About

ABOUT

“Homer didn't have to open the book to know how the story began. 'Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show,' he recited from memory.”

- John Irving, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES

hello!

I'M ELLEN

The first time I read THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, when I was 23 years old, the question "Will you be the hero of your own life?" was so far from my understanding of what was possible that it didn't even register.

The second time I read it, when I was 42 years old, I knew it was THE question of my life – and that the answer needed to be yes.

I’d succeeded some years earlier in becoming a published novelist – my dream.

Then I found myself deep in a period of devastating setbacks – both professional and personal.

If I was going to stay on my path as a writer, there was clearly a lot of healing to be done.

And nobody, it turned out, was coming to save me – except, maybe, me.

I found and cultivated a relationship with Spirit.

I sought guidance from oracle cards and shamans.

I did some very deep healing with different kinds of practitioners.

I became a Reiki healer and certified mindset coach. I trained in shamanic journeying and other healing modalities, including Bioenergetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.).

I continued to make mistakes. To experience setbacks -- and identify places where i was sabotaging myself.

But one thing I knew for sure was that my dream of being a novelist had never changed – and I stuck with it through everything.

Through 8+ years of rejections and rewriting.

Through scrapping everything and starting over.

Finally, in 2024, my new novel The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson was published. The HarperCollins Lead Read for Winter and an Indie Next pick, it was featured in multiple major media outlets, including People magazine, which chose it as a Best New Book, describing it as "a sweeping tale of love and loss."

My next novel, SUMMERLAND COVE, will be released June 2, 2026.

And my fifth novel is scheduled for 2028.

We're all writing the story of our own lives. Will you be the hero of yours?

As an intuitive coach for spiritually-minded creatives and entrepreneurs

the work I’ll do with you is about finding, navigating (and staying on) your path.

It's also about the journey of being alive.

About connecting with Spirit and getting into flow.

About facing and disarming your internal saboteurs.

About growing into the person you were always meant to be.

This work can be challenging – full of surprising twists and turns and layers.

But it will transform you – and it will help you create the success you desire in your work and in your life.

I bring to this work a unique blend of intuitive gifts and real-world experiences, including nearly 20 years as self-employed entrepreneur who transitioned into a business owner.

I can help you along your journey toward expressing and living your deepest, truest dreams.

I can help you become the hero of your own life.

Learn more about 1:1 coaching ->

Carrie S., Minnesota