USA Bestselling Author of Mystery- Suspense Christian Thrillers Novels Ditter Kellen talks to About Insider

Ditter Kellen is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Mystery-Thriller-Suspense-Christian Thriller Novels. She loves spinning edgy, heart-pounding stories that will leave you guessing until the very end. 

A devoted wife, mother and Christian, Ditter resides in Florida with her husband, teenage son, and many unique farm animals. She adores French fries and her phone is permanently attached to her ear. You can contact Ditter by email: Author@ditterkellen.com

HI, WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER! THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT WITH US! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, WHO IS DITTER KELLEN IN YOUR OWN WORDS?
Ditter is a nickname, my older sister gave me at birth. She couldn’t pronounce sister, and, well, it came out as Ditter.  

I chose Kellen for my last name, as a tribute to the son of a dear friend of mine, who passed away, far too soon. Rest in Peace, John Kellen. 

I started my publishing career, writing romance in 2015, and though I did very well in the genre, it wasn’t the road I was supposed to travel. So, I detoured in 2018 and wrote my first Mystery/Suspense Novel (The Boy in the Window). And ah, that did it for me. I knew I would spend the rest of my life, spinning mysteries, thrillers, and end-time apocalyptic series. I Am Elle was born and released in 2019, it hit #1 on the charts, and has remained on top for the past three years in a row. 

WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE THAT THERE IS A WRITER HIDDEN WITHIN? I MEAN WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU WANT TO BECOME A WRITER/AUTHOR?
I started a book in my early twenties, written with a pencil in an old notebook I had lying around. And then my beautiful daughter was born with Spina Bifida. I put the half-finished book in a box, and went on with life, focusing solely on her. I didn’t pickup writing again until 2013.

YOUR BOOK, “I AM ELLE: A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER  ”, WAS PUBLISHED RECENTLY. TO BEGIN WITH, COULD YOU TELL THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE BOOK? 
Absolutely. I was a 911 dispatcher before I became a published author. I took calls about many women and children who were being abused in some way. Some worse than others. WAY worse… I’ll leave it at that. When I began writing I Am Elle, I realized I had stepped way outside my comfort zone. But it needed to be written. Abuse is real. It happens daily, hourly, by the second. So, in a sense, Elle’s character is a product of all those women and children, who lived in abusive situations and lived to tell about it. 

I Am Elle Blurb:An abused girl’s desperate fight for survival and the silent killer determined to destroy her. Born on a small farm in Alabama, Elenore Griffin spends her days in a Hell of her father’s making. The system has failed her, leaving her trapped in a world of unimaginable torture and pain. Sold to the highest bidder, Elenore finds her nightmares have only just begun. And those responsible for her abuse begin disappearing around her without a trace, while the local authorities seem to be at the center of it all. Step inside the world of a young girl who suffered the most heinous acts imaginable. And survived. This is her life. This is her story… 

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS OF WRITING A BOOK?
Well, my mind is all over the place. I normally work in my yard, gardening etc… in order to think things out. Once a story forms in my mind, (Which is daily) I write down the premise, the name, how I want it to begin, and how I want it to end. I then create a cover for it. Once I settle into my writing chair, I study the beginning, the ending, and then, well, I connect the dots, so the two of them merge seamlessly. 

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR?
It means the world to me. It’s something I wanted with all my heart; something I’d worked so hard to get. 

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU PLANNING TO WRITE NEXT? 
I am working on more than four books at the moment. But the next release will be Elle Freed, the Elle series finale.

FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS?
Find what works for you and stay with it. Write what you know, it relaxes the mind and allows you to create. Most importantly, find time to write EVERYDAY, no matter how busy you are or how insane life gets. Even if only fifty words. Writing is like everything else in life, if you don’t keep it fresh, it tends to go stale. If you want to make it as a published author, it’s going to take work, but it’s worth it in the end.

WHERE CAN OUR READERS FIND YOU ONLINE? 
On FaceBook as Author Ditter Kellen. I also accept friend requests on my personal page (Ditter Kellen) if I’m not at my limit. I don’t bite. Not hard, anyway. 

I’m on Instagram as @AuthorDitterKellen. I’m on Audible, for the audiobook lovers. You can follow me on Amazon or on my Newsletter. I do not spam, and I only send out emails when a new book releases or anything book related. My newsletter can be found on my website: www.ditterkellen.com