Elle Casey's Blog, page 4
June 3, 2015
Behind the scenes… Just One Night Serial
For a short time only, Part 1 of my Just One Night serial is FREE!
Grab your copy here:
Amazon US / Amazon CA / Amazon UK / GooglePlay / iBooks / Kobo
Below I answer some readers’ questions about how I came up with the idea to write a serial romance, and what my favorite romance books are. Read on for more!
1. Why did you decide to write a serial romance?
I’m always looking for ways to do something different, mix things up a bit. I was reading about the history of serial novels on Wikipedia one day, and I realized that it’s really an old form of delivering novels to the public (not some newfangled thing like some people think), and I thought it would be kind of interesting to give it a shot. I write a lot and have a lot of books out, and to keep things interesting, I like to try new things — new for me, anyway. The best part about writing that serial novel, though, was that I would write a Part and then wait for reader feedback before I started the next Part, so it was a very interactive way of writing a story. The readers definitely influenced the way the story was guided and how it ended.
2. What specifically inspired you to write Just One Night?
I was looking to write something a little steamier than I have in the past, and I liked the idea of a one night stand that turns into something more. I also have a real soft spot in my heart for Hugh Grant, so having a character who is a charming Englishman really appealed to me.
3. How would you describe the characters in Just One Night?
I would describe the two main characters, Jennifer and William, as business-minded people who are disillusioned with love or don’t feel like they have time for love, but still have a yearning to be with someone. And they both have a pretty good sense of humor.
4. What has the reader response been to Just One Night since its first publication in 2014?
It’s been really great! I’m so excited that the readers have enjoyed William and Jennifer’s banter as much as I did when I was writing the book. I say this all the time, and I know it’s hard to believe, but when I write, I just take dictation. The characters speak to me in my mind, and I write what they say. I giggled through the whole book.
5. Do you have plans to write other serials?
Actually, yes, I do. Edward is William’s younger brother in Just One Night, and he has earned his own serial romance that will come out in November and December. It will also feature Jennifer and William from the first serial novel, Edward’s new personal assistant, and Mia, Jennifer’s best friend. Add it to your Goodreads shelf today!
6. What are your favorite Romance books / favorite Romance authors?
My favorite romance books are the ones that have happy endings. I guess I’m kind of old-fashioned, because I really enjoy the ones where the main characters end up getting married and having a baby. A surprise baby is even more exciting! I’m not a real fan of a bunch of heartache and cruelty, which I think has become kind of common these days. I see a lot of readers really looking for tearjerkers and emotional rollercoasters in their next reads. That’s not my style as a reader, although there will be some tears involved in some of the books that I’ve written. I don’t always write what I would choose to read as a reader; I write the stories that are being told by the characters loudest in my head. I don’t have a favorite romance author because I have read so many, many romances in my lifetime. I just grab ones that have great descriptions and read! I also like to get recommendations from my family or friends for my next reads. That being said, I really don’t have time to read much these days because of all the writing I do!
7. What direction do you see the Romance genre going in next?
I really wish I knew the answer to that question! It seems like we started out with billionaires and then moved into bikers and firefighters and police officers and all those other groups of manly men, but really, this is nothing new. You can find romance novels from 30 years ago with the same themes (except maybe not the biker thing). I can’t predict the subject matter, but I think I can tell you what will happen to the format of romance novels: We’ll probably see more serialized novels and much shorter single-part works. With the advent of programs like Kindle Unlimited, where a reader can get an unlimited number of books for a very small amount of money, it makes it very difficult to have a career as a writer if you write regular-length novels; that’s why you’re seeing shorter and shorter works out there. Serial novels work great with Kindle Unlimited. Because readers are asking for emotional roller coasters, you’ll see a lot more shocking plots than in the past (such as these “I fell in love with my bad-boy step-brother” – which used to be considered incest and now is pretty much mainstream romance), and since Colleen Hoover has done such a great job of introducing big twists in her stories, there will probably be a lot of authors who will do the same thing with a big surprise at the end of the story that you never saw coming. I’m a fan of those especially!
What are your favorite romance books? Who are your favorite romance authors? Come leave a reply to this blog post on the homepage of my website ellecasey.com, come say hi on my Facebook page, or drop me a line anytime at me@ellecasey.com. Want to join my Facebook Street Team, where we talk about all things book-related? Click here.
May 20, 2015
Announcing my new SciFi Series, Drifters’ Alliance
What motivated you to write a SciFi novel?
I’m a big fan of reading science fiction and watching sci-fi movies and television series, and I like to write about things I enjoy as entertainment. Plus, I often wonder what the world for my children or their children will look like in fifty or a hundred years, so my brain is always busy building future worlds. I’ve written in the science fiction sub-genre “dystopian” before (my Apocalypsis series), so I feel like it was a natural progression for me to try a space opera, being that I like to spread my wings and try new things pretty frequently. It wards off boredom and keeps life interesting!
What’s your approach when writing in other genres?
Generally, I just jump right in. Because I read in all the genres I write in, I’m pretty familiar with what readers are looking for (at least, I like to think I am). For motivation and to get the creative process kickstarted, I usually begin with either making or commissioning a book cover, because I find the artwork very motivating and inspiring. I also listen to music that reminds me of the main character’s struggle or personality in the weeks before I start; that helps me create a picture of who they are in my mind. In this latest series, Drifters’ Alliance, I actually did a Google image search and downloaded photos of the characters as I saw them in my mind. After this point, once I have at least the main character solidly in my head, I just write. The story flows from the characters and the scenes I put them in.
What did you have to modify / adapt about your usual approach to write this series, Drifters’ Alliance?
I thought I wasn’t going to have to change anything about my approach … and that was very naive of me. Stupid, really. I’ve watched I don’t know how many sci-fi shows without even realizing how much background work went into building the world, creating the dialogue with loads of new vocabulary, adapting the necessary mechanics to the world and the ships and the astrophysics, etc. I started writing my first scene of Drifters’ Alliance, Book 1 and realized within the first paragraph that this new world my chacters were living in was totally blank and needed a lot of filling in with detail. So my writing this time has been slower and done in fits and starts in between doing a ton of research and coming up with a whole new lexicon for the series.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing in a new genre?
Creating the new world, without a doubt. The second most difficult aspect was learning the astrophysics involved and functioning within those rules. I was terrible at regular old Earth physics in high school; I have a very hard time learning things that are abstract, like I consider physics to be. Google is my best friend right now.
Because I wanted to create my own Elle Casey future world that was plausible and believable, and I didn’t want to use a world created by others before me (George Lucas, Joss Whedon, Jason Rothenberg, et al) I had to imagine what kind of ships would exist in the future when space travel would be the norm, what lingo would go along with those ships and with those people, what slang would develop in that atmosphere (no pun intended), what they’d have to wear to protect against radiation exposure, what future technologies might exist, what problems might occur with health living in space and how to combat those problems, and so on and on and on… it’s a monumental task I was not prepared for. Even in my dystopian series, I had the Earth as my world and all the normal physics I’m used to there to guide my characters and their actions, behavior, clothing, needs, etc. Drifters’ Alliance is a whole new ballgame for me in world-building, but it’s been really fun. I just hope I get it right for my readers!
Tell us about the cover design, and especially the symbol thingy at the bottom.
I commissioned the artwork for the cover from Jeff Brown. I found out about him from an author friend in a private Facebook group I belong to. He was amazing to work with; fast, professional, and amazingly talented, as you can see. He can draw just about anything you might need for a space opera.
The symbol on the cover is something I found doing some research. It represents what’s called “Metatron’s Cube”. Here’s the definition from Wikipedia: Metatron’s Cube is a sacred geometric figure (some call it the Fruit of Life) that sympolizes Metatron, an angel mentioned in apocryphal texts including the Second Book of Enoch and the Book of the Palaces.
Other sites I visited mention Metatron as an angel who was the scribe of God.
From a new agey site, I found this information interesting:
To make Metatron’s Cube, begin with The Fruit Of Life (13 circles). Curves describe feminine energy, so to manifest something (remember, this is a figure intended to describe creation), you must add masculine energy, represented by straight lines – then join the centres of all the circles with straight lines.
Encapsulated within the resulting Metatron’s Cube design are all of the 5 known Platonic Solids: a cube, a tetrahedron (triangular pyramid), Octahedron (two square pyramids with bases joined), an Icosahedron (twenty triangular faces) and a Dodecahedron (twelve pentagonal faces). The tetrahedron represents fire, the cube earth, the octahedron air, the icosahedron water, the dodecahedron ether and the sphere the void. Essentially, this site says, the metratron’s cube signifies where the mystery of all creation meets science.
I thought Metatron’s Cube was very apropos for the story that I was going to tell not just because of its history and what it represents but because the name Metatron sounded so spacey. (yes, I am that much of a dork.)
What techniques did you use to make the interior of the ship come to life for you?
I imagined it in my head. I know that’s not a very exciting answer, but that’s it. I had to think about what I’d use a Drifter Ship for, what important elements its design must have based on that use, and what interior features the crew would need not just to do their jobs but to live comfortably. I’m hoping to commission Jeff Brown again to draw what I see in my head so I can share it with my readers.
Who’s your favorite character and why? Most interesting character? Which character do you think readers will like the most / least?
My favorite character so far is the main character, Cass, but I’m also liking all of the members of the supporting crew too. They each have their own quirks, the things that make them unique and interesting. I’m only 2/3 of the way into book 1, so not all of them have been revealed to me, and most of them I’m just getting to know. There’s one character who’s somewhat abrasive right now, but I have a feeling there’s more to her than she shows on the surface. We’ll see!
So I hear there’s a glossary. Why? Is this new for Elle Casey?
I’ll say there’s a glossary for me, not necessarily for readers. I am using all kinds of new vocabulary that I’m inventing, and I’m also creating processes for everything the crew has to do on the ship, so to keep it all straight, I have a glossary going. I have one for the ship, one for the world, and one for each of the characters. It’s a lot more tracking-of-things than I’ve ever done for a series.
How many books are you planning for this series?
3 to start with, but depending on reader reception and enthusiasm, there could be more.
What are your favorite SciFi novels / authors /TV series / movies?
Firefly, Serenity, Star Wars, Star Trek (TV and film), Battlestar Galactica (the old version from when I was a kid), Blade Runner, The Matrix, iRobot, Ender’s Game, Avatar, Minority Report, Interstellar, The Fifth Element, Surrogates, Total Recall, Star-Crossed, and Galaxy Quest. That’s a mix of TV and film off the top of my head that features actual space travel type stuff.
May 11, 2015
Elle Casey’s Advice for Aspiring Writers
I’ve always known that many of my readers are also aspiring writers because they contact me for advice and encouragement (which I’m always happy to give). Just recently I realized how many members of my Street Team have manuscripts they’re working on, and I really want to encourage all of them (and you) to GO FOR IT!
Since the requests for help that I get are increasing now, and I tend to give out the same advice over and over, I thought the best way to share my knowledge would be through a blog post. Read on for my Top Tips for Aspiring Writers, and you can also check out this older blog post that gives some great tips too: Some Things to Consider if You Want to Make a Living Writing Books. These tips are in no particular order.
Jump in there and do it.
Nobody’s going to come knocking on your door asking you to write a book for them, but there are plenty of people out there who want to read what you have to write, I promise. And they’ll pay you for it! Also I wouldn’t bother with the traditional publishing process because it takes so long, and the market is flooded with people doing that. Besides, you really don’t need a gatekeeper between yourself and your readers. Let the readers decide if you’re a good writer. Let the readers give you the very valuable feedback you need in order to improve your skills; and then, after you’ve had some success as a writer with the real people who matter — that is the readers — go ahead and send out a query letter if you still feel the need. By following this path you will have the confidence to push through the closed doors you’re apt to find.
Plan your branding strategy from the start.
Make everything consistent: social media, covers, swag, etc. I didn’t do that, and I’ve been kind of patching it together as I go. It’s much more effective to start it properly and then keep it going consistently. You may not know exactly who you “are” as a writer when you first begin, but you should give it some serious thought and start in a solid direction. Be consistent with your genre too. For example, if you’re writing thrillers, your website shouldn’t be pink and purple with romantic script for a font choice. For someone like me, who writes in several genres, it’s more difficult to have one brand that fits them all, but it is possible to tie your different books and social media sites together with similar colors, fonts, etc. I’m working on all that now and it’s a big project with over 30 novels!
Write a training manual for your publishing business.
Time is precious: don’t waste it. Keep a log book of all the processes you use in your publishing day. I recently hired a full time assistant (Noelle! Holla!), and we have spent 3 solid months going through the training process. Had I taken notes all these years on what I was doing as I went along, we could have short-cut that process by about 2 of those months. Keep in mind that if you do self-publishing well and become successful at it, you’ll eventually need help.
Make a good first impression.
You only get one chance to make a good impression, so don’t waste that chance with a crappy cover, bad blurb, and no editing. Saying you’ll pay for it after you make money is completely nonsensical. No reader will read your stuff if it looks and is amateurish, and you shouldn’t expect them to. You can get high-quality pre-made covers for under $100 (sometimes as cheap as $20), editing for a few hundred $ (or free from someone you barter with, or someone who just likes to do it for fun), and blurb help from writing critique groups. If you want a professional career as a writer, treat your business like a professional would. Invest in it, invest in your readers, invest in yourself.
Be yourself, but remember who you are.
Be genuine. Be yourself. But remember, you are a writer. When you start your online social media presence, everything you put out there will be viewable by the public forever. Keeping up a fake persona for years and years will be exhausting and nearly impossible to keep consistent. Just be yourself and you’ll find your audience. If you’re strange and unusual, more’s the better. Authors are creative people; don’t feel like you have to be someone else. You’re awesome just as you are. But also, remember that your online persona should reflect the writer-you. Share your writer-self. Yes, it’s true. We have two selves as writers: one that writes books for a living and one who’s just a person with a family, bad habits, health issues, and any number of other very private things going on. Readers want to know what you’re reading, what you’re writing, what motivates and inspires you to do what you do. They don’t necessarily want to know about your marital troubles, your sick uncle, or your fruitarian diet (unless that’s a big part of your books!) Keep the conversation about your writer-self, and your readers will always be interested in talking to you. Talk about random things that have nothing to do with your readers (that might, in fact, alienate them) and they’ll probably go elsewhere for conversation. In my opinion, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Keep the conversation genuine, light, and writer-focused.
Make friends with other authors.
Cross-promotion of your work among a group of authors can be very important. Having someone you can talk to about writer-woes is, too. Sharing ideas is fun and spreads good karma that bleeds over onto our readers, giving them better things to read. There’s no reason to be a writer-hermit, even if you’re writing in a room all by yourself at the top of a mountain. Writing for a living can be very solitary, emotional, mentally exhausting, and just plain difficult. Having someone to share a joke with, sound off on, and strategize with is critical. Just remember, though — what you put in an email or an instant message can be shared with anyone. Guard your brand and your financial safety carefully. I have personally experienced making friends and losing friends in the indie community, and the drama can sometimes come in very high levels.
Have fun.
Write what inspires you to get up in the morning. If it’s a specific genre, great. If it’s money from sales of the most popular genre or topic or writing style, great. Whatever motivates you, do that. Why? Because if you’re heart’s not in it, the readers will feel that, and they won’t buy your next book.
Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear from you! Come leave a reply to this blog post on the homepage of my website ellecasey.com, come say hi on my Facebook page, or drop me a line anytime at me@ellecasey.com. Want to join my Facebook Street Team, where we talk about all things book-related? Click here.
April 14, 2015
Elle Casey’s YA Price Drop for 3 Days Only! Plus a free book!
Did you know that April 16th is National Celebrate Teen Literature Day? Elle is joining the fun and celebrating with a special 99¢ deal on 3 of her Young Adult titles for 3 days only: Tuesday April 14th-Thursday April 16th. Oh, and a free book, too!
Read on for more! Below, you’ll find out about:
How to get Elle’s National Celebrate Teen Literature 3-Day only deal (don’t forget to buy a copy for a young reader you know who might be interested).
Elle’s favorite reads from her childhood.
3 YA books on sale for 99 cents for 3 days only:
APOCALYPSIS is a 4-book, YA Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction series suitable for older teens and adults.
APOCALYPSIS, Book 1 (Kahayatle): $2.99
99¢ for 3 DAYS ONLY
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/10Jn3Ni
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1DqgDLI
iBooks: http://apple.co/19Hiz4R
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1aG8MMQ
My name’s Bryn Mathis. I’m seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I’m almost out of food, and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day. It’s time for me to leave and find another place to live … a place where I can find food and shelter … a place where they won’t be able to find me. Alone, it might have been possible; but now I’ve got company, and I’m worried that I don’t have what it takes to get from here to my final destination. And I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.
**Contains violence and some foul language.**
DUALITY is a 2-book Young Adult/New Adult Paranormal Romance.
Duality, Vol 1: Melancholia: $4.99
99¢ for 3 DAYS ONLY
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/YantP6
iBooks: http://apple.co/1yi7534
Malcolm’s had a problem for as long as he can remember. No matter where he goes or what he does, he leaves misery in his wake. Sadness and negativity are his constant companions, influencing others around him until they cannot bear to live.
But then Rae shows up in his life, and everything changes. Darkness cleaves to light. Anger yields to joy. The question is whether she’ll be his salvation or his destruction.
WRECKED is a a 2-book Young Adult Adventure Novel.
Wrecked, Book 1: $4.99
99¢ for 3 DAYS ONLY
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1CGdikE
Is your teen constantly on the go? The Unabridged Audiobook is available from Audible: http://bit.ly/16RHJGs for Free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible. 12 hours of listening!
High Seas and High Adventure from the author of the War of the Fae and Apocalypsis series. If you liked The Breakfast Club and The Swiss Family Robinson, you’ll love WRECKED!
An ill-fated Caribbean cruise and four teenagers: a nerd, a jock, a mouse, and a beauty queen…an island, a treehouse, some nefarious interlopers…life and death…fear and loathing…love and laughter.
Follow Jonathan, Kevin, Candi and Sarah as they find their typical high school lives and their worlds totally WRECKED.
**Contains some foul language and non-explicit sex scenes between older teens. May not be appropriate for younger, middle-grade teens.**
War of the Fae : Book 1
War of the Fae is a 7-book YA Fantasy series suitable for older teens and adults. (Books 8-10 coming soon!)
The Changelings (War of the Fae Book 1)
Book 1 is FREE!
Amazon US: http://bit.ly/1111Tpr
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DlHxi0
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1EquIYF
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1E54knF
Jayne Sparks, a potty-mouthed, rebellious seventeen-year-old and her best friend, shy and bookish Tony Green, have a pretty typical high school existence, until several seemingly unrelated incidents converge, causing a cascade of events that change their lives forever. Jayne and Tony, together with a group of runaway teens, are hijacked and sent into a forest, where nothing and no one are as they seem. Who will emerge triumphant? And what will they be when they do?
Elle Casey’s favorite reads from her childhood.
Have you and your teen read all of Elle’s books listed above? Do you want to read the same books that inspired Elle to become a writer? Here are some of her favorites:
The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Children in Hiding by Charlene Joy Talbot
The Secret Garden and The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
And about The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, she says, “I only ever read the first book in the series, but I swear I read that thing maybe 30 times! Even as an adult I’ve gone back and re-read it. That was my first kind of post-apocalyptic read. Of course the world was still turning, but the main characters’ parents died and they were basically shoved out of the real world and into one of their own making, surviving using their own ingenuity. I read anything similar that I could get my hands on after that.”
Don’t forget, the love of reading is a priceless gift that you can pass on to the next generation.
Happy reading! –Elle
April 1, 2015
New Covers for Apocalypsis!
I wrote the Apocalypsis series in 2012 and 2013 and was thrilled to find so many enthusiastic readers. There are over a thousand excellent reviews on this series on Amazon and Goodreads, but I thought it might benefit from some more exposure. The old covers weren’t quite getting that done, so I’m giving these a shot. What do you think?
If you enjoyed this series, please share the links to book 1 (below) with your friends! Then you’ll have someone cool to talk about the books with. 
If you haven’t yet tried it, I recommend you try book 1. It’s only $2.99, and guaranteed to keep you turning pages late into the night!
March 24, 2015
Amazing StoryBundle Deal … exclusive content, and YOU set the price!
Glad you asked! StoryBundle is a way for bookworms to discover quality books written by indie and traditionally published authors. Finding good books to read is difficult these days with so many offerings out there. StoryBundle hopes to solve that problem.
StoryBundle takes a handful of books—anywhere from 6 to 9 of them—and groups them together to offer as a bundle. Then you, the reader, can take a look at the titles they’ve chosen and decide how much you’d like to pay. Think of StoryBundle as a friend who scours independent books for undiscovered gems, then bundles these titles together for one low price that you set. Yes, you read that right … you will set the price you pay. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT STORY BUNDLES.
What’s this “Crossing Worlds YA” Story Bundle all about?
MAGIC AND MAYHEM
Step into fantastical realms with the Crossing Worlds YA StoryBundle – Young Adult fiction guaranteed to entertain all ages!
Do you miss that sense of wonder your favorite books used to give you, the fast-paced and exciting reads that would suck you in and not let you go? Welcome to the newest StoryBundle, where 9 top-notch authors bring you tales of adventure and courage featuring younger protagonists triumphing over magic and mayhem. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE BUNDLE NOW!
From international bestseller Mercedes Lackey’s Grey’s Ghost – a short story of ghosts and magic in an alternate-history Victorian England – to NYT bestseller Elle Casey’s sassy modern take on encountering the fae realm with her War of the Fae books, you’ll find plenty of great reading in these stories that explore the places where magic and our ordinary world collide.
In addition, the bundle includes more tales of faerie encounters – from USA Today bestselling author Anthea Sharp’s Royal, Faery Swap from Susan Kaye Quinn, and Emily Casey’s The Fairy Tale Trap. Nic Tatano (Destiny’s Hourglass) and Julian Rosado-Machain (Guardians Inc: The Cypher) bring the adventure with tales of super-powered heroes who hold the fate of the world in their hands, and NYT bestseller Terah Edun provides another supernatural twist to the bundle with her novel Accession.
Plus, we’re delighted to announce a StoryBundle EXCLUSIVE! The Crossing Worlds YA bundle is the only place you can get the Special Illustrated Edition of Steven Savile’s Moonlands, with over fifteen full color illustrations from artist Lukas Thelin (known for his work for Fenix magazine, illustrating RPG novels, and many other amazing projects.)
Remember, you only have 3 weeks to grab this amazing bundle, and then it’s gone forever.
Indulge your inner youth and dive into these fantastic stories where worlds cross and adventures abound.
March 21, 2015
Inner Sanctum Revival, Guest Post by Noelle Gaussens, Assistant @ Elle Casey
Have you just read your first Elle Casey book and now you’re excited to spread the word?
Have you been a diehard fan from day one, anxiously awaiting Elle’s next release in your favorite genre?
Do you read each one of Elle’s newest releases as soon as they come out?
Do you wonder what some of her beloved characters have been up to these days and want to get the inside scoop?
Become an “Ellemental” by joining Elle’s Inner Sanctum!
Books have always been there for me.
I’m an avid reader, and getting lost in a great book is one of my greatest pleasures. Without even realizing I’m doing it, I find myself organizing my time each day so that I accomplish all my tasks as quickly as possible, allowing me whatever time is left to delve back into my book. I do my best to savor the experience of losing myself in a great read, but it’s hard not to race through to find out what happens next! The suspense of ending on a cliffhanger and waiting for the author to publish the next installment of the story is sometimes unbearable. The anticipation is sweet, but it can also seem interminable and frustrating! In any case, when I read the last sentence, on a high from a rich and powerful reading experience, my first instinct is to share it with the first person who’s willing to listen.
Some of the most engaging conversations I’ve had are about books.
As an introvert, I recharge my batteries by spending lots of time alone. I’m a bookworm who’s not very comfortable in social situations. I’m anxious about finding topics of conversation. After the obligatory chat about the weather, I usually draw a blank. My husband jokes that I should write a list of topics on the back of my hand to sneak a peak at when the conversation gets stale. (Talk about awkward!) I find that people are fairly open and willing to talk about themselves, but that’s only if you ask the right questions. When I figured that out, I found myself asking people the same questions: “Have you read any good books lately? What are you reading right now? What should I read next?” These always seem to lead to an interesting conversation. I take out my phone and go straight to Amazon as they’re making suggestions. After years of doing this, my wish list is stacked with recommendations from family and friends. Although I’ll probably never get to all of them, there’s nothing like thanking fellow readers for their recommendations and then chatting about the books to build and strengthen a friendship.
Do you want to help spread the word about Elle Casey?
Since I’ve begun assisting Elle, I’ve met several of her fans online. You guys are the greatest, and I love that you all want to help spread the word! So, how about becoming an “Ellemental” by joining Elle’s Inner Sanctum? Ellementals are essentially Elle’s street team members who spend a little time each week, or whenever they have the time, talking about their favorite Elle Casey books with other readers, both online using social media like Facebook and in person.
Advantages for “Ellementals,” Elle’s Inner Sanctum members:
Maybe you’ve noticed that Elle’s become a little less present on her social media? It’s because these days, she’s devoting as much of her time as possible to writing the books YOU want to read (hence my new position as her assistant!) On her Private Inner Sanctum Facebook page, we have lots of fun in the works, including discussions with other like-minded readers, special swag giveaways, sneak peeks and the inside scoop, a member badge to post on your social media, and of course, more personal interaction with Elle.
How you can help spread the word about Elle:
Being an Ellemental is entirely a volunteer position. Do what you can, when you can. We appreciate any effort you can make, and want you to know that every contribution is greatly cherished.
Here are some examples of what you can do:
tell your friends about your favorite Elle Casey books
post your reviews and ratings of Elle’s books on Amazon
cross-post or share your reviews on your social media sites (like Facebook and Twitter) and your blog (if you have one)
share your thoughts about the books on book blogger sites (when they ask for your suggestions or opinions, of course)
share fun swag (free bookmarks, key chains, tote bags, t-shirts!)
participate in missions promoting a specific book or series that you really like
How do you become an Ellemental?
It’s easy! Take 2 minutes to fill out the form by clicking HERE.
Your request will be quickly processed and you’ll be added to Elle’s Private Inner Sanctum Facebook Page. Once there, you’ll find more information about Elle’s special giveaways, opportunities to interact more with Elle, and the ways you can help spread the word about her work.
We look forward to seeing you in the Inner Sanctum!
March 19, 2015
Spring Fling! Read Elle Casey’s REBEL for only $0.99 – one day only!
Are you looking for a fun read this weekend?
Have you read Elle Casey’s REBEL yet?
Elle has a great deal in the works to celebrate Spring! If you haven’t read REBEL yet, now’s the time! Or, if you have read it and LOVED it, why not share it with a friend?
Book 1 in the 3-book series is $0.99, but for one day only – Saturday, March 21st.
Genre: New Adult Romance
Teagan Cross, wiseass extraordinaire, goes from princess to pauper in a single phone call. Suddenly, the world is against her. Teagen’s a rebel, determined to live life on her own terms; but when she meets a different kind of Rebel, she’s forced to make the biggest decision of her life.
Guest Post by Elle Casey Assistant Noelle Gaussens
noelle@ellecasey.com
March 4, 2015
Reader fans, meet Noelle!
I have some seriously exciting news to share!I know to you it might sound like just regular old news, but trust me, it’s not. I’ve been wanting to do this for going on two years now … I’ve hired an assistant!! Woo hoo!!
Please join me in welcoming Noelle to the team! She’ll be taking over a lot of the marketing and business management end of things for me so I can focus on writing and chatting with fans.
Over the past three years, as I’ve written more books and my fan base has grown, it’s been getting harder and harder to keep up with everything. At some point I just had to stop doing some things I really enjoyed like creating and sending out swag and attending events, hosting contests, doing fun things with book bloggers, and my interaction with fans slowed considerably. Basically, all the fun parts of the writing business other than the writing itself went on the back burner.
My fervent hope is that after Noelle has passed through the training period (about 90 days of learning the ropes … there are a lot of them!), you will see a huge difference in our little Elle Casey world. First and foremost, there will be more books for you to read this year than in any year before. Second, you’ll see me traveling a little more, so I can meet some fans in person. And finally, we will be starting up some really great projects for our reading communities that you can help us put in place, getting more people reading and providing better access to books for kids and adults. There will be other fun changes and new things too, but I’ll leave those to be surprises.
I ask you all to give Noelle a virtual hug when you see her on my Facebook page and via email if you so desire. Show her how amazing Elle Casey reader-fans can be!! So far, she’s seriously impressed with you all and so am I. You guys are the very best readers in all the land. Noelle can be reached at Noelle [at] ellecasey (dot) com.
For the next 90 days, as I’m training Noelle and she’s learning, we may go through some awkward transitions (re-designing our website, Facebook page, newsletters, etc.). I hope you’ll be patient with us during this period and not hold any major boo-boos against us. I promise, we’ll do our best to get everything running like a well-oiled machine ASAP!
January 13, 2015
Squirrel!
When I first started writing three years ago, I put my publishing schedule together each year in January. But last year it didn’t work out so well. After several troll attacks that really had me questioning why I bothered to do some of the things I do, I took a step back from writing, from promoting, from pretty much everything involved in publishing books. As a result, I finished fewer novels than I had originally planned. It was a frustrating time for me, but with time came the ability to let it all go.
So now, I’m on a roll. I’ve figured out my publishing schedule through the end of 2015 already, and for the last 8 days, I’ve written over 6,000 words a day. It feels great. I guess the only thing getting in my way is that thing that distracts every writer. I call it … SQUIRREL!
There’s nothing more intimidating than a blank page to a writer. Even for someone who’s prolific, a writing goal set for the day is an obstacle to get over. That’s where the squirrel comes in to make things even more difficult.
Today I was typing out my first paragraph of the day, and it crossed my mind that I hadn’t checked on the health of a friend of mine who had a fall off his bike. I thought I should probably stop writing for a minute and send him a text.
SQUIRREL! 
Fact of life for a writer: Any excuse to stop writing can and will present itself in the midst of writing towards a deadline.
I knew I’d meet my word count goal by lunchtime, so my friend’s text could wait. I convinced myself to get back to writing and leave the texting for later.
I typed another paragraph, but as I started on another, I thought of a puppy I’d seen online that I really wanted to buy. I could just go look at her adorable picture once more…
SQUIRREL!
I had 1,500 words done and suddenly, I thought it might be a nice idea to do a load of laundry …
SQUIRREL!
And send an email…
SQUIRREL!
And post something to Facebook…
SQUIRREL!
And, and … and …
SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL!
I think you get the idea. The writer’s bane is a bunch of wild squirrels. The only way to manage them is to herd them into a little corner of the room and deal with them after the word count is done.
The interesting thing is that once the writing is done, the herd of squirrels has dwindled down to almost none, little bastards that they are.
