Goodreads asked Ellen M. Bard:

How do you get inspired to write?

Ellen M. Bard I find inspiration everywhere in my life! For example, in Blaize and the Maven, the inspiration for Cuinn’s tower, and the dreamscape came from a mix of learning about the idea of lucid dreaming in yoga and my own experience of working with hypnosis. I’ve been a (poor!) student of the self-defence system Krav Maga for a number of years, so the fighting style of Blaize is based on that.

I also have a pretty unusual lifestyle – I live in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and as well as writing my fiction, I have a personal development blog and business and a travel blog. I’m also a Registered Occupational Psychologist, and work as a freelance management consultant in countries all over the world – just in the last year I’ve been to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Dubai, Egypt and Saudi Arabia amongst other places. My day-to-day life therefore provides a good dose of inspiration too!

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