Get to know me
IN THIS POST YOU’LL GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ME AND MY PROMISE TO YOU AS AN AUTHOR
Hi! My name’s Ellen. I’m a fantasy author, a wife, and a friend. I’m so honored you’re here today! I spent my first 11 years in the foothills of Colorado. It was a lovely and innocent time in my life. For the next 8 years I traveled between Colorado and Mexico with my family when my parents became missionaries. To say that I loved Mexico would be an understatement. I never went to college. I chose to attend a missions program instead, and went on to attend a Bible School where I ended up teaching for 5 years.
In the fall of 2015, I moved to Florida with the Bible School I was teaching at. That’s where I met my husband, Brian. We’ve been happily married for over 4 years. By day I am an administrative assistant. By night I continue to pursue my dream of making a living from my writing.
Someday I hope to own a house of our own, but until then we will continue to make our home wherever our feet may land. For now, that means making this apartment our home.
Why i write
I WRITE TO KEEP THE DARKNESS AT BAY
For the last few years I’ve struggled with horrific nightmares. Ever since I was a child I’ve had problems with bad dreams, but I never experienced them as frequently as a couple of years ago. Therapy helped. So did the love of my husband and my friends. But the nightmares wouldn’t go away.
So I started writing. There was a longing for something more deep down in my soul that wouldn’t go away. I felt like if I didn’t write then I would explode! So after many years of not working on anything creative, I picked up some old stories and chose one to finish. An interesting thing happened: the more I wrote the less nightmares I had.
Writing saved my mental health. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I’d chosen not to write. While therapy was helping, it wasn’t the right kind of therapy for me. Writing got me through the next couple of years, it got me to where I am now: an author who’s found a therapist and a type of therapy that’s effective for my needs.
So why do I write? I write to keep the darkness at bay.
What i write
I WRITE FANTASY NOVELS SURROUNDING THE THEMES OF DARKNESS AND HOPE
My stories are not lighthearted or romantic. The books I write are full struggle, pain and trauma. They’re also full of love, kindness, and hope. Like many writers, I use my life experience to create stories that reflect reality as well as my core values. My first novel, Child of Shadows, is about a magical world called Zale. You can learn more about it here. I’m currently in the editing phase for my second novel in the series, Child of Thieves/Kings (title TBD), and the planning phase of my third novel: Child of Sorrow.
my promise as an author
I WILL NEVER PUBLISH SOMETHING I DON’T LOVE
My stories will rarely contain any romance and will never include explicit content. I will strive to always bring hope and never glorify evil. I will not shy away from difficult topics and will work instead to expose abusive behavior for what it is.
The books I write will be easy to read and geared toward YA readers. Happiness within my stories will likely always be somewhat bittersweet because I believe in writing things that reflect reality. I will always try to publish the best product I am able to. As a new indie author I have limited funds and cannot afford to hire professionals. Instead, I will offer my time and I will work to produce the best stories I am capable of writing and editing on my own (with a little help from my friends!).
My favorite things
I LOVE MATCHA LATTES, SEWING, MY HUSBAND, AND THINGS THAT MAKE ME LAUGH – NOT ALL NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER!
My humor was formed by old episodes of Laurel and Hardy and audiobooks of Hank the Cowdog. At night when my husband is tired and I’m fully awake (and slightly slap-happy) I make up musicals and sing them for him in the worst way possible! Sewing helps me turn off my brain while still creating and I’ve been doing it since I was 6 years old.
While my favorite genre to write is fantasy, my favorite genre to read is mysteries. I was raised on a wonderful mix of literature. Some of my favorite authors are Agatha Christie, The Bronte Sisters, Robert Louis Stevenson, C.S. Lewis, and JRR Tolkien. I never watch or read horror and I have no interest in sports. When it’s time for me to turn my brain off I put on reruns of Friends. Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote) was a childhood hero of mine, and musicals were my preferred source of entertainment growing up.
Tell Me About Yourself
Now you’ve heard all about me, I’d love to get to know you! Comment on this post introducing yourself or go find me on social media (linked below and on the side) and let me know who you are!
Ellen ES Ceely 
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