Q&A with Kendra Elliot

 

 

 

Kendra Elliot is the author of the new novel Her First Mistake. Her many other novels include the Columbia River series.  

 

Q: Why did you decide to focus on your character Noelle Marshall in your new novel?

 

A: Noelle made me curious from the moment she first stepped on the page as a secondary character in one of my Columbia River novels. She wasn’t planned; I simply needed another detective to work with one of my main characters, and I immediately liked her. She dressed really well, wore expensive shoes, and oozed confidence.

 

I never went into her background in those books but hinted that something had happened. In Her First Mistake, I figured it out and wrote the book.

 

Q: What inspired the plot of Her First Mistake?

 

A: True Detective season one inspired the format of the book. I loved how it was mostly set in the past but flashed forward to interviews about the past crimes.

 

As far as the plot, all I knew when I started writing was that Noelle had been present at her husband’s murder, but I was unclear on her role. In fact, I didn’t nail down her role until more than halfway through the book.

 

I don’t like to lock myself into storylines and plots, so I keep things open as I write. Later I might have to go back and tighten up some facts but usually not too much.

 

Q: So you don’t plot out your novels.

 

A: I’m not a plotter. All I know is that the villain will get his due–either death or imprisonment. And the hero and heroine will end in a good spot. I always want my reader to be satisfied when they finish a book.

 

As I’m writing, I keep an eye out for a good location to set up my black moment, and I listen to my characters to find out what is the worst thing that could happen to them.

 

Do they have a favorite nephew? Something will probably involve that child in the black moment. Are they highly claustrophobic? They’ll probably end up having to face that fear.

 

With this book, I knew Noelle’s sisters were extremely important to her. The ending built itself as I weaved my way through the story and brought together several threads in the climax.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I hope they fall in love with Noelle and Max. I want them to immediately desire the next book (January 2026) or go back and read some of the Columbia River books to learn more about the secondary characters in this one. Mercy Kilpatrick and several other characters from my previous 12 novels make appearances.

 

Q: This is the start of a new series--can you tell us what's next?

 

A: Next up is No One Knew. I recently finished writing this book, and it will be out in January. The reader will learn more of Max’s backstory and be introduced to another character who I hope will make appearances in more books. I signed a contract for books three and four in the series, but I’m not yet sure what Noelle and Max will be up to in those.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Kendra Elliot.