Children and Young Adult Author | Official Website
Author: Ellwyn
I live with my loving husband, two children and dog in Philadelphia, PA. I discovered my passion for writing in second grade when I had to write a book report for school. I was so excited to write the report, until my mother told me that I had to write about someone else's book and not my own story. I became indignant and decided that once I finished the book report I would most certainly write my own original story. I have been writing ever since!
My self-published book Chris Kringle's Cops was a Finalist in The Reader's Favorite Book Contest for 2016. I am so happy to share this story with you.
My picture book Kamyla Chung and the Creepy Crawlies was given a 5 Star rating by Reader's Favorite Book Reviews in 2017.
Jordan Blue works to survive on the oppressive, corporate colony world, Shoar. A random, near-fatal encounter puts her in the company of Kuvett, a space faring creature of the stars.
While Jordan tries to figure out the inscrutable Cosmari, Kuvett sneaks about the dilapidated Outskirts to find out just what happened to the planet, what secrets the impenetrable Meritopolis hides, and why it is there.
“What is, then?” Kuvett challenged her with a hardened stare. “Complete obsequiousness to a faceless, parasitic organization that takes and only takes? Or exchanging your very life for security and the mockery of one?”
Jordan clenched her fists as tears spilled, unafraid of the danger she felt herself in. “That’s easy for you to say. You can fly around anywhere and everywhere. I can’t. I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to.”
Kuvett folded her arms. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Do you really want to leave?” Kuvett inclined her head to the balcony as if to invite Jordan to fly away somewhere else.
“Of course, I do,” Jordan responded as she turned and leaned against the wall beside the doorway, “but I can’t. I just can’t.” Her protests grew more silent as she slid down to the floor and hugged her knees.
With a quiet sigh, Kuvett unfurled herself and floated past Jordan. She looked down, disappointed and agitated. “Then you won’t.”
Jordan peeked through her knees and scowled between tears. “Get out.” Her lip quivered as she turned away, hiding her face behind her arms.
Without another word, Kuvett made her way to the main room. Jordan did not try to stop Kuvett as she opened the doorway to the balcony, leaving the carcass. Jordan closed her eyes and sobbed as the only friend she had made left her alone. Again.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
From his youngest days, C.D. Clark has always loved stories and the worlds they could take him to.
His writing career began with original, fan-based fiction which led to his passion for writing. Over the past twenty-five years, C.D. Clark has developed his craft, all the while celebrating his successes and reveling in any spectacular failures, using them as learning experiences.
Ever eager to learn, he continues leaping towards the future while creating fantastic new worlds and passing along poignant messages through his books.
Embrace the call to authorship: 10 steps to leverage the power of a book!
Books help people—they inform, inspire, and engage. Books are also a powerful force for those who write them. Publishing a book builds your authority, sharpens your thinking, and opens doors to media exposure, speaking engagements, partnerships, and more.
Despite the greater accessibility of publishing than ever before, many would-be authors hesitate. They get stuck with self-doubt or believe producing a book is incompatible with a busy life. They may start writing but don’t finish. Or they finish but don’t publish or market their books.
The truth? With a little dedicated time, consistent effort, and the right guidance, anyone can publish a book that changes lives for the better. And they should.
Put down your phone. Take the leap from consumer to creator!
This step-by-step guide will show you how to:
– Use a one-page tool to clarify your goals, target audience and plan.
– Craft an outline that drives your manuscript forward.
– Overcome mental roadblocks and craft habits to finish your first draft in months, not years—even with a busy schedule.
– Select a publishing model, refine your manuscript, and make informed design and distribution decisions.
– Employ promotional strategies to achieve goals that transcend royalties.
Become more than you are. Have courage. Commit to growth by authoring a book, strengthening your ability to serve. Write with purpose. Publish for impact!
Bonus for book professionals: Special content for book coaches, editors, and ghostwriters—those helping ordinary people become extraordinary authors.
Excerpt
We live in an age of swipes, scrolls and soundbites, where attention is fragmented and surface-level engagement is the norm. In such a world, choosing to sit down and write is bold indeed.
Writing a book is an act of meaning-making. It’s how we wrestle with ideas, make sense of experience, and speak into the noise with words that are considered and enduring.
It takes courage to believe that your words matter. It takes character to see them through and shape them into a book.
That journey often begins with a spark. Maybe you’ve been through something, built something, learned something—and now you feel the quiet tug: This should be a book.
But with that tug often comes hesitation: Who am I to write this? Will anyone care? I’ve heard those doubts from countless aspiring authors through my work at Tellwell, where we’ve helped thousands turn that first spark into a finished book. And I’ve watched them write anyway. What followed was often extraordinary.
For Cindy Cherry, that moment came unexpectedly. For years she resisted writing a book about her father, Don Cherry, the outspoken hockey commentator who became a household name in Canada.
She feared a memoir about her dad might seem biased, or worse, opportunistic. But everything changed when a Google Alert lit up her phone screen: a news organization was praising the Western Hockey League for cutting ties with Don following what she calls “Poppygate,” and for erasing his name from an organ-donation campaign he had helped champion, raising nearly half a million dollars.
This cause was close to Cindy’s heart. As a teenager she had donated one of her kidneys to her younger brother.
She realized that the public narrative was being written in a way that dishonoured the man she knew and loved.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Tim Lindsay founded Tellwell in 2015. Since then, he and his team have guided some 5,000 authors including entrepreneurs, professional speakers, coaches, consultants, experts, course creators, community builders, religious and nonprofit leaders, Indigenous organizations, athletes, influencers, and everyday citizens. Discover more at Tellwellpublishing.com.
Twelve-year-old Tabitha returns to the remote Shetland island of Papala expecting adventure –not a mystery linked to an ancient selkie legend.
As pollution threatens the coastline and the island faces an uncertain future, Tabitha and her twin brother Timothy, must uncover the truth before the islanders lose both their livelihood and their home.
Living at the Edge of the World – Summer The Papala Island Adventure Series Book 3 written by S. J. Barratt narrated by Gill Mills Genre: Middle Grade Eco Adventure
When twelve-year-old Tabitha returns to the remote Shetland island of Papala, she expects adventure with her twin brother and friends–not trouble. As their ferry approaches Papala, Tabitha discovers what appears to be a selkie skin drifting in the harbour.
Local legend says the skin belongs to a mythical creature–half human, halfseal–and that if it is not returned before midnight, the island will be cursed with generations of bad luck.
But Papala is already under threat. Pollution creeps along the coast, the bird sanctuary is at risk, and the island’s owner plans to sell. With time running out, Tabitha and her brother must uncover the truth and convince the islanders to protect their home.
A lyrical eco-adventure for those who enjoy atmospheric island stories like The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle, with the adventurous spirit of Malamander by Thomas Taylor.
“Educational storytelling doesn’t come any better than this.” Dieter Korger, Science fiction author for adults.
This story has a little of everything that 9-12+year-olds love to read: ocean life, adventure, animals, science and suspense. The list goes on and the pages keep turning!” – Janet Ashmore, children’s writer
“The fast pace and beautifully vivid descriptions add to the richness of the story. Judy Wollin, Writer Fun Fast Reads”
“I am still as thrilled with this third volume of the Papala Island Adventure Series: the writing is top-notch, the plot is gripping, and we are getting attached to the characters. This time, the main themes are environmental conscience, and whether it’s even worth fighting against a global problem.
An uplifting and important read for young people.” – Anne-Chat – Amazon 5 star review
S. J. Barratt is a self-published, professionally edited children’s author whose eco-themed stories celebrate the connection between people and the natural world.
Rooted in an English countryside upbringing and shaped by a career in agriculture, she blends a gardener’s curiosity with a storyteller’s warmth to her writing.
Now based in Lyon, France, Suzanne creates tales that inspire middle-grade readers to swap screen time for green time—and rediscover the wonders waiting just outside their door.
She never belonged to the pack—until fate led her to him.
Secrets of the Cryptids
Cowboys and Cryptids Book 1
by Sharon Buchbinder
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantasy
She never belonged to the pack—until fate led her to him.
Cybersecurity expert Hayil Rufus Rose has spent her life hiding one impossible truth: she’s a werewolf who has never shifted, a failure by her pack’s rules and a woman on the brink of exile.
A solo hike in Glacier National Park is meant to clear her head—but instead, a chance meeting with Will Penn, a guarded federal agent with powerful instincts and secrets of his own, changes everything.
As Hayil becomes entangled in a missing persons case involving Will’s brother, she uncovers corruption, cartel money laundering, and violence threatening the Blackfeet Nation.
She forms an unexpected bond with a Bigfoot family, who are not monsters, but an ancient people who recognize her latent power. Through trauma, loyalty, and nearfatal danger, Hayil finally undergoes her full transformation, claiming her identity at last.
Secrets of the Cryptids launches a thrilling paranormal romance series about found family, fierce hearts, and the courage it takes to become who you were always meant to be.
Hayil had the advantage of excellent night vision—super vision compared to other humans. Plus, she possessed an almost uncanny ability to connect with most wild and domestic animals.
Hayil mentally grimaced. She could also thank her grandmother for her long overdue ability to shift. What would it take to trigger her body into the lupine version of herself? Was it like a growth spurt that hadn’t hit her body yet? Or was Hayil destined to remain the one person in her pack who wasn’t able to wolf out?
Once again, her mother’s constant refrain came back to her: “You’re a late bloomer, like your grandmother. She was older than you when she shifted. All in good time. You’ll see.”
Sure, Mom.
Hayil knew her mother wanted the best for her, but found her cheerfulness a bit forced. Beneath her mother’s optimism, Hayil sensed an undercurrent of concern about her thirty-year-old daughter’s ability to integrate into the red wolf clan.
This missing piece of Hayil’s identity called to her like a siren’s song, demanding she complete herself. Would she ever be a true part of the pack? Or would she forever be the unmated one? What then?
She was an anomaly, something the pack didn’t tolerate well. Tradition dictated that if a pack member didn’t shift by the end of their third decade, they were banished.
A chilling thought struck Hayil mid-stride.
If I don’t shift this year, will they force me out of the pack?
About the Author
Sharon Buchbinder is an award-winning author who has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. The paranormal romance genre is her writing home, a place where the impossible is simply the beginning, where women find their power in the most extraordinary circumstances, and where love is always worth the danger of seeking it.
A Maryland-based author with a background in healthcare and higher education that has informed her vivid, grounded storytelling, Sharon is drawn to heroines who have been underestimated — women who carry something extraordinary inside them and spend the whole book learning to trust it.
Sharon believes passionately that readers deserve stories where the heroine doesn’t just survive — she transforms. When she’s not writing, Sharon can usually be found unplugging in her garden, obsessing over cryptid mythology, and convincing her pets they are not, in fact, supernatural.
If you love snarky heroes, twisty mysteries and plenty of magic, delve into this urban fantasy series set in Melbourne, Australia!
Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned
Reed Lavender Book 1
by Ashley Capes
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Mystery
He can speak to the dead. But will giving them justice get him killed?
Reed Lavender lives two lives—one as a detective and another as a reaper. Hearing the last words of the dead is a handy skill in his line of work, but magic can’t solve all his problems. While investigating the case of a teen runaway, he learns his cousin is missing. Racing against the clock, Reed soon finds himself trapped in a vast conspiracy.
A cult is capturing reapers to siphon their powers and his current case is somehow connected. But the deeper he digs, the more dangerous and convoluted the trail becomes. As his two lives get tangled, Reed realizes if he can’t solve the case and save his cousin, the man who listens to the dead will end up joining them.
Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned is the first thrilling urban fantasy novel in the Reed Lavender series. If you love snarky heroes, twisty mysteries and plenty of magic, delve into Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned!
Things aren’t exactly getting easier for Reed Lavender.
Old obligations and new cases are piling up but in the aftermath of Feronia’s defeat, answers are still too thin on the ground. But one clue – his father’s knucklebone – might just lead to something big.
To learn the truth about his parents’ disappearance, Reed will have to take the fight to whoever is behind the growing turmoil in his city. And if the rising number of Spirit-Worms, needy Gods, vindictive lawmen and only somewhat-helpful cousins don’t stop Reed, then his sense of duty might do what the others cannot.
Because Reed now finds himself caught between two goals – solving the murder of Elise or chasing down whoever stole the Goddess’ hand, an unfathomable thief who might hold answers about his parents…
Reed is about to snap – and this time, nothing is going to stand in his way when it comes to getting answers for Elise, not even a supposedly long-vanished Sumerian God.
Or so Reed thinks.
But summer in the city isn’t going to be like the others. The city itself isn’t quite the same either, and even if you’re lucky (or cursed) enough to count the children of Gods among your friends, nothing is ever simple…
Ashley is a poet, novelist and ex-teacher living in Australia.
He taught English, Media and Music Production, he ‘sang’ in a metal band, worked in an art gallery and for a few years, slaved away at music retail. (For a few years, he was also a legal secretary).
Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves (indoor) volleyball, Studio Ghibli and Magnum PI.
Peter Schiller, a disciplined officer from privilege, is trained to lead—but not for what war truly demands.
Günther Klein, a working-class recruit, is thrown into the trenches and forced to learn fast or die.
In the mud and ruin of the Great War, rank and class begin to dissolve. Orders blur into instinct. Honour bends under necessity. What remains is survival—and the thin, unspoken bond forged between two men who should never have met.
But war does not end when the guns fall silent.
Heidenröslein is a powerful, unflinching story of war, brotherhood, and the quiet, irreversible cost of becoming what the battlefield demands.
Excerpt
1914
The kitchen was small, but it carried the quiet dignity of people who owned little and cared for everything.
Against one wall stood a heavy sideboard of dark timber, polished by years of careful hands rather than luxury. Fine China sat arranged behind glass doors, each piece positioned with deliberate precision. The plates were reserved for Sundays, feast days, or visits important enough to justify the risk of using something fragile. Crystal wine glasses hung above them, catching the weak morning light and holding it in muted amber reflections.
Nothing in the room was fashionable.
Everything in it was treasured.
In the center stood a small round table worn smooth at the edges where elbows, plates, and years of conversation had rubbed away the varnish. The stove and icebox stood side by side beneath the far wall, black iron beside chipped white enamel, both old enough to have become part of the family itself. Beneath the kitchen window ran a long washing trough, damp to the touch, carrying the faint scent of soap, starch, and boiled cabbage that seemed to linger permanently in the wood.
At it stood Frau Klein.
She held a cup beneath the water, slowly moving the cloth around its rim although it had already been cleaned twice over. Her hands worked from instinct now, broad and reddened from years of labour, fingers thickened from kneading dough, wringing cloth, hauling water, carrying coal, and doing every invisible task required to keep a household alive.
She had once been handsome in the soft, rosy-cheeked way of country girls.
Now life had settled heavily upon her.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Chris lives in Perth, Western Australia with his wife Dianne.
By day, I’m an engineer. By night—and during lunch breaks, weekends, vacations, and any other stretch of time I can protect—I write fantasy novels.
I didn’t grow up expecting to become an author. I always loved stories, particularly speculative fiction, but writing a novel felt like something other people did.
Eventually, though, the ideas in my head became too persistent to ignore. I had characters, fragments of scenes, pieces of a world, and questions I wanted to explore. At some point, thinking about the story was no longer enough. I had to find out whether I could actually write it.
My engineering background follows me into my fiction. I enjoy understanding how things work, and that includes imaginary things.
If a world contains magic, I want to know what magic costs, who controls it, what assumptions people have built around it, and what happens when those assumptions turn out to be wrong.
I like stories in which the world feels larger than the page and where history, religion, politics, and personal relationships are all pressing against one another.
Becoming an author was less a single moment than a long series of decisions: hire a writing coach, finish the chapter, then finish the draft, then revise it, then let someone else read it, then publish it and begin again.
Even now, with multiple books behind me, I’m not sure the feeling of “becoming” an author ever entirely ends. Every book asks you to learn how to write it. Every book (at least for me) has a wall to break through, and each one is quite different.
I’m also a husband and the father of three daughters, so writing has always had to coexist with a full life. I don’t wait for the perfect silent morning or an empty calendar. I write when I can, keep returning to the story, and trust that a book can be built a few pages at a time.
Tropes:
Found family, monster-as-hero, reverse portal fantasy/alien invasion, humor in high stakes, heroine who starts with nothing (no magic/no powers), morally gray politics, ancient elf x human slow-burn (really low on romance), dragons, prophecy, shared-universe worldbuilding
Two series, one shattered universe: an ancient war that forged magic, and the modern invasion that it made possible.
Mother of Trees
Thaumatropic Roots Book 1
Part of the Fractured Arcana Universe
by Steven J. Morris
Genre: Epic Fantasy
A dying goddess. A fractured prophecy. A magicless elf who shouldn’t exist.
Elliah has spent her entire life being told what she is—bereft, wrong, a mistake the world would prefer to correct. Drifting from town to town with a mother who won’t explain why they keep running, she has no magic, no place, and no future. Then a single misstep draws the attention of those who’ve been looking for her, and everything her mother was hiding comes apart.
She isn’t ready for what she learns. But ready was never an option.
Mother of Trees is the thrilling first book in the Thaumatropic Roots epic fantasy series. Enter a world of dangerous magic, ancient powers, and one impossible girl who refuses to stay down.
Magic is as natural as breathing in Elliah’s world — except to her. Born without a single spark in a war that runs on it, she has nothing but her will and her refusal to accept the limits everyone else has already decided for her. This is what happens when the world writes you out of the story, and you refuse to leave.
Magic isn’t real. Red Hernandez is very sure of that.
She wants a quiet life after Special Forces—just a steady security job at a half-finished Manhattan skyscraper.
But then a sister tower implodes in a way physics can’t explain. Witnesses report creatures in the smoke. And something hunts her in the tunnels beneath.
Red wants answers. What she gets instead is an elf with a sword, a troll with a wry sense of humor, and a dwarf who believes every battle requires an audience. They insist an ancient enemy has crossed into our world—and Red becomes an accidental gatekeeper simply because she’s standing on the fault line when it cracks open.
As a hidden war erupts in the shadows of New York City, Red must decide: run from the past that nearly destroyed her… or fight for a world she’s only just beginning to believe in.
A veteran with nothing left to lose. A threat born of magic and shadow. A team she never saw coming.
The Guardian of the Palace launches the action-packed Guardian League series—perfect for fans of urban fantasy, modern-world magic, found family, and heroines who refuse to back down.
Earth, through its technological advances, supports nearly eight billion souls; from a cosmic perspective, that makes it ripe for the picking. ‘Red’ Hernandez, trying to put a questionable military life behind her, finds herself caught in the middle of stopping an apocalyptic invasion of Earth. But to do that, she has to figure out who the good guys are, and how she can combat forces in which she does not believe.
Steven J. Morris writes fantasy where magic runs deep and the consequences run deeper. By day he’s an engineer and father of three in Austin, Texas. He’s the author of eight novels across two completed series — the epic Thaumatropic Roots and the urban Guardian League — both set in the shared Fractured Arcana universe. Find him at sjmorriswrites.com.
