Tails of the Apocalypse

A Word from Jennifer Ellis

I love animals, especially companion animals. I sometimes get into trouble for greeting my friends’ pets more enthusiastically than I greet my friends. I’ve owned hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, goldfish (who hasn’t?), cats, dogs, assorted bugs, and a very large snail (a.k.a. Snailie—well, he was actually my son’s, but we all felt his loss keenly). Right now, I have two crazy and beloved cats—one almost 19 years old and the other almost 19 weeks old. I’m also a known dog borrower and cat sitter in my neighborhood, and I spend a lot of time outside dodging the bears, who seem to like to hang around in our yard and on the trails in our community. So when Chris Pourteau asked me to participate in this anthology, I could not have been more thrilled.

Santiago came to me as a fully formed character. Even though I have a geriatric cat who continues to defy our vet’s expectations and is a major hit in the old folks’ home when she visits, Santiago is his own man. My pets, and the pets I look after, continually surprise me with their intelligence, heart, and problem-solving abilities. It was fun to explore how a crafty street cat might navigate and contemplate his life, and writing about the deep bond that can exist between humans and animals was both a joy and a privilege. I know that when the apocalypse hits, I want a few four-legged friends watching my back.

I live in the mountains of British Columbia where I ski, run, write, and keep cats. Add in two teenage boys and their friends, and mayhem often reigns in my household. I also work as an environmental researcher and strategic planning consultant when the cats agree to get off my desk.

I write science fiction, romance, and dystopian fiction for children and adults, including Apocalypse Weird: Reversal in Wonderment Media’s Apocalypse Weird world and A Pair of Docks, which was a bestseller in children’s time-travel fiction. I’ve also contributed to several anthologies, most notably Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel, which hit #16 in the Kindle Store.

You can subscribe to my blog for the latest book news and industry insights at www.jenniferellis.ca. I tweet about writing, cats, and teenagers at @jenniferlellis.