Welcome!
You’ve done it. You’ve committed to the writing life. How are you feeling? Excited? Scared? Bored? Lonely? Us too. Welcome to the band—we’re delighted that you’ve decided to join us. We’re a bizarro group and legion, all of us utterly, fantastically, bewilderingly unique, except for one little idiosyncrasy: we all have stories screaming and punching and kicking inside of us that we need to wrestle into the world. There are many out there with the same constipation as us, but they may let it loose through interpretive dance or song or watercolours, or by yelling it into the faces of people in line for the bus. But not us. Not we. We’re the scribes, the men and women of letters. We adore specificity and nuance. We love the tranquility of words nestled on a page, the calm, rational, and quiet way they present themselves to our audience. Our hearts beat for that alchemic conversion of action and imagery and diaphanous emotion into the solidity of language. We’re the Hobbits of the storytelling tribe, and we don’t give a fig if you haven’t yet been paid for your writing. If you’ve managed to set a word down on a page and followed it, tentatively or resolutely with another, you’re one of us and you are welcome here. Make yourself comfortable and we’ll put the kettle on.
As a brand-new author, the first thing you need to be clear on is that all those concerns you have about what comes next and exactly how this whole writing puzzle works—samesies! We’re right there with you, in one way or another. This, like all great and worthy art forms, is a mentorship trade, like sculpture or carpentry. The longer you do it, the more sense it makes, and the more your lovely, unique, necessary voice rings out melodically to the readers who need to read that thing in that way at that precise time, and they will be grateful in ways none of us can hope to fathom. Delightfully, unlike most mentorship trades, our mentors are all around us: our bookshelves groan under their weight, our end tables disappear beneath them, our bathwater occasionally reshapes them for us.
Read and find inspiration
The all-time, number one, pin-it-to-the-top-of-your-list chunk of writing advice from anyone worth listening to will always be: Get your nose in as many books as possible. Find the authors who talk in the way you want to be talked to and ingest their work.
The second piece of advice toward becoming a better writer is—no surprises here—to write a whole bunch. It’s a close number two, but make no mistake, number two it is. It would be hard to build a nice house if you’ve never been inside of a nice house, no matter how many nails you’ve hammered into a board. However, in the wake of these bits of obviousness, the sea of writing advice starts to get a little choppy. What is revelatory for some from here on forward may be pure bilge for others. There is a freakish amount of writing advice out there to shovel up if you choose to dig for it. Give it all due consideration, but understand as you do that there is no specific method applied by another artist that is also exactly your method. This is the essence and provenance of art. If some “genius” advice doesn’t resonate with you, it ain’t your soup—chuck it and move on.
Celebrating the works of some of our talented authors during Black History Month
This February, we are honouring some of our talented Black authors in their contributions to the literary world! Spanning genres that range from business to children’s and religious to memoir, our authors have stories they have carefully and courageously shared with the world.
Lamar Jackson
I Dream, You Dream, Let Us Dream! was written to inspire children of all ages to never give up on their dreams. When accompanied by hard work, dedication, consistency, and faith, your dream can turn into your reality. Do not allow others to tell you that your dreams are impossible and can’t be done. Even if it’s never been done before, you’re just the one chosen to do it. Dream big, work hard, and live your reality! You can do it!
Get ready to escape reality and embark on a journey beyond the pages. Let the books you read transport you to different worlds filled with adventure, fantasy, fun, and magic. So if you want to immerse yourself in the power of imagination and discover the beauty of storytelling, we got you!
Now, curl up with a good book and let the magic begin with these amazing reads from our Tellwell authors offering their books for free for you to enjoy!
Searching for your next great story or activity to share with the kids?
Get ready for a wild ride filled with magic, adventure, and fun with this mesmerizing children’s book from our February book promo, My Magical Gnome Story Book by Monika Anna Blichar.
Magic is everywhere. You just have to believe. Follow Edy on his magical adventures into the human world while he tries to save the last Golden Believer left on earth. A magical adventure for young and old alike!
Step into a world of magic and adventure with these must-read fantasy fiction books! Start your journey today and discover the magic for yourself with the book The Secret of Alviton from L. V. Clark!
Alviton was a strong, prospering country full of light. The people worked side by side with the Fae, creatures blessed with magic. But that was before the war. Massive genocide and fear of the Fae touched everyone, as brother turned against brother. Years later, and still reeling from the war, the new generation has clawed and connived to remove the stains left by their predecessors. Sheltered from this reality, Nydia lives her life relatively happy and ignorant, surrounded by smoke and mirrors. But eventually glass shatters and smoke settles. As she struggles to unveil the truth about herself and the people around her, danger lies on the horizon, threatening to extinguish the small flicker of light in this dark and twisted country.
Up for your next favourite transformational journey?
Ready to take on another incredible transformational journey with this incredible self-help book? Here’s to personal growth, transformation, and becoming the best version of ourselves with Azim Jamal’s book Spark: Journey from Success to Significance.
In a world vigorously chasing classic ideals of success, find your spark and become significant. Your journey starts here. Meet Steve, a hotshot lawyer fighting to climb the corporate ladder in this inspiring fable. His life transforms seemingly overnight as he is sent to India for a task he considers pointless. But things quickly fall apart. Steve, forced to reconsider his path, realizes that the curveball life has thrown at him is an opportunity to find his true purpose. This spiritual odyssey is about to transform him beyond his wildest dreams. A powerful lesson follows each chapter, making up the SPARK that transforms Steve’s life: Selflessness, Purpose, Attraction, Resilience and Knowing. This SPARK is hidden within you too. It may be dormant now, but awakening to it will catapult you from the “Present You” to the “Best You.” It’s time to light up your SPARK today.
If reading more or supporting independent authors is part of your resolutions for this new year, we’ve got some great options to get you started!
Three of our authors are offering their books for free for you to enjoy! These promotions won’t last forever, so make sure to get your copy while you can.
Searching for your next favourite story?
This book promo features a variety of great books to lose yourself in, including My Magical Gnome Story Book by Tellwell author Monika Anna Blichar.
Magic is everywhere. You just have to believe. Follow Edy on his magical adventures into the human world while he tries to save the last Golden Believer left on earth. A magical adventure for young and old alike!
Looking for the perfect warm and fuzzy story to get you through these winter months? The Forever Heart by Diana Bolianaz is the perfect read to grab!
Liza is a beautiful nineteen-year-old girl who comes from a strict Mennonite background. She lives at home with her mother, brother, and domineering father. When Liza meets Melvin, a handsome young Black journalist, they fall madly in love. She has to keep the relationship a secret from her family because she knows her father would never approve. When Liza becomes pregnant, her world is turned upside down.
If you’re on the hunt for books to enjoy this holiday season, look no further!
Three of our authors are offering their books for free for you to enjoy! These promotions won’t last forever, so make sure to get your copy while you can.
Looking to change your life for the better in 2023?
This book promo includes a variety of books to help you improve your life, and perhaps cross some New Year’s resolutions off your list!
Featuring Tellwell author Dr. Haissam Dahan, and his book, Heal Your TMJ:
It’s that time of the year! We bet you are thrilled that Christmas is getting closer day by day. And to make the countdown more exciting, Tellwell is featuring 12 Books of Christmas to make this yuletide season even more festive!
A new Christmas tradition to bring the whole family together!
Featuring our first book for this holiday, Christmas Treasure Hunt, by Leslie Hoolaeff and Tyler Hoolaeff.
This book tells a charming story of Santa preparing to deliver a game on Christmas Day. Beyond the fun of the story, the heart of this book can truly help create a better, more memorable Christmas that is accessible to anyone.
A daily Christmas laugh for everyone in the family!
Here’s our second book for Christmas! 22 Christmas Without You, written by Christopher Ross.
22 Christmas Without You is the true story of a father and son separated for the first time at Christmas. Told in playful real time with elf rhymes, and illustrated with whimsical, warm-feeling art, a father remains close to his son leading up to the holidays.
Now for our third book of Christmas, The Christmas Adventure, written by Stephen James Moore.
Murgatroyd, a member of the elite M.I.N.U.T.E. (Mice International Network Unit Team Elite) tactical team, and his young cousin, Archimedes, set off on a Christmas Eve raid on the refrigerator. This annual yuletide caper had been meticulously planned earlier by senior mice, but, as the poet Robbie Burns once said, “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.”
Following the plan to the letter, Archimedes and Murgatroyd discover only fridge tracks. Horror of horrors: it’s been stolen! Join our intrepid adventurers on their quest to find the missing appliance and steal it back.
Through it all, one little mouse will need to stand tall to save Christmas—with a little help from Santa, of course.
Now for our fourth book! Enjoy reading Belle’s Christmas Surprise by Carrie Joy & Schafer Krause.
This story is written for the enjoyment of children, but also to intentionally create discussion and learning regarding the passage of time, traditions and the changes to living that time can bring. It is also meant as a picture book for families, libraries and classrooms to share.
• Stories provide important opportunities to bring history to life. Through stories, people share information, values and attitudes about history, culture and heritage.
• Stories provide learners with opportunities to understand the dynamics of people, cultures and places.
• Stories provide learning opportunities for children to value diversity, respect, dignity and equality among all people.
Featuring our fifth book, The True Meaning of Christmas, written by Jenna R Peters.
Freddy sets out to find the true meaning of Christmas, and why we celebrate this very special day each year. What exciting news will he discover? Will Freddy find the true joy that comes with the Christmas season?
Here’s our sixth book for Christmas! Have fun reading Joey’s Christmas, written by Samantha L. Douglas.
Joey the baby kangaroo is off on another grand Christmassy adventure! He and his mother, Mother Kangaroo, have never celebrated Christmas before, and Joey wants to find the best Christmas present for his mom. But what happens when his plan goes awry? Find out in this brand-new adventure of Joey, and how he looks for the perfect Christmas present. Will he find it?
Take a holiday with this twisted tale of Christmas!
You definitely don’t want to miss this unusual Christmas tale with our seventh book: Hel Takes a Holiday, written by Ryan L. Canning.
Something unusual is going on in Santa’s village: the naughty and nice lists are being tampered with, and Santa seems to have more secrets than usual. Hel, the ruler of Helheim, master of Krampus and Death itself, sends a spy to Kris Kringle’s snowy home to uncover the scheme robbing her of souls to torture. When the Queen of the Underworld discovers the dark deceit unfolding at the North Pole, she puts Santa on her own naughty list—not a good place to be! Unleashing her battalions of demons for a Krampusnacht no one will ever forget, she rejoins a war that stretches back thousands of years. However, nothing is as it seems in these lands of myth and magic, and there may be an even greater villain hiding in the shadows. As December 25 draws near, will the truth be revealed, or will Christmas be cancelled forever?
More Christmas fun with our eighth book: Christmas: Christmas Stories, written by Pamela Rose Rasmussen.
This book is children’s fiction stories about Christmas, with lots of fun along the way. It’s all about the love others show and enjoy at Christmastime. There are three stories in this book of fun and happiness.
Featuring our ninth book of Christmas: Josie the Christmas Saving Cat, written by Chris Quigley.
What has a three-legged cat, a pack of crazy dogs, sick reindeer, amazing illustrations, a message for kids of all ages and takes place in the North Pole at Santa and Mrs. Claus’s home? This book, so give it a read!
An adventure that brings out the light of the holiday season!
More exciting Christmas escapades with our tenth Christmas book, Santa’s Very Own Christmas Tree, written by Steven Prince.
This is a story about a boy named Belcher who lives in a cabin in the far north. He’s just finished reading a book about trees and has learned that they can’t grow at the North Pole because it’s far too cold. This fact makes him curious to know if Santa Claus has a Christmas tree at his toy workshop. It’s almost Christmas Eve when he decides to visit Santa to find out the answer to his question. Follow Belcher on his adventure and meet his new friends, Snort the helpful brown bear and a lonely little tree named Sprucie.
Featuring our eleventh Christmas tale, The Tiny Angel: A Christmas Story, written by John and Julia Stirling.
The Tiny Angel begins her journey at the gates of heaven where she meets the Greeting Angel. The Tiny Angel soon finds out that all new angels are asked to study and practice their heavenly skills before they can become special angels and receive their wings. Over time the Tiny Angel’s friends were growing taller, which made her feel different and sad. Would she ever learn enough, know enough and sing well enough to be accepted as a Special Angel and receive her wings? As time goes by, she discovers there is a purpose for all in heaven and her own destiny becomes clear.
We’re finishing up with vibrant colours and creativity in our twelfth Christmas Book, Joy and Jesus: Learn About the Bible Through Coloring and Activities, written by Davia Boston.
This activity book is designed to help young children discover their God-given joy through biblical stories, positive affirmations, crossword puzzles, word searches, and colouring sheets. This twenty-page book encourages the youth to feed their spirit and dive into their creativity and self-expression.
Our book-marketing team is made up of skilled professionals who are passionate about helping authors showcase their projects through a variety of personalized services, ranging from bespoke marketing strategies and attention-grabbing press releases to engaging social media content and graphic-design assistance. We chatted with Ben St. James to learn more about how he serves his authors and what he enjoys most about the work he produces.
What inspired you to join the Tellwell team as a book marketer?
It seemed like a great fit. I had been working with indie artists and authors and wanted to do more of that! The timing was incredible, as I had just returned to Canada and finished up a contract that required similar competencies.
What do you enjoy the most about your work with Tellwell?
I enjoy the variety of activities I get to be involved in. It’s rewarding working with such a great group of people and collaborating on projects for the blog and newsletter, certain marketing activities that require a team effort, and one-on-one work with our talented authors. Because we work with so many unique authors, no duties are ever quite the same—it’s always new.
Through a brave story of reflection, trauma healing, and heroism, one author blazes a trail toward better communication
November 15, 2022 / by Ben Graham
This month we celebrate Blaise Hunter, an engaging and insightful author who has turned adversity into empathy and grown as a writer and leader. More than an author, Blaise is also an international speaker, podcast host, copywriter, fertility expert, and certified human rights advocate. A breaker of chains, she tackles the realities of issues women face, from low confidence and lack of identity to social injustices. In 2020 she won the Influencer Award at the Canadian Women of Inspiration Awards.
I am continually birthing my purpose. It is my vision to see others fulfill their dreams as well. – Blaise Hunter
What inspired you to write Captain Communicator?
In all honesty, the meaning behind my work is to stay alive. I wrote this book because I refuse to wither and die emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Disease, miscarriages, trauma, pain, and heartache don’t define me. By reconnecting the communication portals, I starve a rare autoimmune condition and inject healing into my inner and outer world. My book is a deliberate provocation to trigger us forward. Communication is connection. We must connect to the nemesis and let it propel us into growth. We can all relate to experiencing trauma, miscommunication, conflict, and illnesses. My vision was to take the reader along my healing journey and inspire others to heal the dis-ease in their lives by exploring various aspects of communication. Captain Communicator demonstrates the importance of being hungry and desperate to live. Benjamin Franklin is attributed with saying, “Most people die at twenty-five and don’t get buried until seventy-five.” Emotionally not dying is the key to my not dying physically. The words in this book are my battle cry. Vulnerability, humility, courage, and a relentless spirit provoke connection.
Captain Communicator is your second book. As an author, what type of growth did you experience between the first and second book?
Great question. I see exponential growth in my writing skills and confidence with this book. We all began somewhere, and I loved my raw, blind ambition with Heroine: Embrace Your Flaws & Own Your Awesome, but with experience comes wisdom. I have acquired many tools and strategies but saw the most growth with my actual execution of the book launch. Knowing what I want and advocating for the vision to be birthed indicates a blossoming. I also challenged myself to be even braver with my words and vulnerability. Heroine was a courageous step forward in discovering freedom and power. Captain Communicator highlights a woman who has come into her own and is the hero of her story. She still has giants in her life, but she co-exists with them like a true protagonist. I am proud of each stage and how they’ve shaped me into a seasoned writer.
Looking for more books to enjoy this November? We got you!
Two Tellwell authors are offering their books for free! They are participating in group promotions that include many other free titles. Promotions expire soon, so if one catches your eye, check it out!
Searching for your next transformational book?
This book promo includes a selection of 45 powerful books specifically designed to enhance your life.
Featuring Tellwell author Mike Ellis’s Guided Teachings from Spirit . . .
A spirit guide. Love is the answer. Love is the be-all. Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. These are a few of the words I had written down the morning after a trusted medium told me to buy a notebook and write down the very first thing that came to me. Okay, but these didn’t sound like things I would say. Was it really my spirit guide? I had doubts, and those doubts would stay with me over the next several months as I continued this daily ritual. Eventually, I accepted the fact that this was spirit communication. This was a guide, and there would be two more to follow in the coming years. This has now become a daily routine after my morning meditation: sitting and writing what comes through me. It is indeed a deep communication with a close friend and confidant. In the course of all of this, there would be so much more. How I improved and strengthened my mediumship abilities, how the Universe opened to me in so many ways, and how my personal life changed for the better. Do you think this is something you would be interested in trying? If I can do it, so can you. Follow my progress from my initial misgivings to my introduction to a whole new world. My first book, Guided Messages from the Other Side, narrated my introduction to mediumship and metaphysics, which spiritually altered the way I continue with my life. This, my second offering, chronicles my further explorations into amazing dimensions and realms, all supported by loving guidance from those on the other side.
Look no further! This new must-read will be a good book to add to your collection of enthralling stories.
Featuring Tellwell author Keith A Hamilton’s Nine Bear Lodge . . .
The beautiful Bella Coola Valley in British Columbia provides a dramatic backdrop in a story of two men who crossed paths years before, who meet again by chance. Taking his family on a bucket list vacation, a former smuggler confronts the former policeman who had arrested and tortured him many years before. The family enjoys the luxury setting and the variety of activities provided by the Nine Bear Lodge, while the two men come to grips with their shared past. Will one man take the ultimate revenge, or will they both find a path to redemption and reconciliation?
Make sure to check out Unhallowed, written by James D Thorn.
For young detective Ozwald Shields, becoming a police detective was all that he had ever dreamed about from the time he was very young. Nothing could prepare him or his veteran partner, Terry White, for the journey they were about to embark on with the discovery of their first victim in a string of gruesome and horrific murders that were about to occur.
Join these detectives on their spine-chilling journey on the hunt for such a dangerous and sadistic killer. Will they catch and stop this murderer in time? Immerse yourself in the story of Unhallowed as this first time author, James D. Thorn, takes you on an intense tour throughout the neighborhoods of Boston to find out.
Looking for your next story to read by the campfire?
Make sure to check out In BlackBurn Hamlet: Mommaletti’s Ghost, by Paul Toffanello.
The story of Mommaletti’s Ghost is about a man who becomes a ghost outside of Nonno’s Pasta Shop and thinks he wants a serving of spaghetti. If he doesn’t get it, he chases little kids to their homes, and they had better make him some pasta, or else!
If you’re into a captivating tale from the past . . .
. . . take a look at Plenty to Hide by Moira Leigh MacLeod.
It’s 1948, and Mabel is happily juggling the demands of being a wife, a mother and the owner of the town’s most popular bakery. Life is full and good.There is a wedding in the offing and plans for a special homecoming, but things quickly begin to unravel.
A violent attack, a tragic accident, dirty politics and a shocking secret that forces Mabel to confront a troubling moral dilemma, combine to create a page-turning narrative that is, at times, playful and fun; at others, shocking and sad. As she did in her debut novel, The Bread Maker, and in its sequel, Or So It Seemed, MacLeod’s latest work grips readers with its surprising twists, colourful characters, powerful imagery and rich dialogue. Readers will feel as if they stepped into a bygone era, eavesdropping on the lives of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. A beautiful story about love, loss, deception and depravity, Plenty to Hide will keep you guessing what’s next for Mabel and the unforgettable cast of characters who come to life on the pages of this rich and moving tale.
Make sure to check out In a Raven’s Shadow, by Peter Browning.
Torment is a terrible thing; it festers and consumes and is nurtured by each ugly experience. The teacher is a product of his past—left embittered by events best forgotten. He is a loner, avoiding any social contact that might inflict pain or distress. His classroom is his refuge, an island of solace, a place where he can embrace the innocence and kindness missing in the outside world. When one of his favorite students suffers a gruesome death, he reaches a breaking point. But will a new dark path destroy him?
‘The raven gave a loud caw, flapped his wings and took to the air . . . this was an invocation impossible to ignore.’
The year is 2032. The current state of the world makes the pandemic of 2020 look like it was nothing. Mankind needs the help of Gloria Stevens, the world’s most renowned psychic.
A collective of psychics appoint one man, Richard Matheson to seek her help. As he looks deep into her life in Kitchener in the 1970’s, he learns a lot more than he bargained for.
