Author Interview - Elle Rush

If you all remember, Elle Rush and I shared a book birthday exactly one month back. What better way is there to celebrate our anniversary than to have my pub-buddy over for a moment in the hot seat?

Just to jog your memory, Elle’s Screen Idol is a sweet romantic comedy loosely inspired by Greek mythology. Intrigued? The blurb and buy links are at the end of this post.

1. Before we chat about your book, I have to ask—What’s your favorite Italian word and why (side note: Elle and I are both learning the language)? Now that my formal classes are over, I desperately need fodder for future Italian Word of the Week posts. 

I’ve just starting a self-study course and my vocabulary is still limited. That said, some of the words I like are vino, gelato, spaghetti, dolce. Are we sensing a theme?

2. As it so happens, "dolce" was my very first Italian Word of the Week. Okay, now that you've made me hungry, it's going to be hard to focus on your book. Nonetheless, we shall prevail. Why did you choose to make Sydney a burn victim? Is she inspired by someone you know/read about?

I wasn’t inspired by any particular person. I didn’t actually choose to make Sydney a burn victim – that’s how she introduced herself to me. I just had to find out what happened to her. It was very important for both of us that Sydney not be ashamed of her scars even if she was still getting used to them. And it was an interesting contrast to pair her with someone who was judged by his looks.

3. Those pesky insistent characters--they're difficult, be we love them. On the subject of good looks, Chris is worshipped by millions as Zeus on the hit drama Olympus—what godlike qualities does he have (and yes, I’m referring to physical attributes)? Please don’t spare any details. 

Chris has a six pack and shoulders to die for, so he looks fabulous coming and going. I called him a clean-cut, brown-haired, hazel-eyed Greek god. And, because I could do what I wanted with him, I put him in both a toga and a tuxedo at different times in the story. 

4. A toga you say? How intriguing. Tell me a bit more about your Hollywood to Olympus series.  What’s the next book about? Do Sydney and Chris have cameo roles?

Right now, I’m planning for the next story to be about Layla and Russ. Yep, the bad girl’s got a good soul and a heartbreaking story and Russ is going to pull it all into the light.  And yes, Sydney and Chris do make an appearance.

5. How cool! Before I let you run off, all aspiring authors out there want to know—how did you get your start as an author? Did you always want to write romance?

I started writing romance right after I finished a screenwriting diploma because I’m weird like that. I think I needed a change from movies and television scripts. Actually, I only started reading and writing romance in the last few years and now I’m an addict. Prior to that, I did a lot of children’s stories. I think – like most writers – that I want to try to write everything but I’ll be sticking with my contemporary romances for a while.

As a fellow contemporary romance author, I can say it's a good genre to stick with. Thank you again for dropping by! For more information about the book and author, just scroll down. Comments are always much appreciated.

Screen Idol (Hollywood to Olympus, Book 1)

Sydney Richardson should have trusted her instincts and locked the door when a Greek god appeared on her doorstep at sunrise. After months of work, she needs every second of the day to wrap up a two-part fundraiser for burn victims like herself and she can't afford to waste time with a TV hunk, no matter how good he looks in a toga.

Chris Peck, worshipped by millions as Zeus on the hit drama Olympus, desperately wants to prove to the producers of a soon-to-be-cast romantic comedy that he doesn’t need fight scenes or special effects to make the jump to the big screen. Acting as the slave-for-a-day in the show’s fan appreciation contest was supposed to cement his everyman credibility but the winner wants nothing to do with him.

Chris is captivated by the woman who refuses to fawn over his looks and fame, and he promises to put her fundraising efforts over the top if she’ll spend the day with him. However, just when he convinces Sydney they could have a chance together, the movie’s producers offer him an audition that would mean breaking his promise and leaving Sydney in the lurch. The king of the gods has until sunset to prove to his new off-screen love interest that Hollywood magic and reality can co-exist.

Buy Links: LSBooks | Amazon | AllRomance

About Elle Rush

Elle Rush is a Canadian romance author from Winnipeg, Manitoba. When she’s not travelling, she’s hard at work writing her contemporary romance eBooks which are set all over the world. Elle earned a degree in Spanish and French, barely passed German, and is starting to learn Italian and Fililpino. She has flunked poetry in every language she’s ever taken. She also has mild addictions to tea, cookbooks and the sci-fi channel. Follow her at www.ellerush.com or on her Twitter account @elle_rush.