Three Times A Charm With Kate Ellison

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry.

This week we are joined by young adult author, Kate Ellison. Katie tell us what you are all about.

When I'm not writing, I enjoy watching NBC comedy shows, playing video games, and eating ice cream cake. While it’s true that I'm currently working on a zombie novel, don’t let that fool you. I am decidedly Team Unicorn.




Katie, you have a great book out called, The Curse Girl. Being a sucker for the classic Beauty and the Beast, I really enjoyed your modern take on it. Talk to us about The Curse Girl.

When her father tries to steal magic from the mysterious mansion outside her hometown, seventeen-year-old Bee is the one who becomes a prisoner of the beast who lives there. But the so-called monster, Will, isn't anything like she expected. He's the same age as she is, for one thing. He's also really handsome, contrary to the local legend. Well, maybe the whole "beast" thing is meant to be metaphorical, because he's a total jerk.

Between the house's weird magic and Will's snobby attitude, the situation is nearly unbearable, and Bee only wants to escape. But there are some major complications. The curse won't let anyone leave, for one thing. The witch who cursed Will left him a riddle to solve and an hourglass of sand to track his time left. And although she'd rather eat dirt than help Will, Bee has to work with him to figure out the riddle so they can break the curse, or she's going to remain a prisoner in the curse house forever. Because the hourglass is almost empty . . .

THE CURSE GIRL is a YA fantasy novella.

Yep, I give it two thumbs up. Read my thoughts on The Curse Girl here.

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help us know you a little better.

  • Top 3 blogs you follow.
It was tough to pick only three, but …

1.      Hyperbole and a Half – HILARIOUS stuff. Not writing related, just brilliant, hysterical observations about life in general. Bonus: there are lots of funny pictures! http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/
2.      Nathan Bransford, Author – Nathan writes thoughtful posts about all kinds of stuff in the business, and he’s very friendly to indies. He’s an incredibly kind, well-spoken person too. http://nathanbransford.com/
3.      Wordplay – This writing blog by author KM Weiland is chock-full of insights and tips for better prose. http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com

  • Top 3 pieces of advice for people just starting in your business.
Here’s what I wish I’d been told as soon as I began writing:

1.      Read everything you can get your hands on—romances, memoirs, middle grade fiction, young adult novels, mysteries, thrillers. Read classic literature and blockbuster bestsellers. Read widely and often.
2.      Write a lot. It has been said that the first million words are practice (Was this Stephen King? I’ve heard this quote attributed to several people, so I’m not positive who it belongs to for sure). Write and write and write some more.
3.      Writing is often a very solitary activity, but you don’t always have to do it alone. Surround yourself with crit partners, beta readers, and writer friends who can encourage you. Twitter and Blogger are my favorite places to connect with fellow writers, and lots of people also use Facebook, LinkedIn, and now Google + for this purpose.

  • Top 3 snacks to munch on while working.
1.      Sun chips and ranch dip, yum. *eats a sun chip* (No, literally. I just ate one.)
2.      Soft-serve ice cream from McDonald’s
3.      Ice cream cake, the best of both incredibly delicious worlds. Pardon my drooling.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your work?

You can visit me on my blog: http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/

Or email me: kellisonwrites@gmail.com

Or follow me on Twitter: @KEllisonWrites

How can we get our hands (and voracious reader eyes) on The Curse Girl?

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Thanks Katie for visiting with us today. Best of luck to you , The Curse Girl and your future writings.

THANKS!

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 3, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    Sounds like a fun novel with a good twist on the olde tale : )

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kate Avery EllisonAugust 3, 2011 at 12:28 PM

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Bekah!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sarah TokeleyAugust 3, 2011 at 4:23 PM

    Ice cream cake. I have never had this. I think I'm missing out :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 3, 2011 at 4:49 PM

    Nice interview - one of her blogs is one I also read regularly. I'm your latest GFC follower - hope you can stop by my place soon too. shaunanosler.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kate Avery EllisonAugust 4, 2011 at 9:22 AM

    Sarah--you ARE! You must remedy this immediately!

    Shauna--thanks for commenting! I'm handling comments for Kai right now as she's out of town. I stopped by your blog :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beverly Stowe McClureAugust 7, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    Great interview, ladies. Your book sounds interesting, Katie. I like the old fairy tales and think it's great bringing them back with a twist. Congratulations and good luck to you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kai Strand, AuthorAugust 7, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    Thanks everybody for stopping by! And thanks, Katie for fielding the comments. Add to your talents "Low maintenance guest!"

    ReplyDelete
  8. CorinnaAugust 10, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    Classic with a twist and who doesn't love that? Sounds like a great read and when I have some free time from the tot, I'll definitely check it out!

    ReplyDelete

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