Author Interview ~ Mary Ellis

Mary Ellis

 Mary Ellis has written twelve award-winning novels set in the Amish community and several historical romances set during the Civil War. Her latest, Midnight on the Mississippi, first of a new mystery series, Secrets of the South, is set in New Orleans. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate, a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. Mary enjoys traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming, and lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. She can be found on the web at: www.maryellis.net or on Facebook.

TBB: Hello, Mary! Welcome to The Borrowed Book. How long were you writing before your first publication?

ME: I started writing around fifteen years ago, finishing two historical romances set during the American Civil War. At a writing conference I was able to land an agent who had faith in my work. She suggested polishing the first manuscript which I did to the best of my abilities. She, however, was unable to find “a home” for my books. Although I received positive feedback from several publishing houses, I was also told “there was no market” for Civil War romances. My agent suggested a genre change and I took her advice. After publishing a dozen romances set in the Amish culture, my publishing house decided to publish my historical romances, although the current books bear little resemblance to my freshman efforts. I learned much about writing over the years, and both books were completely rewritten. However, I’m proud to say nuggets of my original inspiration remain today in all their glory.

TBB: Are you a morning person? A night owl? How do you arrange your schedule to allow the most efficient, productive time for writing? 

ME: I am definitely a morning person, but the creative muse only visits after several cups of coffee. I start out with emails, social media, and promotional endeavors, and then open my work-in-progress and give-it-a-go, as my British friends would say. Evenings are for relaxation and family. As far as nighttime? I’m usually in bed by nine-thirty, so a “night owl” I am not.

TBB: Do you ever read your dialog aloud to see how it sounds? Have you ever performed an action you want one of your characters to carry out in order to help you visualize or describe it? Have you ever embarrassed yourself doing this? 

ME: I usually read my dialog aloud for a realistic feel. Often when I walk my dog, I talk to myself and work out plot twists and conversations between two key characters. I find this helps me once I return to my computer. My neighbors initially thought me quite mad, however, I’ve lived on this dead-end road for so long, everyone has more or less gotten use to me. My husband and I are still invited to our quota of neighborhood get-togethers.

TBB: If you felt the Holy Spirit urging you to quit writing, would you do it? 

ME: Absolutely, I would. The Holy Spirit, which dwells in my heart, is never wrong. Every time I heed the Holy Spirit I thrive. And each time I attempt to “go it alone” I flounder. So if the Holy Spirit was urging me to quit, I would do so.  So far that hasn’t happened, but our Lord knows His children and what is best in each “season” of their life.

TBB: Do you prefer writing the initial draft, or do you enjoy the revision process more? Do you revise as you write, or do you first produce a big mess that you later have to fix? If your first draft is rough, do you usually have to cut out a lot of dead wood, or add flesh to the bare bones?   

Harvest House, 2015

ME: Oh, my…what an easy question! I absolutely hate revising. So I must edit as I go along. Yes,

it’s slower that way, but I can’t stand having a mess on my hands when I get done with my story. That’s not to say the book doesn’t need a thorough “going over” before I send it to my editor, but I do fix a lot of errors as I go along. I have left all the “editing” until the end, and I almost pulled out every hair on my head trying to untangle the ball of yarn. Everyone writes differently, but after twenty or so books, this works best for me.

I hope you’ll look for Midnight on the Mississippi at your favorite bookstore or online retailers.

Available at CBD:

At Amazon:

And at Barnes &Noble:

Read More

Overcoming Adversity

By Mary Ellis

When I consider what challenge I have personally overcome or are in the process of overcoming only one answer comes to mind…time management. Trying to juggle too many balls in the air robs me of my peace of mind, produces many sleepless nights, and sends me to my knees in prayer often. God never lets me down. However, when I try to “go it alone,” even for a single day, I struggle. Jesus is my rock on a daily basis and without Him I would have given up on publishing as a career long ago.

Harvest House Publishers, 2015

In my blissful, pre-published days, I erroneously believed that once an author received the coveted “call” and turned in a completed manuscript, she could relax and put her feet up. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being published means honoring contracts in a timely fashion, along with a multitude of details. No longer was I squeezing time to “write a book” into my daily routine of tending home, family and day job. Even though I have “retired” from my day job to write full-time, my life hasn’t gotten any easier. With each new release, the juggling act increases from three balls in the air, to four, five or even six. For readers and writers in the pre-published period of their careers, I’ll explain how five projects can demand your attention simultaneously:

First, there’s the book you’re currently writing and editing, according to your publisher’s expectations for word count, theme, and depth of characters.

 Secondly, the book you recently submitted is by no means done. A plethora of add-ons must be finished before the book heads to the printer, such as developmental edits, line edits, back cover copy, book cover and trailer suggestions, and blurbs or excerpts for catalogs and sales brochures.

Thirdly, if this was a series, chances are a book was recently released and requires promotion. Your title will either sink or swim during the first several, crucial months. An author must get the word out to readers through blog or radio interviews, website and newsletter giveaways, and book signings, along with social media. Otherwise, with so many fine books releasing each year, how will potential readers find yours?

Fourthly, an author needs to research the next book she intends to write, and that often involves travel or at least long hours spent in the library. Not everything on the internet can be trusted for accuracy, so I turn to non-fictions books, travel guides, and in person, hands-on research. Luckily, I have a husband who loves to travel and is willing to pick up and go on short notice.

And finally, what happens when your current beloved series draws to a close? If you don’t wish to be out of a job, you must devise an irresistible proposal that your publisher simply cannot turn down. Publishing houses consider projects well in advance, so authors need to think far down the line too. Considering all this stress, hard work and long hours, you might conclude that I’m complaining. Nothing would be farther from the truth. I love being an author, and pray each night for God to make me a better juggler and time manager. And when I worry and fret? Jesus, my rock, is always ready to pick me up and carry my load.

Mary Ellis

Mary Ellis has written twelve award-winning novels set in the Amish community and several historical romances set during the Civil War. Her latest, Midnight on the Mississippi, first of a new mystery series, Secrets of the South, is set in New Orleans. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate, a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. Mary enjoys traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming, and lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. She can be found on the web at: www.maryellis.net or https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

 I hope you’ll look for Midnight on the Mississippi at your favorite bookstore or online retailers:

Available at CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/1-midnight-on-the-mississippi/mary-ellis/9780736961691/pd/961690?event=Fiction

At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Mississippi-Secrets-South-Mysteries/dp/0736961690/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436816683&sr=1-1&keywords=midnight+on+the+mississippi

And at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-on-the-mississippi-mary-ellis/1120894147?ean=9780736961691

Read More

Publication-Readiness: A Quiz For Writers

In her visit with us today, author Mary Ellis plays teacher. Not one to waste time, she's already giving a quiz!

If you're a writer who hasn't yet been published, take your seats, please. This is for you... 

Are you hampering your chances of getting published in fiction?

 (because of your perceptions of the writing process or the publishing industry?)

Take my 10 question true-or-false quiz and let’s see. (Note: some might be trick questions, and many are nothing more than my opinion …but they’ll provide something for you to think about.) My answers are below.

____ 1. A writer should always wait until creative ideas are flowing before sitting down to write, otherwise your story will suffer.

____ 2. Know your subject matter backwards and forwards before you begin your book.

____ 3. There is an unlimited number of plot lines, themes, and character archetypes out there, so pick something fresh for your novel.

____ 4. Being a career author is little different than being a doctor, lawyer or bricklayer in many aspects.

____ 5. You’ll know after writing (and trying to sell) one manuscript whether or not you’re destined to be an author.

____6. Take your agent’s advice only if it agrees fully with your personal expectations regarding your career path.

___  7. The most important thing during your pre-published period is to establish a platform for yourself via social networking such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

___  8. It’s necessary to be a Christian and have strong faith to write inspirational novels.

____9. Be willing to change your story to suggestions made by critique partners or concerned members of your writing group.

___10. Self-publishing your first novel is a good way to get your foot in the door with an advance-paying publishing house.

Bonus question:  Which of the following characteristics is most important in determining whether you’ll be a professional writer someday?  a) lucky   b) brilliant    c) persistent     d) young and attractive     e) thick-skinned

Answers:

1)  False—sit down and write something every day. You can always edit and tweak later, but you can’t fix something that doesn’t exist.

2) False—this might be true of non-fiction, but not for fiction. You could actually overload a story with too much factual detail. Learn your subject subject/historical period well enough to be accurate and then concentrate on your story!

3) False--there truly are no new themes or plot lines out there. Make your voice as unique as possible, because that’s what will make your story shine.

4) True—you must take your work schedule as seriously as if you’re in a high-rise office surrounded by crabby bosses. To be successful, you must be professional and dedicated to the craft.

5)  False—few people ever sell their first manuscript, at least not without substantial rewrites down the road. Bite the bullet after your first batch of rejections and start a fresh story. Writing is not for quitters.

6) False—I could have sold to a mainstream publisher faster had I taken my agent’s advice sooner. Although you can’t change your writing style to fit the current hot genre, remember your agent sees aspects of the business unknown to you. Be willing to at least try his/her suggestion.

7) False—although many respected people in the business will disagree with me. I say the most important thing is to make your manuscript superior to the others flooding an editor’s or agent’s desk. If social networking must take a backseat for now, so be it.

8) True—if you don’t believe it, if you don’t feel it in your bones, your Christian characters won’t come alive to your readers.

9) False—you should be willing to consider their suggestions and remain open-minded but in the end, this is your story, your voice. You must write the book of your heart.

10) False—self-publishing your first non-fiction book is a good way to get your foot in the door with
(non-fiction) publishers. But in my opinion, it's neither here-nor-there

regarding fiction. It won’t help you…but it won’t hurt you either. Not every story is destined for the “mainstream” market, so self-publishing is a good choice for those books that don’t fit any particular pigeon-hole.

Bonus Question: although ALL may be helpful, persistence is what you need to achieve your dreams. May God bless you and continue to guide your writing journey!   ~Mary Ellis

Mary Ellis is the bestselling author of many books, including A Widow's Hope, An Amish Family Reunion, and Living in Harmony. She and her husband live in central Ohio, where they try to live a simpler style of life.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow, when you can enter to win a free copy of Mary's latest release, A Little Bit of Charm, the third in the New Beginnings series!  

Read More

Researching in Amish Country by Author Mary Ellis

If there’s one thing this writer loves, it’s research. What fun to jump into my car with my laptop, GPS, camera, spiral notebook, handful of pens, of our course, my cell phone. But when you’re researching the Amish in remote rural areas it can get rather tricky. Those who cherish privacy and seclusion often live on rutted, unpaved roads often not on maps and far from gas stations and other conveniences.

For A Little Bit of Charm, I headed to Kentucky to interview the Old Order Mennonites and Amish of Casey and Barren Counties. Generally, these people moved here from over-populated areas of Ohio or Pennsylvania. They came looking for cheaper, more plentiful farmland and found it. What does that mean for a wannabe researcher? I spent my third summer vacation in an area without cell phone service, or a single fast food restaurant for

miles. If you go in search of horses-and-buggies and a slower pace of life, always remember to bring local maps. My GPS kept getting confused and shutting off. Luckily, I was able to stay at my friend’s house and commute back and forth, since there were no hotels or motels close by. Her grand-daughters came along to keep me company—very handy considering how often I was lost. The girls received a priceless education in the Plain culture that surpassed any textbook. And having them with me opened plenty of doors for this nosy writer. Who could resist answering the

questions of three adorable little girls? A Little Bit of Charm completes my New Beginnings series about three sisters who go off in different directions seeking fresh starts. Whether Amish of English, young people desire a place they can comfortably establish their identities. And for some, it’s often far from the conveniences we’ve all come to depend on.

Mary Ellis grew up near the Amish and fell in love with them. She has now written nine bestselling novels set in their communities. When not writing, she enjoys gardening, bicycling, and swimming. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate. Living in Harmony, book one of this series won the 2012 Lime Award for Excellence in Amish Fiction. Book two, Love Comes to Paradise has been nominated for a 2013 Lime Award. She can be found on the web at: www.maryellis.net or at: www.maryeellis.wordpress.com or

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Read More

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due by Author Mary Ellis

As a published author, I am often asked how I got my foot in the door at a mainstream print publisher, or how I obtained my agent, or how I juggled my day-job and still found time to write, or what my schedule is like now that I write full-time. No one ever asks about the one who made all this possible. As Christian writers, we must make sure we give credit where credit is due. I’d like to share my testimony about how God changed my writing life.

I began writing secular historical romances and romantic suspense in the ABA market. I enjoyed my work and was proud of the finished product. But I labored through every phase of these manuscripts--the research, the writing, the rewriting and the editing. Two were published to rather good reviews, but lackluster sales. I hadn’t planned on getting rich, but the amount spent on postcards, bookmarks and advertising in local publications well surpassed my advance. The royalties since paid might buy a nice supper at Applebee’s for hubby and me…as long as we brought extra for the tip.

Around six years ago I committed my life to Christ and from that day on decided to write only inspirational fiction. I read extensively in the market and thoroughly enjoyed Amish fiction. Since I live near the largest Old Order community in the United States it was natural for me to try my hand at it. I dashed off fifty pages, worked up a synopsis covering the whole plot and sent it to my agent. Not one, but two publishers expressed interest. I have recently completed my tenth inspirational romance with a publishing house I love. But this blog posting isn’t about my quick path to fame and fortune, because great wealth and a multi-city book tour hasn’t happened and never will. I’m still a Midwestern housewife happily clipping coupons and perusing store flyers for great deals on laundry detergent. 

This story is about how my life changed when I put the Lord in my books. Every phase of the writing process became easier, with each finished product something I could clutch to my heart with pride. It’s still work—make no mistake about that—but it is labor that I love. I never dread going to my home office and opening my laptop. Every time I seek Him first on a given writing day, my tasks seem to become doable.

I might not grow rich writing inspirational fiction, but I've found something priceless--a way to serve the Lord by putting words on a page. And I can’t imagine a better way to spend however many days the Lord grants me on earth.

My latest release is Love Comes to Paradise, second in the New Beginnings series by Harvest House Publishers. Love Comes to Paradise recently made the Christian Book Distributors best-seller list. First in the series, Living in Harmony, won the 2012 Lime Award for Excellence in Amish Fiction from the Christian Manifesto.

Mary Ellis grew up near the Amish and fell in love with them. She has now written ten bestselling novels set in their communities. When not writing, she enjoys gardening, bicycling, and swimming. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate. She is a member of ACFW, and represented by the Seymour Agency. Her debut Christian book, A Widow's Hope, was a finalist for the 2010 ACFW Carol Awards and the Award of Merit for the Holt Medallion. She can be found on the Internet:

https://www.maryellis.net

blog: www.maryeellis.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Read More