Ellen P. Stephens

Ellen and her husband of 45 years retired five years ago, and her first goal as a bona fide retiree was to finish the children's book she had started 23 years earlier. Ellen's subsequent labor of love was telling her heartfelt, palpable experience of caring for her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. That journey lasted twelve years. She is now an advocate for caregivers, as well as those suffering from other medical maladies she herself has faced, including severe postpartum depression, achalasia, vasculitis and brain tumors.

When she's not writing, Ellen enjoys spending time with her four children and six grandchildren. Her favorite hobbies include traveling with family and friends, reading, working crossword puzzles and enjoying date nights with her husband.

An active church member, Ellen also treasures lunches and coffee dates with her friends and special events with the Women's Ministry. She has always believed reading changes lives, therefore, she enjoys visiting schools and libraries to share her books. Some of her fondest memories are of her elementary school library, where biographical books became magnets for her imagination and helped instill a lifelong love of reading.