always read Elle’s drafts? What’s it like to give her feedback on her work?

Craig: I think that I’ve read all of her drafts, but I’m not an editor. I really just tell her what I like about the story. Early on I gave her my ideas, but that didn’t go well, so now I just mark the few spelling errors I find. Her first drafts are really almost finished products anyway. Sometimes when she has some plot issues to work out, we take a walk. I ask a few questions and that prompts her to think of solutions that fit with the story.

What’s it like to read the sex scenes in her novels?

Craig: I’ve dog-eared them all.

Speaking of dogs, meet Sid, the newest addition to Elle’s family. Yep, that’s dog #4!

Check back next week for more of the blog series Married to a Writer. In the final episode,Craig shares the most romantic thing he’s ever done for Elle, and which one of Elle’s characters he thinks he inspired (it’s definitely not who you’d think!).

Married to a Writer, Part 2

Read on for more of Noelle’s interview with my husband, Craig. And of course he’d wear that shirt!