Cover reveal day and tour sign-ups for Threats of Sky and Sea!

Posted March 27, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Threats of Sky and Sea / 2 Comments

It’s here, it’s here! I can finally share my cover with you guys. I may be biased, but LORD. I love it. My amazing cover artist, Nathalia Suellen, totally and completely nailed it. I’m so excited for you all to check it out! You can see it for yourself on IceyBooks! You can also enter to win an eARC of Threats of Sky and Sea! So, what do you think? Let’s hear it! AND IN MORE EXCITING NEWS… You can also sign up to be a part of my blog tour here!

Oh, look, it’s a vlog!

Posted March 20, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Video / 1 Comment

I haven’t vlogged or made a video in a while, but I forgot how much I enjoy it! Here’s yet another introduction video. On a channel that is going to be WHATEVER I WANT.

Ladies supporting ladies

Posted March 18, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Uncategorized / 5 Comments

I don’t pretend to be an expert on the YouTube or Wrock fandoms, nor do I pretend that I’m a close follower of either. But there’s been something of a shitstorm that’s gone down in those fandoms over the past week or so. Credible accusations of sexual assault, sexual manipulations and emotional abuse and emotional blackmail have been levied. I believe them. I’ve been quiet, wanting to express my thoughts after I’ve had time to really think about them. Here they are in one quick go: Step #1: NEVER blame the victim. Don’t support sexual abusers. Period. Being a fan of someone does not equal knowing them. Being a fan of someone DOES NOT make them have any less of an ability to hurt someone else. If you have been hurt like this, I hope that you have someone to reach […]

Threats of Sky and Sea Teaser #2!

Posted March 11, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Threats of Sky and Sea / 3 Comments

Threats of Sky and Sea comes out in just over two months! Be sure to add it on Goodreads! In the meantime, here’s your first teaser from one of my favorite characters. ^_~

February Wrap-up

Posted February 28, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Wrap-ups / 5 Comments

Another month has come and gone! Here’s what I did! File under: ‘Threats of Sky and Sea progress:’ Opened sign-ups for my street team Announced that Threats of Sky and Sea will be published May 20, 2014! Sent the first ARC of Threats of Sky and Sea out into the great wide world for review in Inaccurate Realities, a speculative fiction YA literary magazine. Mailed the word document containing Threats of Sky and Sea to my copy editor. Tentatively scheduled my cover reveal Released the first TOSAS Teaser Wrote 10% of the first draft of Book 2! Had a photo shoot for a proper author headshot. Here’s me with the photographer, Angie Myers! File under: ‘IRL:’ Finally overcame a cold that I’ve been battling and have been able to get back to working out! Albeit, not the same way I was. I’m […]

Threats of Sky and Sea: A Call For Street Team Members!

Posted February 24, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Uncategorized / 8 Comments

As I move along in the publishing process for Threats of Sky and Sea, I am more and more thankful for those of you who have extended your congratulations, RTed the news, or added the book to your shelves on Goodreads. The book’s stats on Goodreads definitely show the power of social media, especially among other writers and bloggers. If, like me, you read the acknowledgements when you read a book, you know that a book is not an individual effort. It takes people to give early feedback and to edit it; to get the word out, promote it, and review it. So… now I’m asking if there are any Katnisses among you to help me with more book promotion. Okay, that was perhaps a bad metaphor. No fights to the death, folks. Just, hopefully, volunteers to join my street […]

“Don’t do it if it’s not fun”

Posted February 18, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Writing / 4 Comments

“Don’t do it if it’s not fun.” “If you don’t enjoy it, you shouldn’t be a writer.” I am so tired of seeing advice like this, to be quite honest. They’re these blanket proclamations that a lot of writers seem to identify with and so it keeps getting passed around. And maybe I’m the black sheep here, because I do not identify with it. It doesn’t work like that for me. The thing is this: WRITING IS HARD. It’s WORK. And more often than not, to be perfectly honest, I don’t enjoy it. Writing is very often me cringing over every word I put down. It’s finding a nail embedded deep in a wall and needing pliers to yank it out. I have moments where the words fly out or where I connect with a character. I have moments where I see the story in […]

A Valentine’s Day Threats of Sky and Sea teaser!

Posted February 14, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Threats of Sky and Sea / 11 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day, lovelies! Here are some “presents:” First, I announced yesterday that Threats of Sky and Sea’s release date is officially scheduled for May 20, 2014! Secondly, have a short Threats of Sky and Sea teaser! I hope you enjoy! ————————— “Got a name?” I ask. I bite at a frayed nail. Maybe he’s a wealthy merchant’s son. The fibers in his cloak are certainly finely-wrought enough. “A name?” “Something to call you by. For example, my name is Breena Perdit.” I extend a hand. “I’ve also been known as Bar Maid, Bree, or, when I’ve got my most shining personality on, Brat. Something like that. Got one of those?” “Breena,” he repeats thoughtfully, finger to his chin. Something about the way he says my name is disconcerting. He rolls it on his tongue like a wine. Nonsense. He’s […]

Getting things done

Posted February 3, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Uncategorized / 6 Comments

Starting a new book is a daunting task, but a necessary one. Threats of Sky and Sea has only copy edits to go through, and its accompanying short story is drafted as well (more on that later). But it’s the first in a series. I may be uncertain as to the length of said series, but I know this much: there’s at least a book 2. And I’d love to release it at the end of this year– or, at the latest, early next year. So that means I’ve got to write it. Here are some of my favorite, not-so-revolutionary ways to get that done. 1) The notes app on my iPhone. Occasionally, I find myself inspired about a particular scene, have a random snippet of dialogue run through my head, or have an epiphany regarding a plot twist. Every […]

Fairy tale plotting structure

Posted January 27, 2014 by Jennifer Ellision in blog, Writing / 5 Comments

Several months back, I met with one of my high school teachers at a B&N to chat about books, writing, YA lit… the usual things that two people who love books tend to talk about. She taught/teaches Creative Writing (and I actually think her class was one of the reasons I decided to major in the subject when I went to college). When we talked about our writing processes, I lamented, as I’ve done many times before, my “pantsing” nature. We also discussed revising and she shared the “Fairy Tale” outline structure with me. I think this structure would be helpful in either stage: if you’re a pantser, like me, this structure would be helpful during revisions to make sure that the plot fits well. If you’re a plotter, then this is a pretty simple outline to get you started! […]