Interview with E. L. Johnson author of The Strangled Servant

 

Welcome Readers to another installment of our author interview series. Today we have the pleasure of chatting with E. L. Johnson, author of multiple historical mystery, and historical romance novels.

JMR-Welcome to the Books Delight, E. L. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun and what does the perfect day look like?

ELJ- I’m originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and now live in Hertfordshire, England. For fun, I curl up with a good book, gig with my band, Bloodmemory, or write! My perfect day is cloudy with grey skies, stark black trees, and a hint of snow in the air. It’s the perfect time to get cozy and read or write by the fire.

JMR-What’s your favorite historical time period? Why?

ELJ- I trained as a historian, so I have a lot of love for historical eras, and huge respect for authors who write historical fiction well. My first loves are the medieval and regency eras, as I fell in love with the idea of knights, kings and queens as a child, and love the idea of the social customs and societal rules of Jane Austen’s society.

JMR-Who is your favorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

ELJ- I quite like Jane Austen, but I’m also an admirer of Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe and George Elliot. I would ask Mary Shelley how she got her inspiration, as she wrote Frankenstein when she was 18!

JMR- How did you come to be a writer of historical fiction?

ELJ- I was doing my MPhil at the time and felt like I needed a mental break. Whilst researching medieval medicine and magic, I got the idea of a scenario, where what if you had a witch hunter in medieval England who is tasked with hunting down a witch, but what if he was an atheist who didn’t believe in the supernatural? That was my starting point, and I’ve never looked back.

JMR- You published a book, The Lyon and the Bluestocking as part of a collaborative series, tell us how that works.

ELJ- My publisher, Dragonsblade, created this great series called the Lyon’s Den, with a pre-made world set in Regency London starring a charming matchmaker, Mrs Dove-Lyon. It’s a pleasure to contribute a standalone novella to this series.

JMR- Did you visit anyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to your characters?

ELJ- I quite like writing about my local area, so I’ve set a few of my books in Hertfordshire, as I can describe the landscape and research the town. It’s fun to be able to walk around and get a feel for what life might’ve been like centuries ago.

JMR- E. L., tell us about your new book, The Strangled Servant.

ELJ- I began with the idea of a fight between best friends. What if you had the fight of all fights with your bestie, but this happened at a public assembly in front of most of the town? And worse, what would happen if your friend turned up missing the next day, and is presumed dead? The entire town knows you are the only suspect. I began the story from that idea.

JMR-What projects do you have in the pipeline?

ELJ- I’m currently writing the first book in a medieval series set during the Anarchy, so I’m exploring the roles of powerful female characters in the 12th century. However I’m a mystery writer at heart, so there will be murders to solve!

JMR- Tell our readers how to find you on social media and the web.

ELJ-  Please do connect with me! I’d love to hear from fellow writers and readers.

Website: eljohnsonstories.weebly.com

Twitter: @ELJohnson888

Insta: eljohnson_writes

Facebook: @theELJohnson

Tiktok: @alecto99

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/18090432.E_L_Johnson

Bookbub: bookbub.com/profile/e-l-johnson

Amazon: amazon.com/E-L-Johnson/e/B019M4GDU0

Band: bloodmemoryuk.bandcamp.com/album/demo

 

JMR- What question were you hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

ELJ- I think if you were to ask me how I’d kill someone, I’d say that I wouldn’t. But I would destroy them in a book. I often do that with people I dislike; I create a whole dislikable villain based on an aspect of a person who may have annoyed me, and use them as an antagonist in my story. They’re great fun.

JMR- Thank you, E. L., for stopping by. Your books look really great! Readers, I’ve included a link to E. L.’s books below. Please be sure to check them out.