Max Ellendale's Blog, page 3
August 13, 2014
August 2014
Hmmm… my August update is a bit late it seems. Well… there’s good reason! I’ve been working heavily on finishing book three in the Legacy Series and I’m happy to announce that it’s now in the hands of my editor.
Over the next several weeks, I’ll be working on edits and hosting some giveaways on Goodreads! Check it out here: Max’s Goodreads Giveaways
Also, keep an eye on this site for upcoming book signing dates (for both Legacy and Witch Way). Looking forward to meeting you all!
Sheesh, this update is brief. That’s all right. I’m off to work on some projects and mail out the signed copies from the last giveaway!
Cheers,
Max
August 5, 2014
Goodreads Giveaway in Honor of August and BP’s Birthday!
Happy August, Friends and Fans!
In honor of August and my publisher’s birthday, I’m doing a dual giveaway on Goodreads for signed print books of both Glyph and Birthrite! Click the links below to enter!
Click either image below to enter!
July 5, 2014
July 2014
Ahh… July. The time of year when I’m chronically reminded that I’m not a kid anymore and don’t get summer vacation. I took those days for granted back then. Waking up with nothing on the agenda except swimming and watermelon. Now… summer means doing the exact same thing I’ve been doing for the past billion years with the inclusion of awful New York humidity. (I’m such a killjoy!)
Lots of good things happened in the past two weeks. My YA (under a pseudonym), Witch Way, released on June 25th to some moderate (and unexpected) attention! My first Goodreads giveaway was a great success as well! I’m currently working on signing dates for the book launch stuff… so keep an eye out! In that same week, I taught my first batch of summer writing intensives with Writopia Lab. It was awesome and epic to say the very least! The kids were amazing and creative! To say they were inspiring is an understatement! Everyone finished stories and poems to submit to Writopia’s literary magazine, The Parenthetical. I really cannot wait to jump back in. The kids were so motivating that I came home and binge-wrote 30 pages of book 3 in the Legacy Series.
Which leads me to my next update… I didn’t quite finish book 3 by June 30th like I intended, however, it’s almost done. Everything seems to be going as planned for now! My eyes are already on October! Oy!
Lastly, someone posted a lovely review of Witch Way on their site. Take a look! I’m honored to receive such a nice review!
Cheers,
Max
June 25, 2014
Goodreads Giveway in celebration of Witch Way!
With the release of my first YA title (under a pseudonym), Witch Way, I’m happy to announce my first Goodreads giveaway!
Contest ends July 3, 2014!
June 14, 2014
Mindful
A long long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me— Wait… that’s not how this post starts. Damn earworm. Anyway, a long long time ago, mindfulness and meditation was my everything. Somewhere along the way, I got a bit lost. Lately, I’ve reached out to a local cultural center and plan to sign up for a meditation classes. I’m also looking into Tai Chi again and Chi Kung/Qigong. I think my Reiki training last year reopened that spiritual part of me and the happiness of having my work published set me back on the right track. After that, things in my life seemed to open up. I’m liking this positive energy. I’m enjoying reconnecting with teaching, community, and mindfulness. I’d forgotten its importance. I found this blog today with some mindfulness quotes that I’d like to share. If you have a favorite, feel free to let me know. Mine is: “Have a mind that is open to everything, and attached to nothing.” ~ Tilopa
[Source: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/06/top-20-mindful-life-quotes%5D
“A great deal of the chaos in the world occurs because people don’t appreciate themselves.” ~ Chogyam Trungpa
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
“To worship our false selves is to worship nothing. And the worship of nothing is hell.” ~ Thomas Merton
“Till the false is seen as false, truth is not.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
“Realization is to get rid of the delusion that you have not realized.” ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
“It is precisely because our present life is so inseparably linked with desire that we must make use of desire’s tremendous energy if we wish to transform our life into something transcendental.” ~ Lama Yeshe
“Real devotion is an unbroken receptivity to the truth. Real devotion is rooted in an awed and reverent gratitude, but one that is lucid, grounded, and intelligent.” ~ Sogyal Rinpoche
“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth” ~ Pema Chodron
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” ~ T.S. Eliot
“God’s first language is Silence. Everything else is a translation.” ~ Thomas Keating
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” ~ Aldous Huxley
“If it isn’t good, let it die. If it doesn’t die, make it good.” ~ Achaan Chah
“Have a mind that is open to everything, and attached to nothing.” ~ Tilopa
“Big Mind is something to express, not something to figure out.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki
“The primordial fire of reality is going to burn through the hull of our little ego spaceship, and scatter us like stars.” ~ Reggie Ray
“Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary.” ~ Mark Twain
“I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body.” ~ Saraha
“Being completely and totally present and at every single point of space and time, It is fully and completely present here and now, thus we can no more attain immanent Spirit then we could, say, attain our feet.” ~ Ken Wilber
“The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me.” ~ Meister Eckhart
“Omnipotence is not knowing how everything is done; it’s just doing it.” ~ Alan Watts
A long long time ago, I can still remember how that music...
A long long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me— Wait… that’s not how this post starts. Damn earworm. Anyway, a long long time ago, mindfulness and meditation was my everything. Somewhere along the way, I got a bit lost. Lately, I’ve reached out to a local cultural center and plan to sign up for a meditation classes. I’m also looking into Tai Chi again and Chi Kung/Qigong. I think my Reiki training last year reopened that spiritual part of me and the happiness of having my work published set me back on the right track. After that, things in my life seemed to open up. I’m liking this positive energy. I’m enjoying reconnecting with teaching, community, and mindfulness. I’d forgotten its importance. I found this blog today with some mindfulness quotes that I’d like to share. If you have a favorite, feel free to let me know. Mine is: “Have a mind that is open to everything, and attached to nothing.” ~ Tilopa
[Source: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/06/top-20-mindful-life-quotes%5D
“A great deal of the chaos in the world occurs because people don’t appreciate themselves.” ~ Chogyam Trungpa
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
“To worship our false selves is to worship nothing. And the worship of nothing is hell.” ~ Thomas Merton
“Till the false is seen as false, truth is not.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
“Realization is to get rid of the delusion that you have not realized.” ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi
“It is precisely because our present life is so inseparably linked with desire that we must make use of desire’s tremendous energy if we wish to transform our life into something transcendental.” ~ Lama Yeshe
“Real devotion is an unbroken receptivity to the truth. Real devotion is rooted in an awed and reverent gratitude, but one that is lucid, grounded, and intelligent.” ~ Sogyal Rinpoche
“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth” ~ Pema Chodron
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” ~ T.S. Eliot
“God’s first language is Silence. Everything else is a translation.” ~ Thomas Keating
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” ~ Aldous Huxley
“If it isn’t good, let it die. If it doesn’t die, make it good.” ~ Achaan Chah
“Have a mind that is open to everything, and attached to nothing.” ~ Tilopa
“Big Mind is something to express, not something to figure out.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki
“The primordial fire of reality is going to burn through the hull of our little ego spaceship, and scatter us like stars.” ~ Reggie Ray
“Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary.” ~ Mark Twain
“I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body.” ~ Saraha
“Being completely and totally present and at every single point of space and time, It is fully and completely present here and now, thus we can no more attain immanent Spirit then we could, say, attain our feet.” ~ Ken Wilber
“The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me.” ~ Meister Eckhart
“Omnipotence is not knowing how everything is done; it’s just doing it.” ~ Alan Watts
June 13, 2014
June 2014
Happy -almost- Summer! I’m posting a quick update this month as I’m super busy with lots of writing things.
This summer, I’ll be running writing workshops for kids at Writopia Lab! I’m really excited about this and cannot wait to lead a workshop in this way! My coworkers are amazing people and have trained me well. I’m a bit nervous, which is expected, but can’t wait to start!
Updates: Book 3 in the Legacy Series is nearly complete. We’re hoping for an October release for my publisher’s “Haunted” line. October may seem far a way, but it’s only four months. Only four, sheesh, I better get writing.
Witch Way (YA) will release on June 25th in print! Keep an eye out for signing events and promotional item giveaways! I’ve got some fun stuff.
Back to work with me! Happy -almost- Summer everyone!
Cheers,
Max
May 5, 2014
May 2014
Some good news to start the month of May! Witch Way, my first YA (under a pseudonym) is finally out in eBook format. Print will follow shortly. Grab a copy from my publisher at Lycaon Press or Amazon.
I’m continuing to assistant teach and train at Writopia Lab and enjoying every minute of it! On April 25th, I attended a panel hosted by Writopia that discussed trends for young readers. Prior to this, I’d never heard of John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines). As an avid reader, I have no idea how I missed his work! My only conclusion is that I read so much genre fiction (both adult and YA) that I miss the more literary works. Apparently, there’s a world beyond werewolves, vampires, and apocalypses. *shrug* Who knew! *grin*
A quick update on book 3 in the Legacy Series: still going! I -should- commit to a submission date, but sigh… all right, I’ll do it. I’ll send it off to my publisher on or before June 30th. How’s that?
I may regret that commitment…
Well, that’s it for this update! Wishing you all a happy Spring!
Cheers!
Max
PS – If you like the Legacy Series, check out the Faxfire Series by D.F. Krieger (my very own editor is also an author!), you won’t be disappointed!
April 5, 2014
Zeara and Zoology: Character spotlight!
Today is an extra special today on the blog. For the first time ever, we’ve got a character spotlight! Brought to us straight out of Wolves and Warrants (Fax Fire Series, Book 2) we have zoologist, Dr. Zeara Faxfire! Welcome, Dr. Faxfire!
Hello, Miss Ellendale. Thank you for having me. I was told you are interested in my love of zoology. I won’t bore you with science and facts, so let’s just say that zoology is the study of animals. I specialize in Animal Behavioral Zoology, or in laymen’s terms, why the heck does an animal do that?
My main focus at Mangit Zoo is keeping our residential animals happy through enrichment, study, and observing social structures. If they are happy, I’m happy, and the public is happy because they can sense the good vibes from the happy animals. Happy, happy, happy. But when the animals aren’t happy, that’s when fun times begin for myself and the staff at Mangit Zoo.
There was this one time a Malayan tapir decided he wasn’t very happy, for example. While it was never a problem in the past, one day we had several complaints from families who were soaked by our male tapir. Soaked…hehehe…excuse me. Soaked with pee. I’d heard they could projectile pee up to ten feet, but you never realize just how far that is until you watch a shower of it coat the nearest gawkers. *Giggles* I’m sorry, it’s not funny. *Ahem* Anyway, after some study of his behavior, and several signs posted that warned potential pee targets, we realized he was trying to warn us that he had developed an affection for the panda in a nearby enclosure. Black and white fell in love with black and white. Needless to say, we imported a female Malayan tapir and he dumped the panda love pretty quickly. The signs are still up, because my boss said laughing at people who complain about being peed on was not the appropriate response.
Wolves and Warrants is now available now
at Breathless Press and Amazon, and All Romance eBooks (ARe)
Pick up your copy ASAP! I can’t wait to read this sequel!
For more information about D.F. Krieger, Panthers and Precincts (Faxfire Series, Book 1) and other projects, find her on her Website, Facebook, and Official Faxfire Series page!
March 31, 2014
April 2014
April is here! I’m a stickler for spring! With warmer days ahead, motivation finds me in all sorts of inspiring places.
I’m happy to announce that I’m now officially working at Writopia Lab! I’m still in training and assistant teaching but I’m learning new things every day. I’m working on finding my voice in workshops and often find myself a quiet observer at times. I’m learning so much from Lena and Anastasia that I’m soaking in as much as possible. All of the young writers inspire me with their creativity and passion for the art. This week, I met a lovely group that enjoyed discussing Doctor Who and Bioshock! Awesomeness abound. Who gets to talk about awesome TV shows, video games, sci-fi/fantasy plots, and take part in character interviews as their job? Writers of course! Absolutely ideal! I’m so very happy to be a part of the Writopia team! Thank you to Anastasia, Lena, Rebecca, Rob, Jeremy, Yael, and Maddison for helping to get me oriented ready to work!
As for a brief update on Witch Way, edits are in! I’ll be posting the official blurb soon once it’s approved by the publisher. I don’t have the exact release date yet but as soon as I know, as will you!
Work on book 3 in the Legacy Series is trucking a long slowly and I hope to have it submitted to my publisher by late spring. Shawnee et al. cannot wait to share the next part of the story!
Wishing you all the best during the upcoming month! Enjoy April! Beware of the showers, I hear they make things grow or something… :P
Cheers!
Max
