Children and Young Adult Author | Official Website
Author: Ellwyn
I live with my loving husband, two children and dog in Philadelphia, PA. I discovered my passion for writing in second grade when I had to write a book report for school. I was so excited to write the report, until my mother told me that I had to write about someone else's book and not my own story. I became indignant and decided that once I finished the book report I would most certainly write my own original story. I have been writing ever since!
My self-published book Chris Kringle's Cops was a Finalist in The Reader's Favorite Book Contest for 2016. I am so happy to share this story with you.
My picture book Kamyla Chung and the Creepy Crawlies was given a 5 Star rating by Reader's Favorite Book Reviews in 2017.
-Each author has a trivia question for you to answer. Don’t worry, each author also gives a clue where to find the answer. Mine is right here on my website!
-Feel
free to tag friends in the comments and leave a friendly message for the author.
On
December 31, 2019, a 3rd Place, 2nd Place, and Grand
Prize Winner will be chosen by a random generator. You must get all answers
right to be considered.
The winners will be announced on Burning Ember’s page and will receive emails from the author with their prize!
Tasha Madison has a B.A. from the Edward
R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University, an M.B.A.
from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and a J.D. from Seattle
University’s School of Law.
She is a Huntsville, Alabama
transplant from Seattle, Washington. She loves all things Jane Austen. She is
also a sucker for Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes.
As a Communications professional
with over 15 years of experience, she has been a desktop publisher, a
journalist and a copy editor.
Now that you’ve been introduced to Tashsa, let’s get to know her a little better.
Hello, Tasha, welcome to Angel Kiss
Publications.
Thank you for having me.
What inspired you to be a writer?
I’ve always had a hearty appetite
for the written word, even from a very young age. I was a very avid reader as a
child. I would stay up late at night, trying to read the next chapter with my
flashlight, long after my mom told me it was time for bed. My love for writing started
with poetry and prose, and quickly blossomed into a passion for storytelling.
Is writing your full-time
profession?
Not yet, but I hope it will be one
day.
How long have you been writing?
I first started writing in the third grade. By the fifth grade, I wrote my first novella. I still have it! By the eighth grade, I wrote my first novel. So, I started writing pretty early.
How many books have you written?
Fabric of a Generation is my debut novel.
Which genres do you write?
YA and historical fiction.
What do you find most challenging
writing for these genres?
YA fiction is challenging because I
like to tackle important issues in my writing. So, my endeavor is to thread
valuable YA discussions and experiences into the pages of my writing while
maintaining authenticity.
Historical fiction can also be intimidating,
especially if you are writing a novel based on a true story or inspired by the
lives of historical actors. Authors of historical fiction bear the burden
between remaining true to the story/time period and true to themselves and the
creativity of their craft. The two don’t
always coexist peaceably, so it is important to find balance.
What are you working on now?
My work-in-progress is a historical
fiction novel about an ancient civilization.
Where do you find inspiration for
your characters?
I find inspiration from so many
things … my personal experiences, people I know, have met, or simply observed, locations
I’ve visited, activities I enjoy, etc. Bits and pieces come from a multitude of
places and then I weave them together to create an interesting character.
What has been your most rewarding experience
since publishing your work?
I recently had a young adult reader
say that she loved my book and tell me that she stayed up all night so that she
could find out what happened next. She said she read my book in 24 hours. There’s
nothing more satisfying than having your target reader understand and
appreciate your work.
What advice would you give to
authors just starting out?
Research! Research! Research! Research
your novel’s topic. Research your craft. Research the publishing industry.
Writing is fun but, after the manuscript is finished, it has to be edited and
refined. Then, it has to be formatted, distributed, and marketed. Writing is
only one small piece of the puzzle. So, do your homework!
Is there anything else you’d like
your readers to know about you?
Apart from the fact that I own the
entire collectible set of Lord of the Rings, complete with my very own Gollum
statue? No, not really.
What message are you sharing in
your books?
My characters face serious and
often daunting obstacles. So, my message boils down to hope. Hope for the future
… hope for the possibility that something great can still happen in spite of past
struggles, failures, and fears. I want to share hope with the world!
What are your favorite books?
I was completely obsessed with the Nancy Drew mysteries growing up. Now, I read across several fiction genres as well as nonfiction. As a result, my favorite book is usually whatever I am reading at the time.
If you could create an author’s
group with writers from any time period, who would you invite?
Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, Carolyn Keene, Agatha Christie, Maya Angelou, and Langston
Hughes.
Who has influenced your writing the
most?
Definitely Maya Angelou. The ability
she had to use her pen to empower and move people beyond words should be every
writer’s goal.
When you’re not writing where can
we find you?
In the craft store buying scrapbooking
and cardmaking supplies!
A movie producer wants to turn your
book into a movie and you get to make a cameo. What would you do in the movie?
I’d totally be the Stan Lee “extra”
in my movies … a part of the movie but only a quick, humorous addendum to the
storyline.
An elf named 12-25 approaches you.
He’s sneezing, wheezing, coughing and there’s a strange tattoo of a snoring dog
on his cheek. What do you do?
First, I would ask if he was okay (because
I’ve got manners after all), and then I would inquire about who he is and from where
he came.
Thank you, Tasha, for spending time with us and sharing your story. We wish you continued success and lots of luck!
Miranda dreams of disappearing. That and torturing her younger brainiac of a brother. To sidestep the risk of personal vulnerability (and her much-hated history class), she plays soccer or skips school by escaping to her favorite magic shop whenever she gets the chance.
As her truancy creates a rift between her ambitious TV producer mother and misunderstood stay-at-home dad, Miranda begins to covet the unknown destiny of strangers and questions whether she will ever have one of her own worth living.
Miranda’s relationships are laced with the strychnine of blame, envy, and doubt. So, when she finds a mystical shawl in the attic, she thinks all her dreams have come true! Her discovery initiates a free fall through time. As she navigates through the hilarious, treacherous, and heartbreaking road to maturity, the strained relationship between her and her mother ignites a troubled path to selflessness and compassion.
Can she use her present circumstances to help redeem herself from her past mistakes? If Miranda cannot find her way back home, she might be forever stuck in time.
Anyone seeking a coming-of-age tale with an addicting family saga that explores life lessons on money, love, and relationships will enjoy the rabbit-hole adventures of this book.
Buy this historical fantasy today to discover Miranda’s journey through time!
William Grannetino served in the US navy during World War II. From the day he landed on Omaha Beach to the morning he sailed out of the Pacific theatre for the last time, he was surrounded by violence, trauma, death, and a comradery unparalleled in civilian life.
Through the pen of Grannetino’s son, readers are provided a glimpse of a sailor’s gut-wrenching realities of war as he relates details about little-known landings that happened ahead of the initial D-Day assault and unique facts somehow lost in history.
Compelling descriptions of street to street fighting in the city of Caen, the urgency of rushing military support to the Battle of the Bulge, and the terror of Kamikaze attacks in the Pacific, transport readers right to the battle zone.
From the jubilation over the end of hostilities to the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Tom Grannetino has captured his father’s stories and crafted an historical and deeply personal account of one man’s experiences in the Second World War….
About The Author:
Tom Grannetino credits his father, William, for his strong work ethic and technical abilities, which have brought him great success in the construction industry as a craftsman and construction superintendent.
He also spent years listening to his dad tell stories about his experiences in the US Navy during World War II. After hearing his father lament numerous times, “I should have written a book,” Tom decided to write the book himself for his children, grandchildren, and anyone else with an interest in military and US history.
Tom describes himself as a religious person who is committed to his church, where he occasionally fills in for his Pastor leading worship and delivering the sermon.
He and his wife, Kathleen, live in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, and have two daughters and five grandchildren, with whom Tom loves to share quality time with. Tom enjoys studying theology, traveling, hunting, fishing, and watching both golf and football.
“The Red Pearl is a delight. Meticulously researched, it transports the reader to the inns and backstreets of Boston in 1778. Lucy Finch’s personal tragedy spurs her on to take an active role in the revolutionary war, despite the immense danger it brings to herself, her family and friends. Ms. Helton’s characters are warm, living beings with gifts and flaws. Their relationships are altered — broken or strengthened — by the battles on distant fields and the evil of individuals closer to home.” – Carrie Bedford, Author of Nobilissima
There’s something peculiar about the small group of men who have begun to frequent The Red Pearl, the tavern that has hosted a variety of Boston’s men since before the Revolutionary War began. In a rebellious city that does not tolerate Loyalists, men could come here and speak freely without fear of the repercussions — and Jasper Finch, the tavern-keeper, has always been proud of that.
But now the war is in full force, and Lucy Finch — the tavern-keeper’s wife — is growing nervous about The Red Pearl’s most loyal customers. Their clandestine meetings and hushed whispers suggest dark secrets — secrets which may threaten the safety of Boston, and the future of the war itself.
Lucy struggles to stay loyal to her husband’s wishes while grappling with the surprising truths of America’s war for independence. When a terrible assault makes her ache for revenge, she must make a choice: Will she keep quiet about the explosive secrets she has learned, or will she expose them and risk her marriage and possibly her life?
Set in the wild and unpredictable world of the Revolutionary War, fans of historical fiction will fall in love with Lucy Finch, who faces impossible choices that may change the fate of a nation.
When I started to move, Jasper mumbled something. He wasn’t
much of an early riser, but the sun was splashing through the windows now and
we couldn’t let the guests wake before us. It had become my responsibility to
make sure of that. “Up,” I urged, nudging his shoulder. “Imagine if Robby gets
in the kitchen before we do.”
Now he blinked. Robby, our hired boy, was an honest worker,
but he was useless without direct and clear orders. If he tried fiddling with
the pots and pans without my direction, they’d all be broken before we even
made it downstairs. “Didn’t we just fall asleep?” he groaned.
“Oh, enough. You’re terrible in the morning.”
“Come back down,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist
to pull me. “Lay next to me just a minute longer.”
I couldn’t have resisted, really, even if I wanted to. He
was too strong. I brushed a hand through his clipped black hair. There had been
days when I yearned for another kind of man, shaggy blonde hair and sharp blue
eyes, but although he crossed my mind every day, almost, he was now little more
than a ghost swirling in the morning fog. I was here with Jasper, who was dark
and quiet and excruciatingly clean-shaven. There was drink to brew and mouths
to feed here and I wasn’t a girl anymore.
“Jasper,” I said. I hadn’t been planning to mention this,
but he was the one who pulled me back down to bed. “Are you planning to let
those Tory meetings go on long?”
“What d’you mean?” he mumbled, his eyes barely open. “If they pay for it, they can have their meetings. And you shouldn’t call them that.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Chloe Helton is the author of four historical fiction novels,
including And the Stars Wept and the Wattpad favorite A Thousand Eyes. Her
readers have journeyed with her from the shores of Elizabethan England to the
stormy battlefields of the Civil War in search of the often-hidden stories of
women who made history.
John Riddle is a freelance writer, author, ghostwriter, editor and donut eater. As the author of 34 books (for traditional publishers), he has also worked as a ghostwriter on numerous projects. His byline has appeared in major publications all across the U.S., and he has written articles for over 200 Websites.
Since 1996 he has been working out of his home office in Delaware as a full time freelance writer. For nearly 15 years he taught at Christian and secular writing conferences throughout the United States.
Now that you’ve been introduced to John, let’s get to know him a little better.
Hello, John, welcome to Angel Kiss Publications. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview.
Thank you for having me.
What inspired you to be a writer?
When I was 17 years old I was watching an episode of “The Flying Nun.” I felt inspired to become a writer, and prayed to God to please bless me with the gift of creative communication.
I felt that my prayer was answered,
and proceeded to write an 8 page episode of The Flying Nun using an old Royal
Typewriter with a few bent keys. I
showed it to my English teacher the next day, and asked him to read it
overnight and give me his opinion.
The next day he did. He threw the manuscript at me and suggested that I “pursue a career in manual labor.” Right then and there I vowed to see my name on multiple book covers (35 to date), and to travel the country, inspiring people to become writers (I have spoken at nearly 100 conferences and events across the U.S.). I still have that copy of the manuscript!
Is writing your full-time
profession?
Yes. Since 1996 I have been working out of my home
office in Delaware as a full time freelance writer, author, ghostwriter and
donut eater (anything to keep from getting a real job, LOL!).
How long have you been writing?
Since I was 17. I graduated from high school a few months after
the Flying Nun episode, and then enlisted in the Navy (the Vietnam war was on,
and I didn’t want to get drafted). During
my 4 years in the Navy, I discovered Writers Digest Magazine, and eventually
started getting published!
Have you won any awards?
Yes. At several conferences, and awards from various schools who loved my “I Love To Write Day” event that I launched in 2002. I wanted people of all ages to practice writing every Nov. 15. (I had a website until a few years ago; will relaunch hopefully in 2020!)
How many books have you written?
35
Which genre do you write?
Mostly non-fiction in the areas of
business, health, self help, religion, education, and about a dozen children’s
titles. I have worked as a ghostwriter
on both nonfiction and novel projects.
What do you find most challenging writing for these genres?
Actually, I LOVE the challenge of researching new information!
What are you working on now?
A new children’s project that deals
with “fear, confidence and hope!”
What has been your most rewarding experience since
publishing your work?
Besides cashing the checks, LOL? The “feel good” feeling you get every time a
new book is released! But it’s my 35th
(and first self published title) that has been bringing the most rewarding
experiences. “The Flying Nun, Oprah and
Me: 40 Years Making Money as a Freelance Writer (Hey, You Can Do It, Too!)”
What advice would you give to
authors just starting out?
Follow your heart. Don’t take rejections personally. Not every editor knows what is best for
readers. Read a lot, write a lot, and
NEVER GIVE UP!
Is there anything else you’d like
your readers to know about you?
I love to write, and I want everyone
else to try writing…
What message are you sharing in
your books?
That anything is possible!
What are your favorite books?
The Stand by Stephen King is by far at the top of my list. I also enjoyed reading Robert B. Parker’s mystery/detective series that he wrote when he was alive.
What has influenced your writing
the most?
Reading and researching new
information.
When you’re not writing where can
we find you?
At the beach, at the movies or just
siting and relaxing.
A movie producer wants to turn your book into a movie and you get to make a cameo. What would you do in the movie?
I would bring the donuts!
An elf named 12-25 approaches you. He’s sneezing, wheezing, coughing and there’s a strange tattoo of a snoring dog on his cheek. What do you do?
