While Brian was off doing busy important superstar stuff, Ella sat down with Coffee, Books, & My Kindle!
Hi Ellamara! Welcome to Coffee, Books & My Kindle, it’s an
honor having you today.
Thank you for having me. I’m glad to be
here.
Since your love story with the handsome Brian Oliver hit the
news, you have been in the spotlight a lot… How are you feeling about that? Are
you more comfortable with everything going around?
The fame has been a big adjustment, but
Brian’s really gotten me through it. It’s not my favorite thing but it’s worth
our relationship. I don’t know that I’m more comfortable with the horrible
things being said about me as much as I’ve just gotten better at ignoring it
all. Plus, I’ve been able to use the experience to start helping others by
speaking to groups about my experiences, so it’s worth it.
I know your tragic accident was very hard for you. You lost your
mother, spent eight months in a hospital, had thirty-seven surgeries in a year,
and your recovery wasn’t easy, but now you’re in a better place, right? What
would you say to other people, teenagers, or young kids who are living a
similar case?
I am definitely in a much better place
than I was. I think the most important thing I could tell anyone, no matter
what their specific struggles are, is to be brave and let people help you. It’s
hard to admit sometimes where we’re having trouble, and we don’t want to be
judged for our weaknesses. But there are things we can’t recover from alone,
and we shouldn’t have to. My therapist said it a million times: you need a
support system. Find the people who love you, and let them help you. Ask for
help, and let them be there for you. It’s scary, but it will help you heal.
What’s going on with your stepfamily?
Same old, same old, I guess. Things get
a little better with them every day. Nobody can expect miracles over night, but
now that we’re all making sincere efforts, I’m sure we’ll feel like family soon
enough.
I was researching about you and obviously found your blog,
pretty interesting by the way and there was a post about your recently
recovering path and the conversation with your dad, so my question is how did
you feel when you had the counseling session with your dad, and how both of you
are dealing with your relationship?
I have mixed emotions about my father.
When he finally broke down and told me his story, I was heartbroken for both
myself and him. I’m angry, but I’m also hopeful. And now that I understand him
better, I’m working on letting go of my resentment. We’re slowly building a
relationship. It’s awkward sometimes, but I can see that he loves me, and even
though we still have our issues, I do love him too, and I’m grateful to have
him back in my life.
Tell us a little about your beginnings on the blogosphere? What
motivated you start a blog?
I wanted free books! LOL. I’m a big
reader. I love it. I used to follow a lot of blogs and every time someone would
post about having a shiny new arc of a book I still had to wait months to read,
I was green with envy. I also couldn’t afford to pay for my reading habit. So I
started a blog in hopes that I could build up a following large enough that
publishers would send me books. I had no idea that I’d love it so much, but
after the first month or so I was hooked on blogging!
Did you remember your first post?
Yeah, I do, even though it wasn’t all
that exciting. I started with a book review about The Cinder Chronicles. It
wasn’t the blog post that Brian found and emailed me about. That came much
later. When I first started I only posted basic book reviews. It took me a
while to learn how to post on other topics. So my first few posts weren’t as
creative as the ones I do now. I hadn’t found my groove yet.
Are you ready for a few flash Q&A? Take a breath and go
Favorite contemporary author? Simone
Elkeles. Her Rules of Attraction series is amazing!
Your top 5 all time favorite books includes…? The Cinder Chronicles books 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5! ;)
Best moment as blogger?
The moment Brian Oliver tweeted about my
review of his movie The Long Road Home. At the time I still didn’t know who he
was, so I thought it was random, and that the worlds biggest celebrity had
found my review and liked it. That, or getting to interview L.P. Morgan and
Jason Cohen about The Druid Prince at FantasyCon. That video interview is still
my most popular post on my blog!
Curling with a good book or movie night?
Tough call. Depends on the book and the
move. I enjoy both activities equally. If Brian’s reading to me I used to
always pick that over anything, but now that we’ve met in person, snuggling up
with him on the couch in front of a movie is pretty fantastic too.
Cinder or Brian?
Now, see, that’s the brilliance of
those two. They are one in the same so I don’t have to choose. I get to have my
cake and eat it too!
What was the third object you left at the café?
Hmm, well, I left my book, my gloves,
and my walking staff. Though, I did manage to get home with my staff that
night. If you want to get metaphorical, I also left my old life in that café
that night, because once I left, nothing was ever the same.
Done!
Oh this was so fun but time is over. Do you want to say goodbye
to your fans and readers?
Thanks for having me. I’m glad I could
stop by and share a little bit of myself with you. And I just want to say thank
you to all of my fans and readers. They’ve been a huge support to me, and they
definitely make life interesting! Never stop reading!
All the best with your plans and say hello to Brian please!
I will, thanks!
