Hello! My first name is easy to say, although I've secretly wanted it spelled, Ellyn. The last name is pronounced, Slan-ska.

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My favorite childhood memory is my yellow Schwinn 10-speed. Growing up in a small Michigan town located along Lake Huron, I felt freedom riding down the deserted streets, to state parks and inland lakes. But the best place it took me was to Grandpa and Grandma's house. There I listened to Grandpa's imitations of whip-poor-wills and chickadees while eating Grandma's sugar cookies.

 

Reading to my children, Mike and Christy, started my love of picture books. Our favorites included: The Widow's Broom, Silly Sally, Scruffy, Boober Fraggle's Celery Souffle, and The Z was Zapped, to name a few. When Mike became an adult, we talked about writing a picture book together and that thought resonated with me. But the question that begged to be asked was: Could I write? 

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While at Macomb Community College, an instructor encouraged me to enter an assignment titled, Grief Is... into the Changing Landscapes II writing contest. It won first place. Maybe there was some talent there, but very few hours for crafting. I was pursuing a teaching position. Then, life opened up time to write picture book stories. Yay!

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Currently, southwest Michigan is my home where I live with my husband, our pet cockatiel Quiggley, and a backyard filled with chatter, drumming, and warnings. I volunteer weekly at Blandford Nature Center and practice Tai Chi. 

 

Thank you for visiting. 

 

Feed the birds. Eat chocolate. Keep doing what you love.

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Ellen