Blog Posts

Bless the Skies: EPIC eBook Awards Finalist

3/8/2017

Dark fantasy novel 'Bless the Skies' named
a 2017 EPIC eBook Awards Finalist

On March 9, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition (EPIC) named "Bless the Skies" by Julie Elise Landry a finalist in the 2017 EPIC eBook Awards Competition. The winners of the competition will be announced later this year.

"Bless the Skies" competed in the fantasy/paranormal category and survived two rounds of judging.

As a finalist, Landry's book is one of the top three fantasy/paranormal e-books entered into the contest.

EPIC judges include e-publishing industry professionals and members of the EPIC community. In the preliminary round, books are evaluated and scored based on the first three chapters alone. In the next round, judges read the entirety of the books and assign additional scores.

After three or four finalists are announced for each of the 17 genre categories, the final round of judging determines the winners. Only 10 self-published books were named finalists, and "Bless the Skies" is the only self-published finalist in its category.

EPIC presents winning authors with commemorative trophies.

Landry said, "I'm excited—terribly honored and excited. If I cross my fingers any tighter waiting to hear the final results, I'll cut off all circulation!"

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Landry self-published her debut novel in November 2015. She earned a Master of Arts in English from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and she works in communications.

"Bless the Skies" follows Laeli Tavens, a skilled thief and murderer who must rescue her little sister Elaina from a sadistic nobleman. Throughout the journey, Laeli clings to a well-crafted denial of her past, while Elaina copes with brutalities and tortures she cannot understand.

For more information or to purchase "Bless the Skies," visit blesstheskies.com.

Goodreads Giveaway

8/31/2016

Two autographed copies of "Bless the Skies" to be given away on Goodreads.com

Julie Elise Landry, author of "Bless the Skies" and owner of Blue Glasses Publishing, plans to give away free copies of her debut fantasy novel on Goodreads.com. The giveaway will open Sept. 7 and run through Sept. 15 at giveaway.blesstheskies.com.

Interested readers need only sign up for a free Goodreads account in order to enter the giveaway. The website will select two entrants at random to receive free, autographed paperbacks, shipped personally by the author within two weeks.

"I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate my birthday and my return from DragonCon!" Landry said. She expressed in a recent blog post that DragonCon has always been a valuable resource for her as an indie author. "I'm also hoping the winners will decide to review the book—every bit of attention helps!"

Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations, allowing users to track and rate books while networking with other readers and authors.

For more information or to purchase "Bless the Skies," visit blesstheskies.com.

New Release: 'Bless the Skies'

11/1/2015

Dark fantasy thriller explores 'struggle' with enemies, gods, selves

Julie Elise Landry, 26, has published her debut novel "Bless the Skies," a dark fantasy thriller she describes as "cruel."

"I have invented a world where the Clouds are worshiped as martyrs, the Sun is a demonic avenger and thieves and assassins fight the rich in an island country obsessed with its own mythos," said the author. "A cast of characters struggles with toxic relationships of all kinds—obsessive, destructive, jealous, dependent—and the reader follows their descent into an increasingly tragic stalemate. 'Bless the Skies' is about struggle—against our enemies, against our gods and against ourselves."

Landry wrote the first cursory draft of the novel over a decade ago as a freshman in high school, though she said the final product rejects her original opinions of some characters.

"The barest idea for this book came from the mind of a brooding teenage girl. As I grew, the core of the plot and the basic personalities of the characters remained unchanged, but my attitudes toward those characters and their actions transformed year after year, affecting the overarching frame and theme of the story," she said.

"Fortunately, my 14-year-old self wasn't given a vote in the final draft."

Landry said the novel centers around Laeli Tavens, a "skilled thief and murderer" who must "rescue her little sister Elaina from a sadistic nobleman." Throughout her journey, Laeli "clings to a well-crafted denial of her past," while Elaina "copes with brutalities and tortures she cannot understand."

Though she has already begun writing the sequel, Landry insists "Bless the Skies" could stand on its own. "The end is a bit severe," she said, "but the resolution asks something from the reader that my sequel will diminish, in a way. We'll see what people think."

"Bless the Skies" is available as an e-book through various online sellers and as a paperback through Amazon affiliate CreateSpace. Landry chose to self-publish rather than pursue traditional routes because she considers self-publishing a necessary first-step toward a career as an author.

"I want to know how much work it takes and where my weaknesses are as an individual," she said. "This way, if I ever attempt traditional publication, I'll better recognize my own limitations and blind spots. In the modern era, I think it's almost expected that aspiring authors will cut their teeth in self-publishing."

Landry graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish, and again in 2013 with a Master of Arts in English. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and graduated from Mount Carmel Academy in 2007. Her writing has been published in The Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle, the photography book Aftermath and the ULM News Center. She won two investigative reporting awards for her contributions to The News-Star, where she covered crime and safety.

For more information or to purchase "Bless the Skies," visit blesstheskies.com.

Forward>>

Bless the Skies: EPIC eBook Awards Finalist

Goodreads Giveaway

New Release: 'Bless the Skies'

Archives