male selkie

I have another world where I go, a world I created almost ten years ago.  The kingdom of Karakesh grew from a small book I wrote for my twin godchildren. Writing about  Karakesh and the characters that inhabit it can absorb me for hours.  At 4:00 AM, when my restless mind is worrying, I often focus my thoughts on the story instead of my concerns.

Most of the main characters are middle school age, as that is the audience for the books I write.  All of them, males and females, seek answers to the universal  questions: Who am I?  What is my purpose?

           In Book I, Tangled in Magic, Agatha’s focus is on family.  Left without parents, her goal is to find her brother.

  Rami pursues her art and vocation as a weaver in Book II.  Miela chooses a solitary life to forge metal jewelry and utensils.

    In Book III,  Prince Emric’s passion is music, but he’s expected to assume the throne.

All these characters contain parts of me, but they are also unique personalities.  They speak, and I listen and record their words.

Writing is the most diverting, fascinating escape for me since my independence has been curtailed by caregiving.  It is enormously important and satisfying to see the work come to fruition.  It also lets me be more than a full-time carer.

My editors at Handersen Publishing and I are putting the finishing touches on Book IV,  Ripples of Magic.  The protagonist in this story is Demara, a girl who is half Traveler, half selkie.  The selkies, or Seal People, are faeries who can shapeshift from seal to human by removing their sealskin. Demara longs to be a selkie like her father.

All three books are available on Amazon.  www.amazon.com/author/ellisk