Behind The Book With Kendra Elliot 

Last year I did a Q&A with both Kendra Elliot & Melinda Leigh discussing their Mercy Kilpatrick & Bree Taggart series, (each wrote individually) and their crossover book Echo Road. I’m delighted to be back with Kendra for this Behind The Book to discuss her new release coming out on June 10^th, Her First Mistake! 

Q: Kendra, would you please give a brief description of Her First Mistake? 

A: Her First Mistake is the origin story of Detective Noelle Marshall. Noelle first appeared in a few of my Columbia River novels. I never said much about her past other than she’d been married twice, had lived in the area for a few years, and she seemed to keep to herself. Her coworkers were curious about her. In this book, I dive into her past to show how she went from being brought up “on the other side of the tracks” to a wealthy sheriff’s detective. There were many important incidents and people who shaped who she became. I didn’t know her story when I sat down to write the book, but I had some vague ideas, so it was fun to see them grow and twist as I wrote. 

Q: In the author’s note you wrote that you intended Noelle’s storyline to be more prevalent in the Columbia River novels but decided to give Noelle her own series. What made you want to give Noelle her own story? 

A: Since most of the Columbia River novels have different main characters, I’d assumed I’d focus on Noelle for one. But as I went on, I liked her more and more and realized she was a character that could support an entire series. Sometimes the best characters pop up unexpectedly. I needed a detective to work with Evan Bolton in a book and Noelle came into being as I wrote that chapter. It was the same with my Detective Mason Callahan character. He appeared because I simply needed a detective in my first book Hidden. As I wrote more novels with him as a secondary character, readers begged for his story. He had many layers, and I knew he could carry a series. He’s the lead in five novels.

Q: Which scenes were your favorite to create for the story? I like Noelle’s relationship with her family, especially her grandfather, because it reminds me of my closeness with my grandfather. I also liked seeing Mercy Kilpatrick from the Mercy Kilpatrick novels and Echo Road return for this book.

A: This book had a lot of fun scenes to write; there’s an explosion scene that I enjoyed. I liked developing her mother-in-law’s twisted character. Simply seeing colorful characters through Noelle’s eyes is a lot of fun. It doesn’t matter if they’re evil or kind, I enjoyed including Mercy. I always enjoy bringing back past characters, and my readers tell me they love them. 

Q: What do you hope readers get from reading Her First Mistake?

A: That you are not defined by your past. And not to let your actions in the past affect your future. Would Noelle be who she is if she hadn’t lost her memory of an incident in her past? Would it have derailed her path? 

Q: Without spoiling too much, what can fans expect in No One Knew for Noelle & Max’s adventures?

A: I finished writing this book last month. I focused on Max’s backstory, what in his past has made him who he is. I bring in more characters from my Mercy Kilpatrick and Columbia River series, and I introduce a new younger character who I really like. She jumped onto the page in the first chapter, and I knew immediately she’d have an important role in the book. I’m excited to include her in future books. 

Q: If the Noelle Marshall books were to get a television adaptation, who would you want to portray Noelle & Max? I’m thinking Meghann Fahy from The White Lotus or actress Kate Mara to portray Noelle. 

A: Those are good picks! I loved Meghann Fahy in Sirens, she carried the show. In the book, I describe Max as a younger Jeffery Dean Morgan—not by name, but as the psychotic asshole who beats in people’s heads with the barbed wire baseball bat on The Walking Dead. 

I get asked all the time who I imagine would play my characters. I rarely have a pick, so to visualize that actor was a surprise to me. A lot of writers have image boards with photos of models or actors who they see as their characters. I’ve never been able to do that. I guess they’re usually sort of faceless in my head. I focus on their attitude and demeanor while writing them. The Ted Lasso character Rebecca Welton is how I imagined Noelle’s confidence and presence.