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Linda Ellis

Linda Ellis started writing poems as a child, a talent inherited from her Irish grandmother. She spent years working in the corporate world, but made the decision to leave it behind and pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Her writing has been featured in bestselling books and magazines such as Family Circle, US News and World Report, Leatherneck, WOW Magazine and other major publications, as well as hundreds of television and radio programs.

“I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone, from the beginning to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.” In 1996, an announcer read Linda’s Ellis’ poem, “The Dash” aloud on a syndicated radio program — and, to her surprise and delight, it became an instant, meteoric success. Calls and email came in from people around the world eager to tell Linda how her words had touched their hearts. That was the beginning of an enduring phenomenon. Linda’s books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and her latest work, Live Your Dash captures and expands upon the theme of the original poem: It’s not your birth or death that matters most, but how you spend each passing year. Linda shares her message of joy, hope, and positive energy through uplifting stories, essays, and poetry, along with tales of people who have been “touched by the dash,” including Senator Bob Dole, legendary football coach Lou Holtz, and American Idol winner David Cook. Live Your Dash is an inspiring look at life based on her fantastically successful poem.