People ask me what I write, and which story is my favorite. Choosing between my coming-of-age novel and my contemporary dark fantasy stories is like picking a favorite child, or in my case, a cat, since I have no children. They are all dear to my heart. I don’t prefer my orange, cotton-candy-kitty to my miniature black panther or my blue-tipped Siamese to my mosaic tortoiseshell baby. Each one is special.
My felines take turns keeping me company while I pen tales about vengeful witches wreaking havoc on my characters or misguided teenage adventures. Sometimes, I switch to songwriting. Or I play a tune on my guitar for my kitty-cat audience whenever I need a break.
Music influences my work, too. My stories have soundtracks. Melodies play in my head as I write. It probably stems from watching the movies made from Stephen King books.
When I was a teenager, I used to listen to Casey Kasem on my transistor radio. The top 40 charts were the best. I don’t know why, but I recall where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard any song. It’s just how my mind works.
In my spare time, I like to watch Netflix with my husband or have friends over to play card games. The little things make me happy.
That’s probably why I like living in a medium-sized town in Arkansas. It has a small-town feel while providing access to everything I need. I enjoyed working here when I was a practicing physician. The area was underserved, and the hospitals were warm and welcoming.
Over the years, I knew my patients well and they were more like friends than clients. By the time I retired from medicine, I had taken care of entire families. It was a privilege to treat a grandmother, mother, and child that were scheduled to see me the same day.
During those visits, I learned a lot about human nature. People told me fascinating stories about their lives. Some of the tales worked their way into my writing, though I changed the facts so it’s fiction.
I read, too. My bookshelves are spilling over. Now and then, I give away books to friends or to the local thrift stores. I try to only keep my favorite novels, but it’s hard to part with them. They’re like old friends. I hope readers feel the same way about my stories. For me, it’s more about making a connection than receiving validation.
Follow me for all the latest news. Some of my serialized fiction from Kindle Vella will be available in print and ebook format soon. Connect with me on my Amazon page to read free short stories on Kindle Vella.
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Title Run Girl Run
Author Ellen Y. Mueller
Genre Young Adult contemporary suspense
Publisher The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb
Sixteen-year-old Tracie lives in a house divided by fear and a family secret she has yet to discover. Her grandma gives her a hint and the tools to unearth the past. Are the clues the answer to her prayers? If so, she’ll take her younger brother and split. Her dream can’t come true quickly enough.
One night, when her dad is in one of his violent rages, opportunity pounds on Tracie’s door. A male friend offers her an escape. But there’s a catch. She can’t sneak her brother out with her parents watching, and her dad demands her friend leave immediately. On a whim, she goes, too. After all, he just wants to keep her safe and swears to have her best interest at heart.
Caught in a current of lies and deception, Tracie’s swept farther from home than she ever expects. She can’t trust anyone, not even her mother. Exposing the secret may save Tracie and her little brother, but at what cost?
Excerpt
After a painful dinner, without Mom present, Jason and I escaped to his room.
“Ready to do this?” I booted up the laptop.
Jason’s heart must’ve been pounding since he kept glancing at the door like he expected Dad to barge in and catch us.
“Dad doesn’t know about these. He’s watching television or checking on Mom,” I said, knowing if he ate dinner without calling the neighbor lady, he didn’t care.
He dug inside his pillowcase and pulled out the shiny boxes. “What are they for?” An eleven-year-old boy had no idea about such things.
“It’s one of those kits like on television. You know, DNA to learn about your ancestors.” I ripped into the wrapper. “We have to register ourselves online, spit in the tube, and mail it back. The MyDNA people will send us the results by email.” I found a pen in my backpack and filled out the form.
“Why did Mimi send these?” He unboxed the items, lining them up on the bed.
“I don’t know. Maybe she thought we’d think it was fun. Who knows? Maybe we have other siblings. Mom might’ve had a baby before us and put it up for adoption. Something’s going on, because she chewed Mimi out for sending these.”
He labeled his tube and spat into it, filling it to the marked line.
“You can’t let Mom know, even after we get the result. Understand?” I said.
“Yeah, but if we have a brother or sister, are we going to meet them?”
Another sibling would be older than us. If they accepted us and had their act together, they might let us live with them. The endless possibilities ran through my mind.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub)
Author Biography:
Ellen Y. Mueller writes for both teens and adults. She’s an avid reader. Her favorite genres are young adult suspense, horror, fantasy, historical fiction, thrillers, and women’s fiction. She also reads her fair share of nonfiction books. Her book collection has grown into a small library.
Stephen King, Tracy Chevalier, and Elin Hilderbrand are among her favorite authors. Their influence compelled her to write her own stories. Wild Rose Press published Her young adult, contemporary, coming-of age novel, Run Girl Run, in 2022. She also writes serialized fiction for Kindle Vella on Amazon. Some of those stories will be available in print soon.
When she’s not writing or reading, she enjoys guitar music and helps other writers who dream of publishing their work. She has made her home in Arkansas with her husband and pets.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllenYMueller/
Title: The Cave Witch
Author: Penned under the name Darcy Collins
Genre: Dark contemporary fantasy
Publisher Kindle Vella/ Amazon
Book Blurb:
Emma, a recent widow, investigates a cavern near her remote farmhouse and stumbles upon a hidden chamber. In the bowels of the cave, she meets a trapped witch. The sorceress gives her enchanted rings, but eventually someone must commit murder to recharge the magic stones. Caught in a world of fantasy and deception, Emma must outwit the witch and her wicked cult before they kill Emma and her family.
Excerpt
Emma Gibbons held her breath and turned the deadbolt as dusk lowered the night’s curtain. With the loud click, every one of her muscles tensed.
“Emma.” The woman’s far away voice came from outside.
She tiptoed to the window. In the hillside, an ominous cavern mouth faced her farmhouse.
Did a killer watch from the shadows? Lately, so many people died, but not from heart attacks, old age, or car accidents. Murder. Oh, God. Did she imagine the voice? Maybe… but if it wasn’t a figment in the corner of her mind, someone might kick in the door. And then what?
Quiet as a cat stalking prey, she tapped the numbers into her phone. “Hello, I have a trespasser on my property. Can you send an officer?” After a brief exchange, she disconnected.
Twenty excruciating minutes passed, and a police car’s headlights split the darkness.
She exhaled and switched on the porch lamp, greeting the uniformed man in the driveway.
With a blank face he took her report and sauntered toward the cavern.
“Emma,” a faint female voice said from somewhere inside the hole.
The officer froze.
“You heard her, didn’t you?” she asked.
He flipped on his flashlight. “Heard what?”
She swallowed hard. “A woman calling my name.”
Turning his head toward her, his icy stare chilled her blood. He said nothing and strolled into the cave. His shoes slapped the rock floor in a leisurely fashion, as if he had left an armchair to get a drink.
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97 episodes/ read the first 10 free