In case you didn't know, Scrivenings Press is my publisher, and the company is more like a family in many ways. Needless to say, I'm always excited to meet/get to know another Scrivenings author. Ellen Withers is one I actually got to meet in person last fall when she came to Nashville for the Christy Awards. I'm also blessed to be her content editor for a novella coming out later this year. Needless to say, I'm more than excited to introduce her to YOU now. Because obviously you'll love someone I already love, right? Read on. Ellen, congratulations on the release of your first novel! What is one of the biggest things you’ve learned through the process of getting this book published? I’ve learned so many things, but the most important is being grateful to God for blessing me with a publisher, editors and the other authors of Scrivenings Press who have helped me get this book published. I’m also so grateful for the support of my friends and family who share my excitement at being a published author. You’ve chosen to write a mystery. What is it that draws you to that genre? I grew up reading Harriet the Spy and Nancy Drew mysteries and found them fascinating. I’ve lived my life with a strong sense of right and wrong. Mysteries usually put all the pieces together and allow us to cheer when the bad guy gets caught. I love the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes and anything written by Agatha Christie. Even my insurance career involved solving mysteries, such as How did this fire start? How did this collision occur? Who was at fault? You also have a novella collection releasing later this year. What was one of the hardest things about writing for that book? The collaboration part of the novella collection was terrific because Tonya Ashley and Jenny Carlisle are encouraging and fun to work with. The struggle was that I ended up with edits from my mystery hitting the same time as I was completing the draft of my novella. My co-authors were patient, and I made the mystery edits on time and met the novella deadline with their encouragement ringing in my ears. I’ve learned to allow more time for editing. I know you used to be a insurance fraud investigator. Do you find a lot of the stories and experiences gained during that time popping up in your writing now? I signed a non-disclosure agreement when I retired, so I can never write about any specific experience I had as a fraud investigator. What I can draw upon are all the experiences I’ve had inside courtrooms watching trials, testifying as a witness in litigation, watching law enforcement officers and firefighters do their investigations. It helps me write how people feel when they’re testifying or being interrogated by law enforcement. You have quite a bit published in the non-fiction world, in various magazines and papers. What first made you decide to switch and try your hand at writing fiction instead of non-fiction? Was it a hard transition? I was writing factual reports in my insurance job and pined for a creative aspect of writing. To make that transition, I attended local writers’ conferences and learned about nonfiction opportunities. The conference instructors taught me about AP Style and to ask publications if they needed help. I found a part-time job with the local newspaper writing about local people. That led to writing for a Little Rock magazine in 2006. I’m still writing book reviews and an occasional article for the same magazine today. I know you’re in a singing group. Should we expect to see future characters doing something similar (I’m totally in, if we do! That sounds like a really fun story idea!)? That does sound like a fabulous story idea! I’ll have to ponder that and get back to you. Singing is my escape from everyday tensions and concerns. When I sing, I just think about the music and how uplifting it can be. I’ll bet a devotional associated to how hymns make us feel would uplift readers. It definitely would! I know you love to travel quite a bit. What is the favorite place you’ve ever been? Traveling equals learning to me and I think that’s one reason I love to go places. I’m half German and getting to see and experience Germany, Austria, England and The Netherlands was amazing. Also, my father fought in World War II. I have been able to follow the path his battalion took from England, to landing in Normandy, through Belgium and into Austria and Germany. That generation was the greatest generation, thanks to all the sacrifices they made to keep us free. Last but not least, can you tell us one thing about you that very few people know already? I’ve had several serious health threats in my life. I was diagnosed with cancer twice and I had a heart attack. Yet, here I am, cancer free and enjoying a healthy heart. Modern medicine and God have kept me here and I’m happy to stay for as long as He wants me on Earth. In the meantime, I will share my experiences with people who might suffer from the fear of cancer or heart issues. I don’t like to talk about it or dwell on my experiences unless those experiences will help others cope with their diagnoses. That is awesome. Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Ellen! And for the rest of you reading this, keep reading to find out more about this gorgeous book of hers coming out this month! Show Me Betrayal A joyous event years ago turned into a horrible nightmare. Has the nightmare returned? Two deaths occur decades apart. Is it possible these deaths are related? What motivates a killer, who got away with murder sixty years ago, to kill again? Was it uncontrollable rage or to silence someone who fit all the puzzle pieces together and deduced who committed the crime? Set in the picturesque town of Mexico, Missouri, Show Me Betrayal takes flight in words and emotions of rich characters woven together into a story you won’t want to put down. Ellen is an award-winning fiction writer, freelance writer and retired insurance fraud investigator. She is excited about her mystery/dual-time series, Show Me Mysteries, which is set in her picturesque hometown of Mexico, Missouri. Scrivenings Press will release the first book of the series May 16, 2023.
She is also proud to be one of three contributors to a Christmas novella collection titled A Gift for All Time, due in 2023 from Scrivenings Press. For more information about her books, writing tips and guest author highlights, visit her website at www.ellenewithers.com and her Facebook page, Ellen E. Withers. Follow her column on how to win writing contests in Writers Monthly Magazine PDF. When not writing or reading, Ellen enjoys spending time with her family, traveling the world with her adventurous friends and performing with Top of the Rock Chorus, a Sweet Adeline chorus in central Arkansas. Website: https://ellenewithers.com/ Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071728886831 Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BWZ1G7JS Instagram profile: https://instagram.com/lnwithers?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
5 Comments
5/6/2023 03:19:32 pm
Thank you for having me as a guest on your website, Amy. I appreciated the opportunity to share my story with writers and readers.
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5/29/2023 07:53:12 pm
Huge congrats on your first full-length fiction novel, my friend. Yes, I totally get the problem of writing tasks piling up. That's when we learn the actual meaning of the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for!"
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5/31/2023 08:53:24 am
Thanks for all your support! I'm learning how to be an author. The bumps in the road are educational. A learning experience!
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Bettye Francis
5/29/2023 08:01:20 pm
I have sung with Ellen for many years. She is an excellent singer! She also writes beautifully! Such a creative mind with attention to detail makes her writing easy to read and leaves you wanting more. I have just started Show Me Betrayal and I am hooked!
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5/31/2023 08:55:36 am
Thank you for all the kind words, Bettye! You are an excellent singer, too.
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