Ellen Barker returns to the Spotlight to discuss her latest novel, The Breaks
Author Name: Ellen Barker
Book Title: The Breaks
Book Genre: Literary fiction (contemporary fiction, women’s fiction…)
Release Date: February 18, 2025
Publisher: She Writes Press
Welcome back, Ellen! How would you describe your latest release?
It’s a contemporary story of two single women – one middle-aged and recovering from life’s setbacks; the other twenty-something and newly out of prison – coping with their very different realities while living in the same house.
What inspired the idea for this book?
First, I knew I wanted to tell one more story about Marianne living her East of Troost life. Second, readers kept asking if she was going to get involved with Carl. And third, as I got into the Carl narrative, Marianne wandered off and met Sister Colette, and that launched the Stephanie story. Sister Colette was inspired by the real-life Sister Terry Dodge, who does similar work with women leaving prison, although in another city and not exactly the same style.
How has your real life (day job, hobbies, etc.) informed your books (or latest release)?
For many years, I volunteered with a local organization called Furry Friends that takes dogs to various places to give children and adults a chance to play with, pet, or read to a dog. My dog was a natural fit for a county-run children’s shelter, which housed kids 0-18 who were between foster homes. We also went to another residential facility for teens dealing with family issues, and also juvenile hall – the county jail for under-18 offenders. So I interacted a lot with counselors and kids who moved from one of those places to another. I got a lot of backstories.
In what ways do you think you’ve evolved as an author since your first book came out?
The stories have become less and less about me. My characters don’t have to approach a situation the way I would. And I’m bolder about what I write about.
What’s your favorite part about writing/being an author? What do you find challenging?
I truly love writing, getting involved with my characters and finding out where they go and what they do. And I love engaging with readers, including book clubs who read my novels. The challenge is getting my books seen among the thousands – millions – of books. The turmoil in social media has also made it more difficult for authors to figure out how to get traction for their particular audience.
What about the writing/editing/publishing process has been the most surprising to you so far (or how has it changed for you over the course of your career)?
Oh my. So much I didn’t know going in. Getting a traditional publisher is very extremely practically impossible. Indie presses are easier but can come with limitations. After pub day, it’s more about finding your readers (they may not be who you thought they were) and marketing. There is just sooo many things an author has to learn and do that have nothing to do with writing. This is where people like you come in!
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
If you are writing nonfiction, verify everything. Tell the whole story, and then go back and make sure the writing is engaging, so that your audience will absorb your message clearly.
If you are a novelist, remember that fiction is powerful. Every story teaches a lesson – make sure the hidden lessons your stories teach are the ones you want others to learn.
What’s capturing your imagination these days outside of reading and writing?
The state of the nation and the role of writers in this era. Truth. Burnout. Horrifying historical parallels. How to respond!
And at the same time, I look outside and it’s so beautiful out there. I go out and soak it up: sun, rain, chill, warmth, birds and trees and clouds and stars and sunrise.
Can you tell us about what you’re working on now?
Yes! My next novel is just starting its trip through the publication process. This one has a new narrator, in a different city, and in an earlier time period (1970s).
What was the last book that stuck with you? Why did it make such a lasting impression?
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them, by Timothy Egan. This book reads like a novel – almost a horror novel – but it’s not, it’s a true story and a cautionary tale to boot.
Where can readers find you?
http://www.ellenbarkerauthor.com
(18) Ellen’s Substack | Ellen Barker | Substack
Ellen Barker (Author of East of Troost) | Goodreads
Thank you, Ellen! The Breaks is out now.
The Breaks
Waking up in the emergency room with a broken arm was not one of the ways Marianne imagined her first date with Carl, if it is a date, ending up. Nor was driving up to the entrance of a women’s prison a few weeks later anywhere on her radar. But here she is. At least I’m on this side of the gate, she thinks. She picks up newly released Stephanie, as a favor to a nun she barely knows, and returns to her East of Troost home, where she finds herself immersed in a whole new drama.
East of Troost is Marianne’s childhood neighborhood, downtrodden by decades of redlining and a wide swath of destruction to make way for an expressway. Marianne moves back after a reversal of fortune limits her options. She repairs the house and deals with a couple of “incidents”—hence her acquaintance with Officer Carl.
Meanwhile, Sister Colette bought the house behind her and is taking in women who, in her words, need to learn to “just live.” As Stephanie helps Marianne cope with her broken arm, she gradually comes out of her shell and teaches Marianne a thing or two about just living.
Author bio:
Ellen Barker grew up in Kansas City during a period of demographic upheaval, and she returns there in her novels. She has a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Washington University in Saint Louis, where she developed a passion for how cities work, and don’t. She began her career as an urban planner, then spend many years working for large consulting firms, first as a writer-editor and later managing large data systems. Her volunteer work involves years of pet-assisted therapy with children in “the system,” both foster care and prison. She is the author of East of Troost, which introduced readers to the neighborhood where The Breaks takes place, and Still Needs Work, which takes place in the same area. She now lives in Los Altos, California, with her husband and their German shepherd, Boris, who is the inspiration for the dog in this novel.