Notes from Ellie · Issue No. 6 · August 1, 2026

Six Months Together

Half a year ago, a small circle of women decided to write together. This month, we’re pausing to celebrate how far we’ve come, and sharing the two newest adventures from Maple Ridge and Cedar Hollow.

Hello, Dear Reader

Back in our very first issue, we told you a secret: Ellie Webster isn’t one woman, she’s all of us. This summer, our little group passed a milestone we’re awfully proud of. We’ve been writing together for about half a year now.

That might not sound like long. But for a small group like ours, juggling busy lives, deadlines, and the occasional crisis of confidence, six months of showing up for each other is a big deal. Plenty of writing groups fizzle out after a few meetings. Ours keeps getting stronger.

What half a year looks like

• Five books out in the world. Since February, we’ve released The Peanut Butter Twist, The Barbershop Showdown, The Deadly Tapestry, Paws and Prejudice, and Murder at the Pumpkin Patch.
• Four series and counting. Maple Ridge, Canine Confidential, and Tangled Threads are underway, with Dog-Eared arriving this fall.
• A whole cast of four-legged friends. Cocoa, Echo, and Mewsly have found their way onto the page (and, we hope, into your hearts), with Boo waiting impatiently in the wings.
• Countless cups of coffee. We stopped counting. It seemed safer.

What we’ve learned

Momentum is a team sport. On the days one of us runs out of steam, someone else carries the lantern. Nobody has to be brilliant every day when the group is there to keep things moving.

Every voice makes the story better. The plot twist one of us would never have thought of, the line of dialogue that makes everyone laugh, the clue that finally clicks: those come from the mix.

Celebrate the small wins out loud. A finished chapter, a new cover, a kind review from a reader we’ve never met. We’ve learned to stop and cheer for all of it.

Six months in, we’re not just co-writers. We’re a circle of friends who happen to solve fictional murders together.

And to you, our readers: thank you. Every review, every recommendation to a friend, and every “when’s the next one?” keeps us going. You’re part of this circle too.

The newest adventures

Murder at the Pumpkin Patch (Tails of Maple Ridge, Book 3) · Out now

Fall has arrived in Maple Ridge, with pumpkin pies cooling on every counter, hayrides rumbling through the fields, and the annual harvest festival in full swing. Life feels just about perfect for Tess and Cocoa, until a body turns up in the pumpkin patch. With suspects cropping up faster than pumpkins on a wagon and a missing prize pumpkin no one can account for, Tess will have to dig deep to unearth the truth.

Old Tricks, New Trouble (Canine Confidential, Book 2) · Coming August 28, 2026

When the town’s beloved radio host collapses live on air, everyone calls it a tragic accident. Lucy Hart and her retired K9, Echo, aren’t so sure. Echo may not hear much these days, but his nose says something isn’t right, and Lucy soon finds herself untangling station rivalries, whispers of town corruption, and an angry caller with a grudge.

On our shelf this season

Here’s to the next six months, and to the friends who make the hard parts lighter.
With love and gratitude,
Ellie (all of us)