Interview with author M.T. Ellis

M.T. Ellis is an Australian based author. She has just published her debut crime thriller, Azrael, and is currently writing her second novel. We have conducted an interview with her.

Who or what in particular inspired you to write your debut crime thriller 'Azrael'? 

I had a nightmare where I was being chased through the bush and was kept captive in an old house. I had been trying to think of a decent book idea for ages so I wrote the dream down when I woke up and eventually turned it into a book.

How did you craft the character, Emily?

She survived a horrific, sexually motivated abduction in this thriller. I've been listening to a lot of true crime podcasts and I try to think about things from the victim's perspective. I wonder what I would do, and how I'd feel, if I was put in the same situation and then write from there. It would be horrifying to be in constant fear like survivors of traumatic events so I tried to recreate that.

Do you consider 'Azrael' presents itself as a searing genre piece about domestic violence?

I don't think it necessarily delves into domestic violence so much, but I definitely think that it shows that the partner can often be automatically blamed when a woman gets murdered. The police are obviously going to be looking at them first, hoping to eliminate them from the suspect pool, but it's scary to think the police could get it wrong and focus solely on the husband while the real killer goes free. It's also very scary that the general public and media often automatically assume the partner is guilty, and even when the real killer is found, public opinion can still ruin their life.

I'd like to write a story about domestic violence one day because to me that is the scariest types of violence. The perpetrator lives with the victim so they have no escape. Victims are often too afraid or embarrassed to speak out which traps them and no one knows so no one will be able to help them when they need it.

When will its sequel be released? What are your personal expectations for the sequel?

I am currently writing book two in the series and I hope to have it out by the end of the year. The next book will focus on Detective Rose's next big case, meanwhile she has some issues at home that she needs to deal with. A new character comes into the fold late in the first book and will feature significantly in the next book.

While writing your books, what do you think about this theme on 'Power and Control'?

I think a big part of Azrael is the power and control that he likes to have over his victims. He also thinks that he's smarter than the police and will stop at nothing to prevent Detective Rose from finding the women he has trapped on his property. The research I did for the book shows that a lot of the time, power and control is more of a driving factor than sexual gratification for these types of criminals so I took that into consideration while writing the novel.

More info:

Website: http://www.mtellis.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtellisAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtellisAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16705164.M_T_Ellis