I’m so excited to introduce you to a fellow Scrivenings Press Author, Ellen E. Withers.
Christina: Ellen, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Ellen: I grew up reading The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, and Agatha Christie. Being fond of mysteries and puzzles, I found my dream job as an insurance fraud investigator. During that time, I also spent years writing nonfiction articles and short stories, learning the craft. I had to retire after 26 years, but retirement allowed me to focus on writing books.
I have two children and I’m the grandmother of seven grandsons. Besides singing acapella (barbershop style) in a chorus and quartet, I love to travel.
Christina: What is your book called?
Ellen: Show Me Skulduggery
Christina: When was it released?
Ellen: May 13, 2025
Christina: Is it a series?
Ellen: Yes, it’s the third book in the Show Me Mystery series.
Christina: Can you share your book blurb with us?
Ellen:
Death comes knocking once again in Show Me Skulduggery, the captivating third book in the award-winning Show Me Mysteries series. These mysteries involve two eras, early 1900s, and contemporary times, featuring a famous Saddlebred horse stable in Mexico, Missouri. Intrigue, deception, underhanded behavior, and murder will keep you turning pages.
Present day: Because of her behavior, the disregard of the needs of her tenants, and her penny-pinching ways, everyone despises slumlord Katherine Mull. When a killer emerges and acts upon their desire to end Katherine’s life, Liesl, Kurt, and Nicole must race against time to identify the killer before this madman kills again. Can they track down the killer before someone else dies? Do they have the skills necessary to identify the killer before they become the target?
1920 through 1953: Mexico, Missouri is famous for being the “Saddlehorse Capital of the World” thanks to world-famous owner/trainers Tom Bass, C.F. Clark, Joseph Potts, George and William Lee, Robert Stewart, and Art Simmons. Each has built upon the solid, respected reputation of the previous trainer at these beloved stables until now. Who can discover and stop sabotage at the stables? Will the Saddlebred trainers be bankrupt if the breed’s sterling reputation is destroyed? Is murder the ultimate act of an evil man seeking revenge?
Christina: That sounds great! What inspired you to write this book?
Ellen: Although I moved away from my hometown years ago, I incorporate Mexico, Missouri’s beautiful and historically interesting structures into my mystery series. The foundation of the Show Me Mysteries series was based upon my desire to embrace the interesting things that make my town special and to share its charm and history as a writer. I feel it was a calling from God to help preserve the history of my town.
Each book in the series focuses on one of these hometown structures. My newest book, Show Me Skulduggery, features Simmons Stables and the rich, diverse history of Saddlebred horse trainers in Mexico, Missouri.
While growing up in Mexico, Missouri, at the end of my elementary school day, I used to walk from my school to my grandmother’s house. When making that journey, my path took me beside the big stables, show rings, split-rail fences, and lush green lawns of Simmons Stables. Mr. Simmons trained many of the finest Saddlebred horses in the world. He did this for over 60 years, right in my hometown.
The horses that trotted around the ring, and switched gaits as if by magic, were amazing to experience. They were regal creatures. None of them could be mistaken for average horse flesh. They were spectacular beasts sporting shiny hair coats, with manes and tails flowing in the wind.
What a blessing to take my childhood visions of those beautiful horses and make them to life on the pages of a book.
Christina: I love how you added something from your childhood memory into your story! What’s your favorite part of your writing process?
Ellen: I feel the ability to write is God given. As this beautiful gift, we need to honor it by continuing to learn about the craft and hone our skills. I am a total learning nerd about writing. I love to learn more about it any chance I get.
Christina: Yes, I love that. It’s a God-given ability. Can you share any challenges you faced during the research or writing process?
Ellen: I love horses. I’ve ridden horses most of my life, but I can’t say I know much about them or how to care for them. It was a blessing to have friends with horses. Plus, I grew up riding Western style, quarter horses. Just about the only thing from me that transferred to the book was my complete love for horses.
Saddlebred horses are majestic creatures, trained and bred to be high-performing horses. I tried my best to relay the excitement and grandeur of these majestic steeds through research about horses. I also included details specifically related to training Saddlebred horses. During my research, I also read books written about two of the famous trainers featured in my book; Tom Bass and Art Simmons.
In the first draft, my content editor commented (after a lengthy and descriptive paragraph or two about Saddlebred horse’s training), “Good girl. You’ve done your research. Now take it out.” After laughing, I trimmed it down to a manageable about of detail for the reader. I was guilty of weighing down the story with too many details from my research. It happens. Editors spot this and help writers create good books by pointing it out.
Christina: If you could give one piece of advice to budding creatives, what would it be?
Ellen: I can’t cut it down to one thing, but I’ll be concise. Learn to appreciate constructive criticism. Keep learning your craft and never give up. The only way you will fail is to quit. Your art needs to be out there in this world.
Christina: Never Give Up …. should be every writer’s motto. What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Ellen: It’s my wish that readers enjoy the series and fall in love with my hometown, the people, and the rich history of the area. My goal is to use fictional characters and fictional situations to breathe life into local history associated with the featured structure. Although most characters and situations are fictional, the larger parameters of accurate historical events are my guideposts.
Christina: What has been the most rewarding part of your publishing journey?
Ellen: Having my dream come true of being a published writer, then to realize I’m part of a fantastic team of writers, editors, and publisher who are the heart of Scrivenings Press. You are one of them!
Christina: Awe! Scrivenings is a wonderful little family. What book are you reading right now?
Ellen: A Hundred Magical Reasons by Laura DeNooyer. I’m loving it. A character in the book is L. Frank Baum, who wrote the series of books featuring The Wizard of Oz and others. It’s a dual-time book written by an author associated with Scrivenings Press. I’m so proud she is one of our authors.
Christina: I just recently interviewed Laura! If you could have dinner with any author, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
Ellen: Agatha Christie, because she’s the greatest mystery writer of all time, in my opinion. Oh, what I could learn from her over one dinner!
Christina: How true! Okay, if your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main character(s)?
Ellen: Such a fun question! My dream picks would be Emma Watson or Anna Kendrick for Liesl Schrader and Chris Pine or Chris Pratt for Kurt Hunter. Such fine actors and actresses could bring these characters to life in the film. It would be so much fun if they actually filmed it in my hometown of Mexico, Missouri.
Christina: Here’s another fun question: You just won free tickets to anywhere in the world! Where are you going? And who are you taking?
Ellen: I love to travel! What a great gift. I’d love to take all of my grandsons (I don’t have any granddaughters) on a trip through England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Austria, Norway, France, and Sweden. That is my complete ancestry, and I’d love to show them their roots.
Christina: That would be an amazing trip! What upcoming writing projects are you working on?
Ellen: I have a new mystery series debuting in May 2026. It will be called Spa City Mysteries and is set in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Like my Show Me Series, each book will be dual time, with a mystery in the contemporary era and one in a historical era. The first book will feature the Al Capone era of Hot Springs. It’s exciting to be creating new characters which will cross over the entire series and write about the history of a new setting.
I have a fourth book contract in my Show Me Series, so after I write the first Hot Springs Mystery, I’ll be back writing another dual-time mystery about my hometown.
Christina: Wow. That’s a lot of writing. Hot Springs has so much history to pull from, that will be fun! Because every writer is ask this question: Are you a Plotter or Pantser?
Ellen: I started off as a complete Pantser but the more I write, the more I like to have a loose outline and scene thoughts for reference. This makes me lean toward also doing some Plotting.
Christina: What are you looking forward to over the next few months?
Ellen: I love to travel and I have three trips lined up. Don’t worry about me relaxing too much on these vacations, because I’ll be writing while I’m vacationing. It’s the best of both worlds.
Christina: Thank you Ellen, for taking the time to chat wth us! I enjoyed it!
If you’d like to learn more about Ellen and her writing journey, check out her links below:
Website: https://ellenewithers.com/
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071728886831
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BWZ1G7JS
Instagram profile: https://instagram.com/lnwithers?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33215146.Ellen_E_Withers
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-e-withers?list=about
Ellen E. Withers is a multiple award-winning fiction writer, and freelance writer, and retired insurance fraud investigator. Her mystery dual-time series, Show Me Mysteries, published by Scrivenings Press, is set in her picturesque hometown of Mexico, Missouri. Besides being under contract for a fourth book in the Show Me Mysteries series, she is working on a dual-time mystery set in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The series will be called Spa City Mysteries.