Ellie Potts's Blog, page 3

Audiobook Review: Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux

Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux is  supposed to be a dark academia romance. Where yes it has some scenes at a college, but it’s more of a dark paranormal eldritch romance. Rae is a ghost hunter who is finishing up college. She goes back to her hometown, but she finds a spell book she shouldn’t have. And she shouldn’t try to fake a spell from it. This is a great book to add to your fall/Halloween reads. It is spicy, and might be scary for some. I’ve read some sick shit so this wasn’t very scary for me. But it was a fun read. It is book 1 of 3. But it doesn’t end with a cliffhanger. Each book deals with a different couple which you are introduced to in book 1 as well as what their plots will be. So they can be picked up and casually read.

Blurb:

Leon I earned my reputation among magicians for a reason: one wrong move and you’re dead. Killer, they called me, and killing is what I’m best at. Except her. The one I was supposed to take, the one I should have killed – I didn’t. The cult that once controlled me wants her, and I’m not about to lose my new toy to them.

Rae I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Hunting for ghosts is my passion, but summoning a demon was never part of the plan. Monsters are roaming the woods, and something ancient – something evil – is waking up and calling my name. I don’t know who I can trust, or how deep this darkness goes. All I know is my one shot at survival is the demon stalking me, and he doesn’t just want my body – he wants my soul.

Her Soul to Take is book 1 in the Souls Trilogy. Each book within the Souls Trilogy is interconnected, following a different couple through a similar timeline in the fictional world of Abelaum.

Three Days Grace’s Alienation

Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.

Friday Alienation the newest Album by Three Days Grace was released. This marks the band’s 8 album. But what I am super excited for is that the original singer, Adam Gontier, returns singing with Matt Walsh. I had nothing against Matt as a singer but it was Adam who made me fall in love with Three Days Grace in the first place. Yesterday as I started work I listened to the album a few times, and it hits. The duo really work well. I was in need of some new music from my favorite bands! I’m so excited I get to see them perform in Fresno in October.

August Writing Prompts for Magical Realism & Folklore

Where late summer meets myth, memory, and the magic of the mundane

August is a threshold month — the air thick with ripening fruit, the hush before autumn’s descent. It’s a time when stories ferment, when shadows stretch longer, and when the veil between reality and enchantment feels deliciously thin. If you’re craving writing prompts that stir intuition and folklore into your creative brew, this one’s for you.

Here are 10 prompts to guide your pen through the dreamy, haunted fields of August:

1. The Moon Keeps a Ledger

Each full moon, a village elder records the names of those who dream of water. One night, your name appears — and you haven’t dreamed in years.

2. The Orchard Remembers

A peach orchard planted by a grieving widow begins whispering secrets to those who sleep beneath its trees. What does it want you to know?

3. Candlelight Confessions

A candle made from beeswax and salt reveals a hidden truth each time it’s lit. Tonight, it flickers in a way you’ve never seen before.

4. The Bird Who Knows Your Name

A small bird begins following you, chirping your name in a forgotten dialect. It leads you to a place you swore never to return.

5. The Basket Weaver’s Curse

A weaver crafts baskets that trap memories. One ends up in your hands — and inside, something you never lived but deeply remember.

6. Mirror Season

In late August, mirrors begin reflecting not your image, but your ancestor’s. What do they want from you?

7. The Fox at the Threshold

A fox appears at your door each dusk, leaving offerings: feathers, bones, petals. On the seventh night, it speaks.

8. Harvest of Echoes

The wheat fields hum with voices at twilight. You’re told not to listen — but one voice sounds like someone you lost.

[image error] 9. The Bathhouse of Forgotten Names

A hidden bathhouse appears only in heatwaves. Those who enter leave with new names — and new destinies.

10. The Tarot Reader Who Never Shuffles

Her cards always fall in the same order. Until the day you arrive, and the deck rearranges itself.

Let’s Have Some Fun

Choose a prompt and write a short story. Post it on your blog or here in my comment section. If you post it on your blog, come back and share the link so I can read it!

Funny, Fierce, and Healing … And Right Now, It’s Free

Guest author, Melissa Acosta, popped in to visit my blog today to share her book, and how you can get it for FREE for a limited time.

Are you tired of being told to “just be positive” when your brain feels like a chaotic carnival ride? Same. That’s why I wrote You Were Never Broken—a funny, supportive, and spiritual (but not preachy) guide for women battling depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

And here’s the best part … for a limited time, you can grab the ebook FREE.

About the Book:

You Were Never Broken is part pep talk, part chaos, part “holy sh*t, she gets me.” Between the laughs, swears, and soul-deep reminders, you’ll find a survival guide for women who are exhausted from trying to be “perfect.”

Inside, you’ll find:

Practical tools that actually help (without the toxic positivity).

Sarcasm, humor, and raw honesty … because healing doesn’t have to be boring.

A reminder that you were never broken in the first place.

This isn’t a forever deal, but it is your chance to snag a book that might just feel like your new best friend.

Blurb:

So, you bought a self-help book. Either you’re wildly optimistic, deeply desperate, or your Amazon algorithm knows things. Whatever the case, welcome. You’re in the right place. This is not a book that’s going to fix you … mostly because you are not broken. You’re just a woman with a gloriously tangled brain, a soft heart, and probably a pile of laundry you’ve been emotionally avoiding since Tuesday. Same.
Here, we’re going to talk about depression, anxiety, and ADHD—the holy trifecta of ‘What the hell is wrong with me?’ Spoiler alert: nothing. Your brain just runs Windows 95 on a MacBook Pro world. You’re not lazy, flaky, or dramatic. You’re overwhelmed, overextended, and still showing up. That’s actually kind of heroic.
This is your invitation to stop fighting your mind like it’s the enemy and start becoming friends with your beautiful, chaotic self. With humor, heart, and the occasional cry-laugh moment, this book is your permission slip to be a hot mess and still be worthy, loved, and healing. Grab some coffee (or wine), and let’s get into it.

Buy link: https://amzn.to/4eimw1W

🎬 Writing Lessons from Summer Blockbusters: What Explosions Can Teach Us About Emotion

Every summer, theaters fill with spectacle: heroes rise, worlds end, love survives. And while these blockbusters often lean into scale—explosions, chase scenes, dramatic monologues—they also reveal timeless truths about storytelling. Even the loudest films whisper lessons to the sensitive creator.

Here are five writing lessons you can borrow from the silver screen, no popcorn required.

1. Start with a Bang (or a Question)

Blockbusters rarely tiptoe in. They open with tension, mystery, or movement—a spaceship crash, a heist gone wrong, a character running from something unseen. You don’t need explosions, but you do need momentum.

Writing Tip: Begin your story with emotional velocity. A question, a longing, a disruption. What’s the ache that sets your character in motion?

Ritual idea: Light a candle and write the first line of your story as if it were the opening scene of a film. What would make someone lean in?

2. Archetypes Are Invitations

From the reluctant hero to the wise mentor, blockbusters thrive on archetypes. These aren’t clichés—they’re emotional anchors. They help readers recognize themselves in the story.

Writing Tip: Use archetypes as scaffolding, then layer in nuance. What does your “villain” fear? What secret does your “hero” hide?

Sigil prompt: Create a symbol for your main character’s hidden truth. Place it on your altar as you write.

3. Stakes Matter (Even If They’re Quiet)

In summer films, the stakes are often global—save the planet, stop the virus, defeat the empire. But emotional stakes are just as powerful. What does your character stand to lose if they don’t change?

Writing Tip: Ask: What’s at risk emotionally? What belief, relationship, or identity is on the line?

Journaling prompt: “If my character fails, what part of them breaks?”

4. Spectacle Serves Emotion

The best blockbusters use spectacle to amplify feeling. A slow-motion fall isn’t just visual—it’s grief. A final battle isn’t just action—it’s transformation.

Writing Tip: Use sensory detail to heighten emotional beats. Let the environment echo the inner world.

Visual ritual: Create a mood board for your story’s climax. What colors, textures, or sounds surround the moment of change?

5. End with Resonance, Not Just Resolution

Blockbusters often end with a return to peace—but the best ones leave a lingering feeling. A question. A shift. A scar.

Writing Tip: Let your ending echo. What has changed? What remains? What truth was uncovered?

Closing ritual: Write a letter from your character to themselves, post-transformation. What do they now understand?

Final Scene: Your Story Is Worthy of the Spotlight

You don’t need a billion-dollar budget to write something epic. You just need emotional clarity, archetypal depth, and a willingness to let your characters feel fully. Whether you’re writing dreamy rituals or gritty dialogue, the lessons of summer blockbusters can help you craft stories that shimmer—and stay.

May your words rise like mist and strike like lightning.
May your stories be both sanctuary and spectacle.

Just a heads up to all my author friends…

If you have a new release or are just trying to sell one of your books. My blog is always open to guest bloggers. All I ask is that you message me a write-up, include the buy link(s), and any visuals you want me to attach. I want to help.

Beating the Summer Slump: Writing Motivation for the End of August

Late August has a mood all its own.

The sun hangs heavy. Time feels syrupy. And if you’re a writer, you might find yourself caught in a strange lull—where ideas feel distant, motivation flickers, and the page stays blank a little longer than usual.

This isn’t failure. It’s a seasonal rhythm. And it’s okay.

Here’s how I gently coax myself out of the summer slump and back into the magic of writing—without forcing, rushing, or guilt-tripping my muse.

1. Honor the Haze

Instead of fighting the fog, I name it. I let myself be slow. I write in fragments. I scribble lines that don’t make sense yet. I treat my notebook like a dream journal, not a productivity tracker.

Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to soften.

2. Create a Ritual, Not a Routine

Routines can feel rigid. Rituals feel sacred.

I light a candle. I pull a tarot card. I choose music that matches the mood I want to write into. I give myself permission to write for ten minutes, not two hours. The point isn’t output—it’s connection.

Writing becomes a way to return to myself.

3. Write What You Long For

Late summer is full of longing. For cooler air. For clarity. For change.

I use that longing as fuel. I write about settings I want to visit, characters I want to meet, stories I want to live inside. I let my desire shape the world I’m building. And suddenly, the page feels like a portal again.

4. Feed Your Senses

Sometimes, the best writing prompt is pizza. Or a thunderstorm. Or the way the light hits your floor at 4 p.m.

I take sensory notes. I describe textures, tastes, sounds. I let my body lead the way back to language. It’s grounding. It’s generative. It’s surprisingly effective.

5. Reframe “Motivation” as Curiosity

I don’t wait to feel motivated. I follow my curiosity.

What if this character had a secret? What if the castle was underwater? What if the moon could talk?

Questions are invitations. They don’t demand answers—they just ask you to play.

Just 10!

What are your top ten favorite movies?

This one is so hard. I have so many favs in different genres. Let me mash it up.

The Muppet Movie (If it’s the Henson Company you can add Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal)The Princess BrideDay of the Dead (George A Romero)Hot FuzzBeerfest (The Slammin Salmon, Super Troopers and pretty much anything by Broken Lizard)Pitch BlackWilly Wonka and the Chocolate FactoryPride and Prejudice mini seriesThe Harry Potter moviesRepo! The Genetic Opera

How Shadow Work Unlocks Authentic Voice

Exploring how confronting personal wounds leads to raw, powerful storytelling

There’s a moment in every creative journey when the words stop sounding like performance and start feeling like truth. It’s not always graceful. Often, it begins with discomfort — a tremor in the chest, a memory resurfacing, a sentence that feels too honest to write. That’s the threshold of shadow work.

Shadow work isn’t just about healing. It’s about reclaiming the parts of ourselves we’ve hidden — the grief, the rage, the longing, the shame — and inviting them to speak. When we do, our voice deepens. It stops mimicking and starts revealing.

The Wound as Portal

Every story worth telling begins with a wound. Not because pain is poetic, but because it’s honest. When we write from the places we’ve tried to silence, we tap into a rawness that resonates. Readers don’t just hear our words — they feel them.

Shadow work asks:

What am I afraid to say?What part of me do I censor?What stories have I buried to protect myself?

Answering these questions isn’t easy. But it’s where the magic lives.

Rituals for Writing Through the Shadow

To write from the wound, we need safety. Here are a few gentle rituals to support the process:

Create a shadow altar: Include objects that represent your hidden truths — a photo, a torn page, a stone. Let it hold space for your voice.Write by candlelight: Let the flicker soften your defenses. Write what you wouldn’t say in daylight.Use tarot or sigils: Pull a card or draw a symbol before writing. Ask: What truth wants to be spoken today? The Voice That Emerges

When we write through the shadow, our voice becomes textured. It’s no longer just clever or lyrical — it’s alive. It carries the weight of what we’ve survived and the tenderness of what we’re still learning.

This is the voice that builds worlds. That advocates. That heals.

What I Love About Writing: Worlds Within Words

What do you enjoy most about writing?

There’s a moment, just before the words arrive, when everything feels possible.

It starts with a flicker—a mood, a whisper, a glimmer of a place that doesn’t exist yet. Writing, for me, is the art of listening to that flicker and letting it grow. It’s how I create new worlds and meet the characters who live inside them. And every time I sit down to write, I’m stepping into a kind of ritual: one that blends imagination, intuition, and the thrill of discovery.

World-Building as Sanctuary

I love building worlds that feel like secret sanctuaries. Sometimes they’re misty forests threaded with moonlight, or ancient castles perched on cliffs. Other times, they’re quiet rooms filled with strange books and flickering candles. These places aren’t just settings—they’re emotional landscapes. They hold longing, curiosity, and the kind of magic that only shows up when you’re paying attention.

Creating these worlds gives me a sense of agency. I get to decide what’s sacred, what’s possible, and what kind of beauty exists. It’s a way of reclaiming space—especially when the real world feels too loud, too fast, or too rigid.

Meeting the Characters

Characters arrive like dreams. I rarely plan them. They show up with their own voices, wounds, and desires. Some are bold and chaotic; others are quiet and mysterious. But every one of them teaches me something—about resilience, vulnerability, or the strange ways we try to belong.

Writing is how I get to know them. It’s how I learn what they fear, what they hope for, and what they’ll risk to protect what they love. And in the process, I often discover parts of myself I didn’t know were waiting to be seen.

Writing as Ritual

For me, writing isn’t just a craft—it’s a ritual. It’s how I connect with my intuition, how I process emotion, and how I make meaning out of the mess. I light candles. I pull tarot cards. I let music guide the mood. And then I write—not to be perfect, but to be present.

There’s something sacred about that. Something that feels like magic.