The Life of Ellie is a sweet story about a young boy named Carson and his special stuffed animal, Ellie the elephant. Ellie is a pink stuffed elephant who is meant as a gift for a baby girl but soon finds herself in a growing friendship with an energetic, bright-eyed boy named Carson. Through their many adventures together- hiking in the mountains, trips to the beach and even to school, Carson teaches Ellie about the world they share, while Ellie shows Carson what it truly means to be a friend. As Carson gets older, he understands he will need to set Ellie aside as she will wait for a new turn to play with a special new friend.
A self-published work of over one thousand words in length, 'The Life of Ellie' was created with the brisk pace and beautiful artwork to appeal to younger readers, as well as the story and substance to appeal to older readers. A portion of every sale of 'The Life of Ellie' goes to support Friends of the Children, a national non-profit organisation that connects children with adult mentors.
Jan originally envisioned The Life of Ellie as a family relic: a story based on her son's meaningful relationship with his stuffed elephant, Ellie. As she began to write this story and work with an editor, it occurred to her that every home in the world could relate. At times, special stuffed animals can do more for a child than a parent can. Her hope is to hear about other adventures children have with their special stuffies to inspire a line of books called "The Stuffy Adventures." Born in Ohio and raised in Florida, Jan moved to Oregon in 2013, where she married her husband, Joel, and found a career producing large-scale events for a national business publication. Jan and Joel now live along with their two young children outside the Twin Cities in rural Minnesota.
Nick was born in Virginia and grew up in Minnesota, where he attended the Art Institute of Minnesota, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design. After several years working as a designer, Nick decided to switch gears and pursue his dream of working with kids with special needs. He earned a Master's Degree in Special Education from Liberty University in 2013 and currently works as a middle school Special Education teacher in Elk River, Minnesota. Nick enjoys painting portraits and landscapes, and also performs as a "live painter" at local churches, as well as weddings and corporate events all over the Midwest. Nick lives in Monticello, Minnesota with his beautiful wife Stephanie and his three amazing sons, Dexter, Rowan, and Spencer.
Erik was born and raised in small-town Minnesota and spent 20 years in the Fargo/Moorhead area, where he attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, earning a Bachelor's Degree in English Education and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing. He spent a decade working in post-secondary education as an instructor and administrator and has spent the last five years as owner and operator of Fargo-based entertainment company, Red River Trivia. Erik also works as a freelance editor/writing coach and is the author of one young adult novel, Just Jake. He lives in Las Vegas with his fiancee Holly and her two children, Hailey and Blake.
