More About the Author
Ellen L. Ekstrӧm has been intrigued by all things medieval since seeing Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" as a five-year old--when it was first run in theaters. Now that she is in her own middle ages, the passion for the Middle Ages hasn't abated, as she returns time and again to medieval history and themes in her novels, with an occasional foray into matters of the heart and soul where it concerns the modern woman. Rev. Ekstrom was ordained to the order of vocational deacons in the Episcopal Church in December of 2002, serves the San Francisco Bay Area in the Diocese of California. To support her family and frenetic lifestyle, she works as a legal secretary. Once in a while, she sleeps.
Rev. Ekstrom has a growing list of published works. Her debut novel "The Legacy," an historical novel set in 14th century Tuscany garnered praise in its first release. Said Thomas Scott of The Copperfield Review, "...I felt I was swept into the world of medieval Tuscany. The sights, the sounds, the panorama of personalities, all had an immediately natural and engaging feel. Ekstrom has developed a narrative that is full of period detail as if medieval Tuscany is being painted with words before our eyes, yet the narrative never intrudes on the characters or the story. The characters are allowed to speak for themselves."
Her second effort, "A Knight on Horseback," is a contemporary spin on all things medieval and chronicles the life of a woman in the midst of change, from how she pays the bills to thornier issues,such as diaper changes, work hours and men. Her protagonist, Violet Ellison, discovers she doesn't need a knight on horseback to slay her dragons - she just needs a bit of personal space, and maybe some sleep. A reviewer wrote of "A Knight on Horseback," "Don't we all want to find our knight in shining armor? Is it possible? Or is it an untrue, unattainable, unreanights after all, knights on horseback are renaissance from history books and they weren't often so shiny and glamourous. Just as we fantasize about our life and our future only to grow up and find ourselves locked in a, though full and important, mundane routine."
"Armor of Light," is her third published novel and is an historical fantasy, a retelling of the St. George and the Dragon legend, set in Cumbria, England, after the disasterous Fourth Crusade and the sacking of Constantinople. George Ascalon is the earl of Grasmere and returns home to discover he has one last battle - but the decisions he has to make where it concerns life are an even greater struggle. From the Historical Novels Review: "This story is a re-working of "Saint George and the Dragon," with echoes of Beowulf and Lord of the Rings. The feel is lushly medieval, like a colorful tapestry come to life. A riveting battle between Christian elements and pagan evil is almost three-dimensional in nature . . . Ekstrom's prose is luminous, particularly in areas where she is writing about medieval religion. The author knows her purificators from her ambries, and a timeless tale of good versus evil always strikes a chord . . . this story engaged the emotions, and the ending surprises and intrigues."
The fourth novel, "Tallis' Third Tune," has been called extraordinary and sparkling literary fiction, a story that deals with first love, heartbreak, life, death, and everything in between and beyond, a woman's journey into her heart and soul to correct mistakes made where it concerns the two men she has loved the most.
