Local author, Ellen Fannon of Valparaiso is the recipient of the 2022 Christian Indie Publishing Award for her second novel, Save the Date. Save the Date is the humorous story of Hannah Jensen, a widow raising a teenaged daughter, who hasn’t been back to her hometown in more than 20 years. When she receives an invitation to her 25th high school reunion, it triggers memories of her own teenaged years. She dreams about rekindling the flame with her first love, her high school sweetheart, while at the same time, she dreads running into a clique of mean girls who made her life miserable.
The story interweaves the present—including Hannah’s loneliness, the challenges of single-parenting a teenager, people who want to “set her up” with eligible men, her own insecurities, and her eccentric family—with scenes from Hannah’s past and her fantasy of “happily ever after” with her high school boyfriend in a humorous and entertaining manner. Her feelings of being “shunned” by the cool kids resurface as she reflects back on her time as a teenager. There are several roadblocks on Hannah’s journey from a teenager through her present. The growing pains and amusing situations in which she finds herself are ones to which we all can relate. As she walks the path of self-discovery, she also discovers the most important life lesson of all—her relationship to God.
Ellen is a practicing veterinarian, former missionary and church pianist/organist. She originated and wrote the Pet Peeves column for the Northwest Florida Daily News before taking a two-year assignment with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (1999-2001). She and her retired Air Force pilot-turned-pastor husband have been foster parents to more than 40 children, and the adoptive parents of two sons. Her first novel, Other People’s Children, is the humorous account of the life of a foster parent. Her third novel, Don’t Bite the Doctor, is the amusing journey of a young female veterinarian.
Ellen has had several articles published in One Christian Voice, and she has had stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Life Lessons Learned from the Dog, Divine Moments—Remembering Christmas, November 2019 and 2020. Ellen’s devotions have appeared in Open Windows, the Secret Place, and Guideposts All God’s Creatures Daily Devotions. She’s won numerous awards for her devotions. She also has had articles published in You and Me and Sasee magazine.
All Ellen’s novels are available on Amazon or from the trunk of her car. Ellen would love for you to follow her humor-at-everyday-life blog: www.ellenfannonauthor.com.
