Kate Avery Ellison's Blog, page 13

The Return to Camelot Trilogy special offer!

Hi, all!

My fellow author Donna Hosie has a special offer this week on her trilogy The Return to Camelot to celebrate hitting the top 10 in a plethora of Goodreads lists!


Here's what she has to say:

As of today, and for the next five days, SEARCHING FOR ARTHUR, THE FIRE OF MERLIN and THE SPIRIT OF NIMUE will be on special offer for Kindle. All three ebooks are now priced $2.99 in the US and £2.50 in the UK.

All three ebooks for less than $10!

Amazon.com link here

Amazon.co.uk link here

You can learn more on her blog.

In other news, I'm just waiting to get Aeralis back from my editor, and then I'll do another read-through, and then it goes to the proofreader, and then to be formatted, and then ...release time! :)

AERALIS is coming soon! First, some TEASERS

Hi lovely readers!

I have a few treats and news for you today.

First, did you know you can sign up to get an email from Amazon whenever an author you like releases a new book? If you look here on my Amazon author page, in the right-hand corner, it says "STAY UP TO DATE." Click the text below it that says "E-mail me when there are new releases by Kate Avery Ellison" and voila! You're signed up. It's THAT easy. Pretty cool, I say.

You could also sign up for my newsletter if you want to be sure to get fast notice of a new release. Like, say, AERALIS!

*shakes pom poms*

Either way, it's a cool feature that I didn't know existed. I'm definitely gonna be using that Amazon notification thing with some of my favorite authors in the future.

Now for the treats. Here're some some TEASERS from Aeralis!!! First I've got some quotes. I won't tell you who said them, but I'll give you choices. Okay? :)

This quote was said by either Korr, Gabe, or Adam. Who do you think it was?

“I’ll concede to you the battle,” he said. “But not the war. Sooner or later, Lia Weaver, I’ll have something you want.”

This one is either spoken by Gabe, Lia, or Korr.

“How dare you tail me like I’m some suspect your organization wants to spy upon? Who ordered you to do it?”


And here's a small excerpt of a rather tense scene between Adam and Lia, which includes a new character named Raven. Adam and Lia aren't very happy with each other at this particular moment.

~~~
HE SCANNED THE room and spotted me. He went still, his shoulders tensing, his eyebrows pulling together as he regarded me. “Lia?” he spoke as if to himself only, as if I were just a dream conjured in his mind.

I met his eyes without flinching, although a jolt of something tense and electric and frightening shot through me at the intensity in his gaze. “Yes.”

“What are you doing here?” The words were calm, soft, but an undercurrent of something cold lurked in them.

Raven stepped from behind the curtain in the silk shirt, and her lips curved in a slight smile as she saw Adam. “Brewer,” she said, not sounding surprised. “I thought I saw Merrick slipping away through the crowd when we arrived. He must have told you right away.”

Adam didn’t answer her. His eyes never left mine as he laid his hat on the table and stripped off his gloves.

“Is it Jonn?” His tone was flat, with no discernible glimmer of emotion in it.

“Jonn’s condition hasn’t changed,” I said.

Raven looked from Adam to me. We continued to ignore her. Adam raised his eyebrows at me and tipped his head. He looked calm, but I saw the tension in his fingers, his neck. His question was clear.
 
Why had I defied my orders, then?

~~~
So, be sure to sign up for my newsletter OR go to my author page on Amazon and click the text to get an email from Amazon when Aeralis releases in just a few weeks. Less than two weeks, actually. Very, very soon!!

Darkest Worlds Official Release pLUS a GIVEAWAY!

Hi, lovelies!

Today we have a GIVEAWAY!

Remember how I wrote a Frost story for that awesome dystopian anthology Darkest Worlds? Well, today is the official launch, and there's a giveaway to celebrate!!

CLICK HERE for the giveaway.

Here's the book blurb for Darkest Worlds:

An anthology that explores what humans are made of when society falls to its knees. Darkest Worlds includes six original novellas by award-winning authors and best sellers of Young Adult and New Adult Dystopia.

All proceeds go to Girls Write Now, a charity that promotes literacy of inner-city girls.

Nessa: A Breeders Story by Katie French, author of The Breeders : Eighteen-year-old Nessa knows what it's like to be an endangered species. Growing up in a dying world where nine out of ten babies are born male, she survives by trusting no one. When Marlin, the nineteen-year-old gunslinger, kills the man who has been keeping her enslaved, Nessa decides he might be her meal ticket. What she doesn't realize is love is still possible, even in their decimated world.

MOON by S.K. Falls, author of World of Shell and Bone : Loyalty. Obedience. Patriotism. Moon Stewart has no doubt that the New Amanian way of life is the right way. The only way. But was there ever a time when she felt differently? In this companion novella to the dystopian bestseller World of Shell and Bone, the secrets of Moon's past are revealed, giving readers a glimpse into the mind of their favorite antagonist.

The First Unforgivable Thing by Zoe Cannon, author of The Torturer's Daughter : When a dissident working undercover as an interrogator is ordered to torture a confession from the only girl he's ever loved, he chooses to defy both the totalitarian regime and the resistance by helping her escape--but she has an agenda of her own...

The Keeper by A.G. Henley, author of The Scourge , a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award: Peree knows his duty as the new Keeper of the Water Bearer, Fennel, is to make sure his people get every drop of their share of the water she collects when the flesh-eating Scourge roam the forest. He will motivate her, distract her, do anything he can to keep her working. He knows his duty is to his people and his people alone. What he doesn't know is that he's falling in love with her.

Survival Lessons by Kate Avery Ellison, author of Frost : A young Farther prisoner named Eva escapes into the monster-filled wilderness of the Frost with a band of fellow inmates, all of whom are harboring secrets...but little do they know that Eva has secrets of her own. Set in the world of The Frost Chronicles.

clean slate complex by Megan Thomason, author of the daynight series: Homeless Alexa Knight agrees to help the do-gooder non-profit The Second Chance Institute in return for medical care for her sick mother. The SCI is wooing the poor and downtrodden into their Clean Slate Complexes--where "everything is provided" from jobs to food, shelter, clothing, and education. Unfortunately, as with all things that sound too good to be true, there's a catch...

Cover Reveal for AERALIS!!

Ladies and Gents, we have a cover reveal!!



Aeralis, book #5 in the Frost Chronicles series, releases in just a few weeks. Until then, feast your eyes on the cover and add it on Goodreads!

Darkest Worlds is available for sale!

Darkest Worlds, a dystopian anthology which includes a Frost short story, is now available for sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Here's the summary of my Frost story, which is 10,000 words (essentially a novelette):

Survival Lessons by Kate Avery Ellison, author of Frost: A young Farther prisoner named Eva escapes into the monster-filled wilderness of the Frost with a band of fellow inmates, all of whom are harboring secrets...but little do they know that Eva has secrets of her own. Set in the world of The Frost Chronicles.

The story is non-essential to the main series (meaning you don't have to read it in order to read/enjoy/follow the main series plot line), but the events that occur in this story do tie in with a plot point mentioned in Aeralis, PLUS a few familiar characters make cameos in it!

So be sure to check it out if you're interested. The anthology also includes dystopian works by five other fabulous authors--SK Falls, Katie French, Zoe Cannon, Megan Thomason, and AG Henley. And don't forget--all proceeds go to charity!

Cover Reveal for ARBITRATE by Megan Thomason

Today we have a cover reveal for arbitrate, the second book in a dystopian series by Megan Thomason!

Remember The Second Chance Institute (SCI). Earth's benevolent non-profit by day, Thera's totalitarian regime by night. They’ve stepped up their game on Earth and on Thera—infiltrating political parties, preying on the downtrodden, and planning offensive maneuvers. And they’re handing out more “second chances” than ever before. The SCI’s abuse of their charter leads to Arbiter oversight and bitter consequences.

Remember Kira Donovan. Broken, burdened, and evading those who wish her harm, Kira enlists the Arbiters’ help when forced to return to the clutches of the SCI and her angry, estranged love.

Remember Blake Sundry. Exiled, determined, and packing an agenda, Blake seeks assistance on Earth and Thera to use his newfound knowledge to bring down the SCI.

Remember Ethan Darcton. Overworked, emotional, and holding a grudge, Ethan hunts down his stolen property, but finds himself in awkward territory, stuck between the Arbiters and the SCI.

Full of action, competing agendas, romantic entanglements, humor, twists and turns, arbitrate is Megan Thomason's third installment in the award-winning daynight series after daynight and clean slate complex (a daynight story).





Praise for daynight:

2012 Book of the Year Award Finalist-Young Adult Fiction, ForeWord Reviews

"Sure to win over YA readers looking for a dangerous, dystopian adventure story" —Kirkus Reviews

"Gripping young adult dystopian novel; compelling conflicts; high stakes; powerful narrative; surprises keep coming; strong writing; page-turner; engaging characters; Readers will be hungry for the sequels.”—BlueInk Review (starred review)

"Thomason's description of Thera's totalitarianism will make fans of Brave New World shiver... SCI, her fantasy corporation, has disturbing parallels to actual companies and regimes that claim to do good while harming people... The author deftly appeals to both romance-loving teens as well as those intrigued by young adults fighting the establishment.”—ForeWord Clarion Review, 4 stars

Author bio:

Bestselling, award-winning author Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn't typing away on her laptop, she's reading books on her phone--over 600 in the last year--or attending to the needs of her family. Megan's fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac.



daynight on Amazon
Facebook
Twitter
Add arbitrates to goodreads shelf

Aeralis Synopsis

You guys, I forgot to share the Aeralis synopsis!!

I wrote it ages ago and then I forgot to share it.

So here it is:


Lia Weaver and her friends have finally driven the Farther soldiers from the Frost, but all is not settled yet. Ann Mayor and her father have found themselves the target of violence, the villagers are fighting, and Jonn’s life hangs in the balance.

When an unexpected enemy surfaces in the Frost wilderness and endangers Lia’s family, she is faced with a terrible choice, and against Thorns orders, she sets out to find answers in Aeralis.

Sorry that synopsis is SO SHORT. It has to be, because I don't want to give away spoilers!!

The cover is coming soon!

News!!

Hi everybody,

Well, here's what's going on right now. I've been VERY busy finishing up edits on Aeralis (it is currently with my editor, and when she sends it back then it'll be only a few weeks before I have it ready to release. In the meantime, the cover is coming along nicely and I'll reveal that soon. :)

I have another fun reveal today. Darkest Worlds: A Dystopian Anthology. I've written a story called "Survival Lessons," set in the Frost world, and it will be part of this dystopian anthology along with a bunch of awesome stuff written by some other fantasy/dystopian authors!

Check out the beautiful cover:


And all the proceeds go to a charity for girls' literacy. I'm pretty excited about it.

Here's the summary of my story:

Survival Lessons – by Kate Avery Ellison, author of Frost. A young Farther prisoner named Eva escapes into the monster-filled wilderness of the Frost with a band of fellow inmates, all of whom are harboring secrets...but little do they know that Eva has secrets of her own. Set in the world of The Frost Chronicles.

The anthology should be released September 13! Stay tuned for more information. :)

Thoughts on ending a series

Right now I'm almost done with edits for Aeralis, the fifth and final book in The Frost Chronicles series. And I'm kind of sad about it.

TFC is the first series I've ever successfully written. Well, okay, I've written a few sequels to a few unpublished things from my days as a young hopeful writer, but I've never stuck with one story world for five books before. I didn't think I'd like writing a series very much, so I only originally planned to write three books. But there's something really nice about it--you already know the world and all the characters, so by the time you get around to writing books 3+ it's just like visiting old friends.

So I'm trying to really make Aeralis a good finish to the series, and I tried to take my time with it and make sure it wrapped up every character's story in a way that I found satisfying. And honestly, I feel a little cranky about the idea of starting a new series. It's like transferring to a new school, away from all your friends. But! I have some GREAT ideas that I am really, really excited to write. Apprehensive, yes, but also excited.

But back to TFC...a lot of things about writing a long series like this one surprised me. For one thing, I didn't expect to end up having so much story. I feared I'd run out of things to tell and have to start fluffing the story around the end of book two, so I planned to have only three books, but as I wrote the story and the characters' journeys kept growing and so I kept telling it. I changed the number to four eventually, but when I was writing Bluewing (book four) I realized I needed AT LEAST one other book to fit everyone's endings in. My husband said I was "George RR Martining" by continuing to extend the series, and that I'd better finish writing these books before I died. That made me laugh. I plan to write dozens and dozens more books before I die, hopefully.

The characters surprised me, too. They had secrets that I discovered gradually. They had more to say than I'd ever expected. They fell in love in ways that surprised me, and some of them died when I wasn't expecting it, either. They truly took on lives of their own.

It's been a wonderful journey, and I'm honored and thankful for every reader who shared it with me.

Hopefully Aeralis will be available in late September! Check back at the blog or sign up for the newsletter to be sure you don't miss the release.

Interview with SK Falls ~ SECRET FOR A SONG

Today we have an interview with my friend and fellow author S.K. Falls. She's here to talk about her book Secret for a Song!
Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.

She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she's been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she's ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.

Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can't bring herself to, not after she's welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives

For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor's is out?
What gave you the idea for Secret for a Song?
I’m a huge psychology buff; I majored in it in college. When the idea for a character with Munchausen syndrome popped into my head one day, I couldn’t get the idea to go away. I was enthralled with the idea of creating an unlikeable character. People with Munchausen struggle with a lot of different issues, a personality disorder being one of them. I did a lot of reading on the subject, past what I’d learned in college, and was even more fascinated with what I found. So I ended up writing down a loose plot outline, and the rest is history. :)
You’re best known for your dystopian novel World of Shell and Bone. Was it difficult to switch gears and write a contemporary story?
Not really. I tend to jump from story idea to story idea in my head a lot when I’m deciding what to write next. I like stories with a big psychological pull, no matter what genre they happen to be in. That’s pretty much how I view or think about stories—I ask myself how the current condition affects the main character’s psychological makeup. So to me, it was a matter of switching from Vika’s (the protagonist in World of Shell and Bone) psychology to Saylor’s rather than switching genres, if that makes sense. In a way, Secret for a Song was a bit easier because I didn’t have to keep track of the world building aspects that I did in World of Shell and Bone.
With her illness and her issues, Saylor isn’t always easy to relate to. What was it like getting inside her head?
I’d had her in my head for so long that Saylor began to feel very, very real to me. She was my constant companion through the day’s chores and activities, and I had her “voice” going 24/7. So, in that way, it was easy—and a relief!—to get her reactions down on paper. It was simultaneously emotionally draining, though, because, like you said, Saylor has a lot of flaws and a lot of internal pain. I’d never quite written a character like her—one who is so obviously doing the wrong thing and is cognizant of the fact. That was an interesting line to toe.
Which part of Secret for a Song was your favorite to write?
My favorite had to be the end, which is funny because some readers have written to tell me the end made them cry. The end, to me, was like a big sigh of relief. I just felt like the story had come full circle, and Saylor (and therefore I) could move on. 
Are you planning any more contemporary novels in the future?
Most definitely. I love writing contemporary fiction. Right now I have a contemporary series planned with (again) a heavy focus on psychology. J
Thanks so much for having me, Kate!
Buy links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Bio: A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, I enjoy alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards in Charleston, SC where I live and imbibe coffee. My husband and two small children seem not to mind when I hastily scribble novel lines on stray limbs in the absence of notepads. Since no writer’s biography is complete without mention of her menagerie of animals, you should know I have one dog that doubles as a footstool, a second that functions as a vacuum cleaner, and a cat that ensures I never forget that my hands are, first and foremost, for pouring cat food.
Visit S.K. Falls: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads