Apparently, My Book Has Emigrated to America #romcom

I’ve just discovered something rather odd.

Oh No, I’ve Fallen in Love! appears to be doing rather well on Amazon.com.

I’d love to tell you this is the result of a carefully planned marketing campaign involving spreadsheets, targeted advertising and an intimate knowledge of the American book market.

It isn’t.

I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. This book was published years ago. It’s been sitting there quite happily, minding its own business, while I got on with writing other things. And now, for reasons known only to Amazon and possibly a bored algorithm in Seattle, American readers seem to be finding it.

I’m not complaining.

The book is a romantic comedy about Valerie Anthrope, a woman who is perfectly happy being single and has no intention whatsoever of falling in love.

Obviously, this goes well.

She hires Ellen Semple as her PA. Ellen promptly decides that organising Valerie’s diary isn’t nearly enough of a challenge and starts reorganising her life instead. Then there’s Ellen’s nephew, Lex Kendall. He’s rich, attractive, arrogant and accustomed to getting exactly what he wants.

Valerie doesn’t want him.

You can probably see the problem.

There’s meddling, insults, inappropriate interference, a missing cat and two people who would be considerably happier if everyone would stop trying to make them fall in love. So, to the mysterious American readers currently buying my very British romcom: thank you.

I hope you enjoy Valerie and Lex.

And if anyone knows why the book has suddenly woken up after all these years and thought, Right. America, do let me know.

Because I certainly don’t.

Amazon.com  

Amazon.UK 

Waking Up in 1973

 

Wide Awake Asleep

What would you do if you woke up in the past, before the worst parts of your life had happened?

Not yesterday. Not last year.

A world of rotary phones, three television channels, milk bottles on doorsteps, paraffin heaters, cigarette smoke in pubs, gossip over garden walls, and women judged by whispers long before anyone asked what had really happened.

That’s where Julie finds herself after a car crash tears her out of the life she’s spent decades building. But she doesn’t return as herself. She wakes in someone else’s body, then another, and another, each one belonging to someone from her past.

People she blamed.

People she lost.

People she never understood.

Julie knows what’s coming. She knows the affairs that will make her mother the talk of the village. She knows her father will leave. She knows she'll be taken into care. She knows the anger that will follow her for the rest of her life.

But this time, she’s not only watching it happen.

She’s seeing it through the eyes of the people who were there.

Wide Awake Asleep is a time-slip novel about family secrets, old betrayals, and the dangerous pull of changing the past.

As Julie confronts old wounds and familiar betrayals, she must decide whether to relive her pain or finally rewrite her history.

Wide Awake Asleep is available now on Amazon.

What Jelvia Became When Romance Was No Longer Enough

When I began writing Jelvia, I had a clear entry point in mind. A human woman meets an alien man. She falls for him. He is dangerous and not meant for her. The tension sits there, in attraction complicated by fear and power.

That shape is familiar for a reason. It works. It gives the reader something recognisable to hold on to while the world around it grows stranger. The first book leans into that expectation. A human perspective. An alien presence. A relationship that feels charged because it shouldn’t exist.

At the time, I thought that was the story.

What I hadn’t anticipated was how quickly that framework would begin to strain under the weight of everything else the series was doing.

As the books progressed, the alien stopped functioning purely as a romantic other. He accumulated history, responsibility, and guilt. The invasion itself shifted from being an external event to something embedded in memory, language, and systems people had already accepted as normal. The story became less about first contact and more about what happens after contact has been absorbed, justified, and quietly rewritten.

Romance didn’t disappear, but it stopped being sufficient as the primary lens.

That was the first real fracture point. I could either keep smoothing the story back into the shape I had originally promised, or allow it to follow the logic it was already establishing. The latter meant accepting imbalance. It meant some books would lean heavily into intimacy, while others would step away from it almost entirely.

Macy and Narcifer’s storyline carries the strongest romantic spine in the series, particularly in books one and four. Their relationship matters. It changes outcomes. It holds emotional weight because it exists under pressure from forces neither of them fully controls.

Outside of that arc, the focus widens.

Beth’s story is less concerned with romantic fulfilment and more concerned with power, consent, and survival. Courtney and Aldarn’s story is where the reader begins to realise that something is fundamentally wrong with the Jelvian world.

This was the point where I had to stop playing safe.

Developing the Wake Up Movement meant widening the lens further. James, Phil, Oliver, and Calder were not added to soften the story but to expose it. Their presence makes the system visible. It removes the comfort of seeing events through a single emotional relationship.

Continuing to present the series as a straightforward alien romance would have been easier. It would have aligned more cleanly with reader expectations. It would also have required softening characters, simplifying consequences, and pretending that affection alone could counterbalance systems designed to control and erase.

That was no longer the story I was willing to write.

I Just Wanted to Write a Book

 

Sometimes I think being an author is 10% writing and 90% staring at screens wondering what on earth I’ve just broken.

I’ll sit down thinking, Right, today I’ll write a chapter, and somehow end up three hours later comparing ad dashboards, wondering why my book is cheaper in one country than another, and questioning my life choices because I’ve just realised I haven’t updated my Goodreads profile for… five years.

There’s a particular kind of mental gymnastics involved in author life. One minute you’re deep in a character’s grief. The next you’re resizing a box set image by three pixels because Facebook doesn’t like the crop. Then you’re rewriting your bio for the seventeenth time because it sounds either too serious, not serious enough, or like you’ve accidentally joined a cult.

We have to be writers, marketers, designers, accountants, IT support, and emotional support for ourselves. We’re expected to know why Amazon ads are ‘pending’, why BookBub is ‘live but not live’, why something worked yesterday and doesn’t today, and why every platform uses different words for the same thing just to keep us alert.

And then there’s the social media dance. Be visible, but not salesy. Be authentic, but polished. Be consistent, but spontaneous. Share your work, but don’t bang on about it. Engage, but don’t live online.

But which platform should you be using? Facebook is dead, except when it isn’t. Instagram matters, unless it doesn’t. TikTok is essential, terrifying, and apparently the answer to everything. Threads exists. X exists. Newsletters are vital, assuming anyone opens them. Every expert insists their platform works, provided you post constantly, effortlessly, and with the exact right tone while pretending you’re not trying at all.

As for what to post. Reels. Stories. Possibly both. Is there a difference? Who knows.

All of this happens quietly in the background while readers are just reading our books. They don’t see the spreadsheets, the half-written posts, the ‘I’ll fix that later’ notes, or the moment you realise you’ve spent an entire morning moving commas around instead of writing anything new. They don’t see the tears, the arguments, or the frantic emails to the editor, who often becomes emotional support as well.

So if authors sound slightly unhinged when talking about ads and algorithms, this is why. We’re not dramatic. We’re just constantly one minor platform update away from lying down on the floor and reassessing our life choices.

But anyway... 

Back to writing.

That New Amazon AI ‘Ask This Book’ Thing Has Made Me Pause

That new Amazon Ask This Book thing has made me stop and think.

I don’t usually rush to complain about platform changes, although I did when Amazon switched Kindle Unlimited to paying by pages read. That move hit a lot of authors’ earnings, mine included, and it was worth pushing back on. This feels like another one of those moments.

On the surface, Ask This Book sounds quite handy. Readers can ask questions about a book and get instant answers. But the more I’ve thought about it, the less comfortable I am.

I came across this after seeing A. K Caggiano talking about it on Instagram. Worth a look if you’re an author and missed it.

So what does this mean? It lets readers type questions about a book and receive automated answers based on the text itself. But they aren't the answers the author’s chosen. It’s the system’s interpretation of what the book says. 

In effect, the system reads the book and tells the reader what it thinks the answer is.

In my opinion, stories aren’t reference guides. They aren’t meant to be skimmed for answers. They’re built on voice, pacing, tension, and emotional payoff. An automated tool doesn’t understand subtext, tone, or why a story can be bleak, unresolved, or heartbreaking and still be satisfying. If it flattens a character or misrepresents something important, readers won’t blame the feature. They’ll blame the author.

There’s also the spoiler issue. If someone can ask whether a character dies, whether a relationship works out, or what kind of ending they’re getting, that changes how fiction is consumed. Stories become something to query rather than experience. That might suit some people, but it feels like a loss to me.

And what bothers me most is that authors weren’t asked.

There’s currently no way to opt out. I went onto KDP chat and asked directly if my books could be unenrolled from the feature. The answer was no. There is no unenrol option at all. My objection was logged as feedback and given a case number, but that’s as far as it goes.

If you’re an author or a reader and you’ve got thoughts on this, I’d genuinely like to hear them. Feel free to comment or message me. 

As for me, I’m still mulling all this over.

After the Ending

Now that the Jelvia: Not Human series is finished, I keep catching myself thinking about it at odd moments. Not in a dramatic way. More in the sense of reaching for something that’s no longer there.

Six books is a long time to stay inside one world. Longer still when the story is built around memory, control, and people making choices they believe are right. Some of these characters have been with me through other books, other projects, and plenty of real life happening in the background. Finishing them wasn’t a rush of relief. It was quieter than that.

I’ve been asked whether there’ll be more Jelvia. There won’t be. The story reached the ending it needed, and carrying it on would have meant softening truths I wasn’t prepared to soften. That restraint mattered more to me than comfort.

That doesn’t mean I’m done writing. I already have the beginnings of something else, circling familiar ground from a different angle. It’s still rooted in memory and perception, but I’m letting it settle before deciding what it wants to be. I’ve learned to trust ideas that take their time.

Mostly, I’m grateful. To the readers who stayed with the series through its darker turns and didn’t need everything neatly resolved. To those who trusted me to finish it honestly, even when that meant sitting with discomfort.

If you’re new to the series, it starts with Holding Out for a Hero and follows its logic all the way to the end.

I didn’t give the characters the ending I wanted for them. I gave them the one their world allowed.

http://bit.ly/Jelvia

Step by Step: From Fiction to Digital ID #DigitalID #SciFiBooks #IndieAuthor #BookQuotes #PrivacyMatters

‘When I made the Committee, it was meant to be a tool, a safeguard against chaos. It gave order, nothing more. But order is never enough for those who wield it. They asked for more control, then more still, until the tool became the master, and I let it happen.’ Aldarn’s all-black gaze dimmed. ‘Remember, it does not come in a storm. It comes step by step, so small no one notices. By the time you do, it is too late. Choice will have gone, and the people believe it was never theirs.’

If you think this sounds familiar, the UK Government is already laying the groundwork with its digital ID plans. They call it efficiency, but function creep is real. 'Step by step', what begins as convenience can become control, until you wake up one day and find choice has gone.

The Committee is here already, I just didn't realise it at the time of writing Jelvia: Not Human!

Amazon

When Your Family Reads the Naughty Bits #rudebits

So, here we are. The Jelvia: Not Human series is complete, published, and out there for anyone to buy, read, and (gulp) review. You’d think the scariest part of publishing would be waiting for strangers’ feedback. Wrong.

The real fear? Family.

It’s one thing for a reviewer on Amazon to say 'gripping story, a little too steamy for my taste.' I can live with that. What’s harder to live with is imagining my grown-up son or daughter-in-law reading the same scene and then looking at me across the dinner table. Or worse — giving me a knowing wink.

Because here’s the thing: when you write romance, or even just sprinkle in a bit of spice, you know full well that people you love and respect are going to read it. Parents. Adult children. In-laws. That nice cousin who still calls you “our Lou.” All of them, potentially, turning the page and finding themselves somewhere they’d rather not be with me.

I tell myself they’ll skim over those parts. I tell myself they’ll be too busy admiring my clever plotting and alien world-building. But deep down, I know the truth: nothing sticks in a reader’s mind like a well-written sex scene. And when the reader is your own son or your daughter-in-law, you start wishing you’d written a sweet, wholesome book about hedgehogs instead.

But here’s the other truth: those scenes belong in the story. They’re not there for titillation (well, not only). They’re part of the characters’ journey, their vulnerability, their connection. To cut them out would be dishonest. And I’d rather my son and daughter-in-law squirm a bit than cheat my characters of their truth.

So yes, I worry. I worry about reviews, and I worry about family reactions. But at the end of the day, I wrote the story I needed to tell. If my son or his wife reads a page that makes them blush… well, at least it proves they were paying attention.

And if they really can’t handle it, there are five other books in the series with aliens, explosions, betrayals, and plenty of commas to argue about.

As for me? I’ll be hiding behind a cushion at every family gathering, praying no one says the words: 'Mum, about that scene…'

Wise Books | Kessler Books

You Read My Books but Won’t Give Me Your Email? Rude. #SupportYourSassyAuthor #AliensAreLessJudgy #MailchimpRegret

 I Swear I’m Not Trying to Take Over the World (But Sign Up Anyway)

So here’s the thing: I write books.

Not just any books. These are books where aliens have questionable motives, humans make worse decisions than a cat in a cardboard box, and romance happens in the middle of it all because, well, hormones don’t care about planetary politics.

You might be thinking, “Why should I give you my email address?”

Fair question.

Maybe you enjoy bonus content like deleted scenes, secret character files, or sneak peeks before anyone else sees them.
Maybe you like reading updates from authors who are 73% caffeine and 27% internet rage.
Or maybe—just maybe—you want to be prepared for when the alien committee finally takes over and I’m the only one sending out coded warnings via newsletter.

Either way, you should sign up.

I don’t bombard your inbox—mostly because I barely know how this Mailchimp thing works. If I manage to send one email a month, I’m basically a tech goddess.

But I will occasionally send goodies, exclusive content, new releases, and maybe a giveaway or two. You know. The usual bribery.

So go on. Do the thing:
👉 Click here to sign up

Your inbox deserves a little chaos.

—
Still not convinced?

Here’s the kind of subject line you could receive if you join:
‘A Jelvia just broke into my flat. He’s armed, half-naked, and demanding answers… Should I make tea or take off my clothes?’

Priorities.

See you in your inbox,

Louise Wise / T. E. Kessler
(Whichever version of me isn’t being controlled by a neural network)

And Then There Were Six—My Final Jelvia Book Is Ready #booklaunch #Jelviabook #romancebooks

And so it happens… I’ve finished the Jelvia: Not Human series. Books 1 to 6. Phew.

It began back in 2016, before Covid, before the AI controversy, before the world decided to get even stranger than fiction. I had this idea bubbling away—what if aliens didn’t invade with laser guns, but with paperwork, manipulation, and control disguised as help? What if they were already here, and we just didn’t know it?

Fast forward a few years (and a few rewrites) and Holding Out for a Hero was born. That book kicked off what I thought might be a tidy trilogy. Ha. You’d think I’d have known better. The characters had other ideas, naturally.

Macy and Narcifer led the charge with chaos, chemistry, and more problems than they knew what to do with. Then came Courtney and Aldarn, dragging their emotional damage and impossible love into the spotlight. And of course, Phil, Oliver, Calder and the rest refused to sit quietly in the background. They all demanded to be heard. And honestly, I loved every minute of it.

That said, writing the final book—‘Til the World Falls Apart—was hard. Properly hard. Not just because it had to tie everything together, but because life got in the way in the most personal and painful way imaginable. I lost my dad while finishing this book. Watching him slip away as I wrote the ending changed me. It changed the story. It made everything more raw, more real, more honest.

So here we are. The series is complete. Six books, countless twists, a few broken hearts (mine included), and a lot of late nights.

If you’ve been following along, thank you. Truly. If you’re just discovering the series now, welcome. I hope you fall into this world the way I did.

‘Til the World Falls Apart is available now.

Now excuse me while I go lie down in a dark room and wonder what on earth I’m going to write next.

Available digitally at the moment from 6th June. Will be available in all other formats after I’ve completed the sacred ritual of uploading, checking, deleting, re-uploading, and swearing.

Amazon.GodSaveTheQueenEvenThoughIt’sTheKingNow 

Amazon.yankie-doodle 

Amazon.FairDinkumReads

Jelvia: Not Human series #scifibooks #alienhero

Celebrating the Completion of the Jelvia: Not Human Series!

To mark the conclusion of the Jelvia: Not Human series, I’m thrilled to unveil a brand new cover for the first book, Holding Out for a Hero. This fresh look symbolises the journey we’ve embarked on from the very beginning, and what a ride it has been!

The final book in the series, 'Til Forever Falls Apart, is set for release spring 2025. Brace yourselves for an explosive conclusion to this epic saga. I recommend having tissues at hand, along with a quiet room, a glass of Pinot, and a box of chocolates as you dive into the final chapters of this thrilling journey.

Stay tuned, and thank you for joining me on this incredible adventure.

Amazon.com | Amazon.UK

As a writer I like to picture my characters, maybe find a lookalike in a magazine. How do you picture yours? #writerslife #writingcommunity #scifi #books

My characters are normal, everyday people (apart from the aliens!). And as a writer I like to picture my characters, maybe find a lookalike in a magazine, but can never capture a true likeness.

I'll describe them here, but I've asked ChatGPT to draw them, and it's come up with Charlie's Angles!! How I see them in my head is so different to how they've come out. 😂😂😂

Anyhoo, let me introduce you to the main protagonist in Jelvia: Not Human--Macy Shaw.

At 24, Macy’s life has been shaped by both tragedy and determination. Losing her mother to murder when she was only twelve, she found herself cocooned by her guardians, Lisa and Dillian, who did their best to shield her from further heartbreak. 

But Macy was always ready to break out on her own. She left behind the quiet of Cornwall for the buzz of London, beginning as a gofer in the cutthroat world of journalism. She’s since hustled her way into a role as a celebrity journalist, yet she dreams of something more. Determined and ambitious, Macy wants to shed the glitz of celebrity stories and earn her place in serious journalism, where real, impactful stories await.

Nurse, Courtney Day is the daughter of Macy's guardians. 

Watching how deeply her parents cared for Macy stirred a bit of jealousy in her as a child, but in time, those feelings faded.

 Now, she and Macy share a deep bond, their friendship blossoming as they grow older. Perhaps because of those early doubts about her parents’ love, Courtney has a tendency to fall for people too quickly, often wearing her heart on her sleeve. But despite her vulnerability, her loyalty to Macy and those she loves is unwavering.

And my favourite... Phil! 

She was a joy to write. Real name Li Jing Zmin is a complex fiery presence with a mind that races in all directions. Autistic, bipolar, and managing ADHD, she’s known for her bluntness and unfiltered honesty, qualities that sometimes catch people off guard. 

Her love for Oliver is fierce and consuming (as his is for her), though it runs nearly parallel to her intense fixation on revealing the truth of the alien invasion to a world still in the dark with her Wake Up Movement protests.

Her passion and relentless pursuit of justice fuel her every move, making her a force to be reckoned with.

Jelvia: Not Human

Holding out for a Hero #1

Surviving her Dominant #2

Spider #3

Moon and Back #4

Nemesis #5

Til the World falls Apart #6

This is a story where humans unknowingly coexist with the Jelvias—a powerful alien race exiled to Earth with a mission to cleanse their home of the unwanted. Disease-resistant, imposing, and venomous, the Jelvias embedded themselves into our world.

It was meant as a quiet takeover, but a fractured command system leaves the Jelvias believing they belong here, sparking a conflict that engulfs both species.

In this thrilling saga, each character—Macy, a journalist drawn into a dangerous romance; Courtney, whose fears become entangled with an alien's obsession; and Phil, a fervent activist forced to confront her own beliefs—finds themselves on the frontlines of an emerging war. Their intertwined fates lead to a final battle that could upend human existence or redefine it.

Across love, betrayal, and survival, Jelvia: Not Human explores what happens when humanity no longer holds its own in a world transformed.

Amazon.com | Amazon.UK

Jelvia: Not Human - The Shadow of Itor #SciFi #MindControl #FuturisticSociety #JelviaNotHuman

Jelvia: Not Human

A sci-fi saga of inter-species friendship, love and the battle for Earth's ownership

Itor was a place no one ever truly left. Coming to Earth had been a one-way journey, but even here, escape was nothing more than an illusion.

For the Wardens, the Committee’s control was absolute, seeping into every thought, a silent, ever-present reminder of subjugation. Workers had a privilege Wardens could only envy—they could disappear into the shadows, becoming runaways, forming hidden communities where the Committee’s reach didn’t quite extend. 

Wardens were chosen at birth, their futures dictated by their genetic strength. Cloned from superior lines, they were never meant for freedom.

Families were a rarity, and bonds were dangerous. Only the runaways dared to form connections, slipping through the cracks of a system built to crush individuality.

Becoming a Warden was a brutal ordeal. The trials weren’t meant to test but to break. Failure wasn’t just a disgrace—it was a death sentence, or worse, a life discarded into insignificance. Those who survived didn’t simply endure; they were reshaped into instruments of control, serving the Committee’s will without question.

But the stories of the New World offered a flicker of hope. Panspermia missions were seen as a way out, even if the cost was death. 

Itor itself was a world of cold, lifeless cities, where every structure, every action, was designed for one purpose: control. 

Where people survived, but no one truly lived.

When the mission to Earth faltered after the leader became injured, control began to unravel… distort.

The Simulation Reality, designed to preserve their sanity, started to blur with the real world. Even their injured leader fell victim to its effects, leaving them, for a few brief and wondrous years, free.

But the Committee never relented. It slowly pulled the Wardens back, forcing them to remember—until they did.

Their awakening was a nightmare.

"Til the World Falls Apart", Book 6, is the conclusion to the Jelvia: Not Human series and is set to be released in 2025, bringing the epic story to its thrilling finale.

The Mind Hierarchy: Discover the Thrilling YA Fantasy Series Taking Readers by Storm! #fantasy #indieauthors #authorcommunity #yafiction

Unravel Ancient Mysteries and Epic Powers in The Mind Hierarchy

If you love immersive fantasy worlds, ancient mysteries, and characters facing epic challenges, The Mind Hierarchy is the series for you. This thrilling YA fantasy follows Kiara, a girl from Seattle, who uncovers a mysterious bracelet in an ancient cave near Jerusalem.

What begins as an innocent discovery soon becomes a perilous adventure, as Kiara grapples with psychic powers that could save or doom the world. Alongside her friends, she must unravel the secrets of ancient artefacts and confront a world on the brink of chaos.

Dive into The Mind Hierarchy to discover why it’s becoming a must-read for fantasy lovers!

Power Duels - The Mind: A Dystopian YA Fantasy Novel of Psychic Abilities, Friendship, and Self-Discovery 

by

Katie Wright

“Have a sharp mind and a strong body. Decide with your soul. Three combine to make it whole.” – Inscription on David’s mysterious ancient scroll

Kiara, a reserved and quirky 18-year-old girl from Seattle, becomes the focal point of a cataclysmic event after unwittingly activating a mysterious bracelet uncovered in an ancient cave near Jerusalem. This powerful ancient artifact thrusts Kiara into a perilous journey of self-discovery and responsibility, as she unravels the invigorating, but terrifying mind manipulation and thought control psychic powers enabled by the bracelet.

Accompanied by her loyal friends David and Ben, Kiara sets out to uncover the origins and purpose of the enigmatic bracelets and coins. Their perilous quest is fraught with danger and revelation, as they delve into ancient mysteries and confront the far-reaching consequences of Kiara’s psychic abilities.

As chaos erupts around them, Kiara grapples with the unintended consequences of her power. She forms alliances with like-minded individuals known as the Mind Hierarchy, striving to restore order to a world in turmoil. However, rebellious factions seek to overthrow Kiara's rule, threatening the fragile balance she hopes to achieve.

The Mind transports readers into a richly imagined parallel world, where ancient artifacts hold the key to unimaginable psychic powers. It is the immersive first volume of the Power Duels YA Fantasy series, which features heart-stopping action scenes, memorable characters with complex romantic relationships, heroic bravery, and devious enemies. In this profound coming of age journey, Kiara must discover that true enlightenment lies not in the mastery of her supernatural powers, but in the strength of true friendship and the courage to face one's inner demons.

“I loved the power struggle Kiara faced and how the "mind games" played out. this book reads like a screenplay, and I hope someone makes a movie of it someday." - Amazon Review

Amazon.uk | Amazon.com

Do you want to appear on this blog? 

Drop me an email at info@louisewise.uk for an inclusion. It's FREE!

Pieces of Us: A Legacy of Words from Seven Women Across Eight Decades #poems #songs #haikus

Pieces of Us 

by

Cheryl K McGonigle

Beginning in the 1940s, women united by family and separated by time were bound by a profound connection and a shared desire to capture their experiences in writing. Their words come together to form a lasting tribute to love, legacy, and the timeless art of expression.

Pieces of Us is a collection of poems, songs, quotes, thoughts and haikus from one mother, and her six daughters.

The voices of seven women spanning over eight decades.

With the passage of time much of the writing has been lost or forgotten.

This book is a collection of some of what remains. 

Seven women, all living in different time periods connected by a family bond, each choosing at some point to put pen to paper and share their feelings and experiences, to share pieces of their lives.

Amazon.com | Amazon.UK

Do you want to appear on this blog? 

Drop me an email at info@louisewise.uk for an inclusion. It's FREE!

🎉 Blog Takeover Alert! 🎉#indieauthors #bookfest #authors #authorcommunity

Brace yourselves, because on September 1st, I’m handing over my blog to some wildly talented authors who are ready to blow your mind with their amazing books! 

Got a book you’re itching to show off? This is your golden ticket! Just fling your book links my way, and I’ll craft a dazzling showcase that’ll make your mum proud.

Don’t sleep on this chance to hook in new readers and mingle with fellow book geeks. Let’s turn my blog into a literary circus! 

P.S. Indie and small press authors only! Sorry, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and George R.R. Martin—this spotlight is reserved for the real rockstars!

Get ready for a book bonanza! 

Email for an inclusion: info@louisewise.uk

Disclaimer: No famous authors were harmed (or overly offended) in the making of this blog takeover.  

Warning—this blog may contain excessive amounts of indie author awesomeness. Side effects may include discovering your next favourite book and an uncontrollable urge to support indie authors. 

Jelvia: Not Human is underway! #jelvia #scifi

 Opening chapter from book 6 of the final book in the Jelvia: Not Human series (unedited).

'Til the World Falls Apart

Grey light strained through murky clouds as dawn crept in. The house's dim glow barely touched the driveway, and the morning chill pierced Macy's hoodie, making her shiver

“Are you sure Phil won’t follow us?” James asked, closing the boot of the car with a soft thud.

Macy looked at the house where Phil had gone only a moment ago. ‘She’s pregnant. I told her it’s too dangerous,’ she said.

Oliver emerged from the house, his movements stiff with tension. His eyes darted around, lingering warily on the Jelvias, though his demeanour was notably more composed than the previous night. He clutched several Tupperware boxes, his knuckles white.

'Leftover pizza,' he muttered, extending them towards Macy.

'Thanks,' Macy replied, accepting the boxes. She tried to catch his eye, but his gaze was fixed on the ground.

Phil had followed him. Her expression was sullen as usual, but there seemed something lighter about her. She looked less burdened.

'Has he told you where you’re going yet?' she asked, her head jerking slightly towards Calder who stood next to Narcifer. Both Jelvias were talking; standing a little way from the others.

Macy shrugged. "Just to drive north—" she started, but her words were cut off by a deafening roar. A convoy of cars tore into the driveway, gravel flying like shrapnel. One vehicle blocked their exit, while another skidded to a halt beside them, tyres screeching. She recoiled in shock, stumbling backwards as shadowy figures poured out from the vehicles.

Narcifer grabbed her and shoved her headfirst into James’ car, slamming the door behind her. Chaos erupted outside as Macy scrambled into the footwell, trying to hide. The noise and the whirlwind of events overwhelmed her, everything happening too fast to process.

She peeked over the dash. A Jelvia charged at Narcifer, claws ready. Narcifer met him head-on, and they both went down, rolling out of her view.

There was much yelling.

There was no sign of Oliver, Phil, or even James. She couldn’t look for bodies—her attention snapped to a sound behind her. Calder struck another Jelvia with such force that the man’s skull cracked against the brick wall. Blood burst from the back of his head, leaving a dark trail as he slid down the wall.

Calder was unrecognisable, throat pulsating and mouth gaping. They locked gazes, but then he was gone, and Macy was alone. She felt her teeth chattering and tightened her jaw. She looked out the other window, hoping to see Narcifer, but couldn’t see him. Instead, her eyes fell on James lying a few metres away. He looked dead.

She pushed the car door open, feeling a surge of adrenaline through her veins. Her legs trembled as she approached James, but before she could reach him a piercing yell shattered the air.

Panicked, Macy turned to see several Jelvias rushing toward someone out of sight. Calder suddenly appeared from the opposite direction, throwing himself into the chaos. They all crashed to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs. Macy’s instinct screamed to run into the house and hide, but a bleeding Jelvia lay sprawled in front of the doorway, blocking her path.

Her legs refused to move, and her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the brutal fight happening right in front of her. Calder was on the losing end, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away, frozen by the horrific scene playing out in front of her. She stood frozen in terror, knowing as soon as they’d finished with Calder and Narcifer—wherever he was—she’d be killed. Shaking herself from her rigidity, she began to sidle along the side of the house.

She stepped carefully over the dead or unconscious Jeliva and felt the grunginess of his blood on the ground beneath her feet. She didn’t look. She didn’t want to see the gore on her feet.

The door to the house hung open, and she hesitated again but she knew that once inside, it’d become a prison, so she carried on towards the side of the house and the open field beyond. Glancing behind, she saw Jelvias drag a floppy Calder and throw him into the boot of their car. She gasped as the boot was closed, and his attackers jumped in and sped away.

Macy stood frozen for a moment, realising she’d been overlooked. She continued edging along the side of the house, her eyes darting around, searching desperately for any sign of Narcifer.

Hearing a noise, Macy instinctively turned, her heart lurching at the sight of Narcifer being dragged by his feet. A primal roar escaped him as he struggled against his assailants, but they outnumbered him four to one, and it was clear he wouldn’t stand a chance alone. Helplessness washed over Macy like a suffocating wave, her fingers involuntarily tangling in her hair as she raised them to clutch her head in her helplessness. Briefly, Phil’s sword collection flashed through her mind, but before she could even consider dashing into the house for a weapon, a strong arm seized her, wrenching her away from her thoughts and dragging her towards the unfolding chaos at Narcifer’s side.

Narcfier fell still when he saw her.

‘Come quietly, Narcifer, and she lives,’ the man holding her said. She felt his breath on the top of her head.

‘Let her go first,’ Narcifer said.

‘In the car,’ a Jelvia said.

Grim-faced, Narcifer nodded.

‘Pounit un,’ Macy whispered. Knowing death would come no matter what she said, she yelled louder, ‘Pounit un!’

A firm hand seized Macy’s forehead, tilting her head back with an uncomfortable strain. Refusing to yield, she met the Jelvia’s gaze head-on, determined to show her defiance.

‘Already awake,’ he remarked before abruptly throwing her to the ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through her skull, but she kept her eyes fixed on Narcifer as he meekly climbed into the back of a waiting car, flanked by two other Jelvias.

Macy stood up and watched helplessly as the car sped away with Narcifer inside. Ignoring the shakiness of her legs and the chattering of her teeth, she eyed the third car the Jelvias had arrived in. It had boxed James’ car in against her own and Oliver’s.

Macy’s heart leapt into her throat as she realised no dead Jelvia was lying on the ground in front of the opened door. She spun around, looking for him. The sudden emptiness of the space where he had lain moments ago sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins.

With a surge of panicked urgency, Macy dashed towards the Jelvia’s car, her footsteps echoing in the tense silence of the moment. Frantically, she wrenched open the door, her fingers trembling as they fumbled over the barren ignition.

Trapped in a maelstrom of terror, Macy’s senses surged, each sound reverberating like thunder in the oppressive silence. A suffocating wave of dread washed over her as she swept her gaze across the once-ordinary driveway, her heart hammering against her ribcage like a relentless drumbeat.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, the sight sending a jolt of primal fear coursing through Macy’s veins. She watched in horror as the wounded Jelvia approached, his presence a chilling spectre in the dark morning.

‘Hey, little human.’ His voice cut through the silence like a jagged blade. And the way he nonchalantly stepped over James’ prone form, sent a shiver of dread down Macy’s spine. She stepped backwards, knowing no matter what she did, he’d use his venom to kill her. ‘I guess we’re alone,’ he said drawing closer with each step.

There was no point in running.

Macy’s eyes widened in disbelief. Behind the Jelvia, James stirred, struggling to his knees. She kept her gaze on the Jelvia, hoping somehow, James had a plan. But even as the thought was running through her mind she heard a sharp crack of a gunshot. The Jelvia’s legs buckled, and then he fell heavily to the ground.

James got to his feet and shoved the smoking gun into the waistband of his jeans.

‘Get in the driver’s seat,’ he said, indicating the car.

‘I… it has no keys,’ she said but jumped in anyway.

‘I just want you to take the handbrake off and steer,’ he said.

Macy’s fingers fumbled for the handbrake as James, with a series of grunts and strained efforts, shoved the car out of the way of his own. When he cleared the path, James dashed towards his vehicle. Panic surged through Macy, propelling her from her seat, but James had already started the engine by the time she reached his car.

Their eyes met over the bonnet, and Macy’s heart sank as she realised he intended to leave without her.

‘Macy. Move!’ he shouted.

‘I’m coming with you!’ Macy’s voice cracked with urgency as she sprinted around the front of the car towards the passenger side. But before she could reach the door, James slammed his foot on the accelerator. Instinctively, she lunged forward and grasped the wing mirror, but the sudden acceleration yanked her off her feet. With a sickening thud, Macy collided with the ground, the impact jarring her entire body and sprawling her on the asphalt.

The vehicle came to a sudden stop, kicking up gravel from the driveway as it skidded to a halt.

‘Fuck,’ James said, and she heard his footsteps as he came to see if he’d hit her. ‘Macy…’

Her body still had adrenaline coursing, so it was hard to tell if she was hurt. She scrambled up, opened the passenger door and jumped inside. James stared at her through the window, then he returned to the driver’s side.

‘Phil and Oliver ran around the back of the house. They may be hiding out until they think it’s clear,’ he said, turning the ignition on.

‘So?’

‘So, I think you should hang around here until they come back.’

She glanced in the bent wing mirror and saw the dead Jelvia on the driveway. Her teeth began to chatter. ‘I thought your gun was fake,’ she said, not answering him. ‘Thanks for saving my life.’

James reached into the dash and pulled out a packet of tissues. ‘Here. For your face,’ he added when she looked at him blankly. She pulled the sun visor down and looked at her face. It was grazed and blooded. She managed to wipe away a trickle before James floored the accelerated and she was thrown back in her seat, dropping the tissue.

Macy grabbed her seatbelt and pulled it on. Drizzle misted the window screen until the car’s window wipers dashed them away.

Things were moving too fast. Five minutes ago, they were packing the car for an adventure to save the world. Now, the rug was pulled again.

 

Navigating the World of Editors: The Good, the Bad, and the Unreliable

I've had my fair share of unreliable editors over the years, so when you find one you can trust, make sure to hold on to them.

I've worked with editors who got a little too excited over my sex scenes, leaving comments like 'I'm hard' in the margins. Then there were those who clearly didn’t read the manuscript properly, missing details like a character who starts with blue eyes in the opening chapter but somehow ends up with brown eyes by the end.

More recently, I've been dealing with an editor who keeps moving the deadline. First, she was ill. Then, she had internet problems. After that, she claimed she never received my email. At this point, the next excuse might as well be that aliens landed in her back garden! I’ve received a partial refund because she returned the first pass of edits, but now she’s hesitant to send me the second pass after I’ve gone through her corrections.

I’ve also had an editor I had to let go because of her health issues. She couldn’t finish my series, but she refunded me in full, and we’re still in touch through emails. Ill health is something no one can control, but I can certainly spot the difference between genuine issues and a disorganised or dodgy editor.

My current editor is my guardian angel, Vanessa von Mollendorf. I used her on Hunted by Louise Wise, and now she’s taken over where the ill/internet issues/not received emails/aliens editor failed on the Jelvia: Not Human series by T. E. Kessler.

Jelvia: Not Human - a sci-fi 'with heat' by T E Kessler.

Check out all books here.