Today I gave my last Black History Month presentation for the Brooklyn Public Library. An auditorium full of 8th graders! Each class was named for an ivy league college, and one boy from Dartmouth came up to talk to me afterward—he had developed a sequel for SoS! “What if the netherbeings pursue Nuru into her realm, and in order to fight back, Nuru turns D and Nyla and Keem into supernatural beings, too! Then, once the netherbeings are defeated, the three kids can return to their own world but they get to keep some of their supernatural abilities!” I urged Steven to write that story himself and he said, “But that’s plagiarism.” (love this kid) “Actually, it’s called fan fiction, and it’s ok to write about other people’s characters so long as you take credit for writing it.” A writer is born!
I was quite surprised when I got home last night and found that the AmazonEncore team had sent me a bonsai tree to celebrate the publication of SoS—I know very little about bonsai trees, but figured out that this one is a braided money tree from Central America! It even came with a gold dollar coin wrapped around the trunk…
Ship of Souls has gotten two more great reviews. Our first Canadian review is up at Amy Reads and Em at Love YA Lit had this to say:
At just 132 pages, Elliott does an impressive job creating a cast of complex and amiable characters, weaving in history, and conjuring up some magic like I’ve never seen before. I would gladly spend more time with D, Keem, and Nyla. Each are interesting, distinct characters, but even more so their chemistry and their growing camaraderie were enchanting. Elliott does a fabulous job of creating believable characters in realistic settings. In both of her urban fantasy novels, I’ve found myself intensely connected to the contemporary/realistic sections of the stories, before diving headfirst with the characters into the fantasy. In Ship of Souls, what starts off feeling like a contemporary fiction novel, eventually turns into an all-out fantasy adventure. The story is fast-paced, with short chapters and lots of action, making it a great choice for struggling readers or those craving a quick read that doesn’t lack in quality and depth. While Ship of Souls is a bit more MG than YA, with it’s complex character development, strong sense of place, beautifully imagined fantasy, and unique feel, it should find a home with many ages of reader.
Fledgling 
I urged Steven to write that story himself and he said, “But that’s plagiarism.” (love this kid) “Actually, it’s called fan fiction, and it’s ok to write about other people’s characters so long as you take credit for writing it.” A writer is born!
That is so, so, so awesome. I love it!
That is so great about Steven, hopefully he writes the story! Also, lovely tree 🙂
My tree is thriving! and I hope Steven is, too.