It feels so good to see just how much people have been Loving Blizzard! The praise makes me blush, and of course boosts my self-esteem to new, unknown heights. Mainly, it’s reading how the story has swallowed up the readers that gets to me the most. It means what I wrote has reached other individuals, they have seen what I envisioned and it has moved them. What-an-honor!

I know I certainly enjoyed writing Blizzard and, as things are semi-settling down in my personal life, the rumblings have picked back up for how and what I want to say and do in Hail! It’s such a strange experience, what I go through, figuring out what I want each book, each story to say and unfold. One of the biggest issues I have had is how to end Hail and the Black Ice Trilogy. I don’t want to leave my readers angry or feeling left out in the cold, but there will be some heartbreak. There will be decisions that cannot be altered, but execution has remained that empty, black hole where my ideas get sucked away, never to see the light again. Or…so I thought. That black hole is starting to close up, and I can see the bottom-gray though it may be. I have figured out Eliza and Zachariah, and Xavier. I have an idea about Helsing, and Neva and Thedryk. Reegan has a special fate, and I’m looking forward to writing about his outcome. Ideas for each and all come in these waves that swallow me up, roll me around and either thrust me out into the blinding, brilliant light of the sun, or drop me head first into the rocks at the cliffs edge. Either way, something of value comes out of the process!

I’m blown away by all the reviews thus provided for Blizzard, but this latest is one that has left me in a state of bashful bliss! Check out the other reviews provided from Katrina and the other lovelies from Post-Apocalyptic Playground Here!

And don’t forget to share your Honest reviews and ratings on Amazon <3!

Congratulations to the Goodreads Giveaway Winners for the 1 of 6 Paperback copies of Blizzard! The books have all been ordered and will be arriving in the next 1-2 weeks!

To the readers who have won, I do hope you enjoy and please share your honest Ratings & Reviews on Goodreads and Amazon! For those who did not win, you can still get your copy of either eBook or Paperback through Amazon! It’s FREE with your KindleUnlimited account ;)!

Also-Happy Memorial Day, God bless those whose lives were lost, those sacrificed. Friends and family alike, you are not alone <3.

Good morning, Lovelies! It’s been a while since I posted, and I wanted to share in why that is, exactly. I’ve had a lot of turmoil in my personal/family life over the last two weeks (and 10+ years) that has overtaken everything. The struggle has been real, but things seem to be leveling out a little. That being said, I want to touch on the importance of what caused the turmoil: Addiction.

Now, I’m writing about this because I believe it’s important to let other people know they are not alone in their struggles. Whether it is you yourself struggling, or a loved one who is suffering: You Are Not Alone! In my situation it’s a loved one, and it’s been going on for well over 10 years now. The biggest obstacle to overcome is the individual recognizing they have a problem, and then of course the next is accepting they need help, and getting said help. The heartbreak experienced by the addict, and the heartbreak caused by their impact on Everyone in their lives can be…well, overwhelming. Below I have a link that can give some guidance on how to work through the problems, how to deal, and where to find help.

For me, this situation compounded a level of stress that was already bogging me down. It’s kept me from writing, from functioning properly in my home life and work life to full efficiency. I’m getting help for these personal issues and to address the stress of the loved one, and if you have similar feelings/situations don’t be afraid to get the help you need. The resources are there and available, make time and take care of yourself. It’s OK to take care of yourself! As a single parent, I’ve struggled to simply make time to do this, but I’m making it happen because I know I need the relief.

The loved one I have that’s afflicted with addiction is working on getting help, and I am trying to keep my faith. That’s not easy when I’m so angry with God, right now. However, I am trying to maintain that because I have seen, and experienced, that God is present. Everything has always come together in the end in ways that are awe-inspiring for me. Yet, even if you don’t believe in God, there is support available for yourself, and for your loved one’s. There are options to help alleviate your stress, to help work through the problems that suffocate you. You are not alone, and you don’t have to bear all the responsibility, all the hurt, alone.

This is not easy to write about, it’s flat-out depressing to think about, but I hope that this gives someone a little light where they may be experiencing a consuming darkness.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction

There is only 1 week left, 7 days, for the Blizzard Paperback Giveaway on Goodreads. The opportunity 1 of 6 copies will be over so soon, it seems. Time passes more quickly with each passing day that it leaves one to wonder, how life can seems both painfully long and short.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Blizzard

by Mikayla Elliot

Giveaway ends May 27, 2018.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

We’ve reached the day! Today is the Last day to get your ebook copy of Blizzard Free!

…Unless of course you have KindleUnlimited or NetGalley 😁!

Readers, I hope you enjoy this journey with Neva in Blizzard, and prepare yourselves for the final book, the conclusion to the Black Ice Trilogy, Hail. Planning for release end of 2018/early 2019!

Don’t forget to share your honest reviews and ratings on Goodreads, and especially Amazon! ❤️

Everything contains the possibility for a plethora of actions and reactions. Yesterday, as I took care of my little lady while I kept her home-sick once more, poor thing 😦 -I came across an image that lead to several written articles and blogs that disturbed me. Of course it’s very possible, anything is truly possible when considering human capacity for both good and evil, that there would be indie authors who willingly and purposefully go out of their way to trash other indie authors, but…why? I don’t understand the mentality. Do people honestly believe that by trashing another author’s writing they will improve the chances readers will instead swarm to their books?

It’s so depressing to me, that someone can be that insecure they willingly tear down others to feel better about themselves. Now, I’m not saying that has happened to me, but just the realization that it is such a problem as to warrant the heavy discussions I have read up on. This is a two-part deal of insecurity and skill. You never know the combination, because I have seen people competent and capable but fearful of being shown up, so they have torn down others out of their instinct to survive. Others simply lack the talents all together, and others only lack the confidence. I have seen this in the corporate world, I still see it occurring and I know it will continue. Personally, the ability to empathize with these individuals is impossible. Your work will speak for itself. Always. Whether that is good, or bad, it comes out in the wash. The biggest aspect to remember is that, something I mentioned in a previous blog, there will be people who either love your work, or hate it. There will be those who things is good-ish/alright, but see room for improvement. You Cannot Please Everyone. Very simple reality.

Yes, it happens-is happening even now as I write this to God only knows how many people. Whatever the cause, I hope these twisted individuals learn their lesson sooner rather than later, because Karma is not kind.

In my efforts to spread the good word about my books, I have had Snow and Blizzard placed on NetGalley. What does this mean, you ask? Why it means anyone who is on NetGalley can get the ebook copies of each/either book to read and review for Free!

Putting my ducks in a row, you can find each in the attached links below:
Snow
Blizzard

Here’s to the hopes and prayers that I can continue on my path of succeeding in my writing! No…not just a writing career, but in writing. I would love for writing to be all I do, but I can continue to write even if I must work another job. So long as I am afforded the opportunity to continuing to pursue my passion, I’m happy…though it wouldn’t hurt to be my career ;)!

You read it right, Blizzard is now officially 100% available on both paperback and ebook!

Even better news: May 7th-11th you can get the ebook of Blizzard for FREE!

Now, if you have KindleUnlimited it’s always free for you, just a little FYI 😏😉!

GoodReads has the opportunity for readers to win 1 of 6 Paperback copies Blizzard running through to May 27th, so there’s that, too!

Last, but not least, readers can also access the books-both Snow and Blizzard-on NetGalley for free, to boot! Links coming soon😁❤️!

As reviews continue to trickle in for Snow I’m always humored by the variation of opinions. I have been told the world building has been perfect (considering the small size of the book), others that there was too much so that it distracted from story, or others that there was simply not enough and that it jumps head-long into the story. Mind you, there are others who say it takes too long to get to the story, that there isn’t enough, or that it’s just the right balance.

I recently received a review that would be viewed as “negative”, but I just kind of…let it go rather quickly. This is not meant to be dismissive-there were a few points I could see from the reviewers side, but part of the review reflected that this particular reviewer clearly skipped the first 30-50 pages of the book, otherwise how could they Not know the answers to the questions they were asking? On that point I leave it as I found it-not the brightest crayon in the box.

Point being here: there will always be three types of reader’s feelings: Too much, Not Enough, or Just right. With that I move forward, and I have my excitement building to see how readers feel about Blizzard. Though twice the size of Snow, it’s not the necessarily the size that counts, but the content. The sheer control the story itself took on as its own living entity, and over me, that leaves me in a breathless state of anticipation.

Will readers see what has come together, what thrived and what died? The necessities and the joys, the tears and heartache that had to be born in order for the rest to be brought to life? The wonder of what the readers will expect as the ending: will I meet their expectations, or fall short? The truth is I haven’t worked out the ending, but rather have Several endings. I will begin writing here on Hail very soon, and I believe it will sort itself out as I progress.

First, I will write the first half of Hail. In completing that major task I expect the rest to metastasize on its own. I can tell you this, Blizzard did not fully follow my outline and certainly did not end how I originally planned. It became something far grander. To me, at least. The storm is building in me, finally.