S.E. Eaton

S.E. Eaton fell in love with writing in the second grade when she wrote a poem about two small extraterrestrials who buzzed around outer space and grew to be best friends. "I had so much fun writing it. I felt silly, free, creative and just lost in the moment, writing that poem. I was filled with a sense of elation, that while I couldn't explain back then, I now know was the feeling of being truly me." --S.E. Eaton, on one of her first experiences with creative writing.

In her adult years, Eaton deviated from her sci-fi roots and starting writing a middle-grade fantasy book, the first of the yet-to-be-published "Belinda Starr" series. Although fantasy is her passion, she's dabbled in horror and dystopian, and has a soft spot for family-friendly heart-warmers, like her novella "The Christmas Beagle". Her influences include C.S. Lewis, Richard Peck, Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Robert Jordan. "I love creating characters," says Eaton. "Characters are everything. A plot on TV or in a book can suck or have holes (though not in mine, I hope!), but if a character sticks in your head, a viewer or reader seems to be more forgiving. Even the coolest fantasy with the coolest world can still suck if it doesn't have strong characters. And I do love an intriguing world...where things work a bit differently, or a lot differently, then how they do here, and yet, through the hardships and triumphs of the characters, seem so familiar and real. It's escapism at its finest, but if its characters are not relate-able, it's no good. I want to allow my readers to escape, yes, but also to be to be enthralled, delighted, disgusted, and inspired by my characters...and to make them think. I want what all authors, I think, want---to connect in a powerful way with their readers. That, I believe, is done first and foremost with strong characters."

S.E. Eaton lives in Washington state with her husband, Steven, and their beagle, Emmie Lou. She had written a horror short story anthology, "Compulse", a dystopian short story "The Voiceless" and a novella, "The Christmas Beagle". She is working on a middle-grade fantasy series, "Belinda Starr", and has plans to put out several more adult/family-friendly and middle-grade novels in the coming years.

For more information on S.E. Eaton and her books, please visit her website: https://seeatonblog.wordpress.com/