Although born in Brooklyn, Elaine Gilmartin spent most of her formative years growing up on Long Island. Writing has been a passion since elementary school with most works of fiction written longhand on loose-leaf paper. After college, she pursued a Master's degree in Social Work, focusing primarily on foster care adoption, as well as therapy with individuals and families.
With years of experience in the field of foster care and adoption, Elaine has been privy to the thoughts and feelings of loss and abandonment these children experience as they enter the world of foster care, leading her to her first fiction novel, Counting Rows, followed by Lucky and the Shoebox Tales, an imaginative take on the resiliency of a neglected child. Her latest novel, Suburban Mean, is a humorous take on the dark side of suburban competition among the parents of a relatively affluent Long Island community.
In addition to writing, Elaine is passionate about fitness and long distance running and has yet to meet a marathon she doesn't like.
Published Works:
Suburban Mean
Suburban Mean centers on a family relocating to Long Island after living quietly and comfortably in a small upstate town. Once mired in the trappings of their new environs, they quickly find themselves caught up in the competitive spirit of having the star soccer player for a child.
Cassie Lewis, a naive and unassuming mother of two, finds herself challenged by the local maternal incarnation of Homecoming Queen, in equal turn wishing to be liked by her and wishing to best her through her own child's accomplishments. Realizing she has met her match, Cassie has challenges to face that will ultimately force her to face her own culpability.
Published by Yorkshire.
Lucky and the Shoebox Tales
A fantasy book for children, Lucky and The Shoebox Tales follows the tribulations of an eight-year old girl immersed in loss, confusion, and utter loneliness.
Through her attempts to regain some sense of security and normalcy, she encounters some of her worst fears and is tested by her efforts to overcome them. Told through her voice and colored by her own self-perceptions, Lucky and The Shoebox Tales is a child's triumph over passivity and powerlessness.
Published by Amazon, 2015.
Counting Rows
Imagine you are a twelve-year old boy without parents, without friends, without a home to call your own.
Ripped from your family, the world is frightening, confusing, a place where children can be discarded, where parents can disappear, where feelings have no meaning. Utterly alone, there is no one to talk to, to lean on, to confide in. No one speaks your language, or if they do, they just won't answer.
Now imagine yourself a twelve-year-old kid with a mom and a dad, a sibling, a pet, a home to call your own. The world is predictable, safe, comfortable, with no worries, no shadows stalking your dreams. Then you notice that strange boy, the odd one you never bother to talk to, and when you and your friends allow him into your world, he changes you-and your world- forever.