Danielle Ellison

1. What genre(s) do you write?

I previously wrote and published YA contemporary romance and fantasy; now I’m writing adult genres of the same.

2. Do you have a newly released novel? What is the title and a link to buy the novel?

I don’t have a new novel, but I am actively working on something with the intent to publish it.

3. What other published novels do you have?

   
   

From high-stakes magic to the small-town charm, my stories explore the messy, beautiful ways we connect with one another, whether we’re fighting demons or the ghosts of our own pasts.

SALT and the sequel STORM: A witch-hunting demon with no magic finds her power ignited by the one boy she shouldn't trust. (This duology was once called “Supernatural meets Buffy meets Charmed” and I’ve never been so happy.)

THE SWEETHEART SHAM: A teen girl fake-dates her gay best friend so he can go on real dates, only to have her first love come back to their small Southern town.

THE CRUSH COLLISION: Two total opposites discover that the only thing more unpredictable than a small-town rumor is falling for the person you never saw coming, especially when it’s your best friend’s twin sister. (This is my ode to Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights.)

DAYS LIKE THIS: A journey of messy healing involving a daughter’s return, a mother’s mental illness, and a second chance at a first love.

FOLLOW ME THROUGH DARKNESS: In a world where every choice has a price, one girl must decide how much she’s willing to lose to find the truth. It’s a YA Dystopian but fair warning, it has a cliff-hanger ending with no resolution.

4. Are there any other social media links, websites, or other places to learn about you that we should add?

My website is danielle-ellison.com; you can learn about my books and the freelance editing services I provide.

5. If you are traditionally published, who is your agent? If you are self-published, what publishing software do you prefer?

Neither of these apply to me. While I have traditionally published works and one self-published work, I do not have an agent at this time. I took a break from writing a few years back to go to library school, and during that time, I lost my agent. I’ve been writing and working toward that for a few years now.

6. What is your favorite part of being an author?

   
   

I’ve worn a lot of hats in the publishing industry. I spent years as an editor, a bookseller, and now a librarian. I love helping other writers shape their worlds and helping readers find them–but nothing compares to being the one in the driver’s seat.

My favorite part of being an author is giving a voice to characters that only I can hear, watching them grow and form and cherishing that until the moment I share them with a reader. There's an alchemy of taking a silent idea and turning it into a shared experience. The story stops belonging to me and starts belonging to the reader. It’s that bridge between my imagination and their heart, a connection that feels far more intimate than any other role in the industry.

And I created that? I did that? It's maybe a selfish answer, but if you've created art and shared it, then you can relate. There is no high quite like realizing a character I created has moved into a reader’s head and made itself at home. And that they loved my story the way I did. I want to experience it forever!

7. How has your work as a librarian enhanced your writing and editing experience?

Reading is essential; it fuels my work as a writer, editor, and librarian. I treat my librarianship as an apprenticeship for my craft.

As a librarian, I challenge myself to read outside my comfort zone, and try new genres, new authors. Intentionally reading outside my comfort zone helps me to decode the DNA of what makes a story work across any genre. I’m constantly asking the hard questions: How does this story serve the reader? Why did this hook me? What worked or what didn't – and how/why?

Because I’m on the front lines with the public, I see firsthand how stories live in the hands of readers. I know what they’re requesting, what they’re finishing, and what they’re missing.

That interaction allows me to bring unexpected tools to my own writing, especially when I'm developing a story, and a more empathetic writer. And more intentional. As an editor, I can provide more versatile feedback with a more objective eye.

Librarianship adds a fire under me. I know exactly how many voices are out there—and it pushes me to make mine stand out.

8. If you could give any advice to a new writer/author, what would it be?

   
   

Don’t let your insecurity keep you from trying—but if you’re too afraid to grab the dream right now, then run.

I published young, but instead of holding on to the career I was building, I ran away. I let imposter syndrome and fear drive me toward everything else: I earned two master’s degrees, planned a major book festival, traveled, started a new career and a family. I do sometimes feel that I’ve lost what I built, but the truth is, while I was busy doing life, I was becoming a better writer. I was gathering experience and the authority I needed to tell my stories. (I was out there writing love stories before I’d ever been in love; while there is whimsy in that, the real thing is unparalleled.)

My advice is this: Do whatever you’re doing with everything you have. If the page scares you, go live. Take the class, go on the adventure, feel the heartbreak, take the job. Maybe you’ll find a different path that fulfills you. Or maybe, at the end of all those miles and adventures, you’ll find your way back to the page.

We put so much pressure on success, but sometimes you have to pause. We need to be able to grow into our stories and to be ready to accept what comes with that. For some, that's easy; for others, we have to go the long way. It's proof that there is no single path for a writer, just like there is no single book for every reader. If you’re a writer, you’ll always write.