Meet Eli Kale, Author of Faces of the War Collection: Unguarded & Resistant
BBB: Tell us about yourself.
EK: I am a historical fiction author living in Ohio with my wife, Sarah, and our pets, Nika and Zazu. My real name is Mike Pratt but I write under the pen name of Eli Kale. “Eli” is an anagram of “Michael,” and “Kale” is a name I’ve heard in various stories and movies, except spelled with a “C.” I changed it to a “K” to be a little different. I thoroughly enjoy reading about the Second World War and learning more about it, as well as the Cold War era and espionage intrigue. In my spare time outside of writing and working my day job, I listen to music (and am always on the lookout for new artists to listen to), watch war movies and dramas, exercise when I can, play the occasional video game, and spend time with family and friends. I have traveled quite a bit, having gone to Europe five times in the last decade. I enjoy watching and playing European football, and I’m always up for a good laugh. I like to try to live life by the philosophy that we only get one chance here, so it’s best to make it worthwhile!
EK: I am a historical fiction author living in Ohio with my wife, Sarah, and our pets, Nika and Zazu. My real name is Mike Pratt but I write under the pen name of Eli Kale. “Eli” is an anagram of “Michael,” and “Kale” is a name I’ve heard in various stories and movies, except spelled with a “C.” I changed it to a “K” to be a little different. I thoroughly enjoy reading about the Second World War and learning more about it, as well as the Cold War era and espionage intrigue. In my spare time outside of writing and working my day job, I listen to music (and am always on the lookout for new artists to listen to), watch war movies and dramas, exercise when I can, play the occasional video game, and spend time with family and friends. I have traveled quite a bit, having gone to Europe five times in the last decade. I enjoy watching and playing European football, and I’m always up for a good laugh. I like to try to live life by the philosophy that we only get one chance here, so it’s best to make it worthwhile!
BBB: What books have you written?
EK: My first major writing effort manifested itself in the form of Resistant, my debut book that released in April 2014. It follows Rienne, a young French girl caught up in the Nazi invasion of her home city and country, and what she does in reaction to that. Unguarded, my second book which released in January 2015, follows Oliver, a college-aged London boy who finds himself swallowed up by the events of the London blitz and its aftermath. I am currently writing my third book, the title of which won’t be revealed until the summer. All of these books (as well as two more that are planned) are part of a project of mine entitled The Faces of the War Collection. It is a collection (not a series) of stories set during the Second World War that follow a handful of characters. These stories are not related to one another, so reading any book independently of any others is ideal. I also have an ongoing short story project in the works, entitled The Short Story Collection. I use this for writing outside of my larger projects, and also to provide readers with new and different content in between the releases of my other books. This collection is (for the time being) only on the Kindle.
EK: My first major writing effort manifested itself in the form of Resistant, my debut book that released in April 2014. It follows Rienne, a young French girl caught up in the Nazi invasion of her home city and country, and what she does in reaction to that. Unguarded, my second book which released in January 2015, follows Oliver, a college-aged London boy who finds himself swallowed up by the events of the London blitz and its aftermath. I am currently writing my third book, the title of which won’t be revealed until the summer. All of these books (as well as two more that are planned) are part of a project of mine entitled The Faces of the War Collection. It is a collection (not a series) of stories set during the Second World War that follow a handful of characters. These stories are not related to one another, so reading any book independently of any others is ideal. I also have an ongoing short story project in the works, entitled The Short Story Collection. I use this for writing outside of my larger projects, and also to provide readers with new and different content in between the releases of my other books. This collection is (for the time being) only on the Kindle.
BBB: What inspired your Faces of the War series?
EK: In college, I wrote a short story for an English course that eventually wound up getting published in the university’s literary magazine. From there, I used my passion for WWII history to fuel my writing ideas, and I ended up planning a collection of stories. For each book, I tap into historical facts and anecdotes to help inspire the characters I write, but the actual names and specific events that take place in their lives aren’t real. That’s where the history leaves off and the fiction takes over, and that’s what makes writing historical fiction fun for me.
BBB: What are you currently working on?
EK: I am currently writing my third book in the Faces collection, which I’m planning to release sometime at the end of the summer, barring any impediments in my personal life. I’m also working on the second short story volume in that collection, which I’m hoping to release early this summer. I also have other projects in the planning and brainstorming phase, which is very exciting!
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
EK: Readers can check out my website [elikaleauthor.com] which has all of my project details and other important information, as well as my blog. I post every Monday and include details about my writing life and my current progress. I also couch writing tips and advice in my updates. As for social media, I’m on Twitter [@Eli_Kale], Facebook [elikaleauthor], Instagram [eli_kale], and also on Goodreads and the Independent Author Network. Most important of all, they should subscribe to my newsletter that gets emailed every two weeks. There, I include more details than I do in the blog posts, as well as fun facts, Q&A sessions, and other interesting information about me and my work. Lastly, I have recently expanded my platform to YouTube, so subscribing to my channel will get them videos every Friday.
EK: In college, I wrote a short story for an English course that eventually wound up getting published in the university’s literary magazine. From there, I used my passion for WWII history to fuel my writing ideas, and I ended up planning a collection of stories. For each book, I tap into historical facts and anecdotes to help inspire the characters I write, but the actual names and specific events that take place in their lives aren’t real. That’s where the history leaves off and the fiction takes over, and that’s what makes writing historical fiction fun for me.
BBB: What are you currently working on?
EK: I am currently writing my third book in the Faces collection, which I’m planning to release sometime at the end of the summer, barring any impediments in my personal life. I’m also working on the second short story volume in that collection, which I’m hoping to release early this summer. I also have other projects in the planning and brainstorming phase, which is very exciting!
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
EK: Readers can check out my website [elikaleauthor.com] which has all of my project details and other important information, as well as my blog. I post every Monday and include details about my writing life and my current progress. I also couch writing tips and advice in my updates. As for social media, I’m on Twitter [@Eli_Kale], Facebook [elikaleauthor], Instagram [eli_kale], and also on Goodreads and the Independent Author Network. Most important of all, they should subscribe to my newsletter that gets emailed every two weeks. There, I include more details than I do in the blog posts, as well as fun facts, Q&A sessions, and other interesting information about me and my work. Lastly, I have recently expanded my platform to YouTube, so subscribing to my channel will get them videos every Friday.
