Indie Authors Uncovered - Meet the person behind the pages - Dani Elias - Controlled Chaos on Strict Deadlines.
Where were you born?
I was born in Salzburg, Austria.
Where do you live?
I now live in Kent, United Kingdom.
Do you have fur babies?
Sadly no, because I have a landlady who won't allow me to (I immortalized her evilness in The Unnatural Habitat of a Cat Lady) but I am hoping to move soon, and then I want a cat.
Do you use a pen name?
Yes, Dani Elias.
I have a full-time job aside from my author life, and I need to keep that separate.
What kind of writer are you?
- Modern Day Laptop/PC Writer
- Contemporary Tech Writer (phone/tablet/voice over)
Name one book you loved as a kid - one you loved as a new adult - and one you love now.
- I loved Grimm's Fairy Tales as a kid. Not just the ones everyone knows, I had their full works.
- As a young adult, I loved A song for Dandy.
- And now... I love everything by Kaylee Ryan, Kelsey Woods, K.M. Gillis and Eliza Anne. But I also read a lot of non-fiction, especial travel and mountaineering stories. Joe Sinpson, Jon Krakau are my favorites. Savage Summit by Jennifer Jordon is amazing and so is Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes by Rosie Swale Pope
Is there an author you look up to? Or had an influence on your craft?
Kaylee Ryan and Mary E Thompson.
How would you describe your craft in one sentence
Controlled chaos, strict deadlines.
At The Dreamer's Bookshop, we embrace diversity and advocate for invisible illnesses. How do you feel about those topics? Do you include messages in your writing?
I try to include diverse characters even if they are just side characters to reflect the multi-cultural London.
I have written one main character from Caribbean background, but I made sure to have a sensitive reader. Omar in The Unconventional Journey of a Cat Lady is from Lebanese background. I lived in the Middle East for 2 1/2 years, and his character was definitely influenced by the friends I made.
All in all, I am 100% for diversity as long as I feel I can do it justice.
Do you have red lines when it comes to writing/reading?
I think this is more an issue for authors that write to the market (which business wise is definitely a better choice!).
When I started writing, I did so to write books I want to read and that I felt I couldn’t find. As I write what I want to read, there is no risk of red flags.
When reading, I'm not into dark romance and especially don't like age gap (where she is in her 20s, and he is in his late 30s or 40s or older) nothing wrong with either, and there are some amazing authors put there, it's just not for me.
Was there a review that touched you more than others?
I don't think I can pick one as I appreciate them all (except the one that gave me 1 star for using British English 🤣) but I am always over the moon when readers call my characters realistic and relatable.
If someone asked you why you write, what would you answer in one sentence?
Because I wanted to read about 40 somethings that don't have their life sorted, are still looking for love and who I can relate to.
Which book are you most proud of and why?
They are all my book babies, but I believe the quality of writing has definitely improved.
I think The Dating Ban will be popular and a reader favorite, but I am very proud of Climb with Me because of the research that went into the rescue scene and Spellbinding Spirit because of the backstory of the ghost, which is based on true events.
What would you tell an aspiring writer?
Do it for fun. If you are doing it to get rich quick, you are in for a lot of disappointments.
What's a wish you have for yourself as an author?
For readers to keep connecting with my characters.
What's a wish you have for yourself as a person?
Find a new place to live and getting a cat... and find my own green flag cinnamon roll hero 😉
Do you have a message for your audience?
Thank you for giving my books a chance.
Oh, and the writing of the first few Fellside Mountain Rescue books might not be representative of my writing now, but you should give them a chance as well.
Those boys are 🥵
