October 2022 Monthly Newsletter

Hello everyone! Welcome to our FIRST ever official newsletter! (earlier one doesn't count 😉) The general outline will be: any book features, current events, updates on our projects, and writing inspiration tidbits. We'll play around with the format here and there to see what works best so please do not hesitate to send suggestions for improvement or things you'd like to see!

Book Feature

https://buy.bookfunnel.com/pymxki95p3?tid=xemxud0m2b

This author was gracious enough to feature Manju's Kerala Christmas on her newsletter so we are returning the favor! It's about a princess who overcomes obstacles in recovering the lost jewel of her kingdom. We love how the story features a strong girl as the main character!

Current Events

Justin traveled up to New Haven, Connecticut for an electric car show as part of National Drive Electric Week on the weekend of September 24th. Bringing our 2008 Tesla Roadster to shows always invites quite the crowd, so why not use it as a branding opportunity? And that we did. Along with displaying our books on top of the PEM (Power Electronics Module—the brain of the car) we also had QR codes that linked to each book's individual Amazon page as well as links to our social media pages. People really loved the setup and some even bought copies on the spot!

New Haven was also such a cool city that is definitely due for a revisit. The food alone was fantastic!

Our Story

Since this is our first major newsletter, it's probably best to explain who we are and what led us down this path. Justin is a hospital pharmacist and Ashley is a speech therapist. Working on the frontlines during COVID-19 brought on many challenges both professionally and personally. Seeing the destruction this virus was unleashing on humanity was terrifying, even more so as parents to a child born with congenital heart defects.

Our son Elliot has had two heart surgeries, one in January 2019 at just four months old and the second in July 2021 just shy of his third birthday. Both surgeries tested us beyond what we thought we were capable of handling. But thankfully through the support of family, friends, and an amazing medical team, Elliot should now be fine for the rest of his life.

In giving everything as healthcare workers and parents, both of us were physically, mentally, and emotionally burnt out. After returning to work in September 2021, we both thought hard on the fragility of life and wanting to build something bigger—to leave a legacy behind.

The following month, we both tended our resignation letters and took Elliot and Twyla (not even a year old yet!) on the road and embarked on a month long journey from New York down to Florida and back. It was one of the most exhilarating and ambitious vacations ever taken—alongside the historic Omicron COVID surge. Thankfully no one seemed to get sick, thanks in part due to the reliance on masking indoors, outdoor dining, luck, and good ol' social distancing.

After returning, Elli Twy Publishing was born, aptly named after our two monkeys. The original logo has been repurposed for the children's side, Elli Twy Kids. James Marsh, the artist responsible for all the Talk Talk album covers, designed the main logo, which features the same butterfly motif. If you look closely, you'll see a pen in the body of it.

Updates

In line with how crazy the last few years of their lives have been, Justin has been working on a memoir titled, Shades of Resilience. Between heart surgeries, COVID, and the birth of their daughter, Twyla, it will hopefully resonate with readers in these uncertain times and provide inspiration. James Marsh designed the book artwork so be on the lookout for the cover reveal when the time comes!

Ashley has been working the "Heart Warrior" poem/artwork book, a collection of poems based on Elliot's health journey. She's a way better writer than Justin is (it helps to be an English major) and we are excited to see the project come to fruition. Ashley has written most of the poems so the next step is finding an artist to bring them to life with vivid illustrations.

Writing Inspiration

God Save the Animals, the latest album by Alex G, has been a great source of creative fuel for our projects!

It's the perfect album to bring in the fall weather—a careful balance of melancholy and inward reflection. Alex paints a wonderful soundscape that instantly sweeps you away into a world of sonic daydreams. The limited edition vinyl is also super cool.

Well that marks the end of this month's newsletter! As always, please follow us on our Instagram pages (@ellitwypublishing) (@2outrun7) and visit www.ellitwy.com to check out our books! Send any comments/suggestions so we can continue to improve!

Happy Writing,

Elli Twy Publishing