Kat Ellis's Blog, page 3
May 16, 2020
The Ultimate Blog Tour comes to a close!
Well, it has been an EPIC 3-week blog tour for HARROW LAKE! The tour was organised by Dave at The Write Reads (do go and follow him on Twitter) who I highly recommend to any authors looking for a brilliant blog tour organiser to kick-start their book's journey into the hands of readers.
Today is the last day, so check out the #HarrowLake and #UltimateBlogTour hashtags on Twitter if you'd like to catch up on all the reviews, spotlight posts, and interviews.
It's been a blast!
Kat out x
May 5, 2020
Lockdown Update #1
Hello! This is my first blog update under lockdown, and I hope everyone reading this is safe & well, and managing to find ways to keep things interesting while staying home.
For me, that has meant becoming slightly obsessed with plants (now up to 3 terrariums on my desk, a conservatory full of edible plants, and a few planters in the garden). Not as obsessed as I would've been if I wasn't on deadline for the new book, of course... *glances nervously as the steaming manuscript peeping out from the next tab*. Anyway, deadline is the end of this month, so I'll keep this brief.
Just a couple of things I wanted to talk about:
This tour, organised by @writereadstours started on 27 April and will be going on until 16 May, with loads of reviews, interviews, and spotlight posts from around 100 bloggers. It's been wonderful so far, so if you'd like to check out the posts that have already gone up, check out the #UltimateBlogTour and #HarrowLake tags on Twitter.
The other thing I wanted to share after re-reading my last post was a quick note about FrightFest, where I got to talk about Harrow Lake to the fantastic horror fans attending! It seems like eons ago now, though it was only a couple of weeks before the lockdown was announced. Here are a couple of pics from the event:
I'll be back with more news soon, but in the meantime, #stayhomestaysafe and be excellent to each other! (Yes, I'm excited for the new Bill & Ted film.) I'll leave you with a snapshot of how I'm starting May.
Reading: SLENDER MAN by Anonymous
Audiobooking: THE VANISHING DEEP by Astrid Scholte (narrated by Karissa Vacker and Will Damron)
Singing along to: HEART-SHAPED BOX (cover) by Hermitude and STUPID LOVE by Lady Gaga
Watching: THE HALF OF IT -- a wonderful new film on Netflix I highly recommend if you need some joy in your life.
And with that...
Kat out x
For me, that has meant becoming slightly obsessed with plants (now up to 3 terrariums on my desk, a conservatory full of edible plants, and a few planters in the garden). Not as obsessed as I would've been if I wasn't on deadline for the new book, of course... *glances nervously as the steaming manuscript peeping out from the next tab*. Anyway, deadline is the end of this month, so I'll keep this brief.
Just a couple of things I wanted to talk about:
This tour, organised by @writereadstours started on 27 April and will be going on until 16 May, with loads of reviews, interviews, and spotlight posts from around 100 bloggers. It's been wonderful so far, so if you'd like to check out the posts that have already gone up, check out the #UltimateBlogTour and #HarrowLake tags on Twitter.
The other thing I wanted to share after re-reading my last post was a quick note about FrightFest, where I got to talk about Harrow Lake to the fantastic horror fans attending! It seems like eons ago now, though it was only a couple of weeks before the lockdown was announced. Here are a couple of pics from the event:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Mar 7, 2020 at 11:47am PST
I'll be back with more news soon, but in the meantime, #stayhomestaysafe and be excellent to each other! (Yes, I'm excited for the new Bill & Ted film.) I'll leave you with a snapshot of how I'm starting May.
Reading: SLENDER MAN by Anonymous
Audiobooking: THE VANISHING DEEP by Astrid Scholte (narrated by Karissa Vacker and Will Damron)
Singing along to: HEART-SHAPED BOX (cover) by Hermitude and STUPID LOVE by Lady Gaga
Watching: THE HALF OF IT -- a wonderful new film on Netflix I highly recommend if you need some joy in your life.
And with that...
Kat out x
March 1, 2020
Tales from Wales
Hello!
Thought I'd post an update, seeing as it's St. David's Day and I haven't posted here in a while.
Since we last spoke, the deliciously creepy UK cover for HARROW LAKE has been revealed...
...and the amazing VHS-style proofs have also been slithering out into the hands of readers:
Thanks to all who have posted early reviews so far (especially if you liked it!) You can add it to Goodreads here, or preorder it from pretty much anywhere that sells books (a selection of retailers and links are on my UK publisher's website here and US publisher's website here.) Thank you sooooo much if you've preordered it -- it makes a huge difference!
This week I will be travelling to FrightFest in Glasgow to talk about my book and all the horror movies which inspired the story, and I'm really excited about that -- it will be Harrow Lake's first real public airing, and to an audience who expect to be scared. My people, in other words.
In non-Harrow-Lake news, today I posted a thread of #TalesFromWales on Twitter if you'd like to check that out for some awesome YA and MG reads.
Thought I'd post an update, seeing as it's St. David's Day and I haven't posted here in a while.
Since we last spoke, the deliciously creepy UK cover for HARROW LAKE has been revealed...
...and the amazing VHS-style proofs have also been slithering out into the hands of readers:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Feb 16, 2020 at 4:44am PST
Thanks to all who have posted early reviews so far (especially if you liked it!) You can add it to Goodreads here, or preorder it from pretty much anywhere that sells books (a selection of retailers and links are on my UK publisher's website here and US publisher's website here.) Thank you sooooo much if you've preordered it -- it makes a huge difference!
This week I will be travelling to FrightFest in Glasgow to talk about my book and all the horror movies which inspired the story, and I'm really excited about that -- it will be Harrow Lake's first real public airing, and to an audience who expect to be scared. My people, in other words.
In non-Harrow-Lake news, today I posted a thread of #TalesFromWales on Twitter if you'd like to check that out for some awesome YA and MG reads.
As it’s
January 20, 2020
Brain Clutter
Happy New Year! Yes, I know it's far too late to say that, and I respect the side-eye you're giving me. But as this is my first blog post of 2020, it had to be done.
Last time I posted an update here, I thought I would be muuuuuch further along with the draft of my next book (next-next book, technically), but I'm really not. I moved house a few months ago, and the new place needed (still needs) a ton of work, and that's been taking up a fair chunk of both my time and my brain-space lately. I work at home, so I find it hard to focus if the space around me is cluttered. So yes, WAH, I have been distracted, and am a smidge behind where I want to be in this draft.
On the plus-side, my lounge is really pretty. Want to see? Here's a before and after (sorry the pics are at clashing angles!):
Before
Shout-out to the carpet which haunts my nightmares.
After
I think Pilot misses the scary carpet.
Now I have a wonderful, clutter-free space to work, so it's time to write ALL THE WORDS! (Let's not mention the rest of the house.)
So, what else has been happening?
Harrow Lake -wise, I've seen the amazing finished UK cover, and the equally amazing proof packaging, and I cannot wait for both to be unleashed over the next few weeks. I'm also starting to put dates in the ol' diary for speaking events, so if you're a YA event-going sort, you might just see me out in the wild this year. More on that as plans are confirmed.
I caught up on some reading over Christmas, managing to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge by the skin of my teeth; you can check out the books I read here . A last minute standout for me was an early copy I read of Wranglestone by Darren Charlton -- a love story about two boys in the middle of a snowy zombie apocalypse. It was a fantastic story, and you can pick up a copy when it releases next month if that sounds like your jam.
Also, earlier this month I went trampolining inside a Victorian mine, as you do.
I'll be back with an update when I have the all-clear to share any news/the UK Harrow Lake cover, but until then I'll leave you with some stuff I've been consuming lately.
Reading Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé
Audiobooking The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah
Singing along to Homeostasis by Nostalghia and After Dark by Mr Kitty
Watching Rick & Morty and Sex Education S2
Kat out x
Last time I posted an update here, I thought I would be muuuuuch further along with the draft of my next book (next-next book, technically), but I'm really not. I moved house a few months ago, and the new place needed (still needs) a ton of work, and that's been taking up a fair chunk of both my time and my brain-space lately. I work at home, so I find it hard to focus if the space around me is cluttered. So yes, WAH, I have been distracted, and am a smidge behind where I want to be in this draft.
On the plus-side, my lounge is really pretty. Want to see? Here's a before and after (sorry the pics are at clashing angles!):
Before
Shout-out to the carpet which haunts my nightmares.After
I think Pilot misses the scary carpet.Now I have a wonderful, clutter-free space to work, so it's time to write ALL THE WORDS! (Let's not mention the rest of the house.)
So, what else has been happening?
Harrow Lake -wise, I've seen the amazing finished UK cover, and the equally amazing proof packaging, and I cannot wait for both to be unleashed over the next few weeks. I'm also starting to put dates in the ol' diary for speaking events, so if you're a YA event-going sort, you might just see me out in the wild this year. More on that as plans are confirmed.
I caught up on some reading over Christmas, managing to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge by the skin of my teeth; you can check out the books I read here . A last minute standout for me was an early copy I read of Wranglestone by Darren Charlton -- a love story about two boys in the middle of a snowy zombie apocalypse. It was a fantastic story, and you can pick up a copy when it releases next month if that sounds like your jam.
Also, earlier this month I went trampolining inside a Victorian mine, as you do.
I'll be back with an update when I have the all-clear to share any news/the UK Harrow Lake cover, but until then I'll leave you with some stuff I've been consuming lately.
Reading Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé
Audiobooking The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah
Singing along to Homeostasis by Nostalghia and After Dark by Mr Kitty
Watching Rick & Morty and Sex Education S2
Kat out x
November 6, 2019
Harrow Lake has a cover! and other writing adventures
It's been a while, huh?
OK, more than a while. It's been almost a year since I last posted a writing update (sorry, sorry!) but that means this one is going to be good, right? RIGHT.
So, an update on my next book, Harrow Lake: I'm thrilled to say it is now in the proofreading stage, which means it's THISCLOSE to being in its final, polished form, ready for publication next summer (July in the UK, and August in the US). I am verrrrry excited to see my dark, twisty little book out there in the wild! And what face will it wear? Well, the US cover is now final, and this is it!
Isn't she a beaut?? If you click here you can also read an excerpt from the book on the Penguin Teen site. And the UK cover should be finalised soon, too, so I'll post that when the time comes. In the meantime, it is up on Goodreads, if you'd like to add it to your to-read list...? Please and thank you.
So, what else have I been up to? Well, Harrow Lake had its first toe-in-the-water outing at YALC in July, where the first chapters were featured in the Penguin super-ARC alongside their other new and upcoming YA titles.
Over the summer I also went away to teach a YA writing course with Rhian Ivory at Ty Newydd Creative Writing Centre in Llanystumdwy, West Wales.
Me & Rhian
It was such a wonderful week; Penny Thomas from Firefly Press came to give a really interesting and insightful talk about publishing, and all the writers were brilliant. Ty Newydd itself is just the perfect place to chill out and write. They have all kinds of courses and retreats there, so check those out if you could use some writing inspiration this year.
Speaking of retreats, I went on the most blissful writing retreat a few weeks ago. It was in Yorkshire, hosted by Rachael Lucas who is not only a brilliant author but an amazing chef. Having a cozy fire and wonderful food laid on all week led to some very productive writing time, and only one or two afternoon naps.
If you're looking for a writing retreat in the new year, Rachael will be hosting another one in January -- details here:
Online, I've been absent-ish while I focused on edits, but I did recently write about creating an immersive setting for Rebekah Joan's NaNoWriMo Survival Guide series, which you'll find here.
And in non-writing news, I moved house in May, and have been slowly doing the place up with my husband. (This might go some way to explaining why I've been a bit quiet on here.) But you'll be pleased to hear the cats have settled in well, and I have discovered a peculiar knack for growing cayenne chillis (yes, even in Wales in November). On a more disappointing note, the new house doesn't appear to be haunted. Not yet, anyway.
In September, I got to meet my wonderful critique partner Kate Brauning for the first time IRL while she and her husband Jesse were travelling Europe on a grand adventure. I took them to see a Welsh castle and a gaol, as you do.
Oh, and in October I went ziplining.
On which note, I'll leave you with some stuff I've been consuming lately.
Reading Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Audiobooking The Toll by Neal Shusterman
Singing along to 555 by Jimmy Eat World and Overdose by Grandson
Watching The End of the ****ing World (and highly anticipating the return of Rick & Morty!)
Kat out x
OK, more than a while. It's been almost a year since I last posted a writing update (sorry, sorry!) but that means this one is going to be good, right? RIGHT.
So, an update on my next book, Harrow Lake: I'm thrilled to say it is now in the proofreading stage, which means it's THISCLOSE to being in its final, polished form, ready for publication next summer (July in the UK, and August in the US). I am verrrrry excited to see my dark, twisty little book out there in the wild! And what face will it wear? Well, the US cover is now final, and this is it!
Isn't she a beaut?? If you click here you can also read an excerpt from the book on the Penguin Teen site. And the UK cover should be finalised soon, too, so I'll post that when the time comes. In the meantime, it is up on Goodreads, if you'd like to add it to your to-read list...? Please and thank you.
So, what else have I been up to? Well, Harrow Lake had its first toe-in-the-water outing at YALC in July, where the first chapters were featured in the Penguin super-ARC alongside their other new and upcoming YA titles.
Over the summer I also went away to teach a YA writing course with Rhian Ivory at Ty Newydd Creative Writing Centre in Llanystumdwy, West Wales.
Me & Rhian
It was such a wonderful week; Penny Thomas from Firefly Press came to give a really interesting and insightful talk about publishing, and all the writers were brilliant. Ty Newydd itself is just the perfect place to chill out and write. They have all kinds of courses and retreats there, so check those out if you could use some writing inspiration this year.
Speaking of retreats, I went on the most blissful writing retreat a few weeks ago. It was in Yorkshire, hosted by Rachael Lucas who is not only a brilliant author but an amazing chef. Having a cozy fire and wonderful food laid on all week led to some very productive writing time, and only one or two afternoon naps.
If you're looking for a writing retreat in the new year, Rachael will be hosting another one in January -- details here:
Five day writing retreat from 19th January is officially on - if you like cake/food/writing/hot tubs/Aga toast message me for info! https://t.co/wdNs4uVWtX— Rachael Lucas/Rosie Curtis (@karamina) October 28, 2019Aside from working on edits for the last few months, I've started writing what will hopefully be the book after Harrow Lake. At this point it's very first-drafty and messy, but I'm really enjoying getting back to writing after such a long time spent with my revision goggles on.
Online, I've been absent-ish while I focused on edits, but I did recently write about creating an immersive setting for Rebekah Joan's NaNoWriMo Survival Guide series, which you'll find here.
And in non-writing news, I moved house in May, and have been slowly doing the place up with my husband. (This might go some way to explaining why I've been a bit quiet on here.) But you'll be pleased to hear the cats have settled in well, and I have discovered a peculiar knack for growing cayenne chillis (yes, even in Wales in November). On a more disappointing note, the new house doesn't appear to be haunted. Not yet, anyway.
In September, I got to meet my wonderful critique partner Kate Brauning for the first time IRL while she and her husband Jesse were travelling Europe on a grand adventure. I took them to see a Welsh castle and a gaol, as you do.
Oh, and in October I went ziplining.
On which note, I'll leave you with some stuff I've been consuming lately.
Reading Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Audiobooking The Toll by Neal Shusterman
Singing along to 555 by Jimmy Eat World and Overdose by Grandson
Watching The End of the ****ing World (and highly anticipating the return of Rick & Morty!)
Kat out x
December 5, 2018
Winter wrap-up! Books, writing & adventures...
Happy December!
To those who took part in NaNoWriMo last month: Congratulations! You survived! And whether you hit the 50k word target or not, you wrote at least part of a novel. In case you're curious, I wrote 18k words of a new book, and I am so, so pleased to now have that under my belt seeing as I'm due to start edits on Harrow Lake very soon (which is now on Goodreads btw, so please go and add it to your to-read shelf). I'm pretty excited to dive back into that dark little book, too.
I've been trying out a new writing tool/method while taking part in NaNo - a nifty index card system I learned about from author Susan Dennard in her recent newsletter. It has really been helping me to map out the plot, break it down into bite-sized chunks, and focus on one scene at a time without feeling like my brain is getting tangled trying to keep all the plot threads straight. Here's a link to Susan Dennard's video about it.
Aside from writing, I've had a few authorly adventures lately. First, I visited Dyserth Waterfall, which is partly responsible for inspiring the book I'm currently working on (imaginatively titled 'The Waterfall Book' for now).
This past weekend, my husband and I journeyed down to South Wales for a couple of events with wonderful Three Strikes co-author Lucy Christopher and editor Penny Thomas, who is the publisher at Firefly Press. The Cardiff event was chaired by Karen Bultiauw (organiser of YA Lit Cardiff events) at Cardiff Central Library - here are some pics taken by photographer Phillip Fayers.
L-R: Penny Thomas, me, Lucy Christopher, Karen Bultiauw (Chair)
L-R: Penny Thomas, me, Lucy Christopher
Me & Lucy signing copies of Three Strikes
The following day we moved on to Swansea Waterstones where Zoe James-Williams, artist and children's books reviewer for the South Wales Evening News, chaired a panel with Lucy and me. (This pic was nicked from Lucy's Instagram.)
I had so much fun at both events! If you missed them but would like to win a copy of Three Strikes signed by me and Lucy, YA Lit Cardiff are holding a giveaway on Twitter , so go and enter by 16th December.
Firefly Press are also offering any of their books (including Three Strikes, Blackfin Sky, and Purge by me!) signed and dedicated if you order direct from them - details here . Books make brilliant Christmas presents, you know ;-)
In non-writing adventures, I recently visited Chester with my sister Alex and took a look around its beautiful cathedral.
Reading-wise, I read 2 books I absolutely loved in November. They were:
Wax by Gina Damico is a brilliant horror-comedy about a girl named Poppy who uncovers a sinister conspiracy where lifelike wax figures are taking over the small town of Paraffin.
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas is a thriller which follows 16-year-old Monica's investigation into what really happened the year 5 cheerleaders from the town of Sunnybrook died, including Monica's older sister.
I hope to reach my Goodreads goal of 50 books read in 2018, though that will mean reading 7 in the month of December, so it might be a stretch!
I'll leave you with this snapshot of how I'm starting December.
Reading The Lantern's Ember by Colleen Houck and The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge
Audiobooking When We Collided by Emery Lord
Singing along to Here I Am by Dolly Parton and Sia (from the Dumplin' soundtrack - I'm also thoroughly excited to watch this when it comes out on Netflix this month!) and You Should See Me in a Crown by Billie Eilish (which has the perfect vibe for my new book, btw.)
Watching A Discovery of Witches and Rick & Morty (what?)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all who celebrate at this time of year! I'll be back in early 2019 with new posts and updates on what's going on in my writing life.
For 2018...
Kat out x
To those who took part in NaNoWriMo last month: Congratulations! You survived! And whether you hit the 50k word target or not, you wrote at least part of a novel. In case you're curious, I wrote 18k words of a new book, and I am so, so pleased to now have that under my belt seeing as I'm due to start edits on Harrow Lake very soon (which is now on Goodreads btw, so please go and add it to your to-read shelf). I'm pretty excited to dive back into that dark little book, too.
I've been trying out a new writing tool/method while taking part in NaNo - a nifty index card system I learned about from author Susan Dennard in her recent newsletter. It has really been helping me to map out the plot, break it down into bite-sized chunks, and focus on one scene at a time without feeling like my brain is getting tangled trying to keep all the plot threads straight. Here's a link to Susan Dennard's video about it.
Aside from writing, I've had a few authorly adventures lately. First, I visited Dyserth Waterfall, which is partly responsible for inspiring the book I'm currently working on (imaginatively titled 'The Waterfall Book' for now).
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Nov 29, 2018 at 12:32am PST
This past weekend, my husband and I journeyed down to South Wales for a couple of events with wonderful Three Strikes co-author Lucy Christopher and editor Penny Thomas, who is the publisher at Firefly Press. The Cardiff event was chaired by Karen Bultiauw (organiser of YA Lit Cardiff events) at Cardiff Central Library - here are some pics taken by photographer Phillip Fayers.
L-R: Penny Thomas, me, Lucy Christopher, Karen Bultiauw (Chair)
L-R: Penny Thomas, me, Lucy Christopher
Me & Lucy signing copies of Three StrikesThe following day we moved on to Swansea Waterstones where Zoe James-Williams, artist and children's books reviewer for the South Wales Evening News, chaired a panel with Lucy and me. (This pic was nicked from Lucy's Instagram.)
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lucy Christopher (@christopher.lucy) on Dec 2, 2018 at 7:47am PST
I had so much fun at both events! If you missed them but would like to win a copy of Three Strikes signed by me and Lucy, YA Lit Cardiff are holding a giveaway on Twitter , so go and enter by 16th December.
Firefly Press are also offering any of their books (including Three Strikes, Blackfin Sky, and Purge by me!) signed and dedicated if you order direct from them - details here . Books make brilliant Christmas presents, you know ;-)
In non-writing adventures, I recently visited Chester with my sister Alex and took a look around its beautiful cathedral.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Nov 30, 2018 at 9:20am PST
Reading-wise, I read 2 books I absolutely loved in November. They were:
Wax by Gina Damico is a brilliant horror-comedy about a girl named Poppy who uncovers a sinister conspiracy where lifelike wax figures are taking over the small town of Paraffin.
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas is a thriller which follows 16-year-old Monica's investigation into what really happened the year 5 cheerleaders from the town of Sunnybrook died, including Monica's older sister.
I hope to reach my Goodreads goal of 50 books read in 2018, though that will mean reading 7 in the month of December, so it might be a stretch!
I'll leave you with this snapshot of how I'm starting December.
Reading The Lantern's Ember by Colleen Houck and The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge
Audiobooking When We Collided by Emery Lord
Singing along to Here I Am by Dolly Parton and Sia (from the Dumplin' soundtrack - I'm also thoroughly excited to watch this when it comes out on Netflix this month!) and You Should See Me in a Crown by Billie Eilish (which has the perfect vibe for my new book, btw.)
Watching A Discovery of Witches and Rick & Morty (what?)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all who celebrate at this time of year! I'll be back in early 2019 with new posts and updates on what's going on in my writing life.
For 2018...
Kat out x
October 31, 2018
Halloween wrap-up!
Helloooooo, and happy Halloweeeeeeeen! *waggles fingers in spooky fashion* As promised several weeks ago (eek!) it's time to wrap up what went on in September and October. Let's start with a bang, eh?
I was over the moon to announce the deal for my next book, Harrow Lake, which will be hitting shelves in Summer 2020 (Penguin Random House Children's/Kathy Dawson Books).
The wheeling and dealing which preceded that announcement was all going on while I was in Orlando, which was literally the most exciting trip in history (I mean, book deal emails pinging my phone while I was being chased through Universal Studios by evil clowns -- does it even get more surreal than that??)
This meant that I got to celebrate secretly before coming home, and celebrate again when the announcement came out, and then celebrate again when Three Strikes was published, and then celebrate again with Lucy Christopher, Rhian Ivory, Chelley Toy, Lauren James, and a room full of wonderful readers at the Birmingham launch last week. In other words, I got through some prosecco this month.
If you missed Birmingham but were hoping to catch a spooky Three Strikes chat with me, there will be at least 2 more chances - at Cardiff Library on 1st December, and at Swansea Waterstones on 2nd December. There are links on my 'Interviews & appearances' page if you want to get tickets for either of those. I'll also add any more events to that page as they are confirmed.
Now I'm working on what I hope will be the book after Harrow Lake, and I've been researching and making notes and starting to scratch out the bare bones of what I'm referring to as the waterfall book -- all in time to get really stuck in during November. I will be semi-NaNoWriMo-ing, if you want to join me; at least until/unless I have to switch to working on edits for Harrow Lake. I'm looking forward to both, so it should be a great month either way.
Speaking of November, it's my birthday next month, and so I think that calls for a giveaway! I have a few spare copies of some of my books, so I'll see what sort of book-and-swag prizes I can get together, and I'll put the details up here and on my Insta and Twitter. Watch this space around 11th November if you want to be in with a chance of winning :-)
Reading-wise, I haven't exactly been storming through my TBR lately, but I have read these since the last update:
Yes, Three Strikes counts, because I only wrote 1/3 of it. Of the other books I read, Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson was definitely my favourite, and one I highly recommend if you're after something spooky and funny this Halloween.
I'll leave you with a snapshot of how I'm starting November.
Reading: A BLADE SO BLACK by L.L. McKinney
Audiobooking: THE CHEERLEADERS by Kara Thomas
Singing along to: JEALOUS SEA by Meg Myers, BLUR by MØ and SCREWS by Dreamers (this one was playing constantly in Florida while I was there, so it has all good feels attached to it)
Watching: Riverdale (I blazed through Sabrina and Hill House, which were both fabulous)
For now...
Kat out x
I was over the moon to announce the deal for my next book, Harrow Lake, which will be hitting shelves in Summer 2020 (Penguin Random House Children's/Kathy Dawson Books).
The wheeling and dealing which preceded that announcement was all going on while I was in Orlando, which was literally the most exciting trip in history (I mean, book deal emails pinging my phone while I was being chased through Universal Studios by evil clowns -- does it even get more surreal than that??)
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Oct 1, 2018 at 4:15am PDT
This meant that I got to celebrate secretly before coming home, and celebrate again when the announcement came out, and then celebrate again when Three Strikes was published, and then celebrate again with Lucy Christopher, Rhian Ivory, Chelley Toy, Lauren James, and a room full of wonderful readers at the Birmingham launch last week. In other words, I got through some prosecco this month.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Oct 25, 2018 at 2:41am PDT
If you missed Birmingham but were hoping to catch a spooky Three Strikes chat with me, there will be at least 2 more chances - at Cardiff Library on 1st December, and at Swansea Waterstones on 2nd December. There are links on my 'Interviews & appearances' page if you want to get tickets for either of those. I'll also add any more events to that page as they are confirmed.
Now I'm working on what I hope will be the book after Harrow Lake, and I've been researching and making notes and starting to scratch out the bare bones of what I'm referring to as the waterfall book -- all in time to get really stuck in during November. I will be semi-NaNoWriMo-ing, if you want to join me; at least until/unless I have to switch to working on edits for Harrow Lake. I'm looking forward to both, so it should be a great month either way.
Speaking of November, it's my birthday next month, and so I think that calls for a giveaway! I have a few spare copies of some of my books, so I'll see what sort of book-and-swag prizes I can get together, and I'll put the details up here and on my Insta and Twitter. Watch this space around 11th November if you want to be in with a chance of winning :-)
Reading-wise, I haven't exactly been storming through my TBR lately, but I have read these since the last update:
Yes, Three Strikes counts, because I only wrote 1/3 of it. Of the other books I read, Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson was definitely my favourite, and one I highly recommend if you're after something spooky and funny this Halloween.
I'll leave you with a snapshot of how I'm starting November.
Reading: A BLADE SO BLACK by L.L. McKinney
Audiobooking: THE CHEERLEADERS by Kara Thomas
Singing along to: JEALOUS SEA by Meg Myers, BLUR by MØ and SCREWS by Dreamers (this one was playing constantly in Florida while I was there, so it has all good feels attached to it)
Watching: Riverdale (I blazed through Sabrina and Hill House, which were both fabulous)
For now...
Kat out x
October 17, 2018
THREE STRIKES and a new book deal!
Hello! It's been an amazing few weeks, which I'll write about here soon, but I wanted to let you know about 2 of the most amazing things that happened recently:
THREE STRIKES is now out in the world! This collection of novellas features The Twins of Blackfin by me, The Darkness by Lucy Christopher, and Matchgirl by Rhian Ivory, and it is the perfect chilling pre-Halloween read (even if I do say so myself...)
If this sounds like your kind of thing, you can order a copy from Firefly Press with free P&P, or from any other good bookseller, or order it from your local library.
You can also come and see us talking about the book in Waterstones Birmingham on 24 October - the event is free, you just need to book a ticket . You can also watch a video of me talking about The Twins of Blackfin riiiiight here .
Also -- ALSO -- my new book deal was announced! Harrow Lake, my dark psychological thriller/horror novel, will be published by Penguin Random House Children's in 2020! Puffin UK acquired the UK/Commonwealth/translation rights, and Kathy Dawson Books bought North American Rights, and I couldn't be more thrilled! Check out the announcement in The Bookseller, and I'll post updates here when I have them. The way this all went down was pretty incredible, and I'll tell the whole story in my full wrap-up later this month.
For now...
Kat out x
THREE STRIKES is now out in the world! This collection of novellas features The Twins of Blackfin by me, The Darkness by Lucy Christopher, and Matchgirl by Rhian Ivory, and it is the perfect chilling pre-Halloween read (even if I do say so myself...)
If this sounds like your kind of thing, you can order a copy from Firefly Press with free P&P, or from any other good bookseller, or order it from your local library.
You can also come and see us talking about the book in Waterstones Birmingham on 24 October - the event is free, you just need to book a ticket . You can also watch a video of me talking about The Twins of Blackfin riiiiight here .
Also -- ALSO -- my new book deal was announced! Harrow Lake, my dark psychological thriller/horror novel, will be published by Penguin Random House Children's in 2020! Puffin UK acquired the UK/Commonwealth/translation rights, and Kathy Dawson Books bought North American Rights, and I couldn't be more thrilled! Check out the announcement in The Bookseller, and I'll post updates here when I have them. The way this all went down was pretty incredible, and I'll tell the whole story in my full wrap-up later this month.
For now...
Kat out x
August 31, 2018
Summer Wrap-up!
Hear that tiny, melancholy violin? That's me, lamenting the end of summer. After growing up as a Dire Hayfever Sufferer (picture a girl with frizzy hair, red eyes, redder nostrils, staring angrily through her bedroom window -- yeah, you get it) being an adult who does NOT suffer with hayfever anymore makes me want to frolic in the sun. FROLIC. Hence my melancholy at the passing of summer... but it has been a belter. Here's what happened.
Writing-wise, I spent a good portion of the last 3 months editing 2 manuscripts -- THE TWINS OF BLACKFIN, which is my novella for the THREE STRIKES anthology (out 11 October, preordering is for winners, thank you thank you), and HARROW LAKE, a novel I seem to have been working on for decades now.
I also started 2 new manuscripts (though one was actually a reworking of an old one) which were both kind of magical, fun, Welsh-legendy stories, and which got a bit overshadowed by the editing. But now that I'm pretty much done with the edits (I think? Because there could always be more. ALWAYS.) I can get back to drafting.... and so naturally, I have a completely different story idea that's calling to me, and I can't decide what to do. So, here we are.
There have been some pretty epic adventures since my last update -- into caves, up mountains, through forests; finding ruins, exploring castles, and even going out on a boat to eyeball some seals. It's all over on my Insta if you want to check out my adventures, or you can just wait to see these things gradually appear in future books. ;) In any case, I'll just put a couple of my fave pics here for you to see...
And of course I went back to the circus, as I do every summer, and sat there fizzing with Blackfin-ish excitement. Doubly so this time, because I'm looking forward to a new instalment in the Blackfin story coming out in just a few weeks! Excited, me? YOU BET YOUR WHOLE ASS.
Summer also saw the advent of YALC, which I attended, and it was a blast. Not only did I spot Jason Momoa, but I also got to sign copies of my books at the Firefly Press stand. And I bought lots of books. And there were samplers of THREE STRIKES flying off the stand like owls from a certain school for wizards. But mostly Momoa.
Reading-wise, I didn't get through as many books as I planned, and have adjusted my Goodreads goal so it doesn't feel like it's on my case all the time: "YOU'RE 4 BOOKS BEHIND YOUR GOAL, LOSER" etc. This is what I read over the past 3 months:
I usually do a rundown of each book, but as this is a 3-month update I'll just highlight my standout faves from each category.
Young Adult: THE SUMMER OF US is Cecilia Vinesse's sophomore novel, and a gorgeous story about 5 friends who go interrailing across Europe, growing apart and falling in love in the process; and the hilarious BOY MEETS HAMSTER by Birdie Milano is about a boy who goes on holiday with his family and best friend to a Butlins-esque caravan park where his crush on the boy-next-caravan is constantly being scuppered by someone in a giant hamster suit.
Graphic novel: MILK FOR THE UGLY (motion book) by Kate Redesiuk and Anna Podeworna was a real surprise find for me. I downloaded an app called Madefire where you can read motion books (a new thing for me) and this was a freebie I downloaded because the cover art was cool. Well, the story is awesome -- about a social worker who calls to check on an elderly woman and finds her living with a collection of 'uglies', which she guards so they won't get out and infect the world. It was really disturbing and brilliant at the same time, with fantastic artwork and a great soundtrack that definitely added to the experience.
Adult: SILVER SILENCE by Nalini Singh. I've been a huge Nalini Singh fan for years -- I think this is about the 30th of her books that I've read -- so knew I would love this one. Silver Silence is the beginning of a new story arc in the Psy-Changeling series. I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to the bear-shifters, and getting to know more about the Mercants and the various threats dawning in the Psy-Changeling world. Can't wait to get my hands on OCEAN LIGHT and see what the water changelings are up to...
Looking ahead, I'm hoping the autumn will bring lots of new words and adventures, and I will resume my usual monthly updates from now on. I'll also get back to baking now that GBBO is on and the heatwave is off. In the meantime, this is how I will be starting September.
Reading: IN ANOTHER LIFE by Laura Jarratt
Audiobooking: SAINTS AND MISFITS by S. K. Ali
Singing along to: BABY by Bishop Briggs
Watching: GBBO, X Factor, and Riverdale -- #Bugheadforever. WHAT?
For now...
Kat out x
Writing-wise, I spent a good portion of the last 3 months editing 2 manuscripts -- THE TWINS OF BLACKFIN, which is my novella for the THREE STRIKES anthology (out 11 October, preordering is for winners, thank you thank you), and HARROW LAKE, a novel I seem to have been working on for decades now.
I also started 2 new manuscripts (though one was actually a reworking of an old one) which were both kind of magical, fun, Welsh-legendy stories, and which got a bit overshadowed by the editing. But now that I'm pretty much done with the edits (I think? Because there could always be more. ALWAYS.) I can get back to drafting.... and so naturally, I have a completely different story idea that's calling to me, and I can't decide what to do. So, here we are.
There have been some pretty epic adventures since my last update -- into caves, up mountains, through forests; finding ruins, exploring castles, and even going out on a boat to eyeball some seals. It's all over on my Insta if you want to check out my adventures, or you can just wait to see these things gradually appear in future books. ;) In any case, I'll just put a couple of my fave pics here for you to see...
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Jul 9, 2018 at 12:32am PDT
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Jun 20, 2018 at 5:12am PDT
And of course I went back to the circus, as I do every summer, and sat there fizzing with Blackfin-ish excitement. Doubly so this time, because I'm looking forward to a new instalment in the Blackfin story coming out in just a few weeks! Excited, me? YOU BET YOUR WHOLE ASS.
A post shared by Kat Ellis (@katelliswrites) on Aug 12, 2018 at 4:14pm PDT
Summer also saw the advent of YALC, which I attended, and it was a blast. Not only did I spot Jason Momoa, but I also got to sign copies of my books at the Firefly Press stand. And I bought lots of books. And there were samplers of THREE STRIKES flying off the stand like owls from a certain school for wizards. But mostly Momoa.
Reading-wise, I didn't get through as many books as I planned, and have adjusted my Goodreads goal so it doesn't feel like it's on my case all the time: "YOU'RE 4 BOOKS BEHIND YOUR GOAL, LOSER" etc. This is what I read over the past 3 months:
I usually do a rundown of each book, but as this is a 3-month update I'll just highlight my standout faves from each category.
Young Adult: THE SUMMER OF US is Cecilia Vinesse's sophomore novel, and a gorgeous story about 5 friends who go interrailing across Europe, growing apart and falling in love in the process; and the hilarious BOY MEETS HAMSTER by Birdie Milano is about a boy who goes on holiday with his family and best friend to a Butlins-esque caravan park where his crush on the boy-next-caravan is constantly being scuppered by someone in a giant hamster suit.
Graphic novel: MILK FOR THE UGLY (motion book) by Kate Redesiuk and Anna Podeworna was a real surprise find for me. I downloaded an app called Madefire where you can read motion books (a new thing for me) and this was a freebie I downloaded because the cover art was cool. Well, the story is awesome -- about a social worker who calls to check on an elderly woman and finds her living with a collection of 'uglies', which she guards so they won't get out and infect the world. It was really disturbing and brilliant at the same time, with fantastic artwork and a great soundtrack that definitely added to the experience.
Adult: SILVER SILENCE by Nalini Singh. I've been a huge Nalini Singh fan for years -- I think this is about the 30th of her books that I've read -- so knew I would love this one. Silver Silence is the beginning of a new story arc in the Psy-Changeling series. I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to the bear-shifters, and getting to know more about the Mercants and the various threats dawning in the Psy-Changeling world. Can't wait to get my hands on OCEAN LIGHT and see what the water changelings are up to...
Looking ahead, I'm hoping the autumn will bring lots of new words and adventures, and I will resume my usual monthly updates from now on. I'll also get back to baking now that GBBO is on and the heatwave is off. In the meantime, this is how I will be starting September.
Reading: IN ANOTHER LIFE by Laura Jarratt
Audiobooking: SAINTS AND MISFITS by S. K. Ali
Singing along to: BABY by Bishop Briggs
Watching: GBBO, X Factor, and Riverdale -- #Bugheadforever. WHAT?
For now...
Kat out x
July 20, 2018
THREE STRIKES has a cover!
Hello!
Stopping by briefly to say that the cover for THREE STRIKES - the anthology of novellas featuring stories by my, Lucy Christopher, and Rhian Ivory - has now officially been unleashed, and here it is!
Isn't it pretty? I'm so excited to see the finished print version, which should be sometime before its release on 11 October. If you'd like to preorder a copy (please, please do!) you can order it direct from Firefly Press, from Amazon UK, or from any good book retailer.
If you'd like a little teaser for THE TWINS OF BLACKFIN...
Visiting her best friend's grave at midnight, Bo sees the young people of Blackfin walking the streets in a trance, as though they're looking for something. An eerie voice calls to them, but who does it belong to? Where is the mysterious door it wants them to find? And can Bo avoid falling under the voice's spell herself?
On a completely different note, if you're wondering where the heck my June wrap-up post was, I decided to take a small summer break from the blog (this post notwithstanding), so prepare for a mammoth update in early August when I'll be giving the lowdown on things like YALC, advance copies of THREE STRIKES, what I've been writing and reading all summer, and various adventures involving castles and spooky islands and cemeteries and such. You know what to expect by now, right??
Anyway, back to my WIP, where I'm currently working out the logistics of being cursed to always tell the truth. Fun times.
Kat out x
Stopping by briefly to say that the cover for THREE STRIKES - the anthology of novellas featuring stories by my, Lucy Christopher, and Rhian Ivory - has now officially been unleashed, and here it is!
Isn't it pretty? I'm so excited to see the finished print version, which should be sometime before its release on 11 October. If you'd like to preorder a copy (please, please do!) you can order it direct from Firefly Press, from Amazon UK, or from any good book retailer.
If you'd like a little teaser for THE TWINS OF BLACKFIN...
Visiting her best friend's grave at midnight, Bo sees the young people of Blackfin walking the streets in a trance, as though they're looking for something. An eerie voice calls to them, but who does it belong to? Where is the mysterious door it wants them to find? And can Bo avoid falling under the voice's spell herself?
On a completely different note, if you're wondering where the heck my June wrap-up post was, I decided to take a small summer break from the blog (this post notwithstanding), so prepare for a mammoth update in early August when I'll be giving the lowdown on things like YALC, advance copies of THREE STRIKES, what I've been writing and reading all summer, and various adventures involving castles and spooky islands and cemeteries and such. You know what to expect by now, right??
Anyway, back to my WIP, where I'm currently working out the logistics of being cursed to always tell the truth. Fun times.
Kat out x
