ELAINE DODGE
  • HOME
  • BOOKS
    • Harcourt's Mountain Excerpt
    • Harcourt's Mountain Excerpt - First Impressions
    • Harcourt's Mountain Radio Interview - with 1st Chapter read by Elaine Dodge
    • The Device Hunter Excerpt - The Wheel House
    • The Device Hunter Excerpt - Chiller
  • Blog
    • Second Chances
  • Award Stories
    • Award Winner - Harcourt's Mountain
    • Award Winner - That One Night
  • Short Stories
  • Read ME Ink Books
  • IN PROGRESS
  • CONTACT ME
  • Other Authors
    • Charlene Raddon
    • Author Interview - Christy Nicholas
    • Guest Blog Cynthia Woolf
    • Valentine's Day Guest
    • Inge Saunders Blog
    • Maya Tyler
    • Guest Blog MK McClintock
    • Susanne Schemper Guest Blog
    • Sue Coletta talks writing, murder and a crow named Poe
    • WF Ranew

A gripping tale... great depth and mastery...  very enjoyable read... a roller coaster of emotions... an epic depiction of the author’s ability to deliver a colorful piece of literary work." - InD'Tale Magazine
"A genuine masterpiece!" - Robert Groess on 'Heart of the Mountain'. The long-awaited sequel to 'Harcourt's Mountain'.
"A brilliant achievement! 5 stars!" - NY Literary Magazine on my debut novel 'Harcourt's Mountain'.
 "Bloody brilliant" - Fiona Paterson on the short story 'Coming Undone'. (One of collection in the short story anthology, L.E.T.H.A.L.)

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BOOKS, BLOGS AND THE INSPIRED LIFE
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Welcome to my website!
Wondering why I chose that pic for the top banner image? Simple, storytelling is a perfectly legitimate way to have multiple personalities!
Writing courses and books on writing always advise one to 'find your voice!' That authentic voice which defines the genre and stories one writes. Stephen King's voice is obvious - Horror. Georgette Heyer - Georgian Romance, Agatha Christie - cosy upper class British murder.
To be honest, right now the idea of only writing in one genre gives me the shivers. I'm enjoying writing historical romance, fantasy - no dragons yet, weird fiction, redemptive horror and humour far too much to settle with just one. And besides, I kinda like the different colours of me!

 LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 25 AUGUST 2020
All three books, 'Harcourt's Mountain', 'Heart of the Mountain' and 'L.E.T.H.A.L.' went live as promised and the reviews are rolling in. I'm now deep into the (hopefully) last edit of 'The Device Hunter'. Yesterday, I was interviewed by Jason Meuschke of the Sample Chapter Podcast!
UPDATE: 16 APRIL 2020
All three books are up on Amazon for pre-order and will all go 'live' this month. WHOOHOO! Here are the 'going live' dates!
  • Harcourt's Mountain on 20 April 2020
  • Heart of the Mountain on 25 April 2020
  • L.E.T.H.A.L. on 24 April 2020
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AMAZON
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AMAZON
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AMAZON

UPDATE: 9 April 2020
OKAY! So, here's the BIG NEWS. This month, come hell or cornflakes these three books will be up on Amazon with pre-order times as well! It's been a brontosaurus-size learning curve. Tricky to surf in the midst of lockdown thanks to COVID-19! But, we're getting there. So here's the official and final covers and the proposed launch dates! Whoohoo!

UPDATE: 27 September 2019

I have a new 'In Progress' page on the website. Feeling inspired! Check it out! There's first chapters, draft chapters, snippets and cover design ideas for books on the 'to-be-written' list.


UPDATE: 5 August 2019:
I have decided to self-publish! It's a big decision. It means I have to re-edit 'Harcourt's Mountain' and I'm also changing the cover. The book won't be available until then. I'm hoping it won't be too long! Please bear with me! 'Heart of the Mountain' will be out shortly after that!


UPDATE: 9 July 2019:

The MS for the sequel to 'Harcourt's Mountain' is complete! I am now deep in edit, as well as writing the synopsis and blurb for 'Heart of the Mountain'. 

UPDATE: 24 January 2019:
My short story, 'Runner' reaches the Quarter Finals of the 2018 Screencraft Cinematic Short Story              Competition.


UPDATE:  1 October 2018:
In one weekend, Harcourt's Mountain jumps over 1 405 000 places in the Amazon rankings winning me the BESTSELLING Author Award at Tirgearr Publishing for September! BESTSELLING - best word in the English language!

UPDATE: 12 APRIL 2018, My short story, Widow's Walk is selected as a finalist in the 2018 SA Horrorfest Bloody Parchment Short Story Competition.

UPDATE: 20 February 2018, My short story, The Man With a House on His Back which features in the anthology, Blue Honey and the Valley of Shadow, reaches the Semi-Finals of the Screencraft Cinematic Short Story 2017 Contest! 

UPDATE: 23 December 2017: 
NY LITERARY MAGAZINE awards Harcourt's Mountain the BEST STORY AWARD!

UPDATE: 28 April 2017:
A short story I wrote, The Man With a House on His Back, for the 5th Annual South African Horrorfest competition is selected and featured in the anthology, 

Bloody-Parchment: Blue Honey and the Valley of Shadow. It's published by Crossroads Press. 
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UPDATE: 2014:
Harcourt's Mountain is nominated for the 2014 RONE AWARDS. (Reward of Novel Excellence).       

UPDATE: 15 August 2013:
THE START OF THE ADVENTURE
My first book, 
Harcourt's Mountain, is signed by Tirgearr Publishing. The reviews have been marvellous! Mostly five stars. It's been an exciting ride including being featured as a guest blogger on other authors' sites, a radio interview about the book.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON NOW
All those years of daydreaming have given me an unrelenting source of story ideas. My website is littered with short stories and first chapters of novels I'm planning. And I have a file with many story ideas just waiting to be written. I began a second book, The Device Hunter, which is an altogether different animal to 'Harcourt's Mountain', both in genre and temperament! It's in the third draft. I've tucked away to marinade for a while. In the meantime... because so many readers have asked for it, I've also begun the plotting for a sequel to 'Harcourt's Mountain'  - Heart of the Mountain, and am working on a book based on a concept of my brother's.

I am also just about to self-publish my first book of short stories. It's name keeps changing, right now it's called, 'XLP#304', after one of my favourite characters who is taking on a life  of his own. Self-publishing is a whole new experience in the realm of being a writer for me.

"Elaine Dodge has a new style that keeps a reader turning the pages and wanting to know what is on that next page." - Shirl Deems on 'Harcourt's Mountain'

Follow me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElaineRosemaryD/
Twitter: @ElaineRosemaryD

A little bit about me.

Africa, apart from the two and a half years I was away, has always been my home. Born in Zambia, I grew up in Zimbabwe and am now living in South Africa.  Adventure, in some form or another, is in my DNA probably because I did my first round-the-world trip when I was four years old. Who knows where I'll end up!

I sustained myself through dreary and seemingly endless maths classes at school by equally endless daydreaming and the hope that one day I'd be 'making movies'. Afterwards, I trained as a graphic designer. My brother and I ran The Artful Dodges for a while. It was a very small design and advertising studio. My brother and his wife headed out on their own adventure at some point and I enjoyed a long stint in one of the country's larger advertising agencies. Once I had enjoyed the dizzy heights of Assistant Creative Director it felt like time for a change.

A change of country and profession.

Welcome to South Africa! I fell head first into the local and international broadcast television industry. For the next eight years, working for broadcasters like NatGeo Wild, Animal Planet and Discovery, as well as winning the odd international award, it seemed as if my movie-making dream was about to happen.

It dawned on me, finally, that it wasn't so much movie-making that mattered, but rather 'telling stories'. And I was, am, passionate about it. So, in November 2011, I decided to chase the new dream and put those stories on paper. Now, in order to sustain my story writing addiction, I am a content creation consultant. 

Apart from white-water rafting down the Zambezi, I feel most alive when I'm writing. ​

LATEST NEWS
NOTES

9 April 2020
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I am now an officially listed author on BookLife, the self-published authors division of  Publishers Weekly! Here's the link to my profile page:
Publishers Weekly

9 JULY 2019
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Last night, at 2 minutes past midnight, I wrote those two little words all authors live for! Huzzah. The sequel to 'Harcourt's Mountain' is finished! I can't wait to launch 'Heart of the Mountain'! Now  I have to tackle the edit, synopsis and blurb all by early next week!

24 JANUARY 2019
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What an excellent email to receive this morning! My short story, RUNNER, has been selected for the quarter finals of the 2018 Screencraft Cinematic Short Story Competition!

1 OCTOBER 2018
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What a good way to start my birthday month! I just won the BESTSELLER Award for September from my publisher, Tirgearr Publishing. 

12 APRIL 2018
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My short story, Widow's Walk, is a finalist in the 2017 SA Horrorfest Bloody Parchment Short Story Competition.  So delighted. That makes twice now that a short story of mine has been selected to be in an anthology of theirs! Now, for the publisher's edits, book cover design and publishing.​
This image (above) is only my promotional artwork. The anthology in which the story appears will have a different cover.
The Results

20 FEBRUARY 2018
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SO excited to receive the news that The Man with a House on His Back has advanced to the SEMI-FINALS of the contest. Now, an agonising few weeks wait till 14 March and the announcement of the list of finalists!
Get your copy of the anthology in which my story appears here: 
​
Author.to/ElaineDodge ​
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30 JANUARY 2018
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I've decided to have an adventure! I'm going to head out into the wild world of self-publishing for my next book - XLP#304 (Had a change of mind in 2020. [Gosh, time flies!] It's now called L.E.T.H.A.L - the title of one of the stories in the anthology)
Above is the still-in-progress cover design. What do you think?

22 DECEMBER 2017
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I got the email this morning. Best Christmas present! ​The NY LITERARY MAGAZINE has awarded HARCOURT'S MOUNTAIN the BEST STORY AWARD adding my name to the list of winners in their Hall of Fame!

"A chilling collection of freaky, gory, unsettling, and utterly terrifying short horror stories by outstanding writers. 
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A recommended read for horror fans!" - NY Literary Magazine
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IT'S NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!! 
Click on the link below
5th Horrorfest
You can find more short stories on the website: Short Stories, Running the Bathwater Stories, 12 Short Stories in 12 Months. There's even some first chapters of novels I'm planning. Hope you enjoy them.

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LINKS

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The Romance Reviews
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  • HOME
  • BOOKS
    • Harcourt's Mountain Excerpt
    • Harcourt's Mountain Excerpt - First Impressions
    • Harcourt's Mountain Radio Interview - with 1st Chapter read by Elaine Dodge
    • The Device Hunter Excerpt - The Wheel House
    • The Device Hunter Excerpt - Chiller
  • Blog
    • Second Chances
  • Award Stories
    • Award Winner - Harcourt's Mountain
    • Award Winner - That One Night
  • Short Stories
  • Read ME Ink Books
  • IN PROGRESS
  • CONTACT ME
  • Other Authors
    • Charlene Raddon
    • Author Interview - Christy Nicholas
    • Guest Blog Cynthia Woolf
    • Valentine's Day Guest
    • Inge Saunders Blog
    • Maya Tyler
    • Guest Blog MK McClintock
    • Susanne Schemper Guest Blog
    • Sue Coletta talks writing, murder and a crow named Poe
    • WF Ranew