Ellie Winter's Blog

Hello, readers! I HAVE BIG NEWS! The cover and blurb of Saving Wildwood, book 2 of the Wildwood Series are LIVE!

Clari, Toby, and the shifters are back in the sequel to Entering Wildwood (the books do go in order, so if you haven’t read it yet, I’d suggest starting there). I can’t wait for you to see what everyone is getting up to and, of course, who finds their mate!

See below for information about the book, release date, and more!

Release Date: February 10, 2022 ⁠ See the Cover and Read the Saving Wildwood Blurb Below! ⁠

Clarrisa Wakanda has proven she’s capable of taking care of herself.  Just ask Dean – the Bitten Werewolf who stalked and tried to kill her.  With him no longer a concern, Clari focuses on her first gallery show and growing relationship with her Wolf-shifter boyfriend, Rafe.  ⁠ ⁠

When anonymous notes begin arriving at Wildwood, everyone wants to know who the mysterious sender is.  They claim to know her and, as more notes arrive, tensions begin to mount.  With Rafe fighting the urge to go into full protective Alpha mode and Clari trying to train the new interns at work, she has no time to confront her best friend and boss, Toby, about his strange behavior.  ⁠ ⁠

Then her dreams return, and someone’s life hinges on Clari using her powers in new and untested ways.  Is she strong enough to save one of their own, or will her magic fail her when she needs it most?⁠

For all information relating to Saving Wildwood, check out the book page. While you’re waiting, drop a comment about what you think of the cover or who you think will find their mate. If you’d like to pre-order now, you can do so through your favorite vendor via Books2Read.

Until next time – keep it extraordinary!

The post Exciting News! Saving Wildwood Cover & Blurb Are Now Available! appeared first on Ellie Winter.

It’s October! That means it’s time for sweaters, apple cider, pumpkins, and leaves. But you can’t have fall without the addition of Halloween Reads 2021, and what better number for a Halloween list than 13.

Breaking your offerings into three categories this year, I bring you Scary Good Sales, Spooky New Releases, and Haunting Halloween Reads. So grab a steaming mug of your favorite brew and your e-reader, get cozy, and enjoy these spine-tingling books. There’s something for everyone.

Let’s get going!

Scary Good Sales

Paranormal Romance
$1.99 in October

YA Paranormal Thriller
$0.99 in October

Spooky New Releases

YA Urban Fantasy

Horror/Occult

Children’s

Haunting Halloween Reads

Paranormal Murder Mystery

Paranormal Romance

Paranormal Romance

Cozy Mystery

Paranormal Romance

Mystery

Witch-Free Halloween

Supernatural Suspense

Cozy Mystery

I can personally vouch for Love Bites (Darkness & Light Duology Book 1) and Love and Ghosts, both of which I’ve read the series, and highly recommend. How can you say no to a book with witches, magick, and a scene set at Samhain? Or ghosts and curses in New Orleans?
Monstery Donstery Dock is killing me. I am beyond in love with both the cover and the concept! If I had a child the right age, I’d be all over this book!
I might just have to snag a couple of these for myself!

That’s all for Halloween Reads 2021! I’m planning to post my winter reads sometime in December. In the meantime, if you have a favorite Halloween read (or you’ve read one of these), let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for a new book!

Until next time, Happy Halloween reading and keep it extraordinary!

Check out my other blog posts or read about my books!
Find my books on Amazon and Goodreads.

Hello again, authors!  Last time, we talked about handmade giveaway items you can make to engage with your readers without spending an arm and a leg on the prize.  This time, I’m going to discuss some giveaway purchases that don’t take the time or creativity of making something handmade but still won’t break the bank to buy.

Like last time, I’ll do my best to post links when I can to my suggestions, and, again, I do not get a commission for these links.

As a reminder – even though giveaways are technically a form of swag, I’m keeping the two terms separate, using “giveaway” as a way to get your readers to engage with you, your website, reviews, etc.  Swag, for these purposes, is a term I’m using for smaller items you can offer on your table at events such as book signings and conventions.

Part 1: Ideas for Giveaway Purchases

The Quick List:
Bath Products
Hot Drink Sampler
Gift Basket
Stickers
Note Cards
T-shirt/Sweatshirt
Candle/Wax Tarts
Journal w/ Pens
Mug
Magnets
Gift Card

Something to consider if you’re looking for purchased giveaway items, it’s always a wonderful thing if you can also support local/small businesses when possible.  It’s worth trying to network with local artisans or shop at websites like Etsy for giveaway purchases that benefit you both.

Let’s look at each option a little closer:

1) Bath Products

This is an expansion on the bath salts listed in my previous post, but now you can offer things you can’t make too.  You could even put together a set if you’re looking for a larger option.  You can offer soap, lotion, bath salts, etc.
NOTE: Some items take time to sure/process, and there is shipping, so if you’re going to place a custom order, make sure you plan accordingly!
Examples:

Heks beard oil by Fires Of Freyja on Etsy [image error] Runner’s Relief bath soak by Celtic Moon Soapworks Rose Hug Bath Salt in Glass Tube by PurpleBudUK on Etsy2) Hot Drink Sampler

Bibliophiles are notorious coffee and tea drinkers, and there’s always hot chocolate on chilly fall or winter days.  Offering your readers a collection of drinks to try, especially if they relate to your book in some way, is a great way to start a conversation with them.
Examples:

Tiesta Tea Loose Leaf Black Tea Assortment on Amazon 100% Kona Coffee by WolfpackFarmsCoffee on Etsy Vintage Honey Bottle Sampler Set by BeekeepersDaughterUS on Etsy Sampler Box of 5 Coffees by JavaJiveCoffee on Etsy S’mores Hot Cocoa Mix by ALLSPICEEMPORIUM on Etsy Fall Hot Cocoa Bombs by SweetWolfCo on Etsy3) Gift Baskets

The fun here is that this basket can be anything you want!  Candy, chocolate, snacks, movie night at home, book lovers care package and more.  You can also include a physical copy of your book with this in a lot of cases, bringing the connection between the giveaway and you even closer.
Examples:

Tea Gift Box with Candle by SpeedyGIft on Etsy Movies at Home Gift Basket by BrendasBasket on Etsy HELLO FALL Seasonal Gift Box by LDsavvyDesigns on Etsy4) Stickers

Vinyl stickers/decals are hugely popular right now, but you don’t have to limit yourself to this style.  You can buy a pack of stickers for use in your readers’ journals, a holiday-themed set, or a whole series of stickers related to your book(s) that you get custom printed.
Note: Ordering from a custom site like Sticker Mule involves buying multiple stickers/sheets, so plan for this in your budget, though they often run a sample offer.
Example:

Molshine 320pcs Decorative Stickers on Amazon Vinyl sticker sheets by Sticker Mule5) Note Cards

Building on the idea of the handmade cards in my last post, you can either buy a premade box of note cards as a giveaway, or you can go to a place where you can get custom cards printed.
Example:

Note Cards on Vistaprint Note Cards on Shutterfly Pack of Blank Notelet Cards – Magical Tree House by OccasionsCardsGB on Etsy6) T-shirt or Sweatshirt

These days there are multiple sites you can get custom printing done on items.  Creating a t-shirt that relates to your book(s) is a great merchandising opportunity, and offering one as a giveaway gets the word out both about your book and your shop!
Examples:

V-Neck shirt from GotPrint.com Basic T-shirt from Vistaprint.com Unisex V-Neck Tee from Printful.com7) Candle/Wax Tart

You can purchase from a Yankee Candle jar candle (or tarts/melts) or one from Bath & Body Works, find a small business that makes book-centric candles, or get one custom-made on Etsy. 
Example:

Halloween Scented Candles by PeaceOrganics on Etsy Spiced Pumpkin Small Jar Candle by Yankee Candle The Perfect Autumn Candle by Bath & Body Works8) Journal with Pen(s)

Do you love to journal?  Share it with your readers.  Put together a set of your favorite journal and pen(s) as a giveaway.  If you’re comfortable with it, you can even share a picture of yourself using your set.
Example:

Personalized Leather Journal by JosephCustomProducts on Etsy Pilot G2 Gel Pens on Amazon LEUCHTTURM1917 – A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook (Emerald) on Amazon9) Mug

Much like option #6 on this list, you can get custom-printed mugs you can offer as both merchandise and/or a giveaway.  Some sites might make you purchase more than one, but it’s worth looking at what’s available to you!
Example:

Custom Geode Tumbler by ResisDentzDesign on Etsy Custom Latte Mug on Shutterfly.com Personalized Mugs on Vistaprint.com
10) Ornament/Suncatcher

This one is especially good if your book takes place around the holidays.  A suncatcher would be good for a summer book.  This provides your reader with something that will make them think of you time and again when they see it.
Example:

Small Custom Stacked Book Ornaments by InkandShrinkSwag on Etsy Stained Glass Fall Pumpkin by JimandEmStainedGlass on EtsyPersonalized Mini Book Ornament by CoryellArt on Etsy11) Magnets

This item toes the line between a giveaway item and swag.  Though stickers can also fall into this situation, it’s easier to put together a collection of stickers.  However, you can put together a set of magnets that go with your book, either its theme or the covers from a series, that you can offer your readers. 
Example:

Custom Design Magnet from ShutterflyCustom Photo Magnets by PrintsFactoryUS on Etsy12) gift Card

The giveaway option that is sure to draw attention; the gift card is the simplest option that is still always a favorite.  Amazon is always popular, as are places like Starbucks, Bath & Body Works, or just a Visa gift card as “cash.”

Hopefully, you’ve found some inspiration in Part 2 of Author Giveaways That Won’t Break the Bank for your next engagement with your readers.  That’s all for now on giveaway purchases!  As always, if you have had luck with a giveaway item and would like to share it, I would love to hear about it in the comments.

Coming Soon:

I promise to come back soon and write about ideas for swag – smaller things you can offer your readers.  There’s a lot of discussion about how some items, like silicone bracelets, fill trash cans at the end of events.  We’ll talk about possible options that will actually go home with attendees instead of ending up in the land of the forgotten.

However, before I get to that, I’m thinking about putting together some themed reading lists.  We are heading right into my favorite time of year (and month), so I’d like to make it fun for all of us!  

I’ll also be publishing Book 2 of the Wildwood series, so keep your eye out for more information about that too!

Until next time – keep it extraordinary!

Hey, authors! As I write this, I’m preparing to release the second book of the Wildwood series, so the topic of author giveaways is near and dear to my heart at the moment.  Like many of you, my budget is tight, but I love connecting with my readers.  

A conundrum, right?

Well, maybe not as bad as you might think.

With a little work and creativity, you can come up with giveaways that don’t break the bank.  Which is a great way to interact with current and potential readers.  Authors use giveaways to promote a new book, to expand their newsletter list, when they reach a followers milestone, or even just for fun.

Below is the beginning of a series of posts about author giveaways that won’t break the bank, starting today with a list of handmade options giving you a chance to interact with your readers!

I’m going to break my list into sections: handmade giveaways you can make yourself and items to purchase.  I will try to post links for suggestions or sellers when I can, which are sites that might be helpful to you, I do not get a commission from any of them.

Without further ado, let’s start!

Swag vs. Giveaways

According to www.ipromo.com, swag is “company-branded merchandise and is given away as a form of advertising. Swag can also be obtained through blogs and Web sites when a company wants to promote their brand or products. Essentially, swag is a form of branded merchandise that is given away as a form of advertising.“

Similarly, Vangie Beal of webopedia defines swag as “promotional merchandise that’s usually bagged and given away to participants at an event.“

Technically, giveaways are a form of swag, but for these articles, I’m going to draw a line between “giveaways” and “swag.” In the future, I will write an article on swag, a term I’ll use to describe small things you can give to readers at events like book signings or conventions. Right now, I’m going to focus on giveaways, which I am defining as a promotional tactic to increase your following/interactions by engaging readers in a sort of contest to win a prize.

Part 1: Handmade Giveaway Ideas

The Quick List:
Bath Salts
Homemade Bookmarks
Homemade Cards
Drawings/Paintings
String Art
Handmade Key/Phone Chain
Shadow Box
Signed Copy of Your Book

Now for the details:

1) Bath Salts

Things like bath salts are always popular, and a great handmade giveaway item.  If you’re a romance author like I am, then they’re completely on-brand too.  You can find simple recipes online to follow (Epsom salt, pink or sea salt, and/or baking soda are often the main ingredients). Add things like dried flowers or a few drops of lavender essential oil, then package it in a cute bottle, label it appropriately (this is important!), and you’re good to go!
Important Note:  You are legally required in the US to list all ingredients on products.  DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!  You can print labels to put on the jar or even attach a card-style label with ribbon or thin yarn.
Example: Calming Lavender Bath Salts by Woefully

2) Bookmarks

This option takes some creativity and a trip to a craft or art store, but they’re not too hard to make.  Using watercolor or acrylic paint and the matching kind of paper, mark the size of the bookmark on your paper, tape it, and have fun!  You can go as detailed or abstract as you like, anything from ombre, text, to a detailed scene from your book.  Personally, I would suggest sticking to a theme that works with the book/series you’re trying to promote.
Example: Watercolor bookmarks on Pinterest

via: Pinterest3) Cards/Postcards

Technically, this homemade giveaway is a continuation of the bookmarks, but I think it warrants its own listing.  It is a step up from the bookmarks since they take a little more time and effort, and are considered a more expensive end product. You can use any style you like, from painting, to pencils, or even making a scrapbook-style collage.  You can even make multiple – maybe a whole theme-related set!
Example: 3 Fun and Easy DIY Watercolor Cards by Strathmore

4) Drawings/Painting

We are, yet again, stepping it up from the previous option.  I would suggest doing either a character or scene for the highest connection to your book.  This one, to me personally, is the most intimidating of the handmade giveaways because it puts more of your personal self out there for your readers to see.  It’s also the most time-intensive.  However, for those very reasons, it’s also a reader favorite.  Again, this can be anything from a simple pencil sketch to a detailed painted scene, and your readers will eat up getting to see exactly how you envision your creations. Because, let’s face it, no one knows what you’re world looks like as well as you do!
Example: Search for #authorsketch on Instagram

5) String Art

Does your book include an elephant?  Dreams?  Castle?  Parrots?  What about offering a piece of string art for your readers that’s related to your theme? You can use images or words on this one and still have a great final product.  This is a little time-intensive but should be fun and unique.
Example: String Art Patterns Posts on Pinterest

6) Key Ring/Phone/Purse Charm

No matter how digital we get, people still have car keys, even if we don’t need to take them out all the time anymore.  I don’t know about you, but I still like having a fun keychain – plain keys are boring, right?  For this idea, you can do anything from miniature paintings you can tuck into plastic sleeves, beads, macrame, or anything else. I’ve even seen some impressive shrinky-dink ones.  You can go as plain or as elaborate as you want, and possibly offer multiple winners, increasing your engagement.
Examples:

7) Shadow Box

Keep an eye on your local craft store(s) for when shadow boxes go on sale (or make your own) and this will be a fun project that your readers will love.  Does your book happen around Halloween?  Make a scene with a haunted house, tree, or graveyard.  Does it take place in New York City?  Fill your piece with “I NY” stickers, miniatures of the Statue of Liberty, recreate the skyline, or Broadway playbills.  Forest? Silhouettes of pine trees, acorns, and pinecones.  You get the picture!
Note: If you (or a friend) have a paper-cutting machine, this gets a lot easier!
Example:

8) Signed Copies of your Book

Do you have print copies of your book?  If so, you’re already set.  If not – you can upload it to a place like Amazon (which offers a template if you aren’t familiar) and get print copies of your book.  There are options outside of Amazon, of course, but that’s where my personal experience lies, so I’m going with it.  There are a variety of sizes with white or cream paper from which you can choose.  Offer a personalized signed copy of your book and fans will love it!

Up Next: Author Giveaways Part 2: Items to Purchase

Is crafting handmade giveaway items not your idea of fun, or your schedule is so busy you just don’t have time to make something yourself?  That’s fine – everyone has different abilities and schedules!  In Part 2 of the Author Giveaway Items That Don’t Break the Bank series, I’ll start talking about some ideas you can purchase that still won’t cost you an arm and leg but are still fun and engaging.

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed Author Giveaways Part 1: Handmade Giveaway Items, and it has started getting your creative juices running for ideas. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, if you want to share something you made for a giveaway that you made, let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

If you’re an indie author involved with other indie writers (or NaNoWriMo in November), you’ve probably heard of Camp Nano taking place in April and July. In honor of that, I wrote about what my process was for deciding to participate last year. And that was to make myself be okay with the possibility of failing. Here’s my story of learning to be OK with not finishing NaNo.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! We do hereby declare that you may henceforth announce your Camp NaNoWriMo project for April of this very year, so that you might prepare yourself emotionally, spiritually, and practically for a month of creative abandon. https://t.co/FChxSMbZWl

— NaNoWriMo (@NaNoWriMo) March 2, 2021

The Background

I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo every year since I seriously started putting effort into my writing.  Having completed it every year, I didn’t want to break the pattern. If you read my post about my “It’s Complicated” relationship with the challenge, you’ll know that is quite a feat, considering in 2017 I finished NaNo with a concussion.  It wasn’t smart, but fortunately, I was nearly finished and was as careful as possible.  Would I do that again?  No, but I did that year.

Last year, the whole world changed, and we all had to change right along with it.  

I began “remote” schooling my daughter around St. Patrick’s Day 2020, except, if I’m honest, the school was nowhere NEAR ready for the situation, especially with a gifted student.  I am forever grateful to her phenomenal kindergarten teacher, who worked with me to figure out a schedule and assignments.  This pushed publishing the sequels to Entering Wildwood and Learning to Love to the back burner. No matter how much I love writing, my kiddo comes first.  

In August, when school started back up, we initially had the option of going back in person or continuing remote, and we chose remote (eventually everyone went remote).  Something I don’t often discuss is I have some health problems, and every year I get sick within a couple of months of my daughter going back to school.  Taking the chance of her bringing COVID home was not one we could take, for any of us.

However, come early September, I still somehow got it.  To this day we aren’t entirely sure how.  In the time leading up to not feeling well we hadn’t eaten out and I didn’t leave the house without a mask – the few times I ever did leave.  But, once I lose all sense of taste and smell, we knew we had a problem.  Thanking every power-that-might-be, neither hubs nor kiddo got it.  I quarantined in two small areas of our house, and they in the rest.  I got lucky that it wasn’t a severe case, but the ongoing effects have been pretty drastic.

November Means NaNo

When NaNo came around I was still recovering.  To say the exhaustion was extreme is an understatement.  Follow that with, even now months later, my new inability to focus for very long, I knew I was in trouble heading into the challenge.  I nearly skipped it, but I’m really stubborn.  I signed up and immediately marked myself as a “rebel,” admitting it might not have been the best idea.

Which is when the internal dialog got real.

I refused to skip a year, but I also knew the chances of hitting 50,000 words were next to zero.  I could either beat myself up about not hitting word goals or, for the first time ever, admit I likely would not be finishing NaNo and accept it.  And, finally, I accepted it.  I decided it was more important to try, to be a part of the experience than to go crazy trying to finish knowing it would be too much stress.

At the time, Wildwood #3 was half-written. The goal in NaNo is to hit 50,000 words. My plan was the full 50,000. It would put the word count over, but I would cross that bridge if I got to it.

I didn’t, but it was ok.

Why?  Because, for the first time since the pandemic started, I was writing.  Really writing – not just staring at my screen worrying about the world, or laying in bed wondering if I was going to end up in the hospital, or sitting on the couch thinking about writing but not putting any words to the page.  In the end, I wrote just shy of 31,000 words; honestly, more than I thought I would get, and that made me happy.

I had to let go of beating myself up for not writing, of telling myself I should be writing instead of worrying about EVERYTHING else, of giving myself guilt trips for not reaching goals, and it finally – FINALLY – gave me the freedom to actually write.  I had to let go of my expectations of myself.

I had to be ok with not finishing NaNo in order to start.

The Weekend’s Super Bowl Performance during the halftime show left me angry and disappointed on multiple levels, and it should have done the same to you.

2020 Halftime Show

Last year Jennifer Lopez and Shakira took to the halftime stage in a history-making performance. It was the first all Latin lineup in the event’s history.  Two strong women, icons in the music field, and role models to girls all over the world.  They put on a fantastic show, certainly one of the best in memory.

It’s important to note only a handful of halftime shows have been headlined by female performers. JLo and Shakira follow Lady Gaga’s 2017 show to become only the 6th female-led act. Despite including Bad Bunny and J Balvin, the two of them owned the show, while also keeping to an all Latin lineup. Indeed, there’s little question, all eyes were on the women. They scorched the stage, following a number of years of lackluster acts, leaving everyone fired up and on the edge of their seats.  It was an amazing performance.  Powerful, energetic, sexy, and strong.

Celebs like Lady Gaga applauded them for doing a great job:

. @JLo and @shakira and all the special guests were so incredible!!! What a fun halftime show I danced and smiled the whole time. Such powerful sexy women!!!! On camera and off!!!!! Love you beautiful sexy talented women #SuperBowlHalftimeShow #SuperBowl

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) February 3, 2020

Keith Urban (with Nicole Kidman I’m guessing):

ALRIGHT!!!!!! now THAT was a GLOBAL Super Bowl halftime performance!!!!!! STUNNING- WE LOOOOOOOOVED IT! CONGRATS @JLo, @shakira and the whole ensemble AND CREW !!!!!! -KU #SuperBowlLIV

— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) February 3, 2020

And Christina Aguilera agreed:

All my girls DOMINATED at the #SuperBowl!!!!!! That’s what happens when a powerful female force comes together!!!!!! @ddlovato @shakira @JLo

— Christina Aguilera (@xtina) February 3, 2020

Without a doubt, it was hailed as one of the best halftime shows in history.  The audio was clear, the dancing on point, and JLo even got to bring her daughter on stage with her.  Certainly, that is a memory they will cherish forever.

The Weekend’s Super Bowl Performance

All of this begs the question: why am I so annoyed?

I’m mad because close-minded uptight people got their proverbial panties in a twist, caused a ruckus, the NFL caved, and, as a result, we had to put up with that bizarre, unimpressive, poorly executed, nearly inaudible mess from The Weekend this year.  It brought it right back down to mediocre performances most of us tried to avoid.  We paused the game to put the kiddo to bed, so I skipped through a lot of it. I couldn’t handle the unimpressive singing, terrible audio, poor Michael Jackson-esque dance attempts, headache-inducing camera angles, and dancers who looked like they had diapers on their heads.

Also, did anyone see a single female dancer in the whole show? No one in my house did.

People who can’t handle strong, powerful, sexy women called last year’s show “vulgar” and “demeaning” – clearly missing everything the rest of us saw.  One woman even asked, “Why can’t the NFL present a halftime show that multiple generations can enjoy together?” A man commented to the FCC “The indecency is getting ridiculous.”

Guess what?  My then-five-year-old daughter watched it, and I was happy to let her see women taking center stage, being fierce, and not needing a man to “lead” them.  Not only were they talented and bold, but also amazingly hard-working and all-around impressive.

And yet, over 200,000 people complained about JLo and Shakira’s clothing and dancing style. Over 1300 complaints were submitted to the FCC, which appears to be second only to Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction.” All of this, even though they exposed nothing, and used dance moves men are cheered for doing.

On the other hand, Adam Levine took off his shirt during Maroon 5’s halftime show in 2019. Guess how many people complained about it as a result? According to SBNation – 55, and that’s higher than other counts I read.

In Conclusion

The blatant double-standard is sickening, and it’s time for it to go.  We would all be better for it.  No one deserves to have to sit through that dizzying, disorientating, mess of a performance with diaper-headed dancers (no, I’m not letting it go) we had this year. 

Most importantly, women deserve better than to be demonized for being the forces of nature we are.

I challenge all of you to be the start of the change.

Can you believe we’re already a week into NaNoWriMo? It’s passing in a bit of a blur so far. This time around I get my best writing in after my daughter goes to bed too. It never ceases to amaze me how much my NaNo experience changes every year.

For those unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo is, it’s a challenge to write a novel in the month of November.
Nation
Novel
Writing
Month
If you participate, you are pledging to attempt to write 50,000 words throughout the month. If you break that into all 30 days, it comes out to 1,667 words/day. At its heart, NaNoWriMo is our kick in the pants to get off our behinds and buckle down on writing.

I was thinking about all of this today after reading another author’s blog post about her previous NaNo experience. As I mentioned in my last post, I didn’t decide to participate this year until the first day; thus proving my pantser status. I knew about NaNo long before I ever tried to do it, probably for at least a decade, honestly. However, I wasn’t writing on this scale back then, so didn’t think I could succeed. The draw was there, but the confidence wasn’t, so I skipped it for a long time.

My NaNoWriMo History

I logged my first NaNoWriMo project in 2017. I was in the middle of my second book (what became Learning to Love!), and the ideas for Book 2 of that series started flying while I was still working on the first. It was the end of October so I thought what the heck and signed up.

Honestly, it was a whirlwind. I finished the first book and flew straight into the second without even stopping to think about editing or anything else. I knew I had to get the words down before they disappeared and I lost the story. If you’ve been on the NaNo site this year you know they did a major update and I can’t see most of the old information there anymore; but I wrote over 72,000 words that month, including the entire second book in 9.5 days.

Where this becomes a cautionary tale is also why I insist on having buddies who will help you keep it real. I don’t remember much of those 10 days because my face was staring at my laptop all day every day. My daughter was annoyed with me and it was something I would have to make up with her for it.

Where I utterly lost my mind was trying to write through a concussion. Our car has one of those foot sensors to open and close the tailgate, and in my hurry to load the car after shopping, in the rain, I somehow trigged said sensor, and the hatchback closed. Except it did NOT stop when it hit my head and continued to push down on me. I had to step back to get myself clear of it. At the time we all laughed it off as another instance of my being a klutz (because let’s face it, I am!), and went on with our day.

The reality hit in the middle of the night, except I was in no position to put it together. I woke up needing to hit the bathroom, except, when I got out of bed, I had NO idea where I was or how to get where I was going. It was like I had never been in my bedroom before; I didn’t know where any of the doors were, or even what house I was in. I was so confused all I wanted to do was get back in bed and go back to sleep, so that’s exactly what I did.

The next morning, while talking about it with people, it was like a lightning bolt of realization as all the pieces came together. I wasn’t supposed to use anything with a screen, and these days that doesn’t leave a whole lot of options. Except I was also desperate to finish that story. So I would do little writing bursts with my laptop heavily into night mode turning as much blue light off as possible. It was my writing buddies who managed to get me to look at the bigger picture and make sure I took care of myself. They talked me into a good long break after that book and empathized with my frustrations, making me feel like it was okay to both be upset and alright with the time off.

To The Present

This year is a different story. I have two books published, 2 ready for editing, 3 pieces in progress, and decided to jump into NaNoWriMo with Book 3 of the Wildwood series. I feel like I have a much better grasp on taking care of myself and not forcing writing just to keep up with goals. And, so far, it’s working. I try to make sure I write every day, but I’m not stressing too badly about the word count, and I think the lowered stress is helping me write faster.

Today is the one week mark. Somehow, this year is going better than the last 2 years of NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNos in April and July (for the record, I didn’t complete either of those and while I felt bad, I didn’t let me beat myself up over it either).

Yesterday alone I wrote 6,665 words and it brought my total to over 21,000. Six days in and I’m closing in on halfway through the challenge. I created myself a reward plan and I’m sticking to it. You should see the Gloria Jean’s chiller I had last night!

Today I haven’t written anything more than this post, and that’s ok too, the words will come when they’re ready.

So… The moral of all this, besides giving you an update on how things are going, is to

1) Encourage you to challenge yourself to do something difficult, even if it’s something you’ve failed at before.
2) Make sure you take care of yourself while you’re doing it. You’re much more likely to succeed if you do!

Drop me a note and let me know how NaNo, or whatever your challenge is, is going! Let’s all do something awesome this month!

It’s that time of year for authors. November 1st. The first day of National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNoWriMo.

The biggest decision is whether or not to participate. It’s no small ask; 50,000 words is a lot. At the same time if you complete it you have a very solid foundation of a full-length novel. This will be my third year participating, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t make the final decision until today. The last two years have been pretty difficult for me between a concussion year one and severe bronchitis last year. As it is, I’m recovering from another round of severe bronchitis this time, but there’s something I love about NaNoWriMo, and decided I didn’t want to miss it.

That being said, there’s a lot of advice on how to get through a project like this in the time frame given. Even though NaNoWriMo is, technically, only one month long, many people start planning in September, then also participate in “Preptober,” using the whole month preparing for November. Authors who do this are considered “planners” but I’ll be honest, that’s not me. I would say I fall about 80% – 90% into the “pantser” mode of writing; as in I like to have an idea of what I’m going to write and some major plot points, but if I plan out too much I feel like my work loses its magic.

So today I’m going to give a few pointers if you’re in my camp and maybe still haven’t even decided whether or not you want to join. Please don’t think that because you didn’t do Preptober or sign up before November 1 you can’t do it, you totally can!

Ellie’s 5 Tips for Being a NaNoWriMo Pantser1. Have an idea before starting.

Yes, I know, I said you can just jump in, and you can, but you have to have some kind of an idea of what you what to write about or you’re going to sit there and stare are your computer blankly and end up frustrated. I promise you if you get frustrated you won’t finish, so do yourself a favor and at least have a basic idea. Write a few notes or plot points, something to look at when you need it.

For example, I will be working on Book 3 of my Wildwood series this year. This morning I didn’t have more than some names and a location, so I sat down with my trusty dry erase board and markers and made some notes for myself. Can I fit a whole story on that board? Definitely not, but it gives me something to look at and an idea of where I’m going.

2. Set Goals

If you sign up for NaNoWriMo, your main goal is set for you. Write 50,000 words in the month of November.

However, you could decide to write more, and the project you work on is up to you. You could even decide to work on two short stories. Decide what will be best for you, and stick to it. Write it down so you can see it. Put it in the NaNo project slot.

3. Announce Your Intentions

You’ll see this one posted everywhere. Every advice piece will tell you to do this and I wholly agree. Put it on Facebook, Instagram, your blog, tell your friends, and join groups.

Why?

If people know you are participating, they can help support you in whatever shape that takes for you. They can cheerlead, make snacks, poke and prod, quietly sit and let you bounce ideas off them over coffee or tea, and so on. Whatever you need to help you get through this task because, as noted before, it’s not a small one, but it is a doable one. By holding yourself accountable and announcing yourself others can help you too.

4. Use Buddies

This one can come in multiple forms. You have friends in real life who are not writers but who can support you as noted above. Find groups on social media who can help you, including NaNo’s cabins and buddies. These are people who, unlike your non-writer friends, will be able to empathize with your struggles and successes, and are truly be happy for you when you complete the task.

Is this absolutely necessary? Not really, but trust me, you’ll be happier. You’re not alone in any feeling you have during NaNoWriMo, and it can be really helpful to have people who can relate to the good and the bad.

5. Have Fun!

Yes, this is TOTALLY worth listing!

It’s entirely possible to get caught up in the stress and numbers of NaNoWriMo and completely forget that you’re doing something you love. If you don’t have fun with this then you not only won’t want to do it again but you’ll have put all that effort into writing for nothing. If you don’t love your WIP no one else will either!

I nearly forgot this the first year. I had a concussion and wasn’t even supposed to look at my computer and felt so guilty about not writing enough (even though I was already over my word count) I posted about it. So many people gave me such wonderful responses telling me to remember this is supposed to be fun and to take care of myself it’s a large part of why I keep going now – the NaNoWriMo community is wonderful.

Commiserate with friends and buddies, laugh at the memes and other funnies, be excited for people having a good writing day, and remember you’re doing this because you love writing!

In Conclusion…

You don’t have to be a complete planner to succeed at NaNoWriMo, it’s a journey, not a race, enjoy it.

You’ll experience highs and lows and it’s important to remember that your low days will balance out with better ones. Don’t get too caught up in daily word totals and lose sight of the long-term goals. Write, have fun, and make some new friends!

NaNoWriMo is an experience you’ll never forget!

Meet Jasper Cole

I really wasn’t sure exactly how Jasper Cole would turn out when I started writing Learning to Love, but that’s not a huge surprise for me. My characters tend to develop themselves and tell me the things I need to know as we go through the writing process. However, he did a pretty good job of surprising me a couple of times despite everything. Humble, persevering, and gentle, Jasper really defied the odds he was given. In the end, he’s now one of my favorite characters and I can’t wait for you to get to know him too.

Learning to Love gives you a lot of insight into Jasper, and it’s not all pretty and rosy, but that’s part of what makes him so amazing. As the series goes on, you’ll learn more and more about the quiet man hired to tutor the Tisdale’s.

NOTE:
This interview takes place after the completion of Book 1 of the Wynbourne Manor Series and may contain information you learn in the book. If you are worried about spoilers, read the book first (you can find the link here)!

Now on to the interview!

Let’s start with something a little easier: What’s one of your favorite foods or smells?

(Chuckling) It’s not as easy as you might think! Growing up, my favorite food was whatever I could get my hands on because it was that or go hungry. Back then my favorite smells were often those coming from bakeries early in the morning. Now and then the local baker took pity on me and would give me a leftover scrap or a product that didn’t sell the day before.

I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth, so I don’t gravitate toward those foods or smells.  These days, I’m going to have to steal Elanor’s favorite food and say a big tender roast with potatoes. It was something I never got to have until I was older so it seemed decadent and the smell immediately makes my mouth water.

How do you measure success?

My answer to that has changed recently. A year ago I would have said to see a job completed well and my charge excelling in their environment. It’s very rewarding to see the lasting effects your efforts can have.

Now, my sights are set a little higher. Though even now I still keep in touch with a couple of my former charges, now I want to prove to Elanor and her family that I can provide for her and am worthy of everything they’ve given me. A job well done now means a successful venture that is both fulfilling and profitable.

What’s your favorite way to spend your free time?

Depending on my mood, and the weather, I like to take Eclipse out for a ride, especially if Elanor isn’t busy and she and Morning Star can come with us. Though I try to avoid the overly windblown look she usually achieves, I love the feeling of the wind on my face as well. There’s a freedom in the power of working in unison with such a strong being, and horses are unlike any other creature I’ve worked with.

Tell us something random you keep on your desk.

I’m really not that exciting! Most items on my desk are boring normal tools for working. However, on my desk at Wynbourne, I do have my ticket home in a frame. Every time I see it I’m reminded of what we went through before our happily ever after began. It makes me smile and work even harder to keep what I’ve gotten.

Who’s more spontaneous – you or Elanor?

(Laughing heartily) Do you even have to ask? She is, of course! Not that we haven’t both had difficulties feeling the burden of responsibility too young, but the light in her is impossible to extinguish, and she loves the thrill of surprises. I suppose I do too; she’s just better at it than I am.

Best for last! Time for something juicy! When were you first tempted to take things further with Elanor than tutor and tutee?
Awww – you’re blushing!

Oh my word, you had to go there, didn’t you? Well, of course, the attraction to her was instant, I mean have you seen that dress? Talk about toeing the line of making Arthur fully lose his mind! The sisters knew exactly what they were doing that day, and the gusto it took to stand up to the infamously unforgiving Arthur Towner caught my attention right from the beginning.

It grew from there, I guess. When I saw her in the gardens in the middle of the night was another big moment, and is probably the answer to your question. It took everything I had to close the door that night instead of inviting her in and breaking protocol. I had no idea until much later how she felt about that incident too. Despite trying very hard to keep things professional, she’s simply too magnetic. I was a moth to the flame from the start and it eventually grew to the point it was worth getting fired to be with her, even though I was utterly determined to be worthy of her affections.

Me again! There you have it! I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about things from Jasper’s point of view a little bit, and gain some insight into his thoughts. There may be a follow-up interview sometime in the future.

If you are interested in an interview with any of my other characters or have any questions you’d like to ask Jasper or the others, leave me a note in the comments and you just might get your wish! If you don’t tell me who you want to hear from, I can’t give it to you!

In the meantime, if you can’t get enough for the Wynbourne characters, you can read more here.

That’s all for now!

Ellie

Elanor Tisdale and Learning to Love (Wynbourne Manor Book 1) are coming soon! For those waiting for the next Wildwood story, apologies, you’re going to have to wait a little longer, but I know you will love Elanor too.

ETA: Buy Learning to Love here!

Meet Elanor TisdaleLearning to Love

Elanor Tisdale’s mother’s recent marriage has changed the entire world of Elanor and her family. Starting out life as happy and middle-class, tragedy struck their world, changing it forever. Forced to grow up too quickly, Elanor found herself one of the main caregivers to her two younger siblings, caring more about their happiness and comfort than her own. After the wedding, the Tisdale family moves into a somewhat cold and lifeless manor house the size of which is beyond their wildest dreams.

With this new lifestyle; however, come new rules as well, and they are not easy to swallow for the Tisdale siblings. Can they change a household that lives too far into the past? And will Elanor be able to move beyond the pains of her past to open her heart to love?

Who is Elanor?

Who is Elanor?
Elanor Tisdale is quite possibly the sweetest woman I have ever created, but don’t let that fool you. She discovers her spunky streak right before your eyes, and it will make you love her even more.

Fear of disappointing others, along with a love of her family and unrestrained nature are some of Elanor’s core traits. She would die for her siblings without question, as long as they didn’t ask her to go horseback riding with them.

Unsure of her new life, Elanor has a lot to learn, but she is not excited when a tutor is hired for them. At the age of 26, she thought she was finished with school, and her new stepfather’s assumptions of them do not sit well.

More to Come!

I’m really excited for you to meet this wonderful family. They will make you smile, laugh, cry, and smile again! As we get closer to the release date I will continue introducing more characters, so stay tuned!

See you soon!

Ellie