Ask the Author: Ashley Earley
Answered Questions (28)
Ashley Earley
I was writing. And then my computer shut down before I could click "save."
Ashley Earley
The mystery of where the heck I set my phone down because I constantly lose it. I think a main character could have this same struggle and miss an important phone call or text, then their whole world spirals.
Ashley Earley
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare is at the top of my list! I also plan on reading These Shallow Graves, A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Raven Boys, and a few others! My TBR changes a lot!!!
Ashley Earley
Thank you for showing interest! I sent you a response over private messages.
Ashley Earley
That's a tough one! It it comes down to forcing me to choose a favorite fictional couple....I really have 2. Magnus and Alec from The Mortal Instruments, and Jem Carstairs and Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices.
Ashley Earley
Alone in Paris is self-published. The query letter example that I posted on my blog was just a visual to show a query letter could look :)
Ashley Earley
I battle with one obstacle constantly. It is one of the most common obstacles for writers and the most difficult to overcome. Writer’s block.
I hate writer’s block just as much as every writer. Having a block is horrible, and pushing through it isn’t always the best solution because you’re not doing your best writing. Sometimes, listening to music can help me, or reading another book. Though, most of the time, I have to wait out my block. It can take days or weeks until I’m ready to write again. But, once I do, I usually find myself unable to stop.
I hate writer’s block just as much as every writer. Having a block is horrible, and pushing through it isn’t always the best solution because you’re not doing your best writing. Sometimes, listening to music can help me, or reading another book. Though, most of the time, I have to wait out my block. It can take days or weeks until I’m ready to write again. But, once I do, I usually find myself unable to stop.
Ashley Earley
I would have done a better job at putting together The Darkest Light and done a better job spreading the word about The Darkest Light. I plan to do a much better job with Alone in Paris. The story is put together a lot better, and the writing style and grammar are all much better, at least, I think so. Hopefully, everyone else will too!
Ashley Earley
Don’t give up on it. Sometimes you’re going to feel like your book isn’t good enough to publish, and you shouldn’t feel that way. You can always edit and revise your book to make it better. You should be proud of what you wrote! You worked hard, whether if it was for weeks, months, or years. You should publish your book if you feel like you’re ready for the challenge.
And do your research! Don’t just hire anyone to do your book cover art.
And do your research! Don’t just hire anyone to do your book cover art.
Ashley Earley
Actually submitting my book to publish it. It was horrifying and exciting all at once. I wanted to take it back as soon as I had done it because I was worried what people would. I was really worried that no one would like it, like every author. It’s a scary thing to share something you’ve created. It’s even scarier to share a part of you because every book (even if it’s fiction) holds a bit of truth. I’m not saying that dragons are real, but life struggles or thoughts that character(s) have can be true—as well as other things.
Ashley Earley
I had tried to get published the traditional way, but when that didn’t work out, I decided that I wanted to take one of my books to the next step myself and publish it on my own. It was very challenging to publish The Darkest Light. I ran into a lot of bumps in the road, but I was determined to get it in print. It was all worth it once I got to hold a physical copy of The Darkest Light. I’m looking forward to publishing Alone in Paris now! I think it's pretty unique and I like the chemistry that the main characters have. I'm excited to share this new book with my readers!
Ashley Earley
I listen to music; I read for a little bit, or I take my writing gear and go somewhere else for a change of scenery. I love writing outside on my back patio!
Ashley Earley
I was 14-years old when I started writing. At first, it sort of started out as an experiment. I wanted to see if I could write a book—to see how difficult it was. I ended up loving it and couldn’t stop. I wrote one book after another!
Ashley Earley
I'm very excited about my upcoming book, Alone in Paris! It will be released next year (2017). I haven’t set the release date yet but it will be available for pre-order on Kindle very soon. Follow me on Instagram (@ashley_earley) or Twitter (@ashleyc_earley) for updates!
Here is the summary for Alone in Paris:
Breathe, Taylor.
Taylor Clay's family isn't exactly perfect. They may look the part with the nice, big house and her dad's fancy job, but that's what's tearing them apart. That, and her dad's sudden recurring drinking problem.
Though her family is close to falling apart, she never wished for something like this to happen. She never wished for her father to drive off a bridge. Especially not while they were on vacation; especially not when her and her mom were in the car with him at the time.
Breathe.
She's devastated after the fact. And it isn't helping that the papers are gossiping about how the pristine lawyer could have driven off the bridge on purpose. And just when she thinks nothing could possibly make things worse, she realizes she's left alone with no relatives to care for her.
So she's alone. Her parents are dead. And she's stuck in the country her family was visiting for their vacation. She's alone in Paris.
Just breathe.
Then Nathan walks into the picture. Funny, snarky, persistent, and sometimes, just flat out rude, he annoys Taylor to no end. He won't leave her alone, but Taylor doesn't know whether or not she should push him away.
Here is the summary for Alone in Paris:
Breathe, Taylor.
Taylor Clay's family isn't exactly perfect. They may look the part with the nice, big house and her dad's fancy job, but that's what's tearing them apart. That, and her dad's sudden recurring drinking problem.
Though her family is close to falling apart, she never wished for something like this to happen. She never wished for her father to drive off a bridge. Especially not while they were on vacation; especially not when her and her mom were in the car with him at the time.
Breathe.
She's devastated after the fact. And it isn't helping that the papers are gossiping about how the pristine lawyer could have driven off the bridge on purpose. And just when she thinks nothing could possibly make things worse, she realizes she's left alone with no relatives to care for her.
So she's alone. Her parents are dead. And she's stuck in the country her family was visiting for their vacation. She's alone in Paris.
Just breathe.
Then Nathan walks into the picture. Funny, snarky, persistent, and sometimes, just flat out rude, he annoys Taylor to no end. He won't leave her alone, but Taylor doesn't know whether or not she should push him away.
Ashley Earley
I'm currently working on--what I hope to be--a trilogy that is set during the Salem Witch Trials. I'm writing the second book now but I'm not very far into it.
Ashley Earley
That's awesome!! :) I've written 2 books since The Darkest Light and I'm trying to get one of them published now
Ashley Earley
Hmm that's a hard one because I came up with the plot slowly. I just wanted to write a fun, one-shot fantasy. It took me 2 years to come up with the book's details. During that time, I came up with the characters, the world, then decided what would happen in the first part of the novel, and then what Alyssa would initially "be." (I actually made a last minute decision to make Alyssa an elf. I had planned her to be something else entirely.)
Ashley Earley
I go to the young adult best seller list and scroll until I find something really interesting, then I'm off to the bookstore!
Ashley Earley
I'm not sure. I've moved on from The Darkest Light for now and I always planned for it to be a one-shot. Not saying that that couldn't change though! A plot for a sequel could always pop into my head :)
Ashley Earley
I do one of two things when this happens. I either stare at my computer until something comes to me, or I take a break from writing to think about it.
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