Excerpt From The Writer’s Romance

Excerpt From The Writer’s Romance

The Writer’s Romance Already know you want it? Click here for the book. Prologue Mitch watched Katharine dash from the stage but could do nothing to stop her. The hosts had drawn him into a conversation—none of which he could recall after—and he’d missed his chance to speak to her. This was supposed to have … Read More

The Den

The Den

Hey there! Phew, it’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these! Book writing has taken up many of my moments, but I wanted to share this little bittersweet memory with you. Why? I dunno, it’s a thing writers do, I guess. Check out this… beauty: Lemme explain… Okay, I know. It’s, well, … Read More

Full Bio

Elsa Kurt is a multi-genre, indie & traditionally published author of four contemporary women’s novels: Livvy Takes the Long Way, Lost and Found Girls, The Awkward Woman’s Guide To Dating, and Still Here. She is also the author of the YA fiction novel Into the Everwood (Book One) and motivational/inspirational companion book, Finding Beauty in the Imperfections of Life.  Elsa has also written several … Read More

100 Word Bio

Elsa Kurt is a multi-genre, indie & traditionally published author of five novels, including book one of her YA, modern-day fairy tale, Into the Everwood. In 2018, she will have two novellas published through Crave Publishing in their Crave: Country Anthology and Crave: Loyalty Anthology. She has also penned several children’s books under the name … Read More

Short Bio Elsa Kurt

Elsa Kurt is a multi-genre published author of five novels & ten children’s books. Elsa began writing in 2012, releasing her first children’s book in 2013. Since then she has made writing her full-time career.  Her work can be found in online bookstores, including Amazon & Barnes and Noble & elsakurt.com Social Media Links: FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/authorelsakurt/ … Read More

Sexy. Funny… AWKWARD?!

    ???This is the PERFECT GIFT? for the for the divorced (or divorcING) woman. ??? Let’s be real… divorce sucks.  And dating after divorce?  Ugh, don’t get me started! Anyone who’s been there knows.  Give them the gift of humor & the hope for a light at the end of the tunnel (trust me,  … Read More

Preview of Still Here

Preview of Still Here

Sneak Peek! From indie author Elsa Kurt   Tis the Season! Okay, actually, every season is book writing season. But, since I’ve just wrapped up my latest story in time for the holidays, I want to celebrate give you a sneak peek! First, a little synopsis… A Little Background This story came from a terrible … Read More

Everything Old Is New Again

Everything Old Is New Again

Re-release? Yes, Please! Not Gonna Lie… I’m OBSESSED with this new book cover! Seriously, I keep pulling out my phone and showing people. I’m not sure if they really love it, or just want the crazy lady to go away… but whatever. I can’t contain my excitement. CAN’T! Ok, let’s get down to business here.  … Read More

Why Do Bad Things Happen?

My Attempt to Understand by Modern Melly   Why… It’s the age old question, right? The one we use the most, I’ll venture a guess. Sometimes it’s easy to answer- ‘Mommy, why do I have to wear shoes’- other times, less so- ‘Daddy, why do bad things happen?’ It’s our inherent nature to seek explanation, … Read More

Sneak Preview of My New Book! Release Date: Sept. 15th

Sneak Preview of My New Book! Release Date: Sept. 15th

Get Ready to GET AWKWARD! The Awkward Woman’s Guide To Dating (After Divorce) Woo hoo! I’m SO excited to announce my next book is coming out September 15th! It’s a sexy, funny, cringe-worthy modern day romance. When Keira Travis suddenly finds herself single for the first time in her adult life, she jumps right in…to … Read More

Empowerment. I’ll Tell You What It’s Not

Empowerment. I’ll Tell You What It’s Not

by ModernMelly Let’s begin with what it is: em·pow·er·ment – əmˈpouərmənt/ : the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. “political steps for the empowerment of women” There. Okay, now we’ve got the dictionary.com definition (or at least part of it). It’s one of my favorite … Read More

Own Your Fifty

Own Your Fifty

Own Your Fifty ModernMelly The Dark Side of Life About 11 years (or so) ago I was in a dark, ugly, personal space in life, in my mind, and especially in my heart. It sucked. It also led me to make reckless choices that not only impacted me, they affected those around me. I mean, of course … Read More

Reckless Words

Reckless Words

Reckless Words By ModernMelly Your Words Matter We grew up chanting, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me!” Well, that was a lie. Words can hurt like hell. Have you ever been told, “I don’t love you anymore”? That hurts. Have you even been told you aren’t good enough, smart … Read More

A Heathen Talks Faith

A Heathen Talks Faith

A Heathen Talks Faith By ModernMelly Are You A Heathen, Too? Heathen. How many of us are heathens? To me, that word always seemed more nefarious than it actually is. Turns out, according to a basic definition, a heathen is merely someone who does not belong to a widely held religion. Not so wicked after all, … Read More

Keep It Classy, Ladies

Keep It Classy, Ladies

Keep It Classy, Ladies by Modern Melly People rarely say or do things to amaze me anymore. I hate to sound jaded, but it’s true. They do, however, totally baffle me. Sometimes I wonder if it’s me. Am I  the one who’s wacky?! Okay, technically- yes. Yes, I am wacky in my own way (or so my … Read More

Am I Self Critical or Constructive?

Am I Self Critical or Constructive?

Am I Self Critical or Constructive? Understanding the Power of Positivity Modern Melly Before I get into the whole ‘Am I self critical or constructive’ thing, let me start by telling you this: I have three distinct blog writing modes: 1) Super Snarky Soap Box Posts 2) Random Look At The Pretty Butterfly Posts 3) I Will Pahmp … Read More

Dear ‘Dame Streep’

Dear ‘Dame Streep’

Dear ‘Dame Streep’ An Homage (of sorts) By Modern Melly Dear ‘Dame Streep’, Let me first say, Brava, madam, brava! Watching your speech last night, well, let me just stand up, beat a slow clap, and let a delicate tear slip from the corner of my eye. Seriously, that was academy award worthy. A fine, … Read More

You Have No Power Over Me

You Have No Power Over Me

You Have No Power Over Me A Modern Melly original post & pep talk for 2017 There’s a line in the movie Labyrinth (high on my ALL TIME FAVORITES list) when Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) remembers  the one, most singular truth she’d not realized about Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie, I kid you not) and herself, … Read More

A Very Gif-y Story

A Very Gif-y Story

A Very Gif-y Story By ModernMelly In writing my last blog post (moments ago) I had to find some gifs to  humorously punctuate my paragraphs. I freaking love gifs (and memes). One of them, a Betty Draper (Mad Men) gif, really got me laughing so I started imagining  a story told primarily via gifs from the … Read More

Year In Review. Kind Of-ish.

Year In Review. Kind Of-ish.

Year In Review. Kind Of-ish by ModernMelly Well, hello! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?! Hope you’re all doing well & have made it through 2016 as unscathed as one could be after 365 days of getting out there and adulting  in what has proven to be an interesting year indeed. I’m well, thank you … Read More

12 People You Know (And Want to Slap Sometimes) On Facebook

12 People You Know (And Want to Slap Sometimes) On Facebook

  12 People You Know (And Want To Slap Sometimes) On Facebook by ModernMelly We all know em, we all ARE them ( at one time or another, at least) and we all roll our eyes at them. Let’s get right to messing with our favorite Facebook-ers, shall we? 1) The Humblebragger Oh, the master-er … Read More

Good Human

Good Human

Something to believe in… I think we’re all, always, looking for something (or someone) to believe in, right? It’s natural, it’s normal… it’s right. Believing in things (or people) is what keeps us going, makes us feel grounded and connected and alive. Personally, I believe in a lot of things… and only a handful of people. … Read More

Learning To Stay Above The Fray (An Open Letter)

Learning To Stay Above The Fray  (An Open Letter)

Let Me Start By Saying… Obviously, by my many posts, you know I’m a wee bit opinionated. Not in a dick-ish way (I hope, at least), just in a “I’ve a very strong, set perspective” way. For instance, I’ve been a little very vocal  on the candidates and who’d best serve.  None of which I’ll … Read More

I Am The Fraction (A Police Wife’s Vent)

I Am The Fraction (A Police Wife’s Vent)

I Am The Fraction A Police Wife’s Vent By ModernMelly World Gone Mad I saw a meme yesterday of a man sitting in a chair, popcorn in lap, watching wide-eyed the world on fire, and I thought, ‘yes, exactly’. I thought about that image for a while; that he sat there passively, just watching, as … Read More

Gun Facts For Dummies

Gun Facts For Dummies

I thought about giving this a really misleading title, like: “GUNS ARE EVIL!” just so I could get the anti-gun hysterics folks out there to read this. But then I said fuck it gosh darn it, I’m not a bullshitter, not a coddle-r, I’m a fact girl. I like facts. So, I figure there’s got … Read More

Dear Mothers of Sons (A Request From Mothers of Daughters)

Dear Mothers of Sons (A Request From Mothers of Daughters)

Hi there, boy mamas! I see you’ve already put on your defensive fuck you face, but settle down. We are adulting, so hear me out. Now, first off, this is only going out to a very select group of mothers. Not ALL mothers of sons. Nor is this something I or anyone I know, dealing … Read More

25 Priceless Texts Only Mom Could Write

25 Priceless Texts Only Mom Could Write

25 Priceless Texts Only Mom Could Write BY NEHA PRAKASH MAY 09, 2013 With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s that time we appreciate all that Mom has done for us over the years. Yes, those 3 a.m. feedings were crucial and packing our lunches was a big deal, but there’s something else that … Read More

9 Times Journey Was EVERYthing

9 Times Journey Was EVERYthing

9 Times Journey Was EVERYthing By ModernMelly Let Me Just Say: Journey. Steve Fricking Perry. Need I say more? Wait, it’s a blog, so yah, I guess I do. Okay, so I grew up on a wonderful, eclectic, hodge-podge of music: Motown took turn with 70’s soft rock and 50’s bop on the console stereo. … Read More

Livvy Takes the Long Way- Book Preview

Livvy Takes the Long Way- Book Preview

Livvy Takes The Long Way Novel Preview By Elsa Kurt (aka ModernMelly)   Livvy Takes the Long Way is my first novel in the Contemporary Women’s Literature genre, which is  quite different from my previous work. Up until now it has consisted of children’s stories, a teen/coming of age/modern day fairy tale novel, a collection of … Read More

Dear Cop-Hater

Dear Cop-Hater

Dear Cop Hater By ModernMelly My ‘Open Letter’ Dear Cop hater/basher/anti-law enforcement wing nuts, Hey there. So, you don’t like cops, hmmm? Okay, well, I thought I’d take a moment to give you all the shout out you so desperately and constantly seek, then I’m going to right back to my amazingly blessed law enforcement … Read More

I Can Only Imagine

I Can Only Imagine

I felt compelled today to take a moment and write a passage that speaks to a phrase I find myself often saying to my husband when hearing about things that have happened on the job over the years. For those of you who don’t know, my husband is a 30+ year veteran Police Officer (in my … Read More

You Are Not Broken~ A Girl’s Mantra

You Are Not Broken~ A Girl’s Mantra

You Are Not Broken A Girl’s Mantra by Elsa Kurt Broken. We hear this word so often in the context of humans, of human relationships. It bothers me, gets right under my skin and digs like a splinter- one of those little tiny ones you can feel but can’t quite get at, this contextual usage. Broken? … Read More

The New Normal

The New Normal

Normal. What is that, exactly? By simple definition, normal is : “the usual, average, or typical state or condition” of something. Normal used include conversations where, when someone asked what my husband did for a living, I’d  say ‘he’s a police officer’. They’d be impressed, or at least intrigued, express some form of gratitude, I’d feel … Read More

Soul Mate or Soul Sucker?

Soul Mate or Soul Sucker?

Soul Mate, Or Soul Sucker? By ModernMelly   I read a Facebook post late last night, just before bed, from a beautiful young woman; a gut wrenching breakup post that instantly sent me back to the heartbreaks of my youth. Now, I won’t minimize this girl’s devastation, her certainty that she’d just lost her soul … Read More

Into The Everwood Book Preview

Into The Everwood Book Preview

Yeah, so that’s kinda my first novel (translation: totally is, not just kinda) and I’m a little bit excited (translation: ohmyfrickinggod). Okay, okay- I’m super excited, totally anxious and feeling really exposed. As in, the second I clicked ‘submit’, I wanted to throw up. The only thing that would be more scary than a total … Read More

Home is The Haven: Police Family Life

Home is The Haven: Police Family Life

Making home the haven. Now that sounds nice, doesn’t? But is it easy? Hell no, at least not at first. But the fact is, if you’ve married a police officer, then you know you didn’t sign on for ‘easy’. After I wrote my story “Life Lessons I’ve Learned From Being A Police Wife” I was asked … Read More

Online Job Application: Police Wife

Online Job Application: Police Wife

So I have to preface this post with an explanation: Last week my husband and I were having a difference of opinion- okay, fine, a bit of an argument really- about an obligation versus a commitment, which one takes precedence, which of us was right, which was wrong, blah blah blah. It happens, no big … Read More

Thanks Mister

Thanks Mister

This morning when I woke up, I did the same first thing that I always do: I check my phone. More specifically, I check (in this order) my texts, my Twitter notifications, email glance, then ahh: my Facebook feed. As you may (or may not) know, that is my world news source; friends, family, politics, … Read More

Dear 44th Birthday

Dear 44th Birthday

Dear 44th, Aww, hey, what’s up? Listen, I just wanted to welcome you, and you know, try and make you feel a little less the ‘outsider’ here. I get how you must feel, 44; you’re not Ms. Hot Shot Big Deal 45, and 43 is already walked away with a ‘see ya, wouldn’t wanna be … Read More

On Faith: An Awkward Journey To Acceptance

On Faith: An Awkward Journey To Acceptance

Woo. Awkward one.I mean, for me it is- or was, at least. Religion, particularly the Catholic kind, has always given me the distinct feeling of discomfort. Like, if someone started talking about their trust in the Almighty, or the ‘Lord Jesus Christ is my Savior’, oh, my God (yeah, I saw what I just did … Read More

Dear Sibling of a Special Needs Child

Dear Sibling of a Special Needs Child

Dear Sibling of a Special Needs Child, The first thing I’d like to say to you, is simply: Hello. I want to let you know, I see you there. Fidgeting, waiting, hoping. I see you watching as everyone smiles at your sibling, while you stand back just a little ways. Yes, I do see you, … Read More

12 Happy Pages For Social Media Addicts

12 Happy Pages For Social Media Addicts

  12 Happy Pages For Social Media Addicts By Modern Melly Hello fellow social media addicts! Disclaimer: This is not a support group, nor will I try to persuade you to step away from the computer/laptop/tablet/smartphone and go enjoy nature and a real conversation with spoken words and no emoticons. Nope, that’s someone else’s job. … Read More

Dear Everyone Writing A ‘Dear____’ Blog

Dear Everyone Writing A ‘Dear____’ Blog

Dear everyone and their mother that writes a blog, including me: STOP FUCKING WRITING ‘DEAR (insert person type here)’. Enough already, we get it. Seriously. Dear children’s costume company, stop making costumes gender specific.Dear lady at the gym that looked at me funny while I was on the treadmill eating a Snickers bar. Dear man … Read More

Thank You, From A Police Wife

Thank You, From A Police Wife

Anyone that reads my stories knows I love social media, Facebook particularly, and that I start my day by reading my Facebook wall like it’s the morning paper. In my defense: it is like the morning paper; there’s your world news, local news, entertainment, but then there’s so much more: updates on how friends and family are starting … Read More