Ellie Reynylt writes imaginative fiction for young adults. She lives in New England, where she spends her time taking long walks (rarely on the beach) and being ignored by her cats. She welcomes reader feedback both good and bad; please feel free to send any comments, questions, complaints, epic poems, love letters, or ephemera to elliereynylt@gmail.com.
The Girl with the Painted-On Face and Other Stories collects four imaginative short stories by Ellie Reynylt: “The Girl with the Painted-On Face,” “The Biggest Mistake,” “Inside,” and “Blueberries.” (15,000 words)
In “Blueberries,” college grad Danielle takes a summer job at a small bed and breakfast in New Hampshire, where she hopes to hide from the painful memories of her recent breakup with her now ex-girlfriend. When she meets a teenager who is embroiled in a fiasco of a relationship that shares unsettling similarities with her own, Danielle must confront memories she'd tried to avoid. (4,500 words)
In “Inside,” transhumanist technophile Audrey assembles a group of like-minded friends and begins to work toward her goal of bridging the gap between humanity and technology. When her body begins to fail her, Audrey must choose between giving in to the limitations of her human existence or moving beyond them. (4,300 words)
Sometimes the Second Coming just isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. In “The Biggest Mistake,” the resurrected Jesus is more interested in scoring a book deal than in performing miracles. When editor Anna Birch declines to publish Jesus’s memoir, her colleagues and friends believe she’s made the biggest mistake of her life—but has she? (4,000 words)
When a new girl named Emma enrolls in the local high school, teenager Holly is immediately taken with her charismatic and assertive classmate. But unbeknownst to Holly and those around her, something is very, very wrong with their new friend. From jealous spats to feuds between friends, “The Girl with the Painted-On Face” reveals the subtle horror of the high-school experience. (2,500 words)