An Interview with Elle Winters

Elle Winters dreamed of writing books since she was twelve years old. When she entered college, it was as an eager English major. But it wasn’t everything she envisioned, so she changed course, telling herself, “I can write no matter what my degree is.” So, she changed careers and graduated with a degree in wildlife and wildlands conservation.

Writing took a place far on the back burner as Elle threw herself into animal care, then motherhood. But during sleepless nights and days filled with diapers, Elle began dreaming again. She wrote down scenes and characters during naptimes and quiet moments. And slowly, she built the novel she’d put aside.

Elle’s family has grown, and now, she continues to write in the quiet moments. She continues to work on her trilogy, bringing in her knowledge and experience working with big cats. She hopes to continue to bring her love of animals into her fantasy for many years to come.

---

---

What inspired you to start writing this book?

I’ve loved dragons and dragon riders since I first read Eragon as a middle schooler. They’ve always captured my imagination in a way no other magical creature has. And I started writing my own dragon rider novel at about sixteen, and it was basically Eragon with a female protagonist.

I came back to this novel after I graduated college with a degree in wildlife and wildlands conservation, and I decided to take a different approach. I wanted to use my degree and my knowledge to see dragons as a zoologist. In doing so, my dragons reminded me of the big cats I had worked with as a zookeeper, and I leaned into it. I created dragons that were agile, solitary hunters, with leopard-like spots.

Using my background in zoology also led me to choosing a more modern setting for my novel and inspired one of my POV characters: a wildlife biologist named Gray. I was able to combine my love of fantasy with my love of nature and conservation.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Oh, my goodness, this title took me a while. I’d had the same working title for years that just didn’t really pop. I knew pretty early into the process that it would have to change, but I wasn’t able to land on anything until my book was almost done.

I basically sat and made a list of potential titles by focusing on some of the themes of the book, and on my FMC Cora. I picked my top two or three, asked for my husband and my best friends’ advice, and chose Heiress of War.

Describe your dream book cover.

Is it a cop-out if I say the one I have? Honestly, my cover artist was so amazing to work with. I sent her just absolute word vomit of all my ideas, and she turned them into this stunning piece of art.

If I were to ever change the covers, I would love to see a depiction of Makari, my main dragon. I just love the idea of a leopard print dragon, and I would love to see her brought to life.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I do have a playlist for it on Spotify, but I’ll give you probably my top three songs:

Cursive by VOILA

Take Flight by Lindsey Stirling

I Could Be Anything (feat. Elohim) by The Glitch Mob

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I’m working my way through my TBR, trying out new authors. I’m currently in the middle of both the Once Upon a Broken Heart and Legendborn series. I have the third book in the Cities of Smoke and Starlight series to read next, and then I’m hoping to add some more indie books to my TBR.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

It’s really interesting, thinking about my professional life. Because I started college as an English major and absolutely hated it. I ended up in wildlife biology and fell head over heels. Then I got a job as an educator at the zoo closest to my university and found a passion I’d never felt before. That led to me pursuing animal care and working at a facility with over twenty big cats.

Something about me my readers wouldn’t know is that I also love music and love to sing. I’ve been a pianist for over twenty years, and I was in an interfaith youth choir my senior year of high school. In fact, my choir sang the national anthem at an MLB game and we were broadcast on national television.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I wrote my very first story when I was eight. It was about a horse, because I was a horse girl at that age, and I just remember that the stories I read were never enough. I wanted to feel like I was a part of the story, too, so I wrote my own.

There are really too many amazing authors and their books that influenced me, but I can think of a few. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and pretty much anything by Gail Carson Levine were my lifeblood as a kid. Tamora Pierce was a huge influence as I entered my teens, as well as Ally Carter. I didn’t discover Brandon Sanderson books until I was in college, but they rekindled my love of fantasy and reading.

And I have to shout out Brandon Sanderson’s writing lectures, Your Mom Writes Books podcast, and Lit Service podcast for helping me come back to writing, and for really helping me figure out what I needed to finish my debut.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place to write is on my couch, followed by at my desk. I always have to have my trusty shoulder heating pad, and my emotional support water bottle.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

Don’t be afraid to share your work and receive feedback. It’s easy to become precious about your writing, and why not? It is often deeply personal and meaningful. But if you can let go of that and focus on what is best for your story, you will be able to make it through the writer’s block.

Also, don’t force yourself into a box. Try different writing styles, different organization styles, different settings and characters until you find what sticks. No two writers are alike, and neither are our processes. Don’t worry about what it ‘should’ look like and focus on what works for you.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I like writing hopeful fantasy, the kind that shows characters struggling, then overcoming. I hope my readers come away feeling seen and feeling confident that they can handle whatever hard thing they are dealing with right now. To me, that’s the beauty of stories – seeing your favorite characters become a better version of themselves.

---

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.