Ashley Elston on Her Hit New Thriller, Switching Genres, and Character Development
Q&A with Diana Tramontano
Ashley Elston is a wedding photographer who became a beloved author, and her most recent novel First Lie Wins, is a Reese’s Book Club and Book of the Month pick for January! In this exclusive interview with Zibby Mag, Elson shares her journey to writing, the craft of suspense, and some insights into First Lie Wins!
Zibby Mag: After spending many years as a wedding photographer, what made you decide to pursue writing novels?
Elston: I was getting a little burned out with my photography business. Also, I had three young sons and was missing out on a lot of their weekend activities and sporting events, so I decided I would just take a break from photography for a bit. (Still on that break, haha!) I think I missed the creative outlet though. I’ve always been a big reader and never thought about writing, mainly because I didn’t know how you became a writer. But I had an idea and when the baby would nap, I started writing.
First Lie Wins is your first adult novel after six young adult novels! What pushed you to try a new genre and audience, and did your writing process differ at all?
It was not a conscious decision. It came from an idea. I could see a scene in my head. It was a dinner party with several people sitting around the table. Then I started thinking, “What would they talk about?” and “What if someone at the table was lying about their identity?” I fell in love with this story but realized it was definitely not YA. My process didn’t really change, though.
How do you craft such a compelling and suspenseful story? When you begin writing, do you know what all the twists and turns will be, or do they evolve as you write?
I try to have a general idea of where I’m going but I leave myself open to any twists and turns that could pop up along the way. I also like to look at each big moment in the book and think, “What would a reader expect in this moment and how can I not do that, but still have it work?”
Who was your favorite character to write, and do you typically enjoy writing certain characters more than others?
I loved writing Evie and all of the flashbacks that showed why she is who she is. Devon was another really fun character to write. And of course, Ryan. It was fun to write morally gray characters who you still ultimately want to root for!
You weave college football controversies into the narrative. Why did you decide to include that subject matter in the book?
Being the mom to three sons means we watch a lot of football at our house! I started watching with my boys as a way for us to do something together, and then I realized I loved it as much as they did. I also wanted at least one of her jobs to be something you typically don’t see and football worked.
What do you hope readers take away from reading First Lie Wins?
I hope they find it fun to read! I hope they love all the twists and turns! I hope I kept them guessing!