Tag: elodie nowodazkij

monthly recap

Dear Meta, New Pen Name, Covers, Pictures from France… a monthly recap.

Elodie

It’s been about a month since my last blog post. Hi! Wishing you all the words or time to think about your words, books that make you feel and warmth. Here’s a (non-exhaustive) recap from the last 30 days…

This past month, I spent a lot of my time (really, a LOT of my time) exchanging emails with Meta about my restricted Facebook Ads account. (your guess is as good as mine). My Facebook Ads account is now disabled. Read more about it in my Substack post, Dear Meta, It’s Not Me, It’s You…

I now have 456 subscribers on my YouTube channel!

I shared voice memos (and more) about my writing process on my FREE Patreon. If you’d like to listen to them and get early access and random musings and a CHAT (with a pickle), make sure you join…

Writing is also 3am voice memos to myself…

I spent a bit less than two weeks in France–spending time with my family and enjoying walks and moments around the area where I grew up.

Rosoy…
Pierrefonds
A Cat
Did you see the snail says “I’m beautiful”

Pictures from the plane… and the airport in Iceland…

The Chemical Engineer and I celebrated our engagement anniversary on St. Patrick’s Day 🙂

For years, I’ve been thinking about splitting my Elodie Nowodazkij fiction in two. And it’s time. Read more about it in Two Heat Levels, One Author Brain (And A Little Bit of Hopefully Organized Chaos) here.

For book club, I read Heartless and couldn’t put it down… so I read Rebel Witch right after…. Love, love, love that duet! Have you read it?

Also Kristen called Heartless Hunter her fuck-it book… and I’m going to share more about my Fuck-It book aka Nice Guys… very soon.

Heartless Hunter
Rebel Witch

My newsletters this month (in case you missed them :-)) – the latest one had a question about your favorite cover (and an exclusive access to the first 1.5 part of Nice Guys…)

The covers I’m looking at …for Nice Guys Don’t Kiss Like That At Christmas (and more)

(also it’s already up for pre-order)

Uncategorized

A monthly (not really monthly) recap…

Elodie

Hi, it’s me, the author of this blog, it’s me… My last post? Let’s just say it’s been a while. So, I thought I’d share with you a bit of a recap of what I’ve been working on, sharing, updating.

Also Plato The Dog says hi…

NEW AUDIOBOOKS ON YOUTUBE….Also I now have 219 subscribers (are you one of them? Super subtle hint to ask you if you already subscribe…)

  • UN ETE PAS COMME LES AUTRES lu par Maya Belgnaoui est dispo gratuitement en livre audio sur Spotify, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Google Play, Amazon, Audible et plus encore et est aussi maintenant sur YouTube

RECORDING AN AUDIOBOOK IN FRENCH (follow along on YouTube)

  • And yep I’m recording LA PEUR DANS LES YEUX in French…

REVISING NICE GUYS DON’T KISS LIKE THAT AT CHRISTMAS…And updating my progress on Patreon (yep, I have a FREE Patreon)

  • It’s available for pre-order ….
  • You can read several chapters already… including this one on my FREE Patreon

Certain chapters take me longer than others, especially in the revision process… and this one feels like it needs to balance the emotions with the humor. It is a romcom. It is Adam and Eve. It is SO MUCH. (….)

Chapter 15.      XXX-ADAM

She’s still wrapped around me, breath shaky against my neck, and I don’t say anything yet. Just let her feel it. Let myself feel it. Our damp skin, the messy sheets around us, the air that smells like her, like me, like us.

Because this isn’t just (KEEP READING HERE….)

  • And the dedication…

Sharing this with all of you because something finally clicked as I was revising Nice Guys Don’t Kiss Like That At Christmas (yet again):

Eve had cancer… and is living a romcom. Fuck it, why not?

When I was revising, there was a moment that didn’t feel right. Why did Eve ghost Adam? After everything they’d shared—after the way he made her feel—why wouldn’t she show up in Pittsburgh? Why did she feel like this couldn’t work?

I needed to really understand this to give them their second chance.

And then I knew.

But part of me …. (keep reading here)

Dealing with my Facebook Ads Account being restricted (for some reason)…

  • I’m on my Substack explaining what’s happening (or rather explaining I have no clue what’s happening)

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts) – A self-published author's diary

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)This episode is a daily mashup of behind-the-scenes of my self-publishing life including: libraries buying my ebooks, regaining my B&N vendor account, releasing a book (YAY!), but no words on my manuscripts (I did write bonus scenes).Also: trying to invigorate my Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55359987.Elodie_NowAs always if you enjoy this podcast make sure to subscribe and leave a review.Thank you so much for listening!www.elodienowodazkij.com
  1. My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)
  2. My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com
  3. New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic
  4. Hi, it's me…a self-published author now in Belgium
  5. Splitting Pen Names & Newsletters (Plus My Cat Might Make an Appearance)

Very excited about this pacing class by Ines Johnson…

I’ve backed this Kickstaster by Ines about pacing and more and I’m very much looking forward to it. While you can no longer back the project, Ines has a website with more information…I’ve taken her Writing Dirty class and I definitely think about it when I craft, um, certain scenes.

Celebrating Katy’s latest release which is a B&N Monthly Pick

I *am* planning to go to B&N next week to see this beauty in person… But I’m so so excited for Katy and her Lia and Beck and Isaiah to find their ways into your heart. EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU…

In addition, I’ve been reading (the last one was House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, which I could not put down), and watching XO, Kitty during my lunch break (because it makes me smile, not every episode, but still…) and making sure to stay informed (without spending hours scrolling, though, let’s be honest, I still scroll… but still).

There’s so much happening right now, impacting so many people. I’m about to call one of my representatives about how the NIH funding cuts could affect research on Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Past studies have shown that a significant portion of research funding for certain clinical trials comes from the NIH, and since Hodgkin’s is rare and not exactly the most profitable, these cuts could be devastating—especially for patients in smaller hospitals, not just the big ones. If you’d like to get informed about direct and indirect cuts, here are some articles:

And maybe you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up. Well, many reasons, but not to be dramatic, but I’m alive thanks to research. This is one of the topics I’ll bring up with my representatives when I talk to them.

Because writing is a creative process, and let me tell you, it’s much easier to write when I feel like I’ve done something. And, yes I’m going to keep wanting to bring joy and happiness and so much more through my books.

Thank you for reading ❤

podcast

Latest podcast episode: Cancer and Creativity: Finding Hope in Therapy, Romance Novels and Second Opinions

Elodie
Choose your favorite platform here... or listen to it on YouTube…

Also did you know I have a YouTube channel? Make sure to subscribe 🙂

In this episode, I open up and look back about navigating life with cancer back in 2017—receiving tough PET news, seeking second opinions, and finding support in unexpected places. I talk about how therapy really helped, how romance novels reminded me to escape into stories, and how creativity (not necessarily mine) brought moments of light during some of the hardest times. This episode explores the small yet powerful ways hope can appear, even when it feels out of reach.

http://www.elodienowodazkij.com or http://www.dasdog.net

authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com

Questions about writing, self-publishing or those weird stuff in-between? Shoot me an email at ⁠authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com⁠.

❤

Elodie

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts) – A self-published author's diary

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)This episode is a daily mashup of behind-the-scenes of my self-publishing life including: libraries buying my ebooks, regaining my B&N vendor account, releasing a book (YAY!), but no words on my manuscripts (I did write bonus scenes).Also: trying to invigorate my Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55359987.Elodie_NowAs always if you enjoy this podcast make sure to subscribe and leave a review.Thank you so much for listening!www.elodienowodazkij.com
  1. My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)
  2. My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com
  3. New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic
  4. Hi, it's me…a self-published author now in Belgium
  5. Splitting Pen Names & Newsletters (Plus My Cat Might Make an Appearance)
podcast

Latest podcast episode: Goodbye, Kindle Vella. A recap of the highs, the lows and yet another pivot as a self-published author.

Elodie
Choose your favorite platform here... or listen to it on YouTube…

Also did you know I have a YouTube channel? Make sure to subscribe 🙂

Amazon announced on October 28th that it’s closing Kindle Vella. To quote their press release: “We’ve made the difficult decision to gradually wind down Kindle Vella in February 2025 as the program hasn’t caught on as we’d hoped…”

Right when they announced it, I was in the middle of doing this huge analysis on what had been working for me—digging into my Facebook ad data, my reads, my bonus… especially since they’d been slashing that bonus pool for the past few months.

This episode is about: a recap of my reads, monthly bonus and royalties writing romance serials on Kindle Vella, my theories and what’s next for my serials (pivoting, again).

Questions about writing, self-publishing or those weird stuff in-between? Shoot me an email at ⁠authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com⁠.

❤

Elodie

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts) – A self-published author's diary

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)This episode is a daily mashup of behind-the-scenes of my self-publishing life including: libraries buying my ebooks, regaining my B&N vendor account, releasing a book (YAY!), but no words on my manuscripts (I did write bonus scenes).Also: trying to invigorate my Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55359987.Elodie_NowAs always if you enjoy this podcast make sure to subscribe and leave a review.Thank you so much for listening!www.elodienowodazkij.com
  1. My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)
  2. My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com
  3. New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic
  4. Hi, it's me…a self-published author now in Belgium
  5. Splitting Pen Names & Newsletters (Plus My Cat Might Make an Appearance)
podcast

Latest podcast episode: Gasp. Anxiety And Writing Didn’t Prepare Me For Cancer.

Elodie
Choose your favorite platform here... or listen to it on YouTube…

Also did you know I have a YouTube channel? Make sure to subscribe 🙂

Intro: First of all, how dare anxiety and writing not prepare me for this? I thought we had a deal—you’d give me fears, I’d be anxious about them. I’d learn, become a Google MD. Heck, I’d even develop OCD—starting young because why not? And boom, when something happens, I’d know how to handle it. Like. A. Pro.

And maybe sometimes, yes.

But when I got diagnosed, that plan went out the window. My brain didn’t like that plan. Or it skipped that lesson entirely for me. Because things didn’t go the way I thought.

I also share what happened in the past two weeks in my writing/self-publishing world, including my newsletters, Facebook Groups I joined and more.

In this episode: I talk about not having control, my first days after diagnosis, how writing can be cathartic…

To read the full text mentioned: check out my Substack – https://elodienowodazkij.substack.com/

Thank you so much for listening/reading!

And if spicy paranormal or fantasy romance is your thing, check out Elizabeth Briggs’ books to support a fellow author going through treatments for stage IV colon cancer: ⁠https://elizabethbriggs.com⁠.

Questions about writing, self-publishing or those weird stuff in-between? Shoot me an email at ⁠authorelodienowodazkij@gmail.com⁠.

❤

Elodie

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts) – A self-published author's diary

My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)This episode is a daily mashup of behind-the-scenes of my self-publishing life including: libraries buying my ebooks, regaining my B&N vendor account, releasing a book (YAY!), but no words on my manuscripts (I did write bonus scenes).Also: trying to invigorate my Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55359987.Elodie_NowAs always if you enjoy this podcast make sure to subscribe and leave a review.Thank you so much for listening!www.elodienowodazkij.com
  1. My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)
  2. My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com
  3. New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic
  4. Hi, it's me…a self-published author now in Belgium
  5. Splitting Pen Names & Newsletters (Plus My Cat Might Make an Appearance)
Uncategorized

Swans Cove Gossip Column…

Elodie
Swans Cove Gazette Aunt Locelli Column with covers

SPILLING THE OLD BAY: Our Grumpy Ex-SEAL & Not-So-Ice Princess Tell All! (Or Try Not To…)

Oh, my darlings! You won’t believe what I witnessed at Aisling’s bakery this morning. Our favorite neighbors were having their “totally coincidental” coffee break (the fifth this week, but who’s counting?).

“So, dears,” I asked, sliding into their booth with my signature timing, “on a scale of Old Bay to Ghost Pepper, how spicy was that self-defense class?”

Maddie choked on her latte while Damian’s half-grin appeared – you know the one, ladies! “The class was… educational,” she managed, just as Damian leaned forward with that intense gaze of his. “Very thorough instruction,” he added, making Maddie turn pinker than his infamous towels.

“And these interesting changes?” I pressed. “The Hallmark movies appearing in a certain someone’s Netflix queue? The Formula 1 racing sounds at midnight?”

“Mom’s been visiting,” Damian growled just as Maddie blurted, “Research purposes!” They shared a look that could’ve melted all the snow from last winter.

When I innocently mentioned certain gym… activities, Maddie nearly dropped her phone. “Would you look at the time?” she squeaked, while Damian suddenly remembered a “very important class to teach.” They practically raced out – though I couldn’t help but notice they went the same direction. Again.

Mrs. Bittel swears she saw something through the gym window, but she might need new glasses. (Though that doesn’t explain why she’s ordered three new pairs just to “make sure.”)

The Ladies’ Bingo Night pot remains unclaimed, but between you and me, darlings? Those “practice sessions” must be quite… instructional. 😉

Your favorite town gossip who’s absolutely not installing a bench outside the gym (Though if anyone needs me, that’s exactly where I’ll be!)

PS: Have you already met Maddie and Damian? (the first part Definitely NOT Lovers is free and of course their follow-up # Dear Santa, With Love is already available).

PPS: Oh, and remember audiobooks, I have a few books available on YouTube… (Spotify, Audible, Apple, libraries and more…)

If you’re on my newsletter, I sent a bonus scene yesterday 🙂

# Most Eligible Scrooge, rom-com

Limited print – Traveling Signed Paperback Edition # Most Eligible Scrooge…

Elodie

# Most Eligible Scrooge comes out on November 24th… yep, you read that right 🙂

This fake-dating brother’s best friend steamy Christmas romcom comes out in four days! It’s like you’ll be getting a Hallmark movie mixed with a romcom in print version, but a Hallmark movie with, um, the door open (it’s getting hot in Swans Cove).

Less than a week to go to cuddle up with Landon and Julie, well, with their story…and I have a limited print SIGNED traveling paperback edition available in my store!

Really, limited, because I only have four paperback copies left of the LIMITED signed traveling paperback edition.

What does “traveling” mean? It’s a type of “read it forward” edition. Once you’ve read it, there are two pages at the beginning of the book where you can write a few words to the next person reading it. So, you read it, you leave a note and you give it/send it to a friend who then reads it and does the same and it travels 🙂

GRAB YOUR COPY NOW

Of all the PR stunts, fake-dating my brother’s best friend, Mr. Sizzling Hot Grumpy aka my once-upon-a-time high school crush? This holiday season, love’s clearly on the naughty list. Right?

Especially after he played Grinch with my heart last Christmas Eve. But when a scandalous video of me sneaking into his luxury hotel in just a teddy with Dasher the Cat in my arms goes viral, we’ve got no choice: turn him from the “Most Eligible Scrooge” to “Mr. Fixer-Upper Heartthrob” and save my PR gig. Sure, Landon knows all my buttons (annoyingly well) and has this maddening way of making me swoon all over again, but we’ve got ground rules. Top of the list? No falling in love. Even if we get stranded in the most romantic small-town renovating a house for the holidays.

Dear Santa, it’s me, Julie. if you’re listening: grant me this one wish and I’ll toss in some extra cookies. And carrots for the reindeer, of course!

# Most Eligible Scrooge is the perfect steamy romantic comedy for you if you love Hallmark movies and romcoms with, um, the door open (aka it’s getting “hot” in Swans Cove)

Amazon – Apple – Kobo – Barnes & Noble – Google Play – More

Signed LIMITED traveling paperback edition from me directly…(US only)

Add it on Goodreads – Add it on BookBub

Wishing you a day as warm and comfy as a hot chocolate with marshmallows ❤

PS: Did you know you can follow my “insider access” and read as I write?

Audiobooks, Books

The perfect gift: Signed and personalized paperback copies available …

Elodie

Psstt…

Did you know that I have signed paperback copies available in my store?

My newsletter subscribers were some of the firsts to know (make sure you subscribe if you’d like to be in the “first-to-know” group :-)) …

I have a few (limited) copies of #SweetsForLove, #TheLeftoverBride and Trust Me, Trust Me Not.

Those personalized signed paperbacks are perfect for the holiday season if you’re looking for a gift for yourself or a loved one.

CLICK to Visit Elodie’s store

Follow me on Instagram – Bookbub – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – TikTok

Defining "success" as a self-published author … – A self-published author's diary

Today is all about business plans and building blocks and defining success as an author. Mentioned in the episode: Zoe York's Romance Your Brand series: https://romanceyourbrand.com/books/  MRW November meeting: Building Blocks for Success w/ Zoe York Wish I'd Known Then … For Writers podcast with Sara Rosett and Jami Albright: Tammi Labrecque on What to Email to Newsletter Subscribers Self-Published Authors Defining Success: https://www.tiktok.com/@aselfpubbedauthorsdiary/video/7165127597616074027  As always: Ask me a question (per email: authorelodienowodazkij AT gmail.com or by leaving me a voicemail: https://anchor.fm/elodie-nowodazkij/message)   Follow A Self-Published Author's Diary on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/aselfpublishedauthorsdiary   Visit my website: http://www.elodienowodazkij.com  I'm on TikTok: @elodienowodazkij and the podcast too: @aselfpubbedauthorsdiary   Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/aselfpublishedauthorsdiary   Become a monthly a podcast supporter (starting at $0.99 per month): anchor.fm/elodie-nowodazkij/support
personal

How to pronounce “Elodie Nowodazkij”?

Elodie

I’m used to explaining how to pronounce my name: both my first and last name. I’ve done it for years.

A few weeks ago, Trish Doller tweeted about how helpful it would be for authors to have a pronunciation guide for their name.

I had been meaning to do that for a long time.

Some days, I do believe it would have been easier to go with a pen name for more reasons than one. Other days, I’m happy I decided to publish under my name. Lots of pros and cons. But I digress. Today’s post is about how to pronounce “Elodie Nowodazkij.”

“Elodie” is a common French name. And I may just have spent ten minutes looking at a graph showing its popularity per years. According to data extracted by several websites from l’Insee (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), I can share with you that there were 83 babies named “Elodie” in 1900, while 7118 babies were named “Elodie” in 1981. And I was one of them. It actually reached a peak in 1988. So you could say my parents started a trend. 😉 Based on this data, 58 babies were named Elodie in 2018.

Outside of France, it is not a very common name at all. I usually tell people, it’s like, “Melody without the ‘m’.”

For my last name, “Nowodazkij”, well it’s harder because one doesn’t pronounce all letters. The “j” at the end is silent for example. And for the little story, it’s spelled like this because it was transcribed that way from Cyrillic to German when my husband immigrated to Germany when he was a kid.

So, for those of you who are wondering how to pronounce “Elodie Nowodazkij”, you can listen to me below saying it (or you can click here).

At some point, I was thinking of starting a 5-minute podcast on “How do you pronounce…?” And ask authors to tell me one story about their name.

I might still do that…

Thanks for reading (and listening)!

Uncategorized

FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT has a cover and a giveaway :)

Elodie

Facebook Cover

My new book, a YA romantic suspense novel FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT has been in the making for several years. I could say I wrote it in 3 months, but it’s actually taken me 3 years to get the story where I wanted it to be. It will be published on September 27th, 2016 and you can already pre-order it here. 

While browsing the pre-made covers of Najla Qambers , I came across one I fell in love with for a book about another character. The photographer was Lindee Robinson, so I reached out to her to see if I could see more pictures of different couples and I found Erin and Dimitri 🙂

Thank you so much Najla and Lindee!

Fear Me, Fear Me Not Cover

SCREAM meets FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS in this new young adult romantic suspense novel by Elodie Nowodazkij.

Fear is power. They fear me. They don’t fear me enough. Every year a girl disappears in Gavert County, Texas. Their bodies are found days, sometimes months, later with an angel wing carved on their face. They call me “the Angel Killer” and I’m on the hunt again. But this time, it’s personal.

Seventeen-year-old cheerleader Erin Hortz has been warned about the Angel Killer all her life. She never walks alone in the dark. She doesn’t talk to strangers. She doesn’t accept drinks at parties. All she wants is to finish her senior year with a win at the Miss Junior Queen of Hearts pageant, capture the perfect light over the lake with her new camera, and finally catch the attention of her best friend Nadia’s brother—former football star Dimitri Kuklev. Since his injury, they’ve been spending a lot of time together. And getting to know the real Dimitri—not the one she put on a pedestal in her diary is better than she could ever have imagined. And she’s falling hard.

Nineteen-year-old Dimitri’s injury brought him from football superstar with universities from all around the country knocking at his door to not knowing what he wants to do with his life. Taking classes at the local community college is supposed to get him back on track, but all he wants is to be on the field again. The only person who seems to understand him is the one he swore to keep in the friend zone: Erin. His sister Nadia’s best friend and the reason why he can’t keep a girlfriend. Between their early morning jogs, their time spent at the lake laughing, and their late night conversations, he’s having a hard time remembering why it’s such a bad idea.
But when Nadia doesn’t come home after a party, Dimitri and Erin know they must find her before it’s too late—even if that means risking their own lives and everything Erin’s ever known.

Because the main suspect is Erin’s father.

Amazon preorder

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Annnnnd you could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card by participating in The Cover Reveal Giveaway…

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THANK YOU 🙂