above: Elise hits the open water with her trusty companions
Elise Hart Kipness, a Stamford-local, spent the first part of her professional career as a television sports reporter who thrived on the high-energy, pressure-packed and unpredictable world of professional athletics. Taking a hiatus from her travel-heavy schedule after having children, Kipness never imagined that she’d one day find herself a best-selling author. Missing her days of reporting, she gravitated toward writing and took classes that eventually led to her first novel, Lights Out.
The latest in Elise’s series, which has been optioned by Universal Studios
“I should have a PhD for all of the time that I put into learning, maybe two,” Elise jokes. Showcasing her manuscript at a “pitch fest,” which she explains is “essentially speed dating with agents,” she was able to secure a literary manager, and from there, things took off. Elise based her series on a combination of real-life experiences, both on and off the field, and used her knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes of sportscasting to create stories with an inside view. Each story is told through the lens of Kate Green, a women’s sports reporter, and gives the reader a tangible feel of everything from what it’s like to be inside a locker room to navigating interpersonal relationships with players and coaches. She uses her passion for riveting plot twists to keep her readers on their toes in new and shocking ways in each of her books.
When thinking about the ideal setting for Lights Out, which features an NBA player who was murdered in his mansion, Greenwich was the first choice for Elise. “I wanted to write about somewhere close that I knew well and could continue to explore. Greenwich is just such an interesting and charming place—between the town and the backcountry with all the mansions. You can see an NBA player living here. I really wanted to dig through any preconceived notions and focus on nuance to discover all the layers that exist in town,” she says.
Author Elise Hart Kipness
When asked what we can expect from Close Call (out August 19), Elise revealed that the story is centered around a kidnapping at the US Open, which was one of her favorite events to cover back in the day. “It’s very electric, not just a sporting event. It’s a scene with a lot of glamour, high-society attendees and super fans. This is the first sport I’m writing about that’s a one-player event as opposed to a team sport. (Dangerous Play focused on Women’s Olympic Soccer.) A single elimination game raises the stakes and it’s been really fun to dive back into something I enjoyed reporting on.”
Kate Green and her adventures were recently optioned by Universal Television and Mary J. Blige’s Blue Butterfly production company to be turned into a TV series executive-produced by Debra Martin Chase (CBS’ The Equalizer) and Liz Friedlander (ABC’s The Rookie), who is also directing. We can’t wait to see who plays Kate Green.
Elise will be speaking locally at the Harry Bennett Library in Stamford on Tuesday, September 16, at 5:30 p.m. fergusonlibrary.org