Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today: Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance.
Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas.
Website: https://elliethomasromance.wordpress.com/
Facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/8308047409266947
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/elliethomas.bsky.social
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19835510.Ellie_Thomas
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ellie-thomas
Thanks so much, Ellie, for joining me!
J. Scott Coatsworth: How would you describe your writing style/genre?
Ellie Thomas: Heavily influenced by Georgette Heyer’s Regency stories! Although, joking aside, I hope my own voice shines through. I love history and have always read historical romance. I admire writers that manage to put the reader in a certain place and time along with their characters and aspire to achieve that fluency.
JSC: What was your first published work? Tell me a little about it.
ET: My first published work was A Christmas Cotillion, which came out in 2019. I’d written in various genres without getting published and I’d read and loved LGBTQIA+ romance for many years. For a while, I had the seed of an idea for a Regency Christmas MM romance story rattling around in my head. I started and tailed off after the first few chapters. Then I saw a Christmas story submission call from JMS Books and thought that was the perfect opportunity to spur me on to finish my story. A couple of months and computer crashes later, I sent the story in just on time and, knowing how these things work, didn’t expect to hear anything. You could have knocked me down with a feather when I received an acceptance email!
JSC: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
ET: A pantster, for sure. And sometimes a plantster when my imagination permits.
JSC: What was one of the most surprising things you’ve learned in writing your books?
ET: That I’m a pantster! In every other aspect of life, I’m a planner.
So I naturally assumed that would extend to my writing. Imagine my surprise when my imagination refused to cooperate with my comprehensive plans! I do try and sneak in some planning when possible, but I mainly have to compromise and be unsure of what I’m going to write next.
JSC: What is the most heartfelt thing a reader has said to you?
ET: When a lovely book blogger and reader wrote that one of my stories gave her escape and solace when her mother was very ill and sadly passed away. I was so moved and humbled by her comment, that my story gave her a little comfort at such a difficult and overwhelming time. A huge privilege.
JSC: What inspired you to write this particular story? What were the challenges in bringing it to life?
ET: I’ve been itching to write about the Molly scene in 18th century London for ages, and then Dennis Must, aka Sheba sauntered into my head fresh from a Covent Garden tavern, full of pithy comebacks and Cant sayings. When writing A Fair Trade, the first story in my All’s Fair in Love and Law series, I realised that the murder/mystery element was going to dominate over the romance between my MCs Sheba and Valentine. That was very challenging for a romance writer and felt like a real risk. Fortunately, in the sequel, Dubious Dealings, having established both the mystery and the romance, it was easier to balance both elements.
JSC: What were your goals and intentions in Dubious Dealings, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
ET: In Dubious Dealings, I wanted to show the colour and camaraderie of the Molly scene in Georgian Covent Garden as well as the dangers. Eighteenth century London was vibrant but also violent and brutish. There were risks to a sub-group like Mollies from both within and beyond the law. I really wanted to show how the community rallied around and rose above those daily perils.
JSC: What secondary character would you like to explore more? Tell me about them.
ET: I’ve had requests from readers to tell the story of the romance between Boniface (Sheba’s best friend) and Jim. They are secondary characters in A Fair Trade and Dubious Dealings with their love story in the background, but it obviously appealed to readers! Sheba is very protective of Bonnie, who might be a Molly but is a gentle soul. In the first story, Sheba is appalled when Bonnie takes up with Jim, the right hand man of a Seven Dials gang leader. He’s convinced that Jim will bring Bonnie to a bad end and constantly tries to persuade his friend to ditch Jim. But true love prevails and Bonnie’s trust in Jim is proven to be the right choice.
JSC: Were you a voracious reader as a child?
ET: Once I’d learned to read, I couldn’t stop! And I’m glad to say that trend has continued during adulthood. I always have a book to hand. Or even two or three!
JSC: What are you working on now, and what’s coming out next? Tell us about it!
ET: I’m excited to say that Hide and Seek, the third novella in my All’s Fair in Love and Law series will be out in June! This story concludes the murder/mystery story arc running through the trilogy and leaves my central couple, Sheba and Valentine in a more settled place romantically. However, I’m sure there will be more stories to come from these two in future!
And now for Ellie’s latest book: Dubious Dealings:
Sequel to A Fair Trade
Dennis Must, otherwise known as Sheba the Molly in the rough and tumble of Georgian London’s Covent Garden, has recently escaped immediate danger and gained a love interest in lawyer Valentine Lee. But the risks of his profession and threats of another kind of threat lurk as he and Valentine try to unravel the schemes of a dangerous foe.
Can Sheba and Valentine avoid becoming the next target of their mysterious and ruthless enemy?
Publisher | Amazon | Universal Book Link
Excerpt
Valentine had never complained or upbraided me for continuing my trade during our association. Although I acknowledged our mutual respect, sometimes, more often than I would like to admit, I wondered if he simply didn’t care enough.
Jim had asked Bonnie to give up mollying, once they had fallen in love.
I’d had brief flings who showed more jealousy than Valentine had ever displayed. And yet, Valentine continued to pursue our affair.
Is it possible to hold two directly opposing views at one time?
I felt like I would be ripped apart by the force of my conflicted feelings.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Valentine studied me before asking, “Do you remember when we first met? When despite my assurances, you were convinced I was a constable?”
My assumption seemed laughable now. To mistake cerebral, shrewd Valentine for a ham-fisted officer.
“Do you still hold that view?”
I found my voice.
“No.”
“What changed your mind?”
Valentine challenged me with his gaze.
“I’ve learned differently. You might work with magistrates, like a constable, but your role is quite separate. Constables enforce the law by force. You are part of the inner mechanism.”
Valentine sat back in his chair as though I had proved his point.
“Quite so.” His expression softened. “Sheba, in my working life, I might be required to categorise endlessly, but that has never extended to our connection. From our first encounter, where you bristled at me with suspicion, I was struck by your intelligence and your integrity.”
I rubbed the side of my nose, conscious of how I had lied to Valentine, albeit for reasons of self-preservation.
“I don’t have strong feelings about how you choose to use your body, because for you, it’s a calculated transaction.”
He looked at me steadily.
“It’s how you earn your independence, save for a better future, and improve your circumstances. How could I object to such worthy aims?”
I needed no reminder that my steadily increasing savings were safely stored in the trunk in Valentine’s spare room at Clerkenwell.
“I admire your ambition and tenacity.” He hesitated, glancing down as his desk before he said, almost shyly, “I hope I am able to separate what we have together against how you perform for those who buy your favours. They merely have access to your body. A mere fraction of what you are. I am privileged that you share so much more with me. The workings of your mind, your thoughts and feelings, perhaps even your heart. Thus, I have concluded that I have no cause for jealousy.”
I was dumbstruck.
I know. That’s a cause for consternation in itself.
It wasn’t so much that Valentine had dissected his emotions like a barber surgeon lancing a boil, and explained his arguments so coherently. More that he had proved, with cool reasoning, that he cared for me more than I could ever have imagined.
A rap at the door jolted us both.
“One moment, please,” Valentine said sharply.
The calm atmosphere of this book lined room, designed for the dry workings of the law seemed to vibrate with turbulent emotion.
I was caught off-guard.
Our discourse shouldn’t have taken place here. I might have incited matters but I had no idea that our heated discussion would culminate in soul-baring.
I should have bided my time, waited until we were alone at Valentine’s home where we could talk, love and argue privately.
I never know when to keep my bloody great trap shut.
Valentine looked as agitated as I had ever seen him. He took a deep breath.
“We will discuss this further,” he promised. “I am determined to convince you of my profound and lasting regard.”
I nodded stiffly and cleared my throat.
“Very well.”
I turned away swiftly, so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes.