What was your inspiration for Beyond the Pale?
There are a few factors of how Beyond the Pale came about, however I had always wanted to write about seemingly ordinary people with hidden pasts. I always knew that whatever I planed on writing that it would include a death of sorts and without using the typical cliché’s I wanted to write something that would shock readers.
Amelia is based on a number of different personalities- one of which is my own. Beyond the Pale has taken a lot of courage and many years to be in print so her character development has also been based on my own experiences.
Beyond the Pale was also a way for me to express some of the regrets and emotions that I have, and writing enabled me to get a few things out of my system. It was certainly a great frustration release. I also wanted to incorporate some fun; life is too serious as it is!
Amelia definitely gains in confidence throughout the book. Is this deliberate?
Yes definitely, when I first starting writing Beyond the Pale I too lacked in confidence. Amelia is not the stereotypical beauty and she has really struggled to be where she is due to her past. As the novel goes on I definitely think Amelia embraces her new surroundings. I wanted her to be normal, just trying to get by in life and like any of us; life always throws challenges in our way.
Why this location?
I tend to watch a lot of crime related drama series so for me Washington, D.C is the murder capital of the U.S and the professional backgrounds are predominantly based on real life locations.
There is a lot of romance, are you a romantic?
Yes. I love opening a traditional love letter with beautifully handwritten poems.
Where can fans find you?
I’m very active on Instagram @e_j_wood_author twitter @e_j_wood and facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEJWood/ and my website is updated occasionally www.ejwoodauthor.com
If you have any questions that you wish to ask EJ Wood please use the contact form.
All the best