Born and raised in New York, Ellen grew up wanting her classmates to share in her joy of reading. At a young age, she decided to train to become an English teacher and attempt to instill in her students a love for the written word. Of course, master plans such as hers are oftentimes altered as life proceeds, and one calling lost is another found. Although she did receive a degree in English Secondary Education, she decided to use her teaching and writing skills in a less formal atmosphere than originally planned. However, Ellen remains a teacher in her every endeavor. A researcher and library lover, every time Ellen encountered questions or issues, she would head to the stacks. What she found was that she was able to digest enormous amounts of information and succinctly write a short essay on a topic and come to a well thought out conclusion. She became the "go-to" person for her friends, for they all knew that she investigated all issues thoroughly before deciding on how to proceed. When Ellen became a young widow at the age of 39, this investigative trait and her love of writing served her well. To move through her grief, she often jotted down her feelings. Additionally, having been married at the age of twenty, there were lots of things she had never done by herself about which she needed to learn. Thus, A Practical Guide to Widow/erhood was born. The book is a combination of the practical and the inspirational journey of grief. After working on her grief for many years, which included training as a Certified Bereavement Specialist, she decided it was time to start living again. She started to date via the Internet. Having met her first husband when she was fifteen, dating was a new experience for her. Surprisingly, what she found was that most everyone was in the same boat as she -- they didn't have a clue either! A good many were also doubly handicapped by also not understanding what it took to forge a healthy and long lasting relationship. So, of course, she felt obligated to write a "how-to" book: Surfing For Love In All The Right Ways. Matter of fact, she would give it to prospective dates as a primer on herself! Ellen did find a new happy beginning. She met her current husband via the Internet, and they have been happily married for six years. Ellen continues to write, focusing on events in her life that move her deeply and putting words to her heartfelt emotions. Currently, she is again in collaboration with Melinda Vail, with whom she co-authored The Other Side of the Vail: Spiritual Guidance For Everyday Living. Their new book will examine suicide from a unique vantage point. Ellen's website is http://www.lngerst.com.