Since this show involves both work me and writing me, the interview is attributed to my full name. We will pretend it’s E. M. Williams as usual. My pseudonym is more about being intentional regarding which part of my life I’m speaking to than an attempt to conceal my gender or create iron-clad anonymity, but that’s a whole other discussion.

The episode originally aired on August 14 and runs for about 40 minutes. Here’s where you can listen:

• Apple
• Spotify
• Amazon Music

On Learning with Lerner, Lindsey interviews unconventional leaders who have blazed trails in a variety of ways. Her goal is to challenge norms, explore unique journeys, and ignite personal growth for the show’s audience.

Lindsey and I connected on email after I heard Johnathan and Melissa Nightingale on her podcast earlier in the year. I enjoyed Lindsey’s interviewing style so much that pitching my own story was the next logical step.

We ended up having a great conversation about leadership, mentorship, learning how to do hard things by doing them before you feel ready, crowdfunding, launching a consultancy, cracking my own creative productivity code to write Chaos Calling, and why I don’t think you have to suffer to make art.

Who is this conversation for?

Anyone pursuing an unconventional path who wants to hear more from people with similar ambitions in adjacent fields.

Topics we covered on the Learning with Lerner Podcast

• 1:55 — Living in Toronto and a bit about my family history, along with my childhood desire to write
• 3:00 — Integrating creativity without bankrupting your existence; the myth of artistic suffering; Big Magic
• 9:50 — How I cracked the secret to figuring out my creative productivity process; the ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ story; Chaos Calling’s origins in movement and Wattpad
• 16:40 — Being a woman in a field dominated by men; working in tech and academia; how those experiences informed Dave Montcalm’s and Jason Lin’s storylines; using commuting and consulting to make art
• 24:00 — What my typical day looks like now
• 25:20 — Changes in technology and research across my working life
• 26:50 — Mentorship’s role in my career and why I believe in giving back; working with Growclass
• 28:00 — How crowdfunding helped me develop the skills to launch a self-published book
• 32:00 — I pitch Chaos Calling to Lindsey’s listeners
• 33:35 — My career advice on how to go rogue and work for yourself
• 35:45 — Telling people what you do when you have multiple career pursuits; being comfortable with self promotion
• 37:00 — Best and worst career advice I ever got; inspiration is super weird

For more, you can follow Lindsey and the Learning with Lerner podcast:

• Instagram: @lindseylerner
• LinkedIn: Lindsey Lerner

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TORONTO (June 27, 2022) — E. M. Williams has published Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle on Amazon as a paperback.

Set in contemporary Toronto, the series juxtaposes modern-day careers and parenthood demands with the dynamic action of a superhero film. In keeping with that choice, Chaos Calling‘s diverse cast also features adults in their mid-30s with superhero-like powers.

“I’m a long-time fan of superhero stories,” says Williams. “Toronto is a popular place to film all kinds of movies and TV shows. But, few fantasy and science fiction stories are set here. I was excited to tell a story where Toronto could be itself.”

Chaos Calling features many recognizable Toronto locations, including the SkyDome, Queen’s Park, the Stockyards, MaRS Discovery District, and Montecito Restaurant.

“My characters’ careers reflect my experiences working in healthcare and startups,” says Williams. “I’ve lived in Toronto all of my adult life, and it was important to me to create a cast of characters who reflect the wonderful people I’ve met here.”

Chaos Calling‘s paperback edition named a #1 Hot New Release

Like the Chaos Calling ebook edition, the paperback edition also charted on Amazon’s Hot New Release list. It held the #1 position in Contemporary Fantasy on June 29 and 30, 2022. The book continues to rank strongly in the category.

Chaos Calling’s paperback edition also climbed the bestseller list in contemporary fantasy, achieving a #12 ranking alongside genre classics such as Harry Potter and newer releases, such as Holly Black’s Book of Night, Naomi Novik’s Scholomance Series, and Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six.

“I’ve been reading authors like Naomi Novik, N. K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood for years,” says Williams. “It’s a thrill to see my book listed alongside work of theirs and other peers in this genre every time it happens.”

Read more about the novel’s early sales success.

Balancing work and writing life

Beginning in 2014, Williams wrote three drafts of Chaos Calling using the Wattpad app while riding the TTC. She finished the novel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the project, she worked with 26 beta readers, two sensitivity readers, an editor, a copywriter, and a proofreader.

Williams also collaborated with several Toronto designers to create a strong reading experience. For example, she worked with illustrator Helen He to visualize the series villains. Designer Wesley Lyn used He’s sketches to create the book cover for Chaos Calling and design the series brand.

“So many people encouraged me along this journey,” says Williams. “I’m excited to share this novel and help it find readers while I work on the sequels.”

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TORONTO (May 31, 2022) — Today, E. M. Williams publishes Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle on Amazon as an ebook.

Set in contemporary Toronto, the series juxtaposes modern-day careers and parenthood demands with the dynamic action of a superhero film. 

Consequently, Chaos Calling‘s diverse cast also features adults in their mid-30s with superhero-like powers.

“I’m a long-time fan of superhero stories,” says Williams. “Toronto is a popular place to film all kinds of movies and TV shows. But, few fantasy and science fiction stories are set here. I was excited to tell a story where Toronto could be itself.”

Chaos Calling features many recognizable Toronto locations, including the SkyDome, Queen’s Park, the Stockyards, MaRS Discovery District, and Montecito Restaurant.

“My characters’ careers reflect my experiences working in healthcare and startups,” says Williams. “I’ve lived in Toronto all of my adult life, and it was important to me to create a cast of characters who reflect the wonderful people I’ve met here.”

Chaos Calling named a Hot New Release in contemporary fantasy

In April 2022, preorders for the Chaos Calling ebook launched on Amazon. It was named a Hot New Release in contemporary fantasy, and remained in the Top 80 until launch.

Readers can also experience the ebook through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Program. It allows subscribers to read an unlimited number of books for a set fee. The trade paperback edition is forthcoming in June.  

Beginning in 2014, Williams wrote three drafts of Chaos Calling using the Wattpad app while riding the TTC. She finished the novel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the project, she worked with 26 beta readers, two sensitivity readers, an editor, a copywriter, and a proofreader.

Williams collaborated with several Toronto designers to create a strong reading experience. For example, she worked with illustrator Helen He to visualize the series villains. Designer Wesley Lyn used He’s sketches to create the book cover for Chaos Calling and design the series brand.

“So many people encouraged me along this journey,” says Williams. “I’m excited to share this novel and help it find readers.”

The post E. M. Williams publishes Chaos Calling ebook appeared first on E.M. Williams - Fantasy Author.

Every time this date rolls around, I wish a friend of mine a happy birthday. Usually that same morning, I wonder how the whole Star Wars thing started for George Lucas.

Was there a shred of inspiration that caught him by the throat and didn’t let go?

If so, I can relate.

Was it more like a slow unfolding? In interviews, Lucas’ official original story for Star Wars sites a collaboration with a friend and a desire to write an upbeat, inspiring space opera for teenage boys.

I believe that story. But I also know how easily the raw writing experience gets written over with editing and marketing narratives.

I still remember how mine happened, but after seven years, the details are blurrier than they used to be.

That’s why it’s so important to find story totems that connect you to the mood of a piece. And this trailer for the eighth Star Wars movie has been one I returned to time and again.

May the Fourth Be With You: Core Inspiration

As my publication date for Chaos Calling got closer and the project moved from manuscript preparation and into production, I found myself listening to that first 30-second clip of Rey speaking over and over.

I’ve carried this story inside me for a long, long time. The jobs I had and the person I was at the start of this journey do sometimes feel like they took place in a galaxy far, far away.

But the hour approaches. And this novel is finally waking to its life as a public document outside my control.

TikTok, however, is all about the remix. So here’s my homage to The Last Jedi and a few of the many Toronto locations in my book.

@emwilliamscanada A long long time ago, I dreamt about putting these Toronto locations into a fantasy action novel. #fantasybooks #maythe4th #maythe4thbewithyou #fantasyauthortok #indieauthor #indieauthorsoftiktok #newbooks #selfpublishedauthor ♬ original sound – E. M. Williams

It’s been a long road, but we’re only four weeks way now. If you’re a Kindle reader, you can pre-order your copy of Chaos Calling as an ebook on Amazon now.

And to all the fantasy fans out there: May the Fourth Be With You.

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