A Call to China was named as a Silver Winner in Friday's IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards(TM), which include over fifty categories recognizing excellence in book publishing and are regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers. Winners were announced April 6, 2018 during a gala dinner held in conjunction with IBPA Publishing University in Austin, Texas. 

IngramElliott is proud to be an IBPA member and shares this prestigious award with author, Jeffrey Meyer.

See all the winners on the IBPA website and read the press release here!

Indian Country by John T. Young was highlighted in The Military Times Spring Reading Guide for Fiction for 2018! The titles selected highlight military-themed literary offerings for consideration.

Reviewer J. Ford Huffman notes the mix of thrills and literary quotes set in and around a Native American reservation as a "scene of action and a source of solace" in Indian Country and touches on the novels heroic themes.

Indian Country is an intense thriller is set against a backdrop of biker gangs, drug cartels, terrorism, and dangerous liaisons. It's available in eBook and print.

Author Event at Birkdale Village
 
Sunday, March 25
1:00 pm Eastern Time
Barnes and Noble Birkdale
8725 Townley Rd. 
Huntersville, NC 28078

Benny Moon: Racing the Medicine Wheel
Salem Wolf Heart will be signing her middle grade chapter book and demonstrating the power of the Medicine Wheel. You can also sign up to win a gift basket of Benny merchandise!

Author of Mystery Muffin & Soda Pop Slooth interviewed by local television station.  Watch the video.

Spring has come to Paducah, Kentucky and that means flowers, stars, ribbons, bows, and patterns galore! AQS Quiltweek® is a draw for thousands of quilters from around the country. It features contest quilts, special exhibits, products, and internationally known instructors and workshops. 

Our author, Susan K. Morgan will be hosting a special book signing event for her recently published contemporary romance novel, Surrender, at her Rock Shop in downtown historic Paducah. Susan's shop plays host to thousands of guests visiting for the show week. Recently expanding to their 311 Broadway Street location in Historic Downtown Paducah has allowed Susan and her husband of more than twenty years to offer a retreat center that hosts spiritual and wellness events, in addition to retail space that features crystals, gemstones, essential oils, and inspirational gifts.

Readers and visitors can stop by the Rock Shop to meet Susan in person and get an autographed copy of Surrender at Wildhair Studios’ Rock Shop (311 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY, 42001) on Friday, April 28 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 29 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Central Time.  

Surrender is available in most major retailers in print, with eBook coming soon. 

For Immediate Release
Susan K. Morgan’s sultry new romance, Surrender, and her metaphysical crystal shop have one thing in common--they’re all about love.

Paducah, KY--March 15, 2017--IngramElliott is excited to announce the release of Surrender, a fun and flirty romance novel based on the Kentucky author’s travels to Mexico. Writing under the pseudonym,  Susan K. Morgan, Susan Edwards is also the owner of one-of-a-kind crystal store and metaphysical resource center in historic downtown Paducah. Wildhair Studios’ Rock Shop strives to raise positive vibrations through energy work, healing crystals and aromatherapy.
 
“It’s about people finding their true nature and inspiring them to surround themselves with positive energy,” Susan said about her shop and her new novel. “When I visited Mexico, the beauty of the landscape inspired me, but also the love and happiness I felt from the people. I just gave into it. I knew there was a story to tell there. The title of my novel, Surrender, is a nod to how wonderful things can happen in our lives when we surrender to who we are at the core.”
 
Surrender follows Jessica, a woman who has it all together—the fiancé, a great job, and an upcoming wedding to plan. It seems her future is set . . . until her intended is a no-show for their pre-wedding trip to Cancun. When Jessica decides to go it alone, it’s a decision that takes many unexpected turns.
“Who hasn’t had a wild hair and wanted to escape to a tropical wonderland?” said Charlotte Piel, Acquisitions Editor at IngramElliott. “Susan is an eclectic soul whose writing evokes love, passion, and excitement, a great combination in a romance writer.”
 
Susan’s special place
Walking through the door of the Rock Shop, it’s apparent that it’s a special place. An Enchanted Fairy Garden, the sweet tinkling of crystals, fresh greenery, and soothing scents and sounds create an uplifting environment that mirrors Susan’s effusive joy. Recently expanding to their 311 Broadway Street location in Historic Downtown Paducah has allowed Susan and her husband of more than twenty years to offer a retreat center that hosts spiritual and wellness events, in addition to retail space that features crystals, gemstones, essential oils, and inspirational gifts.
But to Susan, the shop is much more. It’s a sanctuary where she can reconnect to her own passions, one of which is writing. “I’ve been a wordsmith for the corporate world for decades,” Susan says. “I’m an avid storyteller. I wanted to bring some of these characters and their stories to life.”
Her publisher agrees. “We resonated with Susan’s philosophy to ‘live like you mean it’,” says Charlotte. “What we loved about Surrender was its heart. The heart of the story is—like the author and the spiritual work she does for others—all about love. We’re very excited to have Susan join the IngramElliott family.”
 
Book Signing Events
Readers can stop by the Rock Shop to meet Susan in person and get an autographed copy of Surrender April 26-29, 2017, when the city of Paducah hosts the AQS QuiltWeek® event. Book signings are scheduled at Wildhair Studios’ Rock Shop (311 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY, 42001) for Friday, April 28 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 29 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Central Time.  
Surrender can be found in most major retailers in print and eBook. 

About IngramElliott
IngramElliott is an independent publisher located in Huntersville, North Carolina.  Founded in 2015, IngramElliott delights in publishing the non-traditional, unconventional, and alternative. The company offers a personal, hands-on approach to publishing and working with authors. IngramElliott is built and managed by writers and readers. Please learn more at www.ingramelliott.com.
 
For more information about IngramElliott (press):P.E. Calvert
704-453-9464
pecalvert@ingramelliott.com
 
For more information on Susan K. Morgan or the Rock Shop:Susan K. Morgan
www.susankmorgan.com
www.nicerockshop.com
270-444-6115

We're excited to introduce Jeffrey Meyer, author of the highly-anticipated historical fiction novel, A Call to China. Jeffrey Meyer joins the IngramElliott team after a career in higher education as a professor of Asian religions at the University of North Carolina. Jeffrey's upcoming novel is the story of the coming of age of two daughters; one without family in rural China, the other in urban America. Set against the background of revolutionary change in 20th-century China and America, the story follows the spiritual journeys of the two sisters through compelling characters, exotic locations, and a rich plot.

​We recently spoke to Jeffrey about his work and about A Call to China.

​IngramElliott (IE): Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer. What inspired you to write your book?
Jeffrey Meyer (JM): I've been fascinated with China for most of my life.  My research and teaching at UNC Charlotte was focused on Asian religions, especially Buddhism and Daoism, and I've lived in China and Taiwan for about three years. My daughter was adopted in China. So it was a love for China and Chinese culture that inspired me to write the novel.

​IE: Tell us a little about your book’s title and what it represents?
JM: "A Call to China" refers to the initial calling which took a missionary family to  China to bring the Gospel to the Chinese people. At the same time it refers to the personal call, felt by Livia, the main character in the novel, to return to China to find her lost sister.

IE: Do you have any advice for other writers?
JM: Join a good, hard-working writers' group.

IE: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies?
JM: Travel, sketching and landscape gardening.
​IE note - We're using some of Jeffrey's original sketches in the book!

​A Call to China is Jeffrey's first novel. It will be published by IngramElliott in 2017.

Are you up for the challenge? If you want to jump-start that great novel idea that's been jelling in your mind forever, there's an organization that can help! November is National Novel Writing month and NaNoWriMo can help! You can join authors from all over the world to complete an entire novel in 30 days! The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November and the website offers tools to track your progress, get support, and meet other writers online. There's also prizes and a cool map that shows how far your fellow writers have come. Check out the National Novel Writing Month FAQ's for more info and get writing!