Interview with Leanna Ellis

Quick Facts about Leanna:

Favorite color: Red!

Favorite animal: Lions…and of course my adorable dogs and snooty cats.

Favorite food: Blueberries, strawberries, dark chocolate (never mixed with fruit of any kind), cheese enchiladas and guacamole.

Favorite beverage: Diet Coke…and some times Sangria.

Favorite vacation locations: I love the mountains. Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Ouray, Colorado. But I also love the ocean and going to Hawaii. I won the Golden Heart award while in Hawaii. Then another time, I signed with my agent while vacationing there. Swimming with large sea turtles is one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced. England and Scotland is where my husband and I honeymooned and we cannot wait to get back over there.

Favorite TV show: I don’t get to watch much TV. My husband and I love watching I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith with our kids. Once in a while, we remember to turn on the TV for Dancing with the Stars and American Idol.

Favorite Movies: I love movies! There are too many favorites to name, but here are some I watch over and over: Bridget Jones’ Diary, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Dances with Wolves, Something’s Gotta Give, Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes.

Favorite Actors: Mel Gibson (yeah, I know.  Even though he got in trouble, I still love Mel.), Russell Crowe (another Aussie and bad boy), Anthony Hopkins, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant and, last but never ever least, Gene Kelly.

Favorite Actresses: Rene Zellweger, Cate Blanchet, Meryl Streep, Dame Judi Dench, Katharine Hepburn.

Favorite Music: So many musicals, so little time:  Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Martin Guerre, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I’m very eclectic in my listening. I also love Michael Ball (played Marius in Les Mis), Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, U2, Casting Crowns, Newsboys, Selah, Josh Groban….

Favorite books: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I’m not kidding. I love that book. Okay, on a more serious note, I adore To Kill A Mockingbird.

Favorite Authors:  Elizabeth Berg, Sue Monk Kidd, Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Harper Lee and Fannie Flagg…way too many others to name.
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”  ~William Wordsworth



Deep in the heart not only describes where I live in Texas but also the way I write. My books are infused with humor and heartfelt emotion. Growing up in Texas, my mother taught me a love of books that grew into a passion for storytelling. My sister encouraged me to write because she saw me always scribbling away in my journal. Since then I have written almost twenty books, ranging from contemporary romance to women’s inspirational fiction. Pop culture often inspires ideas for my stories, everything from the music of Elvis, Waylon Jennings and Andrew Lloyd Webber to great literature like The Wizard of Oz and Phantom of the Opera. Currently my next project is FORSAKEN, the first book in a projected series called Plain Fear. It’s the story of Hannah Schmidt, a young Amish woman mourning the mysterious death of her beloved Jacob, now a vampire. Hannah must choose between two brothers, between good and evil, between a lasting love and the damnation of her soul.

When I’m not chasing vampires through darkened city streets, I’m driving my children to all of their activities, figuring out what to make for dinner, chasing my crazy labradoodle around the house, and searching for the next idea.

Here’s a picture of Hilo (named after one of our favorite vacation spots on the island of Hawaii). She served as the model for Cousin It, the loveable canine character in my last book, FACELIFT. I often discuss Hilo (otherwise known as the Hilo Monster) and her crazy antics on my Facebook author page.