Authors Electric

  In her newest book, A WITCH AWAKENS , poet and author Ellis Elliott writes a cozy mystery with unusual characters in it, namely "granny women." So I sat down with Ellis to ask her to tell me exactly what granny women are. Dianne: Ellis, it's so nice to talk again. I so enjoyed your latest book, A WITCH AWAKENS . I was really drawn to the occult and spells and such when I was a young adult, which, apparently, was a while ago now. Your book took me back to that, and made me enjoy it all over again. So, on your book, let’s start with the origin—what first drew you to the idea of the Granny Woman, and how did they find their way into A WITCH AWAKENS ? Ellis: The sparks of an idea for my first cozy mystery novel flew from the unlikely source of the Civil War memoir of my great-great-grandfather. The novel, appropriately titled THE THRILLING ADVENTURES OF DANIEL ELLIS, was published in 1867. Ellis served as a “pilot” guiding Union soldiers, runaway slaves, deserting Confedera...

  Ignoring Alva is a wonderful new novel by Emilie Khair.  While recovering from a mild stroke, Alva’s vivid dreams of daring exploits spark a restless desire to break free from the predictability of her quiet life. Her sister Millie—a practical yet spirited counterpart—is skeptical of Alva’s newfound boldness. But when Alva suggests an impulsive road trip, not even Millie can resist the call of adventure. What starts as a lighthearted escapade quickly spirals into a whirlwind of mischief, suspense, and unexpected heroics. As the journey unfolds, the siblings face long-buried secrets, stand up for the underdog, and confront dangerous foes with a fierceness they never knew they possessed. Through it all, Alva and Millie prove that courage, resilience, and the drive to rewrite your story aren’t confined by age—they’re only sharpened by experience. Witty, heartfelt, and brimming with surprises, Ignoring Alva is an unforgettable tale of sisterhood and reinvention. It proves that ...

  One of the things I do is publish the online magazine, Instant Noodles Lit Mag . In fact, it just ended its fourth year of existence. And my goal for every end of year is that it go out, not with a bang, or with a whimper, but with a giggle. This, it seems, is a huge, massive, gigantic ask. Presumably, if you read this blog, you are either an author or an aspiring author, and so I ask you, why so hard to make funny? I have just ended my thirty-third geez, thirty-third? Thirty-third and final year as a college teacher. That's right! I'm officially done with all of that. In any case, in all those years I taught many things, among them reading, essay writing, critical thinking, survey of British literature, film studies, the usual things college English teachers teach. And in all of those classes, whenever remotely possible, I snuck in some humor writing for my students to read because, IMHO (in my humble opinion) there is nothing more difficult to read or write than humor. And ...