Author, author
Make sure you have something to write on when you tune in for another offering in the Authors in Conversation series on Saturday, Nov. 21, hosted by Manzanita’s Hoffman Center for the Arts.
Though they live on opposite coasts, “Author Buddies” Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh collaborate on a series together in between publishing books on their own. The duo will talk about how they develop their characters, figure out plot twists and do the research needed to make their books authentic.
The session will also offer aspiring writers some insights about publishing with an Amazon imprint.
Kendra Elliot’s “Hidden” was her third finished manuscript, but the first purchased by a publisher. It came out in the summer of 2012 and has since sold more than half a million copies. She won the Daphne du Maurier award for romantic suspense in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and has hit the Wall Street Journal’s best seller list 10 times. She has been an International Thriller Writers finalist and a finalist for Romantic Times Magazine’s best Romantic Suspense. “The Silence” will be her 17th novel. She has also written eight novellas and sold the TV rights for her “Mercy Kilpatrick” series.
Number one Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising kids. Over the next few years, she learned a few things about writing a book and, finding the process much more fun than analyzing financial statements, she decided to turn her hobby into a career.
Leigh’s debut novel, “She Can Run,” was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. Since then, she has garnered numerous publisher awards, including two Silver Falchions and three Golden Leaf awards. She is a two-time RITA Award Finalist and has earned three Daphne du Maurier Award nominations. Her books have sold over nine million copies.
She holds a second-degree belt in Kenpo Karate, has dabbled in Arnis stick fighting, studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has taught women’s self-defense. She lives near the beach with her family and a small herd of spoiled rescue pets. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination.
Saturday’s event will begin at 4 pm. Admission is $10. For more information, including a link to join the conversation, go to Hoffmanarts.org.