NOW AVAILABLE - In the Hills Above the Gristmill

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Writings

COMING SOON! Here you will find lists and snippets of the writing.

Howdy!

So who am I? What a weird question. I spend so much time thinking about everything else, and analyzing everyone else (as part of my profession) that I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to myself. So when I am asked to write a bio for our new company website, or for a talk I am to give, or for a piece on the news, I clam up. I hate talking about myself. I hate even more talking about myself in the third person! Sure, I thought about doing the whole “Kalvin Ellis is a man who blah blah blah,” but I just couldn’t do it. Yes, the book jacket will likely have that, but I think it is easier to scare away readers with brevity on the back of a book than it is here. At least I hope so. Crap. Kalvin will be more careful about making assumptions about what his readers will and will not tolerate.

It is really, really hard to talk about the “good” things I have done. I feel like I can always be doing better. But for the sake of getting to know me here is an Q&A that I asked some friends to put together. I said “Hey everyone, I need a bio for my new author website, what would you want to know about me if you didn’t know me? This will be in the form of a Q&A so ask the question the way you would want it answered.” So here it is.

Q&A for Kalvin Ellis brought to you by people who know me best. I’m sorry if my answers aren’t what you were hoping for.

What kinds of influences does your family play into how or what you write?

Are we talking about my immediate family as in my children and my significant other? Or are we talking about my large number of siblings? My siblings and parents had a big impact just by the nature of how we grew up. It was rough. My kids and SO influence me because I always wonder if they will like what I wrote. I always hope they do.

What kind of impact do you wish your writing will have on your readers?

Depends on what I am writing. The overarching goal is that they are entertained. When writing fiction I want them to laugh, cry, or feel scared (at the appropriate times). For nonfiction, I want to educate, enlighten, or inspire.

What other creative mediums do you explore and do these influence your writing?

I am into filmmaking, photography, and storytelling (I created and hosted a ghost tour for 17 or so years). These things inspire my writing a lot. They give me different ways to see the world. A different perspective always helps to influence writing.

Who would you like to star in In the Hills Above the Gristmill if it was made into a movie?

The folks I’d like to star change, but what doesn’t, and what I think is more interesting, is who I’d like to produce it. I would love for Gale Anne Hurd to oversee it. If you know who she is, and you’ve read my book, then you know why.

What inspires you?

In life or in writing? In life it is kindness. I love seeing people doing good things. In writing I am inspired by pain. Every story I write has an element of pain and loss at the heart of it.

What was the first story you remember falling in love with?

There are two that I read right about the same time. IT by Stephen King and Maniac Maghee by Jerry Spinelli. I was very young (too young for Stephen King) and I read the books and saw myself in the characters of Bill and Maniac. I felt like I could be a hero like them. I was 8-10 years old.

How many jobs have you had, and what’s the most memorable thing that’s ever happened to you on the job?

Whoa, what a question! I have had a lot of jobs, but only a few careers. I had to work a lot of second and third jobs to support my family. The most memorable thing that has ever happened to me at work is falling in love with someone. Had nothing to do with work. Oh, and one time I was providing BB King with personal protection and I saved him from getting hit in the face with something, and I got hit with it instead. It was someone’s cremated remains. They got in my mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. It was not pleasant. He had jokes.

How old were you when you first started telling stories?

I first remember telling stories to kids in elementary school. I watched a lot of horror, but they weren’t allowed to, so I would incorporate elements of the movies into stories that involved my friends and it would scare and entertain them.

What in your background has pulled you to tell stories?

This is a loaded question right here. Life was very turbulent, and when you experience the sorts of things my family has you look for an outlet. Writing was mine.

Are their people you return to and appear in your writing over and over?

Oh yes, very much so. Most of my stories exist in the same universe. The main character from In the Hills Above the Gristmill, Paisley Mott, is lined up to have a series of books as well as appear in a few stories that are not hers.

Where do you feel most creative?

At my old job. That sounds weird, but since I spent 17 years there working a lot of overnights, and experiencing some very weird things, a lot of my stories were born in the wee hours of the night there.

When do you feel most creative?

When I am alone locked away somewhere.

How much time do you spend on revisions?

A lot more than I probably should. I end up rewriting large chunks of plot because I get some weird inspiration. I should just save the idea for the next story, but instead I disect the story and try to implant something.

What was your favorite book to read to your children?

Tough question! All three of them were different and the favorite was dependent on their ages. For instance my oldest daughter loved a book called Baby Angles when she was very little. I loved reading it to her because it was her favorite and it made her endlessly happy. She memorized it and it actually helped to teach her to read at a very young age. And that love of reading has continued.

Do you have a book that you love to give as a gift?

I have a few. I love giving Ready Player One by Ernest Cline as a gift to friends who don’t like to read. I like have give Start With Why by Simon Sinek to friends who feel a little lost. And I have given The Gunslinger by Stephen King to about a million people in hopes that they will start the series and love it the way I do.

What's your bucket list vacation?

Well I think I had that a few years ago when my family went to the Oregon coast. There are so many moments from that trip that will be forever cemented in my heart. Driving through the desert with the windows down and the music up. Laughing at my kids playing on a tiny boat. There was nowhere in the entire world I would have rather been. It isn’t a bucket list item because I should do it before I kick the bucket. It was a bucket list item because for that week my bucket was overflowing.

What's your favorite board game?

At the moment, probably Betrayal at House on the Hill. Story heavy, intense, horror themed, and you are cooperative… until you aren’t. A board game with a twist.

Lois, what's the deal with you and Superman, anyway?

I love this question. It was asked because I am obsessed with Superman. Not in the way that I think I am him, but in the way that I want to be him. Like the Iron Giant. “ I am not a gun.” “You are who you choose to be.” I choose to be like Superman.

Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Minnesota but moved to Colorado when I was a month or two old. I grew up in a few places in Colorado including Central City, Northglenn, and Montbello.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Kind. Creative. Sad.

If you could be a book, which one would it be?

If I was a book I think I would be Maniac Maghee. But if I could choose to be any book I think I would be A blank journal. A place to inspire creativity and excitement. A place you could draw a picture, write lyrics to a song, plan a business, or just write about your life and tell your story. Oh that doesn’t count? Too bad.

How would you describe your book/brand/writing style in 3 words?

Dark. Sad. Fun.

What authors have been your biggest influence?

There are two Steves. One in his writing and one in my life. Stephen King through his writing. Reading IT was the very first time I felt like someone understood what I was going through. Then in real life it is Steven T. Seagle took the time to show compassion and has been a mentor and a friend that is directly responsible for me continuing to write. He is also an amazing writer.

What is your favorite word, and why?

Hope. You are driven by one of two things, hope or fear, I choose hope.

Pineapple on pizza; yes or no?

Yep. One of my favorite toppings! You put that on a pie with pepperoni or sausage, green peppers, onions, and jalapeno and I am all in.

Can you spell "cinnamon" on your first try?

Nope! Spelling is my Achilles Heel.

What would you do for a Klondike Bar?

I would do anything for a Klondike Bar, but I won’t do that.

If you had cat allergies, would you still own a cat?

Nope. But I would own a dog if I had dog allergies.

What is your meaning of life?

Love, man, love. None of this is worth it if you don’t have love. It doesn’t have to be love for another person, but you have to love something. Love books. Love movies. Love boardgames. Love helping people. Love something. But if you can, love people.

What was the pivotal point that made you who you are today?

It wasn’t just one point, it was a series of unfortunate events. Not the books. If I had to pinpoint a single moment that changed the trajectory of my life was watching my little brother drown in front of me at four years old. Everything changed then. The way I thought changed then. Reflecting on that has changed me. Then going through a really tough life following that reassured me that I had to be who I was. And I choose to be this person every single day.

As a kid growing up in a tough situation, what and why have you succeeded when others have not?

Looking for the good people made all the difference in the world to me. Watching heroes on tv, like Superman and Mister Rogers, made me want to be better than my situation. Then I would find people in real life that shared those values and wanted to help people. I am lucky enough to have found a few, and they inspired me.

That’s it. That is a bit about who I am. If you have a question to add to the FAQ just send it via the contact form, or via social media and I will try and answer it. Thanks for being here. I appreciate you, I really do.