Gainesville Va. couple embarks on third career as author and editor

A Renaissance man is someone whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. John Ellis and his wife, Helen each fit the definition. Married for 43 years, each has served in a number of occupations, lived throughout the United States and accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience in many areas. In 2013, John wrote “Full Moon Saturday Night,” his first book of fiction with Helen serving as his proofreader and editor. 

The book draws on the couples’ experiences. John started as an Air Force Flight (SAC) surgeon, later becoming an emergency room physician in rural Georgia and Virginia, and is a husband and father. Helen is a former nurse, who met John in 1966 when both served in Atlanta. She has since been a mother, a business owner and an award winning wildlife photographer. They have a daughter who lives in Chantilly and a son who also lives locally.

In addition to Atlanta, the couple has lived in Austin, Lubbock and Dallas, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; as well Oakton and Richmond, Virginia.  The Ellises presently live in Heritage Hunt. While serving in Austin, John was often called upon to accompany President Lyndon Johnson after he had surgeries.

In 1984, with John assigned to the Pentagon, he and Helen moved to Oakton. He retired from the Air Force soon thereafter, later working at the Department of Energy in a program for nuclear weapons (B52 bombers.) “Before and after the Pentagon I did 25,000 hours… twelve years,” John said of his service.

While in Oakton, Helen became a manager of the National Health Service, heading a research council for 10 years. They moved to Richmond before moving back to Northern Virginia. In April 2002, they moved to Heritage Hunt.

“We like to work,” said Helen. “I have always loved birds. When we came back from Richmond, I said ‘Why don’t we open up a bird store.’” She soon owned and operated The Back Yard Boutique in Gainesville, making available to the area everything needed to enjoy the indigenous bird population. She also captured the beauty of the local birds with her camera. “I sold a lot of pictures and won some awards,” she said. She also created and sold a book showcasing some of the beautiful pictures she had taken.

Marriages do not last 43 years without couples encouraging and helping each other where needed. “Full Moon Saturday Night” was a dream of John’s that Helen helped foster.  “I had always wanted to tell a story,” said John.

Helen said, “The funniest thing is I had no idea he always wanted to write a novel.” 

John received some valuable encouragement from an unlikely source.  At a party, John talked with Jan Neuharth, a Virginia horse country mystery and suspense writer from Middleburg, who gave him two bits of advice, “Write what you know and just start, and it will come to you.”

The 408 page “Full Moon Saturday Night” is published by Outskirts Press.

“This is my third career. It took about three months to write,” said John. “I wrote about things I had already been through. The book is fiction.  It combines Air Force service around the B-52 during the Cold War with emergency room work. I have always said the ER has hours of boredom interspersed by moments of stark terror.”

Subjects addressed in the book include immigration, race, corporate greed, worker safety and romance.

Helen, John’s biggest supporter, is now shopping for an agent for him.

Book writing is just another successful chapter in the lives of John and Helen Ellis.  Helen said they have sold a lot of books on Facebook with 5-star reviews. They are awaiting a Military Officer review.  Books can also be purchased on book retailer websites, including Amazon.