Get ready to learn more about the book Lost Hearts in this discussion with sapphic author Ellie Green.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Ellie Green about Lost Hearts, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Single Parent category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Lost Hearts?
After going through IVF, I found myself wanting to write about it. Both of the MCs have been through fertility treatment off the page, but have entirely different experiences. I also wanted to write a story that included children. If you have children, parenting is such a huge part of your life. How do you reconcile that with a budding romance? My own son was around seven when I wrote this book, and I feel a lot of my own experiences are reflected.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
Probably Abby… she’s calm in a crisis incredibly capable and not been afraid to go after her career goals. She puts her mental health first. When there is a problem, she’s not afraid to take it on.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I chose ‘Lost Hearts’ because both Abby and Niko are missing something in their lives but both of them aren’t sure what the missing thing is. Abby thinks she needs a new career or a better way to live her life, but when she gets these things she still has feelings of loss and loneliness. Niko thinks she needs to be a better parent but is blind to the fact she’s already raising a pretty great kid. Oh, and of course they need each other to learn these things!
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
I’ve started writing another book in the same universe. It’s a second chance romance about.a school art teacher who sees her first love after twenty years. While my first few books had main characters in their twenties, I have really enjoyed writing characters in their thirties and fourties.
What is your writing process like?
I wish I could tell you I was a plotter! I’m quite chaotic when it comes to writing, It’s funny, because I’m organised in all other aspects of my life. I try really hard to write chronologically, but sometimes I get stuck and skip forward. I often get 10,000 words in and not know what direction to go. Or I’ll have an absolutely brilliant idea and abandon my current project. I think if I was a plotter I would have written a lot more books by now. The best thing I’ve done is committing to 1000 words a day. Without this, I wouldn’t have finished any books!
Is there a particular genre you would love to write but only under a pseudonym?
I also write children’s books! I have a series of chapter books with plenty of zombies and video games. This started out in COVID as a project with my son, but the books have become quite popular. I keep my two pen names separate, because I think the crossover would be pretty small!
Do you feel bad putting your characters through the wringer?
I hate doing bad things to my characters. It’s something I’m working on, because it’s having a negative impact on my stories. A quick trip to Goodreads will show lots of reviews like ‘they hardly even broke up at 70%…’ or ‘nothing bad happened in this relationship’. I know… I know… I’m trying to be meaner. But there’s just so much bad stuff out in the world, I don’t want any more of it on the page!
Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters?
Ari from Desert Sky is the character I think about the most. I really hated finishing that book, because it meant that I couldn’t spend all day with those characters any more. I think because she’s a good person who got a bad hand when she was younger, and part of me wants to take care of her, or at least have her find a good way to live her life. It’s been about five years but I still think about her and sneak her into other books in little ways.
Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?
I knew I wanted to write from the age of eight or so, but it took many more years to believe I could write. I would not have finished a book without other sapphic authors. Spending time on sites like Twitter and Reddit gave me the confidence to finish and publish my first book. I don’t really spend a lot of time on social media anymore, but I will always be grateful for this.
What book do you wish you had written?
The Handmaid’s Tale… Atwood manages to be succinct and poetic, it’s a lot to aspire to. Sexuality, gender and desire are a huge part of the original book so I think it could be a interesting sapphic retelling. It’s just so well written it’s hard to look at the words on the page and not be inspired.
Do you only read books in one genre or do you genre hop?
I am a huge genre jumper. There’s not much I wont read. I work as a school librarian which means I read a lot of middle grade and chapter books. And picture books too! I usually read a romance once a week. For a long time, I only read sapphic romances, but I have found myself trying to expand my horizons in the last few years. Most recently, I read an omegaverse romance, something I’d never tried before. I read a lot of Australian and New Zealand fiction, as I like to support local authors. Another new genre to me is non-fiction! Something I used to avoid at all costs! My son loves history, so we have been reading a lot of books in this vein, as well as listening to podcasts. Our favourite books are the Horrible Histories series and our favourite podcast is Half-Arsed History.
