Ellen is a speaker, writer, editor and teacher.  She was teacher/advisor from 1973-1983 of Bittersweet, The Ozark Quarterly, published by her students at Lebanon Missouri High School. (see www.bittersweetozarks.org for more info) She also does other editorial work with individual writers and was editor in 1988-1989 for Briarwood, a local heritage magazine published by the Lebanon Missouri Publishing Company.  She has published many articles, short stories, essays, one original musical play, twelve novels and five non-fiction books. 

Since retiring from Lebanon High School as an English teacher in 1986, she has given over 350 talks, taught at 41 Elderhostels and given 37 dramatic readings throughout Missouri and in Arkansas, North Carolina, Connecticut and Washington D.C.

Ellen has won numerous awards.  In 1995 she was inducted into the first Writers Hall of Fame of America .  In 1996 and 1997 she was finalist in the short story and the biography categories from Western Writers of America's Golden Spur Award.  She has received several first places from the Missouri Writers Guild in fiction, non-fiction, short stories, articles and poetry.

Ellen is co-president of the Missouri Folklore Society , on the board of the Missouri Writers Guild, The Ozarks Mountaineer, as well as an active member of Ozark Writers League, Western Writers of America , EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) , and Heartland Writers Guild. 

List of Published Books:

Bittersweet Country - Doubleday and Co. 1978/University of Oklahoma Press 1986

Bittersweet Earth - University of Oklahoma Press 1985

Marigold Gold, Verses of the Ozarks by Mary Elizabeth Mahnkey, collected by Ellen Gray Massey - Bittersweet, Inc. 1990,1999

Moon Silver - Avalon Books 1991

Too Many Secrets - Avalon Books 1992

The Bequest - Avalon Books 1993

EquestriCat - Avalon Books 1994

The Grave Situation - Avalon Books 1994

A Candle Within Her Soul:  Mary Elizabeth Mahnkey and Her Ozarks - 1877-1948 - Bittersweet, Inc. 1997

And Tyler, Too? - Avalon Books 1998

Home Is The Heart - Avalon Books 1999

Merryman's Crossing - Avalon Books 1999

Borderland Homecoming - Avalon Books 2000

The Burnt District - Hard Shell Word Factory e-book  and POD, Books in Motion, audio book - 2001

Family Fun And Games: A Hundred Year Tradition - co-authored with her sister Carolyn Gray Thornton - Skyward Publishing -  2002

Bittersweet Ozarks At A Glance - Skyward Publishing, Bittersweet Inc.  - 2003

Many of Ellen's books are available at Amazon.com, the Ozark Mountaineer Magazine and Book Shop and at Writers West.  You can also get more information from her web site www.ellengraymassey.com