El Holly is a middle grade/YA fantasy author. Check out her Phantasmic Wars series and the RECENTLY published YA fantasy novel, Finding Fae.
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Exciting news! A Twist of Fae is now available to purchase in ebook and paperback! You can place your order here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B2V25KSM/
Alternatively, you can place an order for the paperback directly through me here:
https://square.link/u/xqi1nUU2
As if that weren’t exciting enough, two editorial reviews for A Twist of Fae have been published and I’m not glowing (but I am). You can read the full reviews here:
The Prairies Book Review: https://theprairiesbookreview.com/?p=13468
BookView even listed it as one of their recommended reads: https://bookviewreview.com/2022/06/01/bookview-review-a-twist-of-fae-finding-fae-trilogy-2-by-el-holly/
Thank you for your continued support! Next steps are to get working on and finish book 3! Stay tuned… 💜💙💚
Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review highlights:
“…immersive YA fantasy novel…”
“Told entirely from Eevee’s perspective, the narrative exhibits a lighthearted, conversational tone that is consistent throughout.”
“Despite the light tone of the prose, the novel deals with weighty topics, including identity issues, questions of adoption and identity, self-doubt, determination, courage, and perseverance.”
“…as Eevee begins to look into her real identity, the worldbuilding expands further with deceptions and dangerous fey conspiracies coming to fruition. Sure to please fans of the YA fantasy genre.”
Read the full review here: https://bookviewreview.com/2022/02/21/bookview-review-finding-fae-by-el-holly/
Review highlights:
“Thrillingly full of intrigue, magic, and emotion…“
“Eevee is an endearing heroine, imperfect yet amazingly resilient as she faces the difficult circumstances of her life with courage and strength.”
“The engrossing first-person narrative is enhanced by the atmospheric worldbuilding, a mix of magical benevolence of the fae realm and trenchant decorum of humans.”
“YA fantasy fans will be delighted by this coming-of-age story about identity, friendship, and love.”
“Un-put-downable.”
Read the full review here: https://theprairiesbookreview.com/2022/02/21/finding-fae-by-el-holly/
Happy Saturday!! I have some “phantastically” exciting news! 
The 4th book in the Phantasmic Wars series, The Hunt for the Five, is now available in audiobook format (CD/MP3 download) at Books in Motion! 
To check it out, head here: https://booksinmotion.com/Opencart/index.php?route=product/search&search=The%20hunt%20for%20the%20five
Have a fantastic day!
~El Holly
One of the questions I get the most is “How do you do it? How do you find time to write when you work full time and have young kids and…??”
Truthfully… 🤷♀️
My writing ebbs and flows. I go through what I call “dry spells” where I hardly put a word to the page. This can be weeks, even months. I used to beat myself up about this, ask myself what kind of author I was trying to be if I wasn’t writing every day. And then, in the last year, I learned to accept it.
My writing ebbs and flows.
That’s me. That’s how I write.
So when my writing is flowing, I quite literally “go with the flow.” I bring my notebook with me everywhere. I insist my husband drives us places so I can write. I stay up late, I wake up early, I read on my lunch break so I can write later. I sit in a chair while my kids play with their Lego and I zone into the music playing through my ear buds and just let the pen fly.
I quite literally “go with the flow.”
Because I know, eventually, the rush of words will slow to a trickle, and then that trickle will disappear as well, and I’m left “high and dry.”
So am I writing all the time? No. Even when I do, I take frequent writing breaks to read to my kids, or walk my dog, or bake (I LOVE to bake!). I am of the belief that the more I live, the more interesting my writing will be.
Yes, I write even while working full time with young kids. But I’ve fallen into a rhythm with my brain and the way I write: I take the times where the words are flowing and I write then, in every moment I can. And when my dry spell hits, which it always, inevitably, does…I hibernate and wait, keeping a notebook nearby for when I pick it up and start to write again.
Your father and I are fae.
I want to see you someday.
When you are ready, follow the clues.
*****
The summer before her senior year had been a major disappointment for seventeen-year-old Eevee. Especially the bit at the end, when she had been dumped by her boyfriend of ten months. But her friends Maggie and Cam are a text away to help her pick up the pieces of her broken heart.
In an effort to help distract Eevee from her woes, her parents give her a sealed envelope containing information about her adoption. Eevee is shocked when she finds a handwritten note from her birth mother claiming that Eevee is fae, and warning of danger if Eevee tries to uncover her true identity. The note is short and leaves Eevee with more questions than answers.
Following a trail of mysterious clues scattered across the fae realm, Eevee is set on finding her birth parents. Along the way, she meets an unlikely ally who will help her to understand this newly discovered identity and what it will mean for her future. As the clues unravel and bring her closer to her birth parents, they also bring her closer to danger. However, when powerful enemies in the Unseelie Court take note of her activity in the fae realm, Eevee debates whether it’s worth it to find the answers she’s longed to know about her past.
Click here to pre-order your ebook! Ebook pre-orders will be sent to your device on May 15, 2021.
Stay tuned for the paperback, which will be available soon!
Surprise! Guess what’s ready for your listening pleasure this holiday season?
The 2nd book in the Phantasmic Wars series, The Quest for the Artifacts!
To check it out, head here: http://booksinmotion.com/Opencart/index.php?route=product/search&search=Quest%20for%20the%20Artifacts
The first book was so fun to listen to with my kids…I cannot wait to share this one with them!
As of Tuesday, October 6, 2020, the Phantasmic Wars series is now being released as audiobooks through Books In Motion with the release of the first book in the series, The Book of Imagination.
You can check out the audiobook (and listen to a sample) through the Books In Motion website, https://www.booksinmotion.com/ – just search for The Book of Imagination!
Recently I’ve been reflecting on growth. Growth as a writer, as a person, etc.
My current WIP (work in progress) is loosely based off an old manuscript. The difference between my writing style then (more than 10 years ago) and now is profound. During that time, I’ve lived more of life. I’ve written more poems and more books. I’ve become a mother. All of these things and more affect my writing.
It was my youngest kiddo’s birthday the other day.
The first picture is the cake I made for him. He’s obsessed with sea creatures.
The second picture came up in my memories from 3 years ago. It was what my cake decorating used to look like. The difference between the two pictures is staggering to me, and was a humble reminder that our first attempts at anything (like that old manuscript I’m salvaging for my current WIP) are not going to be perfect.
But those attempts are important. So are the ones after that, and the ones after that…
Practice is important. Perseverance is important. Oh, and having passion for the thing you’re working on is important, too.
So even if what you’re working on seems frustrating or you think it’s not worth it… trust the process and follow your passion. ❤
I’m one of those people who doesn’t like when a book ends. It’s hard to say goodbye to the characters I’ve grown to love.
You know what I found out? It’s hard as the writer, too.
Finishing the Phantasmic Wars series was more bittersweet than I had imagined it would be. Don’t get me wrong, writing The Return to Phantasmagoria was fun. It might have been my favorite book to write out of the whole series. But writing the ending brought up a lot more emotions than I had imagined it would.
The characters (Tom, Katie, Chad, Sharice, Melissa, Mr. Blackburn, Morgrim, Mrs. Taylor, the list goes on and on…) were like old friends, and writing the ending for them (as much as I loved the ending) was like writing goodbye.
Confession: I’m not planning on writing any more books about these characters. But I might return to Phantasmagoria myself with other characters someday.
For now, I’ve left Phantasmagoria behind and am now working on a standalone fantasy novel, which has its own unique characters and setting. I can’t wait to share more about that soon!
Until then, I hope you enjoy the Phantasmic Wars series. I’d love to hear which book is your favorite!
~El Holly
El Holly 