Interview with Eddie Cleveland, author of TinderElla

What can you tell us about your new release, TinderElla?

TinderElla was a book I poured myself into and really wrote from the heart. It’s about a broken veteran who is saved by love. First by the love of his daughter and then by the love he never dreamed he could find with Ella. There are a lot of obstacles and darkness this couple has to overcome and together they are strong enough to take that on.

Which book from your childhood or teenage years has stuck with you as an adult?

The book that really drew me in and changed my whole perspective on how writing could make you feel was Stephen King’s IT. That book was a perfect blend of a coming of age story and horror. I remember when I first borrowed IT from the library thinking there were dictionaries with less pages. It felt a bit daunting to read something so long, but I’m so glad I did.

You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

If they can be living or dead, I would invite Hunter S. Thompson because I love his work and he seems like he’d be fun to party with. Stephen King because he had such a great influence on me when I was growing up. My final guest would be E.L. James, I would love a night to pick the brain of the woman behind the indie romance publishing revolution.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing is when I become immersed in a chapter, and the walls in my house disappear and I feel like I can see the scene I’m working on unfold like a movie in my head. When that happens, this job doesn’t feel like work at all.

Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?

I am always happiest when I’m lost in nature. I love hiking and canoeing to those little known places where your cell phone loses service and the stress of the world ceases to exist. I think there’s a quote about how there’s no problem that can’t be solved with a long walk, I really feel that way. Obviously, the walk itself can’t fix anything, but getting lost in the outdoors has a way of giving me perspective like nothing else can.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

If you risk nothing, then you risk everything. It took me a while, but I finally took that quote to heart when I retired from the military and walked away from my pension to pursue this dream of writing.

What scene in TinderElla was your favorite to write?

It was more than one scene for this book. Every scene that features the four-year-old daughter of Jackson, Chloe, was my favorite to write. I based her so much on my four-year-old, so writing those words I’ve heard and scenes I’ve watched in real life really made me smile.

Eddie Cleveland is the author of the new book TinderElla. 

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