Author Archives: Elle Hill

About Elle Hill

I'm a not-so-mild-mannered college instructor by day and writer by night. I'm an ex-animal rescuer and a forever animal lover. Finally, I'm a progressive, portly, political, powerful, pale-faced, passionate purveyor of poetry and prose.

Confessions of a Sex-Scenes-Challenged Author

Posted on May 20, 2013

Recently, a dear friend asked me to read and provide feedback on her novella. In her email containing the file, she hemmed and hawed a bit before admitting something to the effect of, “It has some sex scenes. Feel free … Continue reading →

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Paranormal Romance: Celebrating the Beauty of the Common

Posted on April 1, 2013

I like the different. I like the weird. I like things that don’t quite fit, that look a bit too large or taste a smidge too bitter. I celebrate ugly and find inspiration in dissonance. If I wanted to be … Continue reading →

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Author Intimidation Syndrome(tm)

Posted on February 25, 2013

O Sister and Brother Authors, I have fallen prey to a terrible malady. It all began when I took a break from writing my latest novel to travel to Florida and then through Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. (Yes, I … Continue reading →

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Posted on December 17, 2012

Pondering the Pertinence of Politics As a sociologist specializing in social inequalities, I constantly ponder the politics of representation in my writing. For whom am I empowered or entitled to speak? I’m committed to representing a world that looks a … Continue reading →

Posted in Char's Thoughts | 1 Comment

Halloween Costumes for the Authorially-Inclined

Posted on October 29, 2012

The veil grows thin between our worlds. A time of soul-chilling horror draws nigh. We can avert our eyes, we can ignore the terror turning our bones into icicles. Yet the reality remains. I refer, of course, to the agony … Continue reading →

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Fantastic Reality or Realistic Fantasy?

Posted on September 24, 2012

I love Disney. Lifetime movies make me blubber like a baby. Heck, if they’re gooshy enough, Hallmark cards turn my eyes all shiny and moist. I’m a romance author, which means I have to be a hopeless romantic, right? Yeah, … Continue reading →

Posted in Excerpts from Elle! | 6 Comments

The Music of Writing

Posted on July 16, 2012

I write a lot of poetry. To be more precise, I write a lot of stuff, — heck, I used to write music — but poetry tends to be my favorite. I like writing sensually (literally, engaging the senses – … Continue reading →

Posted in Excerpts from Elle! | 6 Comments

When Good Cliches Go Bad

Posted on May 7, 2012

“You, sir, are a masher and a cad!” “Who shall hold me responsible for being beguiled by such a nymph?” “Yeah, well, your approach really threw me for a loop.” “You’re in the major leagues now, fair maiden.” Er, what? … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Excerpts from Elle!, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Writing | 11 Comments

The Goddess Speaks, or, Why I Write

Posted on January 2, 2012

As writers, we sometimes feel like gods. Not just of our make-believe worlds — where we decide on the parameters of existence and, if our characters and situations comply (as gods everywhere can attest, subjects don’t always do as they’re told), of … Continue reading →

Posted in Author, Excerpts from Elle! | 8 Comments

The Romance of Betas

Posted on December 12, 2011

I papered the walls of my adolescent and early adult existence with the pages of romance novels. As I got older, I expanded to other genres, but romances will always mean safety, comfort, and reliability to the adult Elle. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Excerpts from Elle!, Romance | 8 Comments