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Elisabeth’s Year In Books

Elisabeth’s 2022 Year in Books

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Elisabeth Elo’s Followers (212)

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Elisabeth’s Friends (528)

Natalia Iwanyckyj

1,812 books | 677 friends

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Elisabeth Elo

Goodreads Author

Born

Los Angeles, The United States

Website

http://www.elisabethelo.com

Twitter

ElisabethElo1

Genre

Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Member Since

September 2013

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Elisabeth Elo is the author of NORTH OF BOSTON, chosen by Booklist as a Best Crime Novel Debut of the Year. Published in six countries, it was also an Indie Next selection and a Book of the Month / Literary Guild Selection. Elisabeth’s second suspense novel, FINDING KATARINA M., is forthcoming in March 2019.

Elisabeth grew up in Boston, attended Brown University, and earned a PhD in American Literature at Brandeis. She worked as a children's magazine editor, a high-tech product manager, and a halfway house counselor before starting to write fiction. To learn more, visit www.elisabethelo.com. ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Elisabeth Elo I've thought about this a lot, and I'd say there are five things that a writer needs to succeed: knowledge, talent, hard work, persistence, luck.

First…moreI've thought about this a lot, and I'd say there are five things that a writer needs to succeed: knowledge, talent, hard work, persistence, luck.

First, you’ve got to read enough to know what a novel is and how it works. It helps to find a book you really like and take it apart to see how it's made, sort of the way a mechanic would take an engine apart to see how the parts fit together. I know that doesn't sound very romantic or artsy, but if you love novels, it's actually sort of fun. You ask yourself, "How did the author DO that? How did they make that transition? How did they create that impression or effect?"

Second, you’ve got to have some basic talent. Talent is different in every person. You may be a wordsmith, or a fantasist, or especially perceptive about other people, or especially observant, or maybe you just have natural storytelling ability. Whatever your innate talent is, you start there. In other words, build on your strengths, and with any luck you'll end up bringing something that’s distinctly your own to life.

Third is hard work. No need to explain this: I don’t know a single person who’s good at what they do who doesn’t work hard.

Fourth is persistence through all the rejections from agents and editors that will probably come your way. (A word of caution: Don’t put yourself out there too soon. Wait until your book is the very best it can be before you start trying to sell it because once it’s been turned down someplace you can’t go back.) I have a long list of failures and near-misses I could share with you, but you probably don't have enough time to hear them all!

Finally, luck—otherwise know as being in the right place at the right time. You can’t control this. When you've got it, it's exhilarating. When you don't, it's heartbreaking. But the more you focus on steps 1 through 4, the greater the chance that things will break your way.

Oh, I forgot one thing: The whole reason we do this is because we love it, right? That's the heart and soul of the thing. Don't let yourself lose the fun of it, ever. Love this crazy art!(less)

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Does the fact that used the name Kasparov, and that Pirio's father was teaching Noah to play, suggest that you are an avid chess player?

Elisabeth Elo I'm not a chess player, and the connection between the name Kasparov and Pirio's father's hobby didn't even occur to me until you mentioned it! But I …moreI'm not a chess player, and the connection between the name Kasparov and Pirio's father's hobby didn't even occur to me until you mentioned it! But I was aware, of course, that Garry Kasparov is a former World Chess Champion and a leader of the pro-democracy movement in Russia. I figured the name had very good associations, and I also liked the sound of it. Someday I would like to learn to play chess. (I already know how to smoke cigars.) (less)

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Elisabeth Elo’s books

Average rating: 3.62 · 2,171 ratings · 479 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	North of Boston 3.58 avg rating — 1,887 ratings — published 2014 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Finding Katarina M. 3.90 avg rating — 256 ratings — published 2019 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Taste of Power 3.50 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Elisabeth is Currently Reading

Elisabeth Elo is currently reading

Hold Me Down

by Clea Simon (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 28, 2021 04:44PM

Elisabeth Elo is currently reading

Journey Into Fear

by Eric Ambler

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Oct 01, 2020 11:13AM

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Elisabeth’s Recent Updates

Elisabeth Elo wants to read A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Mystery & Thriller, Best Debut Novel	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 16, 2022 03:52PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elisabeth Elo wants to read Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases by Paul Holes (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Nonfiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 16, 2022 03:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Unmasked by Paul Holes. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Unmasked by Paul Holes <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elisabeth Elo wants to read A Taste for Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them by Neil Bradbury (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Best Nonfiction	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Elisabeth Elo is now following Mark Cecil's reviews
Nov 14, 2022 09:45AM · like
Elisabeth Elo rated a book it was amazing Tenkill by Shannon Kirk (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Shannon Kirk, an e-discovery expert herself, takes readers on a thrill ride of 21st-century lawyering that left me breathless all the way until the explosive end. The novel is a thriller, yes, but it’s textured with gothic and lyrical elements that n ...more
Oct 25, 2022 10:52AM · 4 likes · like · see review
Elisabeth Elo finished reading Gone for Good (Detective Annalisa Vega, #1) by Joanna Schaffhausen (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 25, 2022 10:37AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elisabeth Elo liked Rosie Crawford's review of Finding Katarina M.: "I haven't had a book keep me up reading way past my bedtime for a long time. Buckle up for a ride when you start this one. Workaholic Dr. Natalie March, the daughter of Russian immigrants now cares for her aging mother. When a ballerina cousin from R" Read more of this review »
Jun 13, 2022 12:38PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Finding Katarina M. by Elisabeth Elo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Finding Katarina M. by Elisabeth Elo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elisabeth Elo liked Ileana Renfroe's review of Finding Katarina M.: "I quite enjoyed reading Finding Katarina M. The story unfolds as Natalie a respected surgeon is visited by a Russian dancer claiming to be her cousin. Saldana claims Natalie's grandmother who everyone thought was dead is indeed very much alive. However" Read more of this review »
Jun 13, 2022 12:38PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Finding Katarina M. by Elisabeth Elo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Finding Katarina M. by Elisabeth Elo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elisabeth Elo liked Steffe's review of Finding Katarina M.: "Of the thirty-ish books I read in 2020, this was my absolute favourite."
Jun 13, 2022 12:37PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Finding Katarina M. by Elisabeth Elo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Finding Katarina M. by Elisabeth Elo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Elisabeth Elo rated a book it was amazing Gone for Good (Detective Annalisa Vega, #1) by Joanna Schaffhausen (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 28, 2021 04:52PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Elisabeth Elo (?)

“But a bond is a bond. And when you’re young and haven’t yet learned to live in your own solitude, even a destructive bond can seem better than none.”
― Elisabeth Elo, North of Boston

tags: fiction, mystery

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“All across the world, people are loyal to their tribe. --- (Pirio)”
― Elisabeth Elo, North of Boston

tags: family, loyalty

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“Your weakness - the weakness of your soft American life - is you think that all people are like you, that reason can explain everything in this world. You expect two plus two to equal four. But it doesn't. It equals whatever the powerful say it does. If they say it equals a hundred and eight, the mathematicians will prove it's so. --- (Milosa Kasparov)”
― Elisabeth Elo, North of Boston

tags: orwellian

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Seasonal Read...: 25.12 - Janet F's Task: A Trivial Challenge	41	82	Jul 30, 2014 08:25AM
The Seasonal Read...: Completed Tasks: Do Not Delete Posts	2695	585	Aug 31, 2014 08:59PM
Black Coffee: 2014 New to You! Challenge	37	108	Dec 19, 2014 03:08PM
Aussie Readers: Recently purchased/acquired book/s	11531	1436	Mar 07, 2016 06:20PM
Aussie Readers: * What Are You Currently Reading? (doesn't have to be an Aussie book)	15645	2511	Mar 07, 2016 06:26PM
2023 Reading Chal...: Yvonne's reading corner & challenges	38	68	Mar 09, 2016 12:25PM

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Elisabeth’s Quotes

“Surely all art is the result of one's having been in danger, of having gone through an experience all the way to the end, where no one can go any further.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters on Cézanne

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