I’ve had my blog for about a year and a half now and met some really awesome people. Some who have become friends.
What better way to introduce you to some of them then by putting them in the spotlight.
For today, I’ve dragged Ella away from important work to tell us a few things about herself. She has her blog here . Make sure to go by and say hi. I hear she has some yummy cake! I hope she brought some with her:)
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Ella Medler – Author
Goodreads Facebook Twitter Blog
She’s also an author, co-author, and a woman of many writerly talents:)
Ella is so busy, I’m convinced she’s a robot. That, or a vampire!
Please make Ella welcome!
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Hi, Laura.
Hi yourself, Ella.
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I know you’re very busy and I won’t keep you long. especially as I’m waiting on your next new book! So, let the fun begin.
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Please tell us a little about yourself. Inquiring minds want to know 🙂.
I am currently working on my fifth book, a thriller. I don’t count the books I’ve started but don’t intend to finish. My head if full of books that will make it. Of the four published books so far, the first one was traditionally published by a small publisher, and the other three are all self-published. Of these, two are co-authored with Kristie Haigwood. When I’m not writing, I’m usually editing. I prefer content editing, but I’m one of those people who enjoys nitpicking at grammar, so I end up doing a combined job. And when I’m not editing, I’m reading and reviewing, hosting author features or writing articles related to the publishing industry. Beware, I do hold opinions.
Why did you start blogging and what were your plans for your blog?
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At first, I simply wanted a website. I bought myself the software and a domain name, and then spent two weeks learning how to build a website from scratch. I did manage it, but my original hope that I would be able to keep freshening up the content on an almost daily basis fizzled out pretty soon. I found having a blog on my website incredibly cumbersome. So then I researched other ways to build a blog. WordPress came top of the list, so that’s where you can find me.
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In terms of articles for my blog, I wanted a place where I could be myself. Yes, I know I get to do that through my writing, but writing a whole book takes a bit longer than writing a blog post. My posts are about writing and authors, though I will admit to have vented once or twice on publishing in general and the prejudice against indie authors in particular. Can’t help it. I’m a fair minded person who strives to see a situation from all points of view. I strongly believe in fair chances.
Being an author yourself, do you receive a lot of review requests and how do you choose which ones to review?
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Yes, I do. To start with, I didn’t have much of a system. If I liked the sound of a book, I went for it. Funnily enough, until I became an author myself, I didn’t see the purpose of leaving a review. Now I do. It’s so obvious why we should! At the moment I work in batches of about twelve titles I commit myself to reviewing, and the authors know what position they are in my list. They know if they’re first on the list, the review will be posted this week, and if they’re last, it won’t be out till some time in July. I used to think I only enjoyed one or two genres, but then I tried others, and the more I tried the more I discovered books I enjoyed. Sticking to a narrow field was certainly a mistake. I review all the books I read cover to cover, though I haven’t published all my reviews on my blog.
How do you feel about scheduling your posts? I do this, but I miss pushing that publish button and watching the post go live. Guess that’s why I don’t always schedule them.
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Ah. Yes, you knew what question to ask, didn’t you? I have extremely itchy fingers. Once I’ve written something, I want it out there. It’s one of the reasons why I decided to self-publish. I’m impatient. I like to see the fruit of my labours right away. I’d probably make a rubbish gardener. Right now, I only have four draft posts, but there are posts scheduled for almost every day this month. I’ve printed out my calendar and I keep scribbling on it, rearranging things.
I’ve seen your latest posts and you are insanely busy. Care to tell us what you’re up to these days?
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I’ve just released book two in the Eternal Series, Eternal Immortality, co-authored with Kristie Haigwood, on May 10, solar eclipse day. It’s doing so well! we are very proud of how its been received. It’s a paranormal action/romance, a completely original take on witches and vampires with a humorous twist.
Right now I’m writing book two in my Hunter thriller trilogy – Blood is Power – and very much enjoying the process. As I write, new ideas occur to me, and the story twists in ways I certainly didn’t see at the beginning. I’ve re-written the first half three times so far.
I have just finished editing a YA book, and soon I’ll be receiving my next edit, a contemporary fantasy by an author I admire. At the same time, I have packed as many book reviews and author spotlights into my blog as possible.
Once Blood is Power is out there, I’ll take a couple of weeks off from actual writing to plan and produce a series of visual aids – authors’ resources, for want of a better description – which will be available free on my Custom Writers’ Services page on my blog.
As and when I find a minute, I research trends in the publishing industry – top genres and figures, and sometimes news to do with established publishers. These percolate through into my blog posts because I just can’t shut up if I feel strongly enough about a subject. I have to speak my mind, or I will explode.
Did I tell you I’m learning to play the piano? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a child, but not managed to fit it in until last year. I couldn’t even read music when I started. My fingers seem to be in the driving seat, though. They line up nicely when I have to play Schubert, but won’t let me do a recognisable Jingle Bells.
Have I missed anything? Oh, yeah. I have a family. There were a couple of teenagers and a husband around the house, last time I looked, and nine pets of assorted sizes and descriptions.
Do you have a favorite genre you read?
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I used to stick to mystery, crime, thriller – that sort of thing. But then one day I read a book about zombies and I liked it. Then a sci-fi (which I used to be hooked on in my youth) and I loved it! From there, I decided to just read any book I like the looks of, and now I don’t have boundaries. If it’s a book, chances are I’ll love it.
One last question and then we’ll get to some fun short ones! Is your blog how you wanted it to be when you began?
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No, it’s better. I didn’t have a clear idea, on day one, about its definite direction. Now, the onus is on producing material that is useful to authors, whether self- or traditionally published, in whatever way I can. This trend is going to continue, but it will focus even more on actual, practical advice, tips and mentoring so that more writers can produce high-quality material and, once they have that, find an easier way to publish and promote their books effectively.
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Now for Five Fun Shorts!
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1) Who is your favorite book character?
Rover from the Giggler Treatment, by Roddy Doyle. He’s a dog who knows more about humans than the humans know about themselves.
2) Do you have a phobia?
Probably not, though I do hate dusting with a vengeance.
3) What’s a famous one liner from a movie that stayed with you?
“You just did!” – from Pretty Woman, when Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) has just been told by heartthrob Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) that he’d never called her a prostitute.
4) If you could be any creature in the ocean, what would you like to be?
A jellyfish. Useful, in fact indispensable to the ocean’s health, flexible and pretty to look at (see what I’m doing here?), still able to teach scientists something new experiment after experiment and, best of all, can sting when circumstances warrant it.
5) If you could pull anything out of your hat, besides a rabbit, what would it be?
Time. I am constantly on the lookout for those spare minutes, or seconds even, to finish a project.
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And a Dare!
Say the first thing that pops into your head! I dare ya!
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Zohan! (oops!)
Any last words for our readers?
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Follow your dream, because “I have spent a good many years since–too many, I think–being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction or poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent. If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that’s all.” ― Stephen King, On Writing.
Thank you, Laura. This has been way more fun than an interview has the right to be!
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I loved having you here Ella. Now get back to work! lol
Just kidding, kind of:) Waiting for some more good reading!
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Fantasy novel
available in ebook and paperback
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Co-authored with K.S. Haigwood
Eternal Island, Book One in the Eternal Series
Goodreads
Eternal Immortality, Book Two in the Eternal Series
Goodreads
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Blood Is Heavier – 
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Busy, busy, busy. So many delicious reads! Some I’ve read and will be posting my reviews soon.