Arts & Literature
Local Award-Winning Fantasy Author Ellie Raine Talks About Writing
Ellie Raine is the award-winning author of the Adventure Fantasy series “The NecroSeam Chronicles.” Raine grew up in a family of book lovers, comic readers, and video gamers in the suburbs of Georgia and lives in Peachtree Corners where she attended Norcross High School.
In addition to writing, she has designed and created merchandise, art, and music related to her amazing fantasy series.
We talk about how she started, what inspired her and how she grew her craft and readership.
Resources:
Ellie Raine’s Website: https://www.ellieraine.com
Necroseam Website: https://www.necroseam.com
“Part of my process is kind of combining different arts into one unified piece. Because I like having the art with it and it kind of helps me think about and get a sense for who the character is, what their story is, what their personality is… There’s something about combining different creative things into one work that makes you connect with it more. It touches on all the senses.”
Ellie Raine
Timestamp, where to find it in the podcast:
- Intro
- Ellie’s Background
- Art, Music, and Writing
- Ellie’s Creative Process
- Necroseam and Other Projects
- Ellie’s Self-Publishing Journey
- Marketing, Merchandise, and Community
- Closing
Scroll down for the video podcast
Podcast Transcript
[00:00:30] Rico: Hi everyone. This is Rico Figliolini, host of Peachtree Corners Life. We have a great guest today, a Peachtree Corners resident and author Ellie Raine. Hey, Ellie.
[00:00:39] Ellie: Hi.
[00:00:39] Rico: Thanks for joining. Glad you’re with us. Before we get into the interview and introducing Ellie further, let me just say thank you to our sponsor, our corporate sponsor, EV Remodeling Inc. And Eli, the owner. They’ve been a sponsor of ours now for over a year, both of the magazine and and our journalism, and these family of podcasts. So they’re here in Peachtree Corners, based out of here. They’re really well rated on Houzz.com, if you use that to plan your remodeling work and stuff. So check them out. Eli, great guy. He has a great website, so you should go there. You’ll be able to see a lot of what he’s done, videos as well as pictures. Better than most of these remodeling places. And he does design to build, so everything you need under one house. EVRemodelingInc.com is where you can find them. So thank you Eli. So Ellie Raine is an author, she lives here in Peachtree Corners, and just to give you a little background. She has nine titles, at least as of this past summer. Nine titles in her name, right? You have a series, a five book epic fantasy series with two prequels in it. You are a two time winner, recognized by the reader’s favorite in the International Book Awards, and first place in the fantasy division for Writers Digest self-published awards. That was 2019. You know what, I took, you have a personality quiz online to see what knight…
[00:02:01] Ellie: You took it?
[00:02:02] Rico: I took it, yes, and I am blade sworn. A nd the funny part is the author that wrote this Ivy Marie Clark, that interviewed you for our print magazine had taken that same personality quiz and she was the same knight. So must be the same personality, I guess. We’re nurturing people, it was cool. So thanks for putting that there, you guys should check it out. It’s funny because it’s a small world. I saw you at the Peachtree Corners Festival, you had a booth there. And that’s how I got to know you. I bought your book, you autographed it, thank you. The next time I saw you after that was at the anime weekend, Atlanta. You had a booth there at the exhibit and also I was walking that, yeah.
[00:02:43] Ellie: Yeah, it was very unexpected.
[00:02:45] Rico: Yeah. I know. I can imagine. But it is a small world and I was there doing interviews with three voice actors for my podcasts. But tell us, you know, how long have you lived in Peachtree Corners? Let’s start there, a little background about who you are Ellie.
[00:02:59] Ellie: Alright, that’s kind of an interesting question. I actually was born and raised in Norcross, Georgia. And then it kind of became Peachtree Corners sometime around my high school years, I think.
[00:03:14] Rico: Wow.
[00:03:14] Ellie: So technically I’ve been in Peachtree Corners since it existed, I guess.
[00:03:21] Rico: Okay. Yeah, you were probably incorporated into it when the city decided to become a city.
[00:03:27] Ellie: Yeah, basically. It was a very interesting change because there was a lot of questions about what do I put on my address for my mail?
[00:03:35] Rico: Yeah. Yeah. Some people still use Norcross, believe it or not. So even companies do that, so this field, no one knows Peachtree Corners even after 10 years.
[00:03:43] Ellie: Yeah. So, you know, I went to Norcross High even though I didn’t live in Norcross anymore, according to the new city.
[00:03:53] Rico: Well, Norcross is only like one block out of the city at this point.
[00:03:57] Ellie: Yeah. For my old house, well my parents are still there. So we just basically could walk to high school if we wanted to. We never did want to though, because you know, I’m not a morning person, so.
[00:04:11] Rico: No, I can’t imagine. You’re probably more of a night person I bet.
[00:04:14] Ellie: But yeah, I went to Peachtree Elementary, I went to Pinckneyville Middle School, and I went to Norcross High school. Went to college, got married. I think we, moved to Alpharetta at some point for a year. Went to Duluth for a couple years, and now we’re back in Peachtree Corners. And I’ve got a child now, so, it’s all fun. .
[00:04:36] Rico: Is it back to Peachtree Corners because of the Covid? Or did you?
[00:04:40] Ellie: We were looking around for a house and this was right before. I think it was before Covid, or maybe it was during Covid. Either way, it was right before the housing prices just skyrocketed and we found a house in Peachtree Corners right smack dab in the middle of where both of us used to live. Because my husband is also from Peachtree Corners.
[00:05:00] Rico: Wow.
[00:05:01] Ellie: Yeah, we went to high school together and we’ve been dating since then, so.
[00:05:04] Rico: So were you writing in high school? Where’d you get this bug? This, it is a bug, right? Deciding to do this, to write.
[00:05:11] Ellie: What’s weird is I never thought of myself as a writer back in school. I have dyslexia, I’m slightly autistic, and I was a slow reader in my viewpoint. But apparently I was comparing myself to my avid reading family. So according to all my friends no, no, no, you read a lot. But writing wise, yeah, I didn’t expect to be into writing. I think I took like a, some kind of contest thing in middle school for writing and I got like a judge’s award for it. But I didn’t consider myself a writer because it was just a thing I did for school and then I went to college.
[00:05:46] Rico: Okay. I was gonna ask.
[00:05:48] Ellie: Yeah, I went to college for game art and design. So I wanted to create this story into a video game originally.
[00:05:55] Rico: Okay.
[00:05:56] Ellie: And they had a creative writing course in the Art Institute of Atlanta while I was doing that. I didn’t know what to write, so I just started writing my video game idea into a book form and I absolutely loved it. Yeah. So like art is, I have a love hate relationship with it. I really love to draw, but what I really love is just creating the story and creating the characters behind it. So art tends to make me angry the more I do it because it doesn’t fully hit, the way that I want it to. So it makes me angry. But when I was writing, I was calm and I was happy with writing.
[00:06:40] Rico: Happy with writing, that’s good.
[00:06:42] Ellie: Yeah, so that’s when I switched gears and moved on to English and all that.
[00:06:47] Rico: Yeah, okay. That’s interesting. And the fantasy aspect of it?
[00:06:52] Ellie: I was raised on fantasy. It’s basically the main genre that I absolutely adore. I grew up with Terry Pratchett, Discworld series. I grew up with dragons all over the place. Yeah, my parents just have these giant bookshelves all over the house filled with fantasy books.
[00:07:11] Rico: Oh wow.
[00:07:11] Ellie: And science fiction. But I was more into the fantasy stuff because magic, dragons, swords,
[00:07:17] Rico: King Arthur, Harry Potter, Final Fantasy?
[00:07:20] Ellie: Oh yes.
[00:07:21] Rico: As far as games and stuff. And you played Zelda, I’m assuming, and stuff like that?
[00:07:25] Ellie: Yep. All the good classics I guess you would call them.
[00:07:29] Rico: Are you into Game of Thrones? Talking about dragons.
[00:07:32] Ellie: Yeah. I mean, I read the first book. I still need to read the rest of them. I watched the show and everything, but I know that obviously it diverts from the rest of the, the series. So I kind of want more dragons. But you know, that’s me. It doesn’t mean it’s bad. I still like it. Yeah, I still like it. I just wish there were more dragons.
[00:07:51] Rico: Who’s your favorite author today? Like new authors that you might have? Are you still consuming? Like, do you still consume fantasy? Do you still read a lot? So, who now are you reading that’s new maybe or new to you?
[00:08:03] Ellie: New, I don’t know if Brandon Sanderson counts as new.
[00:08:07] Rico: Yeah, he probably doesn’t. He’s been around for a long time.
[00:08:11] Ellie: Yeah. He’s not that new, but like, so Sanderson. Rachel Aaron is another favorite of mine. She’s done The Legend of Eli series and The Heartstrikers series. It’s about dragon shifters.
[00:08:22] Rico: Okay. Okay. But you know, I was gonna say, you, not to jump, but we’re gonna jump around here probably a little bit. You have something in common with Sanderson because when I got to reading some of his stuff, I realized through interviews that he had and blog posts and stuff that the author it’s not just the books. I mean, he makes most of his money, probably more than the books, but in merchandise. And it’s kind of interesting how people have gone to that. I mean, Star Wars with Disney World and Disney World with their merchandise. It seems like if you’re writing, at least today, if you don’t have merchandise that you’re just being a disservice to yourself. Because hey, if I can listen to an audible book and pay one credit for it, I keep wondering how much the author is making on that book. So you have a tremendous amount of merchandise. Do you design some of that yourself or?
[00:09:10] Ellie: I design most, if not all, of it.
[00:09:13] Rico: Okay, but you have necklaces, pendants, and all sorts of things going on.
[00:09:17] Ellie: Yeah, some of it’s handmade with the braided bookmarks and some of the jewelry. Because I just can’t seem to pick one. That’s why I need to, I need something to do with my hands, so I just do it.
[00:09:29] Rico: Is that because of the creative side that you have, the drawing? I mean, do you sketch them out before you do it actually?
[00:09:34] Ellie: Sometimes. It’s usually best if I do, but I don’t always sketch it out first. But it does turn out much better if I do.
[00:09:43] Rico: When you got into writing and fan tasy was where you started, obviously with this. You have five books and two prequels on that series or on your best series, I guess. Tell us a little bit about that. Necroseam, is that the way you pronounce that? Tell us a little bit about how that came to you and what that story’s about.
[00:10:00] Ellie: Yeah. So, it goes back to high school. I just started drawing characters and started creating stories surrounded by these characters that I would draw. And the first one started with the main character, Xavi er. So it’s what I would be doing in math class instead of equations.
[00:10:17] Rico: Okay.
[00:10:19] Ellie: So part of my process is kind of combining different arts into one unified, I guess, piece. Because I like having the art with it and it kind of helps me think about and get a sense for who the character is, what their story is, what their personality is. And I also am a musician. I really like creating songs. I like writing songs into the stories. And if you look at our audio books I actually have the narrators produce and sing. The songs that are in the books, so we’ve got that whole deal going on. I don’t know, there’s something, there’s something about combining different creative things into one work that just kind of makes you connect with it more. It kind of touches on all the senses.
[00:11:08] Rico: Do you have a Spotify playlist?
[00:11:10] Ellie: Actually we do.
[00:11:12] Rico: You do? Okay.
[00:11:13] Ellie: That’s because my bestie slash narrator Krista, kind of started that. And she was like, these are the songs I kind of feel like would go really well with the, like, reading the books. And I was like, this is really fun. So we just started randomly gathering music that could fit with the books while reading.
[00:11:33] Rico: Right. So do you start the process actually drawing a character? Like when you think up of a character, do you sit there and draw the character first?
[00:11:41] Ellie: Most of them, yeah.
[00:11:42] Rico: And do you do, I’m assuming you do some sort of, different writers have different ways of doing this, I guess. From the ones I’ve interviewed and read about. Do you create like a background, the backstory? Do you write that out at all? Do you like create who they are, where they came from? Pros and cons of who they are and stuff? Do you create any of that before you get into the writing some of it? Or does it expand as you write?
[00:12:04] Ellie: A little of both. It really just depends on the character. If it’s the main, like the main crew of the protagonists and their friends that are part of the party, you kind of need to know every single one of them first. Their backgrounds, where they’re coming from, their personality, all of it. When it comes to secondary characters, then it’s a little bit easier to kind of work that in as you’re going. You can just go back in the editing and make it line up earlier.
[00:12:32] Rico: Do you also plot the stuff?
[00:12:34] Ellie: Oh, absolutely.
[00:12:34] Rico: The story ahead of time?
[00:12:35] Ellie: Yep. Absolutely. So, I call it an acre point plotting where I have a master outline of events that I want to happen.
[00:12:45] Rico: Okay.
[00:12:45] Ellie: And I know always where I’m going to end. So I start with where it’s going to end. And I did this for the entire series overall. So I knew where I was going to end. Then I went to figure out how I was gonna begin, and then I had one major point for the middle, which would be book three.
[00:13:05] Rico: Okay.
[00:13:06] Ellie: And once I had those three down, beginning, middle, end. Or, end, beginning, middle, however you want to do it. Once I had those down, I would kind of go into sort of more of a micro bullet point anchorings for beginning, middle, end, for the beginning. Beginning, middle, end, for the middle. Beginning, middle, end, for the end, type of thing. Sometimes I had to change what happened and then I had to like move it around because I would get to a plot point that was supposed to happen like books later. But once I got to the point in the writing itself I realized, oh, I’ve gotta do this now. So sometimes you’ve gotta be a little bit flexible with it, because otherwise if it doesn’t feel natural while you’re in the story, then it’s probably not going to translate well for readers.
[00:13:55] Rico: Not surprising. It seems like every author, the book also is alive, right? So the book is actually guiding, almost like you’re living there. It’s almost like one author I know said they can’t wait to see where their character’s gonna take them. I mean, what’s your, as far as your process layout, let’s go there a little bit. Do you have a word count or an hour count? I mean, how do you pace yourself and where do you put yourself when you write your stories?
[00:14:17] Ellie: I try and do one sentence a day. Some days I can’t do anything because you know, administration. Gotta do all that social media work.
[00:14:28] Rico: Did you say one sentence a day?
[00:14:31] Ellie: One sentence. That’s the goal. So I set small goals that are very achievable.
[00:14:37] Rico: Okay.
[00:14:37] Ellie: And it’s actually a trick. It’s like a brain chemistry trick, loophole, creating productivity.
[00:14:44] Rico: Okay.
[00:14:44] Ellie: So one sentence a day goal. You do the one sentence. And because you have achieved the goal you set out to do, you get a hit of dopamine in your brain. Which you know is like, oh, I finished my goal and now you feel great. You’re feeling wonderful. And guess what? Now you feel so good that you can keep going.
[00:15:07] Rico: That is interesting. That actually, I can see that.
[00:15:10] Ellie: And the more you add onto it, the more sentences you do. It’s like, I got so much done today. I exceeded my expectations of what I was going to do today. And it kind of just tricks your brain into thinking that you’re, you can do more. And you did like such a great job that you’ve just gotta keep going. And it gets you excited about it. So it’s like a fun little trick.
[00:15:33] Rico: Yeah, I like that. I think I’m gonna use that on my daily thing. I have a to-do list that grows every day and sometimes there’ll be days where I’ve done a lot of work. But none of it is on my to-do list. And I can see that if I do one of those items on that, I’ll probably get that dopamine feel and keep going.
[00:15:52] Ellie: Yeah, it’s, it is a fun work around.
[00:15:54] Rico: Yeah. And so in the process then, how long does it actually take to complete your first draft of a novel? I know the rest of it could take long, depending on edits. But on your first draft of a novel, how long does that take?
[00:16:07] Ellie: Well, back in the day, it used to take three months to finish a first draft, then another three months of editing. So six months to basically come out with a book. But nowadays with a child, it’s been a lot harder and much slower. So, it takes a lot of time to finish something when you don’t have childcare. So, yeah.
[00:16:30] Rico: Yeah, I can imagine.
[00:16:31] Ellie: So. It’s, I don’t even know yet. I’ve been able to finish a couple short stories, but as far as book-books go, I don’t know yet. Because I’m still in the middle of like three of them.
[00:16:43] Rico: So are you doing, so the short stories that you’re doing, are you getting those published online? Or how are you doing, how do you handle that with your readers?
[00:16:53] Ellie: Well this recent one just got accepted into an anthology. But I can’t really disclose much of that, because you know, NDAs and all that.
[00:17:01] Rico: Sure.
[00:17:01] Ellie: But so that’s going through, not myself. That is for an anthology. The other short story I have, I don’t know what to do with it yet. It’s just kind of sitting there in the ether. Waiting for some kind of opportunity for it to have a purpose.
[00:17:18] Rico: Okay. But it’s good to keep writing though. And I didn’t even think about short stories being a good conduit. Have you ever done novellas?
[00:17:26] Ellie: Oh yeah. Actually I’ve done, let’s see, 1, 2, 2 novellas. I guess this one up here is more of a traditional novel, so yeah. So my novellas range about 40,000 to 45,000 words. And one of them is the prequel to the main series, and another one is actually the first book in a series of a paranormal noir.
[00:17:53] Rico: Okay. Are you using that to sort of jumpstart that series? I’m imagining it’s going to be a series of books.
[00:17:59] Ellie: Yeah. I mean, at first I actually wrote this for one of my publishers a couple of years ago. And it was supposed to be 30,000 words according to the contract, but I ended up overshooting to like 40, 42,000. And then eventually I just did a second version for myself.
[00:18:18] Rico: And we’ll have a link in the podcast for people to go check the books out. Now, you had an interesting way I think of going about this really. You got published in the traditional sense of the word, a traditional publisher. But then you decided to go the self-publish route after that. Do you want to share a little bit about that, how that worked for you? I mean, other people that might have an interest in writing or are writing might want to look at and listen to this to see what you did.
[00:18:43] Ellie: Right. So I did start with two traditional publishers for two different stories. And for the main fantasy series the first book, it was with a small publisher and things were great. And then the second book came. It came time to publish the second book and they came back saying that it was too big for them to afford to print. So, they had to make it an ebook only or I had to split it in half. And I tried splitting it in half, and then I realized that splitting it in half for the second book meant I would have to do that for all the other books later in the series because they were all as big or bigger than that book.
[00:19:28] Rico: Right, right.
[00:19:29] Ellie: So I tried doing that, splitting everything in half. And you know, trying to fill in the gaps of, you know, oh, well now this needs a conclusion. Now this one needs a beginning and things like that.
[00:19:39] Rico: Right.
[00:19:40] Ellie: And it just was not working. It kind of broke my excitement about the story. I basically fell out of love with it being broken up like that. Because when I outline each of the books, I’m very exact about where the arc is, where it’s going, and what is considered like the whole arc. And splitting it in half just kind of threw off the rhythm and it threw off the pacing and it just felt soulless. Because I kept trying to push in just this random, empty spacing of content to try and make it the right size for compensation and it just was not working. So eventually I asked for the rights back for book one and I just took it back and put everything back together and just did it all myself.
[00:20:33] Rico: Wow, okay. So now you’re self-publishing, but people can find your books on the traditional places, right? Amazon, you even have all your books, or a decent amount on Audible, I guess people can listen to them too.
[00:20:47] Ellie: Yes. We have two audio books out right now. We are more than halfway through the third one. So it should be out by the end of this year or January latest. I can’t properly describe how much I love these audio books. They’ve ruined audio books for me. Like, my narrators are just so amazing that I actually like the audio books better than the actual physical books.
[00:21:14] Rico: That’s funny.
[00:21:14] Ellie: So yeah, I cannot recommend the audio books enough. And you know, check out my narrators, they are amazing voice actors.
[00:21:22] Rico: Some of these, I mean, when I listen to audible books, I mean some of them are performances.
[00:21:27] Ellie: Yes.
[00:21:27] Rico: That’s what you have to look at them as. They’re not just reading the story, they’re performing that story.
[00:21:31] Ellie: Yeah. And for this story, which is very much action adventure, it really suits it.
[00:21:37] Rico: That is cool. So are you working along the same chronicles that you’ve started or are you looking to getting to a different storyline? Are you launching a new story?
[00:21:48] Ellie: Both. I’ve got some extra stories, different timeline in the Necroseam world. Different characters planned, ready to go. Some of them I’ve started. But I have other stories in other worlds that I’ve been kind of working on.
[00:22:03] Rico: Okay, alright. The writer never stops. And you’ve also written a book for young readers as well. So I think that’s called A Ballad of the Ice Fairy?
[00:22:13] Ellie: Yes, I also did the illustrations for that.
[00:22:15] Rico: Beautiful work too. I was looking at it. Very nice work. And that’s available as well on demand. I’m assuming you self-published that as well?
[00:22:22] Ellie: Yes. We actually had to go through a different printer other than KDP Amazon or IngramSpark. We didn’t like the quality of their images and their paper wasn’t really that good for children’s book illustrations. So we went with a different printer and right now you can only get it directly on our website.
[00:22:43] Rico: Oh, as a digital edition? Oh, you mean the book itself?
[00:22:46] Ellie: The book itself.
[00:22:47] Rico: Okay. When you publish by a traditional publisher they have a marketing department, but the author still has to go out, do book signings, do your own promotion. You have to cultivate your own followings too. The traditional publishers, I don’t think do that as much as they used to anymore. But so you’re actually also going to a lot of different events. We saw you, like I said, at Anime Week in Atlanta, and that was surprising. But not surprising because a lot of fantasy writers do those types of things. But it looks like you’ve been, since the summer, I guess you’ve been to places like Savannah Mega ComicCon, Key City Steampunk Festival, Multiverse Fandom Convention. I haven’t heard of that one. The Conjuration, which is November fourth and sixth, just passed. And people can listen, find you, follow you on most of the social media, I guess. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Do you do trailers for your books?
[00:23:39] Ellie: Yeah I’ve done a couple trailers. I kind of prefer the audiobook trailers now to be honest, because they just, they’re more engaging.
[00:23:46] Rico: Sure. And people can go online to your store though. I mean just like Sanderson sells swords and other things for his stuff. Which is interesting because he does it out of, I think he does it out of his house or something, is what I understood. Or maybe the pick and pack of it is somewhere else. Do you find that’s actually helped you more?
[00:24:04] Ellie: Oh my gosh, yes. Man, having the weapons is one of the dreams, man. One of the dreams. Just need the, need a bit more funding for that, so.
[00:24:14] Rico: Yeah, yeah. It’s a lot different. But the jewelry part and some of the other stuff you do it’s kind of neat to draw people right into that story. I had seen someone else, I think it was a local Georgia writer that does novels. And she actually created jewelry specifically for each of the books that she wrote. So it comes actually with that piece of jewelry and the book packaged together which is kind of interesting. So do you want to share anything else with us as far as writing methods or other things that you do? Have you gone back to Norcross Highschool? By the way, the media center, if you’ve ever gone back to talk about your books to students there?
[00:24:48] Ellie: I’ve never considered that. Is that a thing I can do?
[00:24:52] Rico: Yeah. Yeah, you can. I’m pretty sure you can. I know.
[00:24:55] Ellie: I don’t even know who to talk to about that, to be honest.
[00:24:57] Rico: You probably go to the head of the media center, at Norcross Library. They had Mayra Cuevas I think. She was a CNN producer and she wrote a book, a series of books, I think. And there were young adult novels actually from the Hispanic, Latinx point of view. And she was one of the speakers a couple of years ago there. But they do sometimes do that. And I know the Gwinnett Public Library actually does, not only in person, but online having authors come in and stuff like that. It’s kind of neat. I think young kids or adults, I mean, 30% of young adult novels are read by adults. I think those are adults that want to get back into their young, into the youngness of where they were, maybe.
[00:25:35] Ellie: Yeah, I think it’s also because young adult books don’t take themselves too seriously. So they…
[00:25:40] Rico: Yes.
[00:25:41] Ellie: They know they can have more fun with it. So if the author is having fun, the reader’s gonna have fun.
[00:25:45] Rico: Right. For sure. I mean, I’m into, I have three kids and I’m into, we watch everything from Studio Ghibli, every movie. And because of them I’m into anime and there’s a whole variety of anime from light slice of life to the stuff like Death Note. I mean, they’re all different from American animation, that’s for sure. So what else can you share with us as far as maybe that we haven’t touched upon as far as writing style or what you do as a writer?
[00:26:09] Ellie: As a writer? I mean, I feel like we’ve kind of covered that pretty extensively, but I could talk more about why the merchandising is so important.
[00:26:17] Rico: Yeah, let’s do that. How did that start?
[00:26:20] Ellie: I mean, this is just my observation from it, but the reason why I think merchandise is so important is mostly because it’s an indication that there is a community or can be a community created from this work. And I think having a community around a series is what makes a series successful. It kind of brings people together, it gives them something to talk about it kind of helps them get into the immersive nature of that story and of that series.
[00:26:51] Rico: Interesting. One of my kids, she just finished her masters in psychology and she’s into fantasy books and stuff like that. What she grew up on was like the Warrior Books, these are cat warriors and stuff. And what she’s found is that she would go online and play some fantasy role games and stuff, even now, she’s 24. Because it’s fun it’s mindless sometimes. And as she’s doing it, she’s meeting people and she’s talking to them. Like there’s, could be like, she has a group of, I think six or seven people they have discussions unrelated almost to what they’re doing. It’s just a community they built around that. She’s starting an online discord book club to talk about some of the books they all have in common that they’d like to read. Which is again, social media, so and that’s where I wanted to get to. Social media is kind of an interesting platform place that writers did not have before. And I don’t even as it was coming in, I don’t think, I mean yes, Stephen King will be on Twitter and he has millions of followers and he can tweet stuff. But do you find social media is helping you? Which platforms do you find more beneficial to you?
[00:27:49] Ellie: Yeah. Social media definitely, I think is the only way that has helped any kind of visibility, online at least. Conventions are always going to be the top, like biggest visibility jumpstarters. But online social media is pretty necessary. I haven’t had too much success with Twitter, but I have had some people meet me from Twitter specifically who came to the shows to come see me because they followed me on Twitter and or TikTok or Instagram. So there are some individuals that I do actually only talk to in those platforms because that’s where they are. So I think as an author, you need to go where your audience is.
[00:28:35] Rico: Okay. Makes sense. Do you use Reddit at all?
[00:28:38] Ellie: I’m scared of Reddit. It terrifies me.
[00:28:43] Rico: Dark web. There’s an underlying layer in there somewhere.
[00:28:49] Ellie: Yeah. I used to go on there a lot to try and figure it out how it worked, you know?
[00:28:55] Rico: Right.
[00:28:56] Ellie: But, after learning about it, it just terrified me more.
[00:29:00] Rico: I thought NextDoor, which is one of these neighborhood apps was bad, but Reddit is really bad. It’s just like, my God.
[00:29:07] Ellie: Well, if there’s a lot of fireworks that go on around here, so you know, every time you see a post on a Neighborhood or something, or Ring, it’s just like, I heard gunshots. And it’s like, yes, those are really fireworks.
[00:29:23] Rico: That’s true. I didn’t think about Ring after, I just installed that and I didn’t realize I was part of a community all of a sudden. I’m getting ring messages like your dogs, some dogs missing or gunshots. Yeah. It’s unbelievable.
[00:29:34] Ellie: Oh yeah. No, it’s been super useful whenever our cats escape. It’s like, hey, we need our cat, have you seen him?
Right, right.
[00:29:41] Rico: You know the other thing that goes on, one of my other kids also, he’s 19, he actually has been writing since he was 16. So he goes online. He used to use, I think it was WhatsApp, was one of them, was one of these online writing communities, you could serialize chapters and stuff. And he’s still writing. He writes every night. He’s 19 and he hopes to be able to be a creative writer. To make a living at it, that’s the thing.
[00:30:02] Ellie: Yeah, I was about to say, it sounds like he already is.
[00:30:05] Rico: Well, he’s, I mean, he has 200 followers right now that are like his beta readers essentially. And he is into fantasy and sci-fi. I think he’s shifting a little bit more to sci-fi than fantasy. But it is a field that I think today, I mean, he looks at it and says can I make a living at this or not? If I can’t, what do I have to do to make a living to be able to still write regularly? How do you find that? How do you balance that? You have a child, I know it takes you longer now to write. Your child will get older, be in school at some point, preschool and stuff. So it will get easier a little bit. But how do you juggle life like that?
[00:30:40] Ellie: With much difficulty and defiance. Basically it’s one of those things where if you really love something, then you basically have to fight for that time. You have to fight to find time to do it. If you really love it that much and the things that are more important to you, you will find a way and a time to do it. But I can’t really give advice on how to go about that because everybody’s situation and brain chemistry is different. So I guess the best I can say is you’ve just gotta find what works best for you. Find the method that is uniquely perfect for you.
[00:31:25] Rico: I think you gave good advice before about that one sentence goal though.
[00:31:30] Ellie: It’s a good trick.
[00:31:31] Rico: Yes, and I can see people doing that. I can see, you get that one sentence done and you feel like, wow, okay, cool.
[00:31:37] Ellie: It’s worked for me so.
[00:31:39] Rico: Well, we’ve been talking to Ellie Raine. She’s a self-published author, that has nine books, I think, right? Nine books to your name. Merchandise. She’s going strong.
She’s already, well, third audio, audible book, coming out. We’re looking forward to seeing a lot more from you. I do appreciate the time you’ve given us. Why don’t you tell everyone that might be interested where they can find more. We’ll have these links, but where should they go to find more about you?
[00:32:04] Ellie: Sure. You can go to either EllieRaine.com or Necroseam.com. That is N-E-C-R-O-S-E-A-M.com. So we have a blog. You can find me on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. It’ll all be on the website.
[00:32:22] Rico: Great. And if you have any questions for Ellie, obviously message her through through social media or put comments if you’re listening to this on Facebook. You can put your comments in that in the spot on Facebook. Again, thank you Ellie. I appreciate your time. Good luck and have a great career. Looking forward to seeing more books from you.
[00:32:40] Ellie: Me too.
Singing birds, blossoming flowers and warmer days — the delights of spring herald the 26th annual Wesleyan Artist Market (WAM) in Peachtree Corners, a vibrant celebration of art.
Discerning art enthusiasts head to Wesleyan School, located just north of Atlanta, for a chance to explore paintings, photography, mixed media, ceramics, jewelry and beyond from over 80 professional artists.
Mark your calendars: this year’s market takes place Friday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stop in and immerse yourself in creativity!
Ashley Skandalakis
Returning to WAM for the second time is an artist who combines colors and textures not on canvas, but in an array of unique and lovely flowering vessels. Ashley Skandalakis, owner of Atlanta Planters, LLC, creates custom designs of planted pots to adorn your home or business and can fit all styles and budgets.
Before this southern belle raised in Americus, Ga. started playing in the dirt, she tried several different careers — from interior design to pharmaceuticals, technology to entrepreneurship. Skandalakis took a sprout of an idea and turned it into a blooming, multi-million-dollar business with her Lappers dining trays. Now she’s well on her way to growing Atlanta Planters.
For the past five years, Skandalakis has been making metro Atlanta more beautiful one potted planting at a time. She attributes the company’s growth to her unique style, attention to detail, outstanding customer service and beautiful products.
Start before you’re ready
After quitting her stint in the technology field, Skandalakis was in search of the next sensation that would produce the same rush her tray invention and eight patents gave her. A friend opened a new Buckhead restaurant and Skandalakis offered to replant her waning orchids. The restauranteur, lacking time and funds, agreed.
Self-taught Skandalakis took the vessels home, gathered orchids and supplies, and created striking compositions embellished with interesting stakes, moss and other plants. Dining patrons were so impressed by her eye-catching creations that they requested her business card as she carried them through the restaurant during delivery.
“When you’re passionate about something, you figure it out as you go,” she said. “Every day you wonder, ‘What am I going to learn today?’”
Rental truck road trip
At the suggestion of a painting class comrade, Skandalakis submitted photos of her fanciful florals to the Thomasville Antique Show. Two days later she committed to being a vendor in a show taking place in a week’s time.
“I had to source planters, orchids. I didn’t have a business license. I didn’t have business cards. I didn’t have a credit card processor. I didn’t have anything, but I pulled it all together. I stayed up till 1 o’clock in the morning making 45 orchid compositions. I really didn’t know how to do them, so it took me a long time,” Skandalakis shared.
Turning a $5,000 profit at that show in February of 2020 made her realize she had a new business. When the pandemic shut everything down in March, Skandalakis pivoted to outdoor containers and embraced her budding bailiwick with verve.
Busy beautifying outdoor spaces
Applying for a business license, building a social media presence and advertising led to some scheduled appointments. By May of that year, Skandalakis was fully booked creating seasonal planters for clients.
“Twice a year, I go to clients’ homes and make their planters gorgeous. If they need planters, I source those too. I love working with people to find the best containers for their space,” Skandalakis beamed.
It’s a carefully orchestrated juggling act to get everyone’s plantings done. The season begins on April 15, when frost no longer poses a threat, and runs through the end of June. Winter pots are cleaned out and planted for the spring and summer. In October, the remnants of summer plantings are removed, and containers are replanted for fall and winter.
During the Christmas season, Atlanta Planters decorates fireplace mantles and front porches with handtied greenery, garland, lights and wreaths.
Perfect planters and plants
The quest for unusual urns from across the globe excites the impresario who works with vendors to source the best, whether modern or traditional. Preferred supplier Elegant Earth makes handmade products in Birmingham, Ala. The owner is an Atlanta native who is featured in Veranda magazine this May.
Skandalakis searches online auctions for vintage and antique vessels. She also scours the trade market in High Point, N.C. When associates have shipping containers arriving from abroad, they often give Skandalakis first dibs at their treasures.
Annual trips to Europe further the flowerpot obsession. Her travels usually entail securing planters while endeavoring to piggyback on friends’ cargo containers to get them across the pond.
Several hundred planters can be found at her Marietta store on any given day. Skandalakis intentionally purchased a deep lot to house them all.
A variety of wholesale nurseries around the southeast supply Skandalakis with the highest quality plants. Annuals and perennials usually come from local nurseries. Larger landscaping plants come from all over the region where the heartiest plants intersect with competitive prices.
Continuous growth
Though planters make up the majority of her business, those entrusting Skandalakis with their pots naturally began to ask her for landscaping advice as well. To better assist clients with landscape design, Skandalakis sharpened her skills at Emory University.
“I enjoy landscaping projects. Inspired by some of the world’s best landscape architects, I am constantly learning. It’s important to continue to grow,” she asserted.
A $600 minimum per planting session covers plants, healthy soil, fertilizer, plant toppers and labor. Skandalakis’ green thumb leaves clients happy with their containers.
Clients old and new
Customers who’ve been with Atlanta Planters for a while trust the gardener’s judgment. They’re happy to allow her artistic liberty. Skandalakis knows her clients’ favorite colors and which locations require shade or sun plants.
New clients are asked to provide pictures of their home, yard and planters. She believes the outside of the home should be an extension of the inside in terms of style — whether it’s modern, traditional or transitional.
Next, Skandalakis inquires about her clients’ sun/shade situation, access to irrigation, whether they have pets and if deer are an issue.
Floral designs to suit your lifestyle
Are you a good plant parent? Skandalakis can plant superb succulents for those who may habitually “forget” to water their containers. A building’s architecture and the client’s taste also can dictate what types of plants and containers are used.
Boxwoods in planters that tell a story look best on traditional properties. Grasses in sleek metal or concrete white pots are typical of modern estates.
Bright and happy
Every day brings joy; clients are happy to see her arrive and enamored with their containers when she leaves. Skandalakis once daydreamed about people who loved their job; now she professes to be one of them.
“When you enjoy what you do, it’s not a job at all,” she smiled.
The same look of satisfaction spreads across her face when she speaks about having shown her children that we’re capable of anything we put our minds to, without limitations.
WAM
Last year Skandalakis was blown away by the phenomenal show where she made new acquaintances and gained clients. Her large planters adorned the Wesleyan campus outside as well as the gym. The show takes place during her busy planting season, so Skandalakis and her team worked on weekends to prepare.
Expect to find a variety of planter sizes and types in her booth — some planted — in addition to orchids, other plants, indoor compositions and appealing merchandise from her shop. Last year she brought cowhide chairs from a Texas auction.
Book Atlanta Planters
An enterprising lady behind two successful businesses, Skandalakis enjoys sharing her inspirational story with women’s groups.
Listen to her friendly Southern drawl as she introduces loads of products and her latest “Five Favorite Things” on Instagram @atlantaplanters.
To learn more about Atlanta Planters or to obtain a quote, visit atlantaplanters.net or call 706-289-5736.
Stop by the Marietta flower shop for swoon-worthy, seasonal merchandise at 324 N. Fairground St. and find beautiful indoor plant compositions, orchids, gifts and an eclectic selection of indoor and outdoor planters. Skandalakis and her team can “plant them up” for you on site.
Elaine Jackson
In the quaint setting of Madison, Ga., Elaine Jackson finds her muse. The quiet town allows for easy access to the mountains where she often escapes to stock stores like Dogwoods with her paintings.
Highlands, N.C. is like a second home for Jackson. She and her husband have been visiting there since before they were married; the town hasn’t changed much since then.
A self-taught floral and landscape painter, Jackson started her journey into creativity with an art class in her teen years. It wasn’t until much later that she fully embraced her passion for painting.
Born and raised in Macon, Ga., Jackson’s artistic journey took shape gradually. After obtaining a degree in advertising, she found herself working in a bustling Buckhead PR firm where she met her husband.
Upon starting a family, Jackson put her artistic pursuits on hold to focus on motherhood. Today, from her converted carriage house garage studio, she creates captivating works of art.
Discovering the artist within
Once her daughters were grown, Jackson found the time to delve into her passion for painting. She began honing her skills, initially starting with watercolors and eventually transitioning into acrylics; she now uses both mediums.
Over the past twelve years, Jackson has dedicated herself to her art full-time, tirelessly perfecting her métier through trial and error, self-exploration and occasional workshops.
Capturing Southern tranquility
Inspiration for Jackson’s artwork comes from various sources, whether it’s a place she’s visited, the picturesque landscapes of her surroundings, art galleries, design studios or even from pieces requested by clients.
Jackson finds comfort in exploring the scenic vistas where she’s lived and drawing from the unique beauty of each location. Her paintings are infused with personal significance.
“Many of the landscapes are reflective of where I’ve lived or visit often in the South which have special meaning to me. The coastal scenes reflect the Georgia/South Carolina coast or the Gulf in the Santa Rosa Beach area. The countryside pieces and pathways are inspired from when I lived in Franklin, Tenn. or visited North Carolina,” she said.
The painter’s preferred subject matter often revolves around hydrangeas. Her floral paintings exude a sense of serenity and harmony, drawing viewers into a world of lush foliage and vibrant colors.
The space between realism and abstract art
What sets Jackson’s work apart is her distinctive style which she describes as abstract impressionism — a delicate balance between realism and abstraction. Through loose brushstrokes, palette knife sgraffitos and a harmonious blend of colors, she captures nature in a way that resonates with viewers, inducing feelings of tranquility.
“It’s not abstract to the point where you can’t recognize what you’re looking at. I want people to still identify with it, but it’s looser than a realistic painting. It’s like a transitional in between,” Jackson explained.
Embracing blue-green
Her signature blue-green palette, inspired by her love for the color green, has become synonymous with her artwork, sought after by collectors and interior designers alike.
It’s helpful that it’s a popular color scheme in decorating. Working with several interior designers, Jackson stays abreast of trends. People moving to Lake Oconee often commission work from the artist. Her shades of green and blue are ideal for lake houses.
“I’m trying to work myself into other hues. I have to keep those colors off my palette, or I’ll gravitate back to them,” Jackson said. She plans to explore different colors in new paintings and collect customer feedback received by the shops carrying her work.
Super-size
Jackson paints large canvases (48”x48”) as requested by designers. Though she was once “scared to death” of them, the large-scale pieces allow her to immerse herself in the creative process, granting her the freedom to express herself with fluidity and spontaneity.
She often incorporates texture into her paintings using palette knives, sponges and even unconventional tools like sticks from the yard, adding depth and dimension to her compositions.
A growing presence
Despite the demands of maintaining inventory for shows, her website, multiple galleries and interior design shops across Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, as well as fulfilling commissions, Jackson remains dedicated to her craft. Her work ethic and perseverance have paid off, earning her recognition and admiration from art buffs and collectors.
Initially, it was challenging to get her artwork into stores. However, Jackson’s influence has grown in step with her social media presence. She’s paid her dues and today shops pursue her.
The artist is thankful to have built up her business. “I’m slowly trying to spread myself across the country,” Jackson revealed.
Although her daughters encourage her to take time off, Jackson finds it difficult. She’s in business for herself and feels the studio, just two doors away from the kitchen, calling.
A steady base of realtors keeps Jackson painting watercolor home portraits that they gift to their clients. They’re popular at Christmas, too.
As Jackson’s artistry continues to evolve, she remains grateful for the opportunity to share her passion with the world. With each painting she invites viewers to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature for a moment of respite from the chaos of everyday life.
Framing the narrative
The cost of framing large pieces is so prohibitive, Jackson paints the edges of gallery-wrapped canvases so they don’t require a frame. This leaves framing up to clients; some like gold, others want silver or wood. Many prefer to keep the paintings frameless.
Jackson does frame some of her smaller pieces (24”x24”, or 16”x20”). Usually, she uses modern floater frames. They’re not too expensive and they elevate the presentation of the work.
Her watercolor pieces are normally framed, but the artist also keeps some in a folder. People can purchase them loose and select frames to fit both their space and aesthetic.
Everything old is new again
Recently, Jackson has been exploring antique stores in search of old frames. There’s a treasure trove to be found with intricate designs and aged beauty. The artist has identified a growing appreciation for blending vintage elements with contemporary decor. She loves the thrill of the hunt!
Jackson repurposes the frames for special paintings that she thinks are fitting. Their ornate, almost gothic appearance reminiscent of a bygone era finds renewed admiration.
Other than applying a subtle wash to tone down excessively dark gold hues, the artist prefers to leave the frames untouched, allowing their original splendor to shine through. This endeavor has proven fruitful; her ornately framed pieces quickly find appreciative homes.
WAM
Preparing for art shows requires careful consideration. Jackson strives to offer a diverse selection of paintings in various sizes, styles and price points from $150 to $4,500, catering to the preferences of different patrons.
A mix of florals and landscapes — from small, intimate pieces to large, statement-making canvases — ensures there’s something for everyone.
The painter suggested a series of framed landscape paintings 20”x by 20” as a good idea for shows. Each one works as a standalone piece or can be configured in groupings. Instead of having to purchase one huge piece, people might get a few smaller ones to fit a space.
Jackson has been exhibiting at WAM since 2015, gaining a number of followers in the area. She appreciates the indoor luxuries and looks forward to client interactions.
“It has consistently been a good, well-attended show each year,” she said.
Find Jackson’s work
Those seeking to experience Jackson’s talent firsthand can find her work in galleries and design studios across the South. To inquire about purchasing a painting or commissioning a custom piece, visit her website at ejacksonart.com or follow her on Instagram @ejcolors.
Jackson’s artistic journey is a testament to the transformative power of creativity and the profound connection between artist and audience. Through her paintings, she invites us to pause and find solace in the timeless beauty of nature.
Purchase Jackson’s work in Georgia
- WebbMarsteller in Peachtree Hills, Atlanta
- Sunshine Village Art Gallery in Watkinsville
- Dogwoods Home in Clayton
- Ocmulgee Arts in Macon
- Julep Gallery on St. Simons Island
- Zeb Grant Design Home in Madison
Meagan Brooker
In her childhood days in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Meagan Brooker longed to paint the sky and clouds on her bedroom ceiling. Her earliest memories include a yearning to express her creativity.
The little girl who once begged her mother for art supplies and classes was first encouraged to pursue her passion and develop her skills by a high school art teacher.
“I was doing a Georgia O’Keeffe replica in oil pastels. She walked up behind me and said, “Whoa, you’re really talented!” You always remember those who encourage you to do what you love,” Brooker stated.
Despite an early penchant for photography, Brooker’s family encouraged her to pursue pre-med studies at the University of Georgia. “Use your brain,” they told her. “You’re smart, make some money.”
But Brooker realized she didn’t want to study science for four years, much less practice medicine for the rest of her life. It simply didn’t interest her. Conversely, shifting to art second semester caused her to flourish, feel divinely inspired and never look back.
Nurturing creativity
While her mom was supportive, her dad would’ve likely continued to endorse a medical school path had he not passed away when she was in secondary school. She majored in Art Education at the University of Georgia.
Brooker transitioned to Wesleyan School after teaching elementary art in Gwinnett County for two years and participating in a year-long mission trip to Kentucky. During her second year at Wesleyan, she began working towards a Master of Studio Art degree at New York University.
Brooker has been a freelance artist for decades. She currently resides in Duluth. She’s been teaching high school art and witnessing the growth of Wesleyan’s visual arts program for 17 years.
From photography and ceramics to drawing and painting, Brooker loves working with and teaching about all types of art. Painting with a plenitude of textures and washes of color is her favorite.
Art teacher by day, artist by night
Once her young sons have gone to bed, Brooker can be found painting in her home studio surrounded by her work, an easel, tables and storage shelves.
The industrious working mom laments a lack of time. She craves longer stints in the studio to develop more robust work, both conceptually and physically.
For Brooker, painting is meditative self-care. It takes her away from the tasks of her daily life, fulfilling a need for self-expression and recreating the world around her. She derives satisfaction from depicting on canvas what she’s experienced while traveling.
Imagination takes flight
Brooker’s fascination with winged creatures began with seeing Raphael’s cupids when she was young. Later, she became enamored with birds on a wire and recently, she’s been painting birds and butterflies in flight. To the artist, they represent hope and resilience.
Her work is a pictorial ode to her father’s passing with spiritual undertones. Brooker finds flying animals and insects enchanting because they’re harbingers of something bigger than us. The artist believes there is more to this world than what we know and see.
Little loves
Wishing to spread beauty, calm and joy in the universe, Brooker creates artwork that reflects her personal experiences, wishes and dreams.
“When clients are moved by the same sentiment, it is a beautiful, spiritual connection,” she said.
The artist calls her 3”x3” and 6”x6” canvases “Little Loves.” Inspiration for these fast-selling pieces stems from a sentiment, quote or Bible verse featured on them.
Reflecting on the chosen words inspires the colors, textures and patterns the artist uses to represent them. Seeing clients emotionally drawn to her work warms Brooker’s heart. It tickles her to know that some pray and meditate with her tiny paintings before them on mini easels.
Brooker’s art
Brooker produces whimsical, textured and painterly acrylics on canvas ranging in size from 8”x8” to 46”x60”. Most of her canvases are 20”x30”. She works primarily with thicker acrylic paints, spellbound by the effects of experimenting with washes to create layers of unpredictable textures.
Palette knives are her tools of choice when creating texture with thick body Liquitex acrylic and Golden high flow acrylics. Intrigued by the unexpected, Brooker described her process.
“I cover every canvas with a layer of acrylic washes [water dotted with different colors of acrylic that bleed like watercolor and create a textural background] and however they land, color and texture-wise, I build from that as I’m inspired. I love that you don’t really know how it’s going to turn out at first,” she explained.
Robin’s egg blue, Payne’s gray (a dark blue-grey), golds, teals and some neutrals dominate Brooker’s palette. She’s drawn to abstraction because it’s harder than it looks, she said.
“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” – David Mitchell
Traveling inspires Brooker’s landscapes. Working from pictures taken on her trips, she paints sceneries that captivated her, aiming to replicate their loveliness and the emotions she felt there.
“Italy is my heart,” she said, recalling her Cinque Terre series. She also painted an Ecuador series, enthralled by its mountains and verdant hills.
Wesleyan Artist Market
As an art teacher, Assistant Director of Fine Arts, Head of Visual Arts and a veteran exhibitor, Brooker has an insider’s perspective on the market. She sees how it comes together full circle.
She witnesses parents volunteering to put on this hugely successful event, giving generously of their time to the school. In turn, the faculty has more funds to better support students.
“It’s a beautiful testament to how much they care about the school and our mission. I’m very thankful,” she said.
Find Brooker’s paintings
Through her dedication to art education and her unwavering commitment to her craft, Brooker inspires others to embrace their creativity.
To view and purchase Brooker’s work, find her on Instagram @meaganbrookerfineart.
Learn more about Meagan Brooker in this episode of the Peachtree Corners Life podcast.
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