Guest post by IE Author Angela Glennon
​Title: Hungry (available in print and ebook from IE)

A conversation with my character, Cam

How did you and your best friend, Sulie, meet?
We must have been babies! I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know her. We grew up down the street from one another. I think our parents had us playing together before we could even walk. Sulie’s more than a friend; she’s family. 

So you’ve known each other forever. Have you always been close?
Yes. Nobody knows me better. We’ve been through it all together—first days of school and dealing with bullies and this one terrible summer camp that quite literally almost killed me! [Laughs] Sulie loves trying to embarrass me with that story, but I actually think it’s hysterical. And I could tell you some really funny Sulie stories too!

Oh! Go on, then.
Nah. [Chuckles.] It’s tempting, but no.

It must have been hard on both of you to lose her Grandma Nell.
Of course. Grandma Nell was like a grandmother to me too. But my grief was nothing compared to Sulie’s. It’s the hardest thing in the world to watch someone you care about unravel and feel like you can’t do anything to help.

But you did help Sulie, though, right?
Maybe. I hope I did, anyway. Grieving with Sulie and carrying out some of Grandma Nell’s last wishes with her actually helped me too.  

And you had your own problems at the time, didn’t you?
Well, I was graduating high school and trying to prepare for my career. I’m a dancer; I had a big audition to prepare for and some big performances to wrap up. Life doesn’t stop for grief. I tried to balance it all; I think Sulie understood.

That’s a good point. We all have to keep on keeping on. Do you have any advice for young people who experience a loss?
Well, I’m no expert, but something I’ve learned from all this is that it’s OK to not be OK for a little while. Lean on your people, ask for help if you need it, do whatever you have to do to just keep going because you really can move on after something bad happens. There’s always something good ahead. Always

Guest post by IE Author T.E. Lane
Title: JuJu Justice (coming this fall from IE)

A conversation with my character, Mama Moo

You live on a raft in the swamp. You mess around with voodoo and magic. People are scared of you. But my question is - what are YOU scared of?
That someday I'll have to make a choice that will kill me.

Wow, that sounds ominous. Can you elaborate and tell us more?
{Mama Moo spits tobacco]. Why don't you mind your own business.

How did you learn about voodoo?
From the dirt. From the wind. From the fire. From the water. From my ancestors.

I've heard that your son, Mister, sells potions at the market. What are they used for?
[Mama Moo spits tobacco juice in the dirt again and shrugs.] Cheating husbands, hungry gamblers, violent lovers, lonely widows. But mostly, folks want to cure a fix.

A fix? What's that?
A fix. A curse. Somebody whose put the juju on you.

Were you ever in love?
[Mama Moo stares at me for a very, very long minute.] Were you?

What's important to you?
You mean beside the dirt, the wind, the fire, and the water? Maintaining my power. Without personal power, you might as well be dead.

Congratulations to award-winning IE author, T.E. Lane, author of the upcoming novel, JuJu Justice. Lane was a Finalist in the Suspense/Thriller category of the 2025 Next Generation Short Story Awards (NGSSA) for JuJu Justice: The Preacher's Son - a short story and prequel to the upcoming novel. 

Sponsored by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (the largest book awards program in the world for independent publishers) and Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group), The Next Generation Short Story Awards' mission is to recognize and honor the best short stories in the world and celebrate and award the creative minds behind the words.

JuJu Justice: The Preacher's Son is a prequel to the highly anticipated upcoming novel, JuJu Justice. The novel is based on an award-winning screenplay and will be available in print and e-book from IngramElliott Publishing later this year. The short story provides greater insight and depth into the early years of the story's main characters. It sets the stage for the action, mystery, and intrique to come. 

T.E. Lane enjoys writing commercial fiction with a mystical twist. Hailing from the Southeast United States, the author enjoys weaving in locales, characters, and situations that feel familiar with just a touch of magic or otherworldly influence.

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Connect with the author on Instagram @telane_author
Follow T.E. Lane on BookBub @telane_author
Follow the author on Goodreads @telane_author
Connect with T.E. Lane on Facebook ​

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​Has ten years really passed us by? It seems like yesterday when we made the decision to kickstart a new vision in traditional publishing with IngramElliott Publishing. We are an award-winning, women-owned independent publishing company. We work hard for our clients and are happiest when their labors of love succeed. We have experienced ups and downs just like everyone else. Most importantly, we are proud of what we have accomplished in that time.

We're proud that we were founded and managed by writers and readers. We work side by side with our authors to discover their own unique voice and bring their stories to brilliant life. Our philosophy is one of partnership, in spirit and in our daily practice. 

Our mission continues to be to bring exceptional stories to light in print and on-screen with IE Snaps! and our IngramElliott (IE) imprint. We look forward to more exciting adventures for the next ten years and beyond as we bring great stories to life in film and television!

And IE is nothing without our authors and amazing partners and colloborators. We work with people from all walks of life and that live around the globe. We absolutely would not be here without you and we value our relationships above all. Thanks to all our writers, marketers, designers, editors, artists, and social media geniuses--you know who you are!

Here are some of our greatest hits over our first decade! Stay Tuned for what we will achieve in the next ten years!
 
Our first book baby is born! Pablo Prairie Dog and the WWCC Heroes by our very own P.E. Calvert, Charlotte Calvert Piel, and Kim Starkey Calvert (Illustrator) was published on November 30, 2015! Some friends are big and strong... Some are small, but the only thing that really matters in life, is being a good friend to all! In 2024, this very first title was transformed into WWCC Heroes: Pablo's Adventure, now a best-selling dual language book for kids ages 4-9.
 
The epiphany for IE Snaps! In June 2016, we wrote about the re-emergence of the novella (books from 20,000 – 50,000 words). It was James Patterson and Harper Collins’ foray into novellas – they called them “Book Shots” who brought the novella and short fiction back into vogue. And gave us a brilliant idea! IE Snaps has brought us the TimeLock series in action/sci-fi, The Cornbread Letters in paranormal, The Timestream Verdict in sci-fi, the middle grade series Benny Moon, and the award-winning Western series, Clown William, just to name a few. These short novels read like a movie and have been a fan favorite for IE over the years. 

Dear IE is better than Dear Abby
Authors needing advice? No fear. We are here! Over the years we have posted mountains of advice for authors. Everything from writing tips to the importance of editors to marketing resources. Check out our archives and pick a category. If we have not addressed your issue yet, wait. Or better yet, email your question to us. There is so much information available and so much confusion in the industry, allow us to be your roadmap.

And the Winners are…
Have we mentioned our authors are the best? Of course we have! We shout it from the rooftops every chance we get. From the prestigious Independent Publisher Book Awards (the IPPYs) to New York International Screenplay Awards (NYISA) to National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA) and more, our authors rack in the accolades every year. Here are just a few examples of our utterly amazing, award-winning authors:

JuJu Justice for the Win!
The screenplay for JuJu Justice, by T.E. Lane placed in the top 20% at the Austin Film Festival (AFF) by being officially named as a Second Rounder in the AFF Script Competition. But that is not all, JuJu Justice was named a Finalist in the NYISA that same year (2024). And the hits keep on coming as JuJu Justice was named a Quarter Finalist in the 2025 Manchester Film Festival Screenplay Competition! This mystical action/drama set in the voodoo culture of New Orleans will be released in 2025.

We knew we had a winner on our hands with T.E. Lane. The author's previous book, The Cornbread Letters, won its own slew of awards: Winner of the Paranormal Mystery/Thriller Category in the 2024 Independent Press Awards, Finalist in the 17th Annual NIEA for New Age Fiction, Semi-Finalist for the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA) CLUE 2023 Book Awards for suspense thrillers and placed as a Second Rounder (screenplay) at AFF.

Reaching for the Stars
The debut novel by M.M. Cochran, Between the Ocean and Stars was a Finalist in the 17th Annual NIEA for her young adult novel where high winds and passion collide. This book hit the Amazon Best Seller list in 2024. We are immensely proud of M.M. Cochran and her second book, The Button Collector, has topped our best-seller list since reaching #2 in Mystery and Detective fiction upon its release last fall. 

Even Our Series are Award-Winning
Vince Bailey won multiple awards for his paranormal historical fiction series, Path of the Half Moon, Courses of the Cursed, Merging Paths, and the entire Curtis Jefferson series claimed the honor of being announced the Grand Prize Winner of the CIBA 2022 Series Award, a category winner in the Paranormal category, and Merging Paths, the final chapter in the Curtis Jefferson series, was proclaimed the Winner of the 17th Annual NIEA for Regional Fiction.

​Political Drama at its Finest
Who says politics is dead? Don’t tell Peter Berk and Howard Berk, co-authors of the award-winning TimeLock series. The first book, TimeLock, was a 2023 CIBA Finalist for Science Fiction, Mystery, and Global Thrillers, as well as a Distinguished Favorite in the TechnoThriller category of the 2024 Independent Press Awards. To top it off, Peter Berk’s First Line of Defense, is a Semi-Finalist in the 2024 CLUE Awards for Suspense/Thrillers.

Cowboys Take Silver and Bronze
Robin Elno’s Clown William series came out guns a blazing with a total of six awards. Clown William (the first book in the series) was the Silver Winner 2018 IPPYs and Winner of Arizona Literary Award, Finalist in the 13th Annual NIEA for Western Fiction, and Finalist for the 2019 Next Generation (NextGen) Indie Book Awards. The second book in the series, Clown William and the Lincoln County War, won the 13th Annual NIEA for Western Fiction. While the entire series was proclaimed the Bronze Winner 2019 IPPYs Best Fiction Series and a Finalist in the 2022 CIBA Fiction Series Awards.

One of the Highest Honors for Independent Publishers Since 1985
Jeffrey Meyer’s first novel, A Call to China, was a Silver Winner in the 30th Annual Benjamin Franklin Awards, now called the Independent Book Publishing Association (IBPA Book Award) and a Finalist in the 13th Annual NIEA and the 2019 NextGen Indie Book Awards.

Moonbeam Magic
IngramElliott authors are not just for adult readers! The middle grade magical adventure Ms. Mulligan and the Enchanted Ice Cream took several awards including: Silver Winner 2018 Moonbeam Awards Preteen Fiction-Mystery, Bronze Winner 2018 Moonbeam Awards Preteen Fiction e-Book, Finalist 13th Annual NIEA for Juvenile Fiction, and Finalist 2018 NextGen Indie Book Awards.

And we are just getting started!
Stay tuned for more exciting times ahead as we at IngramElliott Publishing along with our incredible team and authors continue to reach for the stars and bring you high-quality fiction in books, films, and television. ​

We caught up with the author ahead of the release of Benny Moon Saves the Standing People on December 3. 

Who is the primary audience for the book?
Although I have targeted the pre-teen and teen audience, the Benny Moon books can be enjoyed by all age groups.

Do you have advice for other writers?
Write for the fun of creating.  Commit to writing just one sentence a day.  Don't worry about being published, just do it for the joy it brings you.

Photo available via Adobe Stock

Book authors often face the dual challenge of producing compelling content and marketing it effectively. While writing is at the heart of their craft, today’s authors also need to master the art of promotion. Adobe Express offers a powerful set of tools that can help authors manage their creative and promotional needs with ease. Whether designing eye-catching book covers or creating engaging social media posts, Adobe Express can be a valuable resource. Here’s how authors can make the most of this tool.

Creating Stunning Book Covers
The first impression a book makes is often through its cover. Adobe Express offers a wide variety of templates that can be customized to create stunning book covers. Authors can start by choosing a template that fits the tone and genre of their book, then personalize it with their own imagery, fonts, and colors. Adobe Express allows authors to upload their own photos or choose from Adobe’s stock photo library. This flexibility ensures that authors can create professional, high-quality book covers that captivate potential readers and stand out on the shelf or online.

Designing Social Media Graphics for Book Promotion
Promoting a book requires a strong presence on social media, and Adobe Express can help authors design eye-catching graphics that grab attention on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. With its simple drag-and-drop functionality, authors can create engaging posts that highlight key quotes from the book, announce launch dates, or share behind-the-scenes content about the writing process. Adobe Express even allows for the creation of animated posts and stories, making it easy to capture attention in a crowded social media landscape.

Crafting Beautiful Marketing Materials
Beyond social media, Adobe Express can also be used to create a wide range of marketing materials such as flyers, posters, and digital ads. Authors who are planning book signings, speaking engagements, or virtual events can use Adobe Express to design promotional materials that reflect their book’s aesthetic. With customizable templates, authors can produce consistent branding across all of their marketing efforts, ensuring a cohesive look that resonates with their audience.

Developing Author Branding
For authors, branding is just as important as writing a compelling book. Adobe Express allows authors to create logos, business cards, and other branding materials that reflect their unique style. By developing a consistent visual identity, authors can build their personal brand and make themselves more recognizable to readers. Whether they are self-publishing or working with a traditional publisher, having strong branding can help authors establish themselves in the market and foster a sense of professionalism.

Making Engaging Book Trailers
A book trailer is an effective way to pique the interest of potential readers, and Adobe Express makes it simple for authors to create short, engaging videos. With Adobe Express’s video editing features, authors can combine text, music, and visuals to create a cinematic teaser for their book. These trailers can be shared on social media, added to the author’s website, or included in email newsletters. The drag-and-drop interface and pre-made templates make video creation accessible to authors, even those with no prior experience in video editing.

Creating Email Newsletter Designs
Email newsletters are a powerful tool for maintaining an author-reader connection. Adobe Express provides customizable templates that authors can use to design visually appealing newsletters. Authors can craft newsletters that include updates on their writing journey, exclusive content, and upcoming book releases, all while maintaining consistent branding. Adobe Express’s easy-to-use interface ensures that authors can create professional-looking newsletters without needing advanced design skills, helping them to stay in touch with their audience and build a loyal reader base.
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Collaborating with a Team or Publisher
If an author is working with a team, whether it be a publicist, marketing agency, or publishing house, Adobe Express’s collaborative features make it easy to share and edit designs. Authors can invite collaborators to view, comment on, and edit their designs in real time. This feature allows for seamless collaboration, ensuring that all aspects of the promotional process are aligned and that the final product reflects the author’s vision.
In today’s competitive publishing landscape, authors need more than just great writing to succeed—they need to market themselves and their work effectively. Adobe Express provides an intuitive platform that allows authors to create professional-quality designs, whether for book covers, marketing materials, or social media content. By utilizing Adobe Express, authors can take control of their branding and promotion, ensuring their books reach a wider audience and make a lasting impact.

Ready to ramp up your author platform? Check out Adobe Express and their free trial to bring your creative vision to life!

Jackson Blaine, the President of the United States and a former defense lawyer, shocks his estranged son Brian and the entire world when he decides to personally go to court to help defend the young man after he’s arrested for murdering his best friend and college dormmate. This is the compellingly unique premise of First Line of Defense, a political/legal thriller and murder mystery coming out October 1 by one of IE's most awarded and prolific authors, Peter Berk. 

​First Line of Defense marks award-winning author Peter Berk’s third novel with IngramElliott, following the recent publication of TimeLock and TimeLock 2: The Kyoto Conspiracy, the first two entries in an imaginative series of sci-fi and action novels co-authored by Peter’s father, Columbo and Mission: Impossible writer Howard Berk. 

And now, Peter adds legal thriller to his distinguished list. Tinged with action, suspense, romance, humor and more than a few unexpected twists, the new novel takes its 21-year-old lead protagonist, Brian Blaine, on a life-altering adventure that will dramatically change his relationship with his father and alter the course of his entire personal and professional life forever. 

We caught up with the author ahead of the release of First Line of Defense on October 1. 

Please tell us something about your book that is not in the summary. 
It can rightly be called a political legal thriller, but I mainly consider the book to be about a family - in this case, the First Family - and more specifically about a young man reconnecting with his estranged father. And because I had the opposite relationship with my late dad, Howard, Brian's turbulent rapport with the President through at least the first half of the book was the hardest part to write for me.

What do you most hope will be the reaction of readers to your book?
Like any author, I just hope people are compelled to keep reading, care about the characters, come across a surprise twist or two and enjoy the overall reading experience.

Why did you pick this particular subject matter to write about?
I hadn't written anything in the legal thriller genre and out of the blue had this wild notion of a President who's a former lawyer actually representing his own son in court. Not likely of course, but that's why it's called fiction!

What is your favorite scene in your book? Why?
Probably the meet cute scene when Brian first meets Emma; a later scene when the President catches a beet-red Brian and Emma after their first romantic encounter; the scene when father and son finally reconcile; and the "big reveal" at the end in the courthouse.

Writing a novel can be personal. Did you ever question whether to include or exclude any of your personal experiences or feelings?
Despite writing from a 21 year-old's perspective so long after I was in fact that age myself, I did include a lot of my own personal sensibilities throughout - being an only child like Brian, having a best friend who's like a brother (who is happily still very much in my life), possessing a self-deprecating sense of humor and more.

Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer. What inspired you to write your first book? 
My writing inspiration has been and always will be my father - a far better writer than I'll ever be. "First Line of Defense" was actually my first novel, but not the first one published, since I was fortunate enough to connect with IngramElliott after novelizing the screenplay of "TimeLock" my dad and I wrote several years back.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Only the corniest of advice - never stop writing! Unlike being a dancer or athlete where you have a limited number of years to perform on the stage or on the field, writers can write at any age. My dad was working on a new novel at 92 and look how long it took me to have a book published, so keep at it forever.

Tell me a little about your book’s title and what it represents?
Nothing too subtle here, I'll admit, but "First" as in First Family and "Defense" since that's what the entire story is about.

About The Author                                                                  
Peter Berk has written six novels, three TV pilots and a dozen screenplays, including several with his father which became the basis for the TimeLock series of novels. The original TimeLock novel was named as a Distinguished Favorite in the TechnoThriller category of the 2024 Independent Press Award and was a Finalist in the 2023 Chanticleer International Book Awards for Science Fiction, Mystery, and Global Thrillers. TimeLock 2: The Kyoto Conspiracy was published in 2023 and the third book in the series, TimeLock 3: The Millennium Paradox, will be published in Spring 2025 by IngramElliott. Peter and his family live in Southern California.
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Connect with Peter on Facebook and Instagram @peterberk_author.