Ellen E. Withers – Romancing the Writing Process

Shannon here: Ellen E. Withers shares how she put the romance in her Novella, Melting the Ice, which is included in the Contemporary Romance Novella Collection, Romancing the Elements. Comment or answer the question in any post dated Feb 3rd – 14th to enter the drawing for a copy plus 3 other titles. Deadline: Feb 21st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Ellen:

As a writer, I enjoy stretching my skills to improve my overall craft. Branching out from writing mysteries and suspense to developing a romance is not an easy leap for me. I did it for the second time in a new Christian romance novella collection, Romancing the Elements, releasing on February 10th, 2026. Was it easy to do? No. Was it worth the effort? Absolutely.

Collaborating with some of my favorite writing friends on this project has been a true blessing. To have partnered with Jenny Carlisle and Tonya B. Ashley on two different novella collections is a genuine gift from God. Our first writing project together was A Gift for All Time, a Christmas novella collection where a Christmas ornament from the 1800s era Germany passes through generations of family. Each novella took the reader forward in history to a new branch of the family.

Romancing the Elements came from an idea I had before we completed the work on A Gift for All Time. My collaborators gritted their teeth when I suggested a romantic theme and having one or two characters be “a fish out of water.” They begged me to “hold that thought,” and they were kind enough to embrace the idea after the publication of A Gift for All Time.

Our writing friend, Delores Topliff, was added as the fourth author of this new collection. We passed around numerous emails as we finalized our premise, our title, our stories, and characters. We agreed to individually feature an element of nature. Our personal creativity helped spark creativity among us, and we encouraged each other to do our best work. It is our wish that readers enjoy reading our collection as much as we enjoyed writing it.

My novella in the collection, Melting the Ice, has the elemental focus of water, though it appears as frozen precipitation. The “fish out of water” is Amelia, who has a highly successful career but is realizing she may miss out on other opportunities in life if she continues this path. When her sister needs a break from home, hearth, and all the pressures of raising a large family, Amelia rides to the rescue and discovers her managerial skills don’t exactly translate to children and animals. Enter Ian, nicknamed Shorty, who fills a room with his stature and his heart. He is tall, brave, and handsome. Romance between Ian and Amelia ensues under hilarious circumstances.

Several characters, animals, and scenarios in Melting the Ice were based on real people, pets, and events. As a writer, I drew from experience with my career and managing a household with children, pets, a husband, and faith. Having been married to a military man for nearly thirty years, I was familiar with “military speak” and sprinkled that into my novella.

Switching from mystery writing to romance writing was a challenge, but I rose to the task. It’s easier for me to “kill people” on paper than to pen a “kissing book.” Amy Anguish, my content editor, helped me with tips to transform the romantic “dance” between Ian and Amelia from awkward to a smooth tango.

Humor writing is also a stretch for me, but I enjoyed every minute of creating funny scenes. For readers who wonder if the hijinks at the children’s nativity church program are based on true events, the answer is yes. One of my nephews got into a shepherd’s staff “sword” fight that ended with a tug of war over Baby Jesus. This resulted in the “loss” of Baby Jesus’s leg. Although this happened over thirty years ago, members of the congregation still laugh about it.

I hope readers will relate to all the messy things that happen in romances, laugh about them, and appreciate that God gave us romance and family as gifts to cherish. When we get caught up in the minutiae of life, remember that faith, love, laughter, and cherished memories are our legacy passed down through generations.

Question for Readers: Do you prefer to read mystery or romance or a mixture of both? Why?

February Book Bundle #1

Lilly’s February Love by Kelly Irvin, Amish Romance, print 

The Wayfaring Widow by Casey Cline, Historical Romance, winner’s choice print or audiobook

Romancing the Elements by Ellen E. Withers, Romantic Novella Collection, print

King David’s Tabernacle by Caryl McAdoo, Contemporary Romance, e-book

About Ellen: Ellen E. Withers is an award-winning fiction writer, freelance writer, and retired insurance fraud investigator. Show Me Betrayal, the first book in her Show Me Mystery series, won Book of the Year, Best Mystery/Suspense, and Best Debut Novel in the Scrivenings Press Reader’s Choice Awards in 2023 and was a dual finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s (ACFW) 2024 Carol Awards for Debut Novel and Mystery/Suspense/Thriller categories. Show Me Deceit, the second book in the series, won Scrivenings Press Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Mystery/Suspense in 2024. Show Me Skullduggery, book three, was published in May of 2025. A fourth book in the series is under contract.

Ellen has also collaborated on two novella collections published by Scrivenings Press. A Gift for All Time is Christmas themed and Romancing the Elements is a contemporary romance. Learn more & connect:

Ellen’s Website          Ellen’s Facebook          Ellen’s Instagram

Ellen’s Goodreads            Ellen’s Bookbub

About Ellen’s Novella – Melting the Ice:

Career-driven Amelia Kincaid has no room for complications—especially the kind with sticky fingers and snack requests. But caring for her sister’s lively brood places her directly in the path of Ian “Shorty” McIntosh, a gentle giant whose quiet faith and steady warmth begin thawing every icy promise she once made. When the storm lifts, will they retreat to safety—or risk a love that could change everything?

About the Novella Collection – Romancing the Elements:

Four novellas. Four natural elements. Four couples learning to steady themselves on the only foundation that never shifts.

This faith-filled romance collection celebrates the tender strength of God at work through unlikely pairings, unexpected adventures, and the unpredictable forces of nature.

Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Ellen’s other titles?

Need extra copies for gifts? Get your copy/copies now!

Ellen’s Books               Romancing the Elements

Come back Feb 12th for Caryl McAdoo!