A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery
by Ellis Elliott
I am happy to welcome Ellis Elliot
to Escape With Dollycas today!
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I live in South Florida with my husband and feisty dog, Mabel. We have a blended family of six grown sons, one of whom is severely disabled and lives in a group home nearby. I currently teach dance and creative writing in an after-school arts program and run online writing groups called “Bewilderness Writing”.
I also love and make miniatures. I usually have multiple dollhouses I’m working on at once. I still have a lot to learn!
What is the first book you remember reading?
“Go, Dog, Go” by Dr. Seuss
What are you reading now?
“Glass Houses” by Louise Penny. Trying to catch up to her latest one.
What books have most inspired you?
I love Agatha Christie’s Mrs. Marple books and have been inspired by Sharon McCrumb’s “Appalachian Ballad” novels.
What made you decide you wanted to write mysteries?
I always loved to read and watch mysteries and crime dramas. It intrigues me that the clues are often found in what is not said or seen. I published my first poetry collection in 2023, and I really wanted to make a deep-dive into mystery fiction and my imagination, while pulling from all the things I know and love.
Do you have a special place where you like to write?
We have a family cabin on the side of a mountain in the woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where I have my very own she-shed. That is my favorite place, by far.
Where do the ideas for your books come from?
This one is based on my mother’s side of the family in East Tennessee, where I spent my childhood summers, and some research I had done on my great-great-grandfather’s memoir of the Civil War. Otherwise, my ideas spring from things I read related to subjects I am most curious about.
Is there anything about writing you find most challenging?
On most days I have the attention span of a gnat, but for some reason, once the story gets going, I’m like a dog with a bone. It’s hard for me not to let it consume me, but I’m working on it!
What do you think makes a good story?
Relatable, authentic characters and a compelling storyline that keeps me turning the page. I like to learn something I didn’t know before, and I like a good sense of humor.
Which of all your characters do you think is the most like you?
Probably the main character, Cece Chagall. Thirty years ago, that is! She has multiple interests but tried hard to fit into what others think she is “supposed” to do. She is aware her brain works a little differently than the norm and she comes from a line of fiercely independent women.
What makes your books different from others out there in this genre?
My hope is that it adds a layer of history on top of the usual cozy mystery plot line, by including the “Fire Circle” of women with their ancestral wisdom, so the main character not only ponders who she is now and her future, but how it is all connected to the past, as well.
What’s next on the horizon for you?
I’ll be working on my next book, hopefully while in the she-shed mentioned above, and will be teaching dance and creative writing at a summer camp. I need a nap just thinking about it.
Thank you, Ellis, for visiting today!
Keep reading for more information about Ellis and her book.
About A Witch Awakens
A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – In the Tennessee mountains
Publisher: Hawkshaw Press (May 19, 2025)
Number of Pages: 238
Digital ASIN : B0F5LDHNY1
A Witch Awakens is about an accidental detective CeCe (Tennessee) Brown, who returns home to Tennessee after deciding the Big Apple just didn’t suit her. While working as the local ballet teacher she helps her friend Bess to put on the annual Fall Ball. Unfortunately, during a thunderstorm the night of the ball, one of the town’s most notable women is found dead. CeCe was very close to the victim, and begins to have little dizzy spells where she starts to get pictures of things around her town, and feelings compelling her to visit certain locations. Under the guidance of her grandmother and her Aunt Granny, CeCe begins to realize she shares a family proclivity for a bit of second sight. It’s a story where CeCe solves a mystery, but also begins to accept who she is, and where she’s from, and what makes her little town, and herself, special. She solves the mystery of herself.
More About Ellis Elliot
ELLIS ELLIOTT is a facilitator of the online writing group Bewilderness Writing. She also teaches writing and ballet in an after-school arts education program. Ellis holds an MFA from Queens University. She is a contributing writer for the Southern Review of Books and serves as an editor/workshop instructor for The Dewdrop contemplative journal.
She is the author of the 2023 poetry chapbook, Break in the Field (Old Scratch Press), which KIRKUS calls “A deeply felt collection of candid verse.” Her work can also be found in numerous publications, including Signal Mountain Review, Plainsongs Poetry Magazine/Award Poem, Euphony Journal, and the Women of Appalachia Project Anthology. Ellis has a blended family consisting of six grown sons. She resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, with her husband, Tim, and a feisty dog named Mabel.
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It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
A captivating and intriguing novel.