Words by Ellen

Finding Magic in the Natural World

Published Novels by Ellen

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A sneak peek into what's in the creation oven...

LET THE STARS GUIDE YOU HOME 
​MG contemporary

Themes: immigration; adjusting; friendship; nature; courage
Word count: 47,000
Comps: Hello Universe x Front Desk
Pitch: When an embarrassing photo of Evie Harris appears in the yearbook courtesy her best friend Maddie, she wants to hide under a rock. The title doesn’t help: Queen of Green. The photo features Evie surrounded by the plants she loves--not a typical hobby for an eighth grader. In seconds, her former friend, Amber, offers a new title, “Fern Freak.” Evie’s summer has just begun, but it’s already a disaster. About to board a bus and spend a week in the woods as a counselor in training, Evie quickly unfriends Maddie. She would rather spend five days fending off spiders than her classmates’ comments. Except Amber is going, too. The two former friends will be CITs together. It will take navigating her way through the dark on a night hike, maneuvering a rickety bridge on a ropes challenge, and kissing a banana slug before Evie finds her way home and discovers the courage it takes to be a real friend.

ALEEYAH RISING
​​MG fantasy

Themes: jealousy; siblings; competition; monsters; swimming; belief
Word count: 48,000
Comps: Sweep x Up for Air
Pitch: When a stray puppy leads competitive swimmer Alya Michaels into the town synagogue, she looks for solace in the place her father swore off, saying faith isn’t something to pray for. You have or you don’t. Then the puppy vanishes––inside her backpack. Dismissing the incident to stress and too many workouts, Alya drowns herself in pity at the pool. But a swell rises from the chlorinated waters in the shape of what can only be described as a golem. These mythical creatures protect their creators. It must be a good sign. Except, Alya hadn’t counted on it exposing her most guarded secret: jealousy of her baseball talented brother. As the liquid golem prepares to destroy her brother’s baseball field—no field, no all-star—Alya must decide whose dream is worth saving.

GUARDIAN OF THE COVE 
​MG fantasy graphic novel

Themes: STEM; plastic pollution; environmental awareness; divorce; friendship
Word count: 17,000
Comps: Flush x A Crack in the Sea
Pitch: Surviving sixth grade is nothing. When 12yo Olivia must save her best friend from a possible sea monster. That means helping a kingdom of mutated sea life and defeating the giant octopus intent on overtaking their world. 

COLOR OF REGRET
​MG fantasy

Themes: social-emotional; sports; friendship; death
​Word count: 48,000
Comps: Gregor the Overlander x Wish
Pitch: Jacky Indiana believes she killed her dad. Not on purpose! How can a baby possibly know that rushing into this world early would mean losing her father in a car crash? Her mom— a former soccer star who suffered a crippling injury—believes Jacky loves nothing more than soccer. She has no idea Jacky would rather be helping restore the mural at her school, a mural her dad originally helped design.

MAGICAL LEMON TREE RECIPE BOOK 
​MG fantasy

Themes: neurodiverse; moving; family; talents; baking
Word count: 58,000
Comps: The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street x The Truth About Twinkie Pie
Pitch: When 12yo Magenta Wise’s parents announce they’re moving four hundred miles so her sister can attend a special school for her selective mutism, Magenta’s dreams of attending the Ramsey Duffles Junior Bakers Academy deflate like a soufflé. Her confidence shattered, she finds a beacon of hope in the form of a magical lemon tree growing in her new home’s backyard—complete with a magical recipe book and creepy blackbird guardians.

TRUTH OR SCARE
​MG paranormal adventure

Themes: being honest; starting over; family; friendship; acceptance
Word count: 51,000
Comps: Scritch Scratch x Harriet the Spy
Pitch: Ripley Bloom is a 12-year-old with a habit of telling too many stories and snooping in all the wrong places. Hoping for a fresh start with her parents in a new town, her old ways are put to the test after she discovers her family’s newly purchased movie theater might be haunted. If she can catch the ghost, maybe her parents will trust her again.
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