“We’ll never know if we can accomplish something until we try,” the song blasted from the TV and my kids whispered an awed, natsukashii, as Nintama Rantarou started singing. I joined in at the “100% Courage! We must try our best…” And, you know, that simple kid’s show is so profoundly true. I think as adults we tend to grow out of courage instead of grow in it. It takes a lot of courage to try new things and to share them with others. But as the song says,
“Dreams would be boring if they weren’t big, wouldn’t they?
Let’s gather up our confidence and go on an adventure!”
A few dreams I’ve chased over the years: learning to dress in kimono, publishing with a small press, getting an audiobook deal, and writing & producing my first manga. ⬇️





Growing in Courage
After publishing my first fantasy book, I learned sooo much about courage. It’s almost impossible to separate it from faith and fear. You can study and practice something for years, but it takes courage to step into the arena and publish your work or use your talents. There will be failures. There will be harsh critics. I still have anxiety before a book launch and have to practice courage. It’s not an absence of fear, but a stepping through it! I can’t tell you how nervous I am about launching my first manga or my next book, THE LAST WAYFINDER. But there is joy in courageously creating. And your work and gifts can inspire others to be courageous too 🖤
And, at times, you’ll get a glimpse into how your work/creativity is impacting others, like this recent review for Saints and Monsters 🥹
“This book takes you on a journey you wouldn’t expect! If you are thinking about getting it, stop thinking and just do it, it’s a purchase you won't regret. It's a page turner, a binge reader, a don’t stop till your done kind of book so get comfy and tell the hubby to make you a cup of tea. My daughter loved this book as well, she’s a pre-teen that doesn’t like anything but this book took her to new heights of her imagination.” — Brittany
If you’ve read Saints and Monsters, would you consider leaving a review? Or requesting it at your local library? It would be a dream come true to reach 100 reviews by its one year book birthday!
Making Manga!
It took me 10 years to publish my first fantasy book. TEN YEARS after I first started writing seriously. So when I decided to write a one shot manga (a short story, usually around 50 pages), I thought I was crazy. Was it a good idea? Did I even know what I was doing?
Step 1: Research. I read all the books I could find on manga writing, read interviews by manga authors, and (of course) starting inhaling manga like a hobbit’s second breakfast.
Step 2: Start Small. I talked to a mangaka and tried adapting a few pages of my fantasy novel into a script. (See manga pages above for the rendition he did of SAINTS AND MONSTERS)
Step 3: Try and Try Again. I adapted one of my short stories into a manga script. It took about 7 tries before I got it right and a lot of back and forth talking about the differences between manga and novel story structure and thought process.
Step 4: Community. Invite others into the journey, asking for feedback, encouragement, and constructive criticism. I found a joint project my friend would like to work on as well and started creating a one shot collab.
Step 5: Be open to change. The journey isn’t often what you expect when you start out. Will this manga find a home in a publication? Will it become a webtoon? Will anyone like it??? I don’t know. But I choose to take each step, one at a time, until its finished :)
Speaking of dreams…
My friend, Karyne Norton, has a new book releasing and is running a kickstarter for it! It has dragons and fantasy and PG-13 content. I haven’t read it yet, but what I have read of Karyne’s work is fabulous! She is an excellent author and narrator. Check out the kickstarter here ⬇️

May you have grit and grace to chase your dreams and enjoy the small things in life 🖤
Next newsletter edition look for a fall reading list, maybe a giveaway, and all the autumn Japan vibes! And I’m hoping to get the cover for my next book soon 🤗
This is so neat, Ellen! First - I adore manga and anime! What’s your favorite? Mine are all oldies. And I think it’s really neat you’ve been working on your own manga. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Last thought - I don’t know Karyne Norton personally, but I’m in several spaces she frequents and I want to be her friend. 😆 More author friends who are Christians is a goal of mine. I have really been wanting to back her newest Kickstarter because her books look and sound amazing.
Great accomplishments! Thank you for sharing your learnings with us. ✨ :)