Welcome to another week of Author Chat with me. Today’s author has an interesting backlist you should definitely check out. They write steamy stories filled with LGBTQ and neurodiverse characters and they love to write tropes.
Let’s chat with Zile and hear more about their new book!
ACwA Guest: Zile Elliven
How did the first story you ever wrote influence your career as an author and how do you feel about that story now?
Zile: I’ve written so many stories I can’t even begin to remember the first one, so I’m picking the first one I published – Stillbringer. It’s the first full length book I’ve ever finished and I’m super proud of it but… It was so challenging! This book was before my trans awakening and I couldn’t figure out why I had such a hard time relating to the female MC. And I had to fight my characters constantly to keep them from being gay.
I laugh my ass off now when I look back – I really was so oblivious to exactly how queer I was. It made for a perfect bit of contrast when I finally tried my hand at MM romance. Stillbringer took me 18 months to write and another 6 to edit. Psync (my fist MM took 4 and a half months from beginning to publishing.
This book is an excellent example as a formative story for me. It was my origin story and it allowed me to learn what really sang to my heart so I could embrace my passion. While it didn’t make the millions my little writer heart had been hoping for, I’m glad I wrote it and I still love the characters with all my heart.
Which of your characters is most like you (or someone close to you.)
Zile: This is a tough one because all of my main characters have a massive chunks of me in them. And they all take turns being my favorite, but if I had to pick, I’d have to say Eli from Psync. He was my tipping point in realizing I was trans. The words just smiled onto the page when I was writing him. I had to be dragged away from laptop to take breaks and was often found slumped over my laptop asleep mid-story. I cried when he cried, loved when he loved and hurt when he hurt. I’ve never felt so connected to a character.
What is your favorite trope and why?
Zile: I can’t just pick one! There are so many good ones to choose from and so many wonderful writers bringing them to life…I could spend half my life and never come up with an honest answer. I can, however, tell you what has my attention at the moment. Enemies to lovers with forced proximity and a heavy side of possessiveness. I can’t get enough of it.
As for the why? So far, I haven’t been able to find one that’s been written the way my soul wants it to be written. There’s a subtle balance I’m looking for where the characters truly hate one another, but there’s also a grudging respect there at the base of their relationship. Without it, it makes no sense to me that they’d be able to work together long enough to get out of the situation they’re in. Insta chemistry is a must – and neither MC should be able to untangle it from the irritation and hate the feel for the other. Then as they keep getting pulled closer and closer but fight it tooth and nail? Dear sweet baby Buddha, someone get me a bucket of ice water.
How many half-written stories are on your hard-drive and what do you plan to do with them?
Zile: Too many to count. Way past double digits. I’ll never be able to get them all out, so I have to focus on the ones I can’t escape from. The stories that get me out of bed to jot down ideas, or force me to pull over on the side of the road to get out a particular bit of dialogue? Those are the ones that get turned into books. The rest get chalked up to practice or get mined for side characters.
What are you working on next?
Zile: This probably won’t come as a surprise, but it’s an Enemies to lovers with forced proximity! I have this pairing in mind that will just not leave me alone which is a serious pain in the booty because they’re interrupting the books I’m trying to finish! They’re going to make an appearance in Psync 2 which is coming out next summer, so keep an eye out for them. They’ll be hard to miss.
Zile Elliven’s Newest Release
I can’t wait to share my upcoming release with you all. It’s a standalone paranormal romance in my Enchanted University series featuring a nonverbal autistic MC and an MC with an intolerant religious family. And, like all of my books, this one has heavy elements of obsession and possessiveness. This one comes out December 26th—it’s the perfect thing to curl up with after the craziness of the holidays!
BLURB
When souls collide, art is born.
After years of abuse for being different, Isa finally escaped his family by going to college. Or at least he thought he had until he realized even moving to another state wasn’t enough to leave them behind.
Ultra-conservative, harsh, and extremely controlling, they were determined to force him to conform to their ideals. Even in public, he couldn’t escape their fundamentalist views, and they sought to end his private life. So, who was the silent giant who swept in and rescued Isa from being attacked by his sister? And why did he like to carry Isa around like his own, personal stuffed toy?
Briar’s fascination with Isa was unusual, but so was the way their very souls seemed to communicate. The connection between them is so consuming, the pair are caught unaware when a meddling fairy decides to release a previously unknown spell binding Briar – causing unforeseeable -but fascinating – consequences. For a moment, Isa thought he had it all. Those few days of peace inspired the kind of hope he’d never allowed himself to hold on to, but with the return of his family, they could very well cost him the rest of his life
Buy Links
Giveaway
Today I’m giving away an ARC of Quiet. Get it before everyone else does! All you have to do is join my reader group and comment on the pinned post with a pic of my author logo.
About Zile Elliven
Zile is a proud member of the alphabet mafia. They write steamy stories filled with LGBTQ and neurodiverse characters and loves to write possessive tops and tiny, plucky bottoms. When not writing, you can find them binging C-dramas, baking, and playing with all of the cats.
Join my newsletter! You get to stay up to date on my new releases and recs – and you get all the short stories I sneak out when my PA isn’t looking (writing is writing, right?). Newsletters not your thing? Try my reader group. It’s a great place to find new authors to read, like-minded readers to connect with, and to have some good, old fashioned dirty fun..
Can’t wait for Quiet, Psync is one of my favourite reads of 2021