The Ellis Writers Club

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Growing up, I never knew anyone else who had the same first name as I did. I thought that was kind of special. Some people asked me if I was named for the famous island where immigrants had arrived in the United States. I told them that Ellis Island was named after me.

After publishing my first books, starting a blog, and establishing a presence on Facebook and Twitter, I came into contact with a number of other authors who also had Ellis as their first name. A bigger surprise, though, was to find out that Ellis was also a common woman's name.

There is no doubt in my mind that having Ellis as a first name is a sign that you are a very creative person, capable of huge literary achievements. As members of the Ellis Writers Club, we are all dedicated authors and writers, constantly improving our craft. Each of us has our own writing style; our books are in different genres. Yet, as writers with Ellis as our name, our books are guaranteed to captivate readers all over the world.

Without further ado, I am proud to introduce Ellis Morning, Ellis Vidler, Ellis Nelson, and myself Ellis Shuman - the founding members of the Ellis Writers Club. Read our books!

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Introducing Ellis Morning

Hi!  I’m a long-time literary dabbler who only recently got serious about writing- serious enough to quit my full-time job a few weeks ago!  I have much to learn and adjust to, but I’m having a great time so far.

Growing up with Ellis as your first name, did you feel special, or was the name ridiculed?

Normal, or even better than normal.  “Ellis” is both easy to pronounce and hard to rhyme, so no derisive nicknames or other embarrassments.  The only “difficulty” is that in online transactions, people tend to assume I’m male unless they see/hear otherwise.  That doesn’t bother me, or I would’ve switched to “Ellie” a long time ago!

Tell us about your books.

Just getting off the ground here, but I’m stirring several pots!  My biggest project is my first novel Blood’s Force, kicking off what will be a series of books under the banner Sword and Starship.  It’s a sci-fi/fantasy following the adventures of a knight errant, set in a medieval civilization that grew up in the ruins of a spacefaring civilization.  It’s currently in the editing phase, and I hope to release it at the end of 2014 or early 2015.

Earlier this year, my short story In Perpetuity was published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact; it’s available on my website as a free download.  I blog weekly with writing tips and observations on the transition to full-time writing.  I also write monthly for The Daily WTF, narrating IT-related tales of humor and woe. 

Early-bird writer or late night owl? Describe your writing process.

Both  :)  I use the morning hours up to lunch, and the evening hours after dinner.  The afternoon is my body's “down” period, so I reserve that for chores and other non-writing tasks.  I set a daily goal, like “finish drafting this scene,” which gives me a minimum to work toward that day.  I try to write every day, with the occasional break to reset my brain. 

I sit down to write with coffee and instrumental music.  I love movie and video game soundtracks.  They get me into the mood I need for the chapter I’m working on, without the distraction of lyrics.

Anything else you'd like to add?

If my work sounds interesting, join my mailing list for updates and freebies! 

Also, thank you very much for this opportunity, Ellis!  It’s so nice meeting you and the other Ellises!

I’d love to hear from you!

Blog: http://www.ellismorning.com/blog

Website: http://www.ellismorning.com

Email: contact@ellismorning.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+EllisMorning

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EllisMorning

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Introducing Ellis Vidler

My love of stories and reading started when I was young. I’d open an art book (my father was an artist) and point to a picture. Mother, Daddy, or I had to make up a story about the character or scene. I wrote my first stories on wide-lined tablets with a pencil, usually about horses or missing jewels. Tarzan and Nancy Drew were constant companions. Later I devoured Mary Stewart and JRR Tolkien. I read several genres and many authors.

Ellis is a family name for us: my father, niece, and grandson are all Ellises. When I told people my name, many said, “Alice?” But those who hadn’t met me expected a boy (still do). I get mail addressed to Mr. Ellis Vidler all the time, but I’ve always loved the name.

Tell us about your books.

I write suspense with a bit of a love story. My heroines are strong in character but not kick-ass types. The men are strong too, but they respect the women’s abilities. There’s always danger and action. Cold Comfort, The Peeper (written with Jim Christopher, a retired law office), and Prime Target, my WIP, are standalones. They’re definitely not cozies but there’s often a mystery for the characters to solve.

The McGuire Women books (Haunting Refrain and  Time of Death) feature members of a family with a psychic streak. Parapsychology has always interested me. Some of my grandmother’s family has a gift for telepathy; they know when someone close to them (but physically distant) is in distress. I didn’t inherit the ability, but one of my cousins did.

Early-bird writer or late night owl? Describe your writing process.

I MUST learn to outline! So far I’ve been a seat-of-the-pants writer (a pantser), but it takes me a long time to complete a book. I think a general outline would speed up the process considerably. I like early mornings when the world is quiet. Noise and activity distract me, and once the day starts, there’s too much going on.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Three of my books are available on audio through Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Since I got an MP3 player that clips onto my clothes, I’ve become addicted to audio books. Being read to while I do chores, drive, cook, or sit outside is wonderful!

Website: http://www.ellisvider.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllisVidler.AuthorPage

Amazon Author's page: http://authl.it/B00A02GD68?d

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EllisVidler

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Introducing Ellis Nelson

I am a former US Air Force officer, government contractor, and teacher. My first book, entitled Into the Land of Snows, was published by Jupiter Gardens in 2012. I write young adult novels with a spiritual or paranormal bent. I have an active blog that has become a favorite for many writers, the open-minded, and the curious.

I actually chose the name Ellis when I was working on a novel that featured Lewis Carroll. Carroll loved all kinds of puzzles and I was captivated with some of them at the same time I was pondering using a pseudonym. I used my initials from my legal name (LS) to come up with Ellis. Later, I learned Ellis is a variation of Elijah. I found the connect fascinating especially in light of how my work has evolved.

Tell us about your books.

Into the Land of Snows is a young adult novel set in the high Himalayas. A troubled, sixteen year old Blake travels to Base Camp on Mt. Everest to spend time with his physician father. When a deadly avalanche occurs, Dad is forced to rethink things and sends Blake off the mountain. Accompanied by a Sherpa guide, and in possession of a mysterious camera, Blake undertakes a journey which will challenge everything he believes. In the magical mountains, he will be forever changed by what he experiences.

Early-bird writer or late night owl? Describe your writing process.

I’m a mid-morning writer trying to optimize my best creative hours. Although I only have one book out currently, there are several searching for a home. All my books entail copious research and I love that part of fictional writing as much as the actual butt- in-chair writing. I always know the basic plot of the book before I start to write, but I often will leave off writing to go research an additional angle before resuming the book.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Right now, I’m finishing the last third of a spiritual, adventure novel. An American teenager finds he has past life connections to the burning of the last Cathars in 1244. He returns to the Pyrenees to uncover a manuscript he hid centuries ago. I’m having fun researching the French region known as the Languedoc. 

Website: http://ellisnelson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellis.nelson.16 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Into-Land-Snows-Ellis-Nelson-ebook/dp/B007A34JGQ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EllisNelson

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Introducing Ellis Friedman

I first started writing back in elementary school; my first story, bound in pink construction paper, told the tale of an international thief who stole the Taj Mahal and hid it in the Amazon. I’ve since moved on to literary fiction, but there’s no telling if I’ll go back to crime and mystery. I kept the international element, though; I’m an avid traveler and spent four years living and working around China.

I learned early on to introduce myself as “Ellis, like the island,” and over the years, I’ve endured many unintuitive spellings of my name, and while it has proven to be memorable and distinguishing among English speakers, it doesn’t translate too well into Chinese, so in China people knew me as “Wenli.”

Tell us about your books.

It can be hard to explain A Valediction without making it sound like a romance novel, but it isn’t. It follows the relationship of college senior July and middle-aged divorcing father-of-three Toby, but this is a novel about growing up, discovery, loss, and the consequences of self-delusions.

I finished the first draft the year after I graduated college, a few months after moving to China. I let it languish, edited it a few times and showed it to a couple family members. Then my grandfather, Papa, read it and decided it must be published and if I wouldn’t do it, he would.

Early-bird writer or late night owl? Describe your writing process.

I’m mostly a night writer, but since I still have a “real” job doing marketing writing all day, I have a hard time keeping it a habit. But the way I do things, I write a few dozen pages, decide it’s terrible, and put it away for a while. Then I revisit and think, “Well, I guess it’s not that bad” and take it from there.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’m starting on my second novel (or trying to), which will (unless a character surprises me) take place in China. Unfortunately, I’m not someone who can put out a book a year, but I try not to overthink it, though I must say, I am a world-class overthinker.

Also, most of my social media (with the exception of Twitter) is pretty new, so don’t think you’re in the wrong place if you don’t see a lot of posts.


Blog: http://ellisfriedman.com/blog/
 
Website: http://ellisfriedman.com/
 
Email: ellis@ellisfriedman.com
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellisredpen
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellis-Friedman/814530535246929

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Introducing Ellis Shuman

I am an American-Israeli author who writes about Bulgaria. How did this come to be? I was born in Sioux City, Iowa, and moved to Israel as a teenager with my family. I finished high school in Jerusalem, served in the Israeli army, was a founding member of a kibbutz, and now live in a small community outside Jerusalem. I work in online marketing and for two years, my job was relocated to Sofia, Bulgaria. That experience provided inspiration for my writing and my suspense novel is set in Bulgaria.

Growing up in the United States, I never knew anyone else who had the same first name as I did. I thought that was kind of special. After moving to Israel, I realized that there was a pronunciation problem with how my name appeared in Hebrew. My fellow classmates began calling me Alice, as the two names are spelled the same way. Yet, I never considered changing my name.

Tell us about your books.

My first book was a collection of short stories - The Virtual Kibbutz - and it was based on my experiences living for seven years on Kibbutz Yahel in Israel's southern desert. The stories also highlight the changes that the kibbutz is undergoing as it moves away from its idealistic, socialist beginnings. My novel, Valley of Thracians, was published at the beginning of 2013, and is one of the very few English language works of fiction that uses Bulgaria as its setting.

Early-bird writer or late night owl? Describe your writing process.

I am most definitely a morning writer, as I find it hard to concentrate at the end of a long day (and after commuting in evening traffic). In order to find an extra hour every day which I could devote to my writing, I started leaving my house at 6 a.m. and driving to work before the highway fills up with traffic. I park my car and then walk to a coffee shop, where I manage an hour of creative writing while drinking my morning cappuccino. At the end of the hour, I close my laptop and head to the office, with a huge sense of accomplishment even before my work day has begun.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I have just finished writing/editing the 3rd draft of my new novel and I'm eagerly waiting feedback from beta readers. I am very excited about this writing project as it combines the settings of my first two books. It is a suspense novel, quite unlike my previous book, with the action taking place in both Bulgaria and Israel. I hope to get back to final edits and revisions very soon.

Blog: http://ellisshuman.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellis.shuman

Amazon Author's page: http://www.amazon.com/Ellis-Shuman/e/B00B68OVJ6/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/118276821400475014216/posts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellisshuman

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If your first name is Ellis, and you are a writer, feel free to write to me! We'd be glad to welcome you to the Ellis Writers Club!

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