Ella James's Blog, page 6
February 14, 2013
Trapped and more: an unpleasant update
Where is Trapped? That's a good question. I tried to put it off for a little while, but I know you all deserve an answer from me, so here it is.
My 18-month-old son, who has congenital hearing loss in his left ear and an issue with turning his head all the way to the left, is now having some serious issues with his left eye. I know what you're thinking: How serious can an eye issue really be? Since my son already has some 'hardware' issues on the left side of his head and neck, any issue with his left eye is a big one - but his is even bigger than that, because the surface of his eye lacks feeling. It's like a diabetic's foot in terms of its ability to heal, and right now he has an ulcer on his cornea that's keeping him from seeing from that eye and also putting him at risk for losing the eye. That would be heartbreaking for our family, since my son already has the hearing and neck mobility challenges. Because this eye problem is so extremely rare, it's taken us from December until just this week (+ one cross-country trip and many medical opinions) to get a treatment plan mapped out, and both of our two treatment options are fairly involved...
Regardless, my husband (and editor) and I have been working hard, and we expect to have not just Trapped but another, surprise, book coming out as soon as we can get a breather! That should be in the next few weeks.
I'm so sorry for the delay and for my hesitation in updating. I appreciate your support more than you know.
xoxoxox,
Ella
My 18-month-old son, who has congenital hearing loss in his left ear and an issue with turning his head all the way to the left, is now having some serious issues with his left eye. I know what you're thinking: How serious can an eye issue really be? Since my son already has some 'hardware' issues on the left side of his head and neck, any issue with his left eye is a big one - but his is even bigger than that, because the surface of his eye lacks feeling. It's like a diabetic's foot in terms of its ability to heal, and right now he has an ulcer on his cornea that's keeping him from seeing from that eye and also putting him at risk for losing the eye. That would be heartbreaking for our family, since my son already has the hearing and neck mobility challenges. Because this eye problem is so extremely rare, it's taken us from December until just this week (+ one cross-country trip and many medical opinions) to get a treatment plan mapped out, and both of our two treatment options are fairly involved...
Regardless, my husband (and editor) and I have been working hard, and we expect to have not just Trapped but another, surprise, book coming out as soon as we can get a breather! That should be in the next few weeks.
I'm so sorry for the delay and for my hesitation in updating. I appreciate your support more than you know.
xoxoxox,
Ella
The Smexy Book
So you guys, I have a smexy book!If you've noticed my upcoming releases tab at the top of the blog (which, for all intents and purposes, is pretty useless these days!), you might have noticed this project has been scheduled for a while. Actually, that was another project. This particular story came to me a few weeks ago, in the middle of the chaos of my son's eye issues, and it just wouldn't leave me alone.
I was working on edits for Trapped, but this new plot - well, really, these new characters - kept dominating my headspace, so I shuffled everything around and decided to ignore my schedule, for once. This is one of the hardest parts of being an ebook writer: trying to give people an idea of when your books will be out without having the benefit of a large team to help you meet a certain deadline.
I usually feel a lot of pressure to rush out the next release, so it's a big deal for me to deviate from my schedule. Even if I'm slow with a release (like with Trapped, because of those issues with my son), it's on my mind ALL TH E TIME and I'm putting a lot of effort into making it happen. Because my husband is my editor, books dominate almost every part of our lives. If he's working, I'm watching our son, and vice versa; our time is scheduled 'round the clock in a way that can get really exhausting, but we do it because we both love books. (I'll have you know, neither of us is allergic to money either.) ;)
So hubby stopped editing Trapped and put on his fulltime Daddy cap in order to give me the time to work on the new project. I finished the first draft in a record time, which reinforced our decision and let us know it was the right one. Since then, I've been going over everything again, and hubby has been editing. We're still dealing with my son's medical issues, which basically means working overtime to get both Trapped and smexy out.
The smexy book, Selling Scarlett, is a lot different than my other books. Scarlett is in her 20s, and Hunter is 30. I know, I know - new adult is about college-aged characters, but Hunter is 30, and that's just the way it is. Scarlett is in graduate school, so I'm not sure if this book is adult or new adult - but let me tell you, it's NOT young adult.
Just in case you can't tell from the cover, this book is moving at a different speed than Stained and Here. If you don't like adult romance and all that it entails, you probably won't like this. If you're my parent or grandparent, consider yourself warned.
So far I've been surprised by the response to Selling Scarlett. A lot of people have been really enthusiastic, including some who've never read my young adult books. Some others have been blunt about their lack of interest in this, either because of the swear words or because of the mature content. If you're in that boat, more power to you. Not everyone enjoys genre romance, and that's okay with me.
If you do like a steamy story, I hope you love Scarlett and Hunter.
What I enjoyed most about this book was watching (er, writing) their relationship grow, and seeing how Scarlett would handle the big decision she makes. From the very beginning, I was totally intrigued by this; I'm the type of woman who doesn't even go into dressing rooms at the mall with other women, because I'm so embarrassingly modest, so I feel pretty sure I could never put myself in the kind of situation Scarlett chose. Maybe that's why it was so interesting to write.
I have to confess, I'm just 'grey' enough to admire people who are willing to put everything they have on the line for someone dear to them. And when I say everything, I do mean...well, everything.
I'm going to share a snippet from the book soon, but for now, here's the blurb:
Scarlett DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this: one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and the cigars are worth more than her grad school textbooks. Dragged by her best friend to the home of a playboy bourbon heir, Scarlett is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with the California elites that banished her troubled family years ago.
After ten years of nonstop debauchery, Hunter West has finally managed to screw himself. One night three months ago, Hunter was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and when something awful happened, he was too damned drunk to stop it. With the FBI on his tail for a crime didn't commit and a blackmailer in his bed, Hunter is in noose-deep; his hands are tied—behind his whip-sore back.
When Scarlett stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything else he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Scarlett needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.
Follow Scarlett to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth—and a secret so dark that it could cost her life.
Trapped and more: a big update
Where is Trapped? That's a good question. I tried to put it off for a little while, but I know you all deserve an answer from me, so here it is.
My 18-month-old son, who has congenital hearing loss in his left ear and an issue with turning his head all the way to the left, is now having some serious issues with his left eye. I know what you're thinking: How serious can an eye issue really be? Since my son already has some 'hardware' issues on the left side of his head and neck, any issue with his left eye is a big one - but his is even bigger than that, because the surface of his eye lacks feeling. It's like a diabetic's foot in terms of its ability to heal, and right now he has an ulcer on his cornea that's keeping him from seeing from that eye and also putting him at risk for losing the eye. That would be heartbreaking for our family, since my son already has the hearing and neck mobility challenges. Because this eye problem is so extremely rare, it's taken us from December until just this week to get a treatment plan mapped out, and both of our two treatment options are fairly involved...
Regardless, my husband (and editor) and I have been working hard, and we expect to have not just Trapped but another, surprise, book coming out as soon as we can get a breather! That should be in the next few weeks.
I'm so sorry for the delay and for my hesitation in updating.
Xoxoxox, Ella
My 18-month-old son, who has congenital hearing loss in his left ear and an issue with turning his head all the way to the left, is now having some serious issues with his left eye. I know what you're thinking: How serious can an eye issue really be? Since my son already has some 'hardware' issues on the left side of his head and neck, any issue with his left eye is a big one - but his is even bigger than that, because the surface of his eye lacks feeling. It's like a diabetic's foot in terms of its ability to heal, and right now he has an ulcer on his cornea that's keeping him from seeing from that eye and also putting him at risk for losing the eye. That would be heartbreaking for our family, since my son already has the hearing and neck mobility challenges. Because this eye problem is so extremely rare, it's taken us from December until just this week to get a treatment plan mapped out, and both of our two treatment options are fairly involved...
Regardless, my husband (and editor) and I have been working hard, and we expect to have not just Trapped but another, surprise, book coming out as soon as we can get a breather! That should be in the next few weeks.
I'm so sorry for the delay and for my hesitation in updating.
Xoxoxox, Ella
December 31, 2012
Trapped (Here 2) Update
I wanted to give you guys an update on Trapped, since the current version of Here says it should be out in December 2012. I had hoped to release it the day after Christmas, but holiday plans have pushed it back a little. Also, my sister had a baby (yayyy!), so my family spent a few days in New Orleans after Christmas. My guess at the moment is plus or minus two weeks. The closer I get to being finished, the harder it is to say exactly when I'll release it, because new things always seem to pop up at the end of the process. I'm working on it, moving as fast as I can after getting home last night. I'll definitely keep you posted. I hope everyone had a great holiday and has a peaceful, healthy, prosperous 2013!
xoxox,
Ella
xoxox,
Ella
December 19, 2012
Top 100 Young Adult ebooks of 2012
Amazon released its Top 100 Young Adult & Children's ebooks of 2012, and both Stolen and Chosen (Stained Series books two and three) were included on the list. Hoorah!
You can take a peek at the list here.
You can take a peek at the list here.
December 1, 2012
Trapped Cover Reveal
Here's the beautiful cover for Trapped, book two in The Here Trilogy. I'm hoping to release it at the end of December, but there's no firm date until my editor takes a peek at it. 
November 22, 2012
Black Friday Sale!
Tired of the malls and the stores? Looking for gifts without breaking the bank?
How about 20 Young Adult books each priced at 99 cents now through Monday on Amazon?
Buy some books for yourself.
Gift books to others.
Books are still the biggest entertainment bang for the buck, and there's SO many great titles to choose from.
Like romance, adventure, humor, or contemporary? How about Sci-fi, fantasy, or mythology? We've got you covered!
November 19, 2012
Win a Kindle Fire!
I have a fun surprise for you guys! YA author S.R. Johannes invited me to be part of a holiday sampler, featuring snippets from books by 14 bestselling YA authors. My ebook, Here, is featured in the sampler, which is free on Amazon - but the coolest part is, when you read it, you'll find a code you can use to win a Kindle Fire! Here's the official info:
Jingle all the YA - sampler of 14 bestselling authors!
Download ebook for free (at Kindle, Kobo, or Apple) and enter to WIN A KINDLE FIRE HD (or ereader of your choice up to value of 200$)
It's easy to enter!
1) Download the free ebook here.
2) Find the secret phrase embedded in the 14 excerpts (HINT: there is one bold character in each book snippet. Combined, they make 13 letters and one punctuation mark).
3) Enter secret phrase (14 characters) into Rafflecopter link below.
The contest ends on December 31st. Winner will be announced January 7th. Only open to US participants.
Here's the Rafflecopter:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0b7ad24/
Happy hunting, and good luck!
P.S. All the snippets are really good. I think you'll like them. :)
Jingle all the YA - sampler of 14 bestselling authors!
Download ebook for free (at Kindle, Kobo, or Apple) and enter to WIN A KINDLE FIRE HD (or ereader of your choice up to value of 200$)
It's easy to enter!
1) Download the free ebook here.
2) Find the secret phrase embedded in the 14 excerpts (HINT: there is one bold character in each book snippet. Combined, they make 13 letters and one punctuation mark).
3) Enter secret phrase (14 characters) into Rafflecopter link below.
The contest ends on December 31st. Winner will be announced January 7th. Only open to US participants.
Here's the Rafflecopter:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0b7ad24/
Happy hunting, and good luck!
P.S. All the snippets are really good. I think you'll like them. :)
November 15, 2012
Contemporary romance, anyone?
Before You Go, my YA contemporary romance, has a new cover, designed by the amazing Regina at Mae I Design. If you're in a contemporary kind of mood, check out this fast, fun read! 
