Ellen, Owner
Ellen is a lifelong lover of books and used book stores. She is an avid reader, and enjoys both fiction and non-fiction. Prior to acquiring the store with Connie Locke, Ellen frequented Mt. Yonah Book Exchange on a regular basis, and always looked forward to finding a treasure or two during her visits.
Although she was born in Brooklyn, New York, Ellen’s family moved to Atlanta when she was a toddler, and she therefore grew up in the South. Ellen obtained her undergraduate degree from The George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Because she missed the great state of Georgia, Ellen returned to Atlanta to attend Emory University School of Law. Ellen has practiced commercial litigation for twenty years, and now serves as “Of Counsel” at Vaughan & Murphy, a boutique litigation firm located in downtown Atlanta.
Ellen has owned property in White County since the late 1990’s, and now counts herself as extremely fortunate to spend the majority of her time here. White County has offered the perfect degree of serenity and beauty to offset two decades of work in downtown Atlanta.
Owning a bookstore has been a dream of Ellen’s since she was a little girl. She is thrilled that her dream has now come to fruition, and she is so excited to spend time at the store with fellow readers and book lovers.
Connie, Owner
Connie enjoys reading, especially in her hot tub when the weather is nice. She retired from the Atlanta Police Department at the rank of Sergeant after 16 years of service, and loves a good cop story. She has savored Ed McBain’s volume of work, and is also a big fan of James Patterson.
Connie was born in Oakland, California, but attended college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she was awarded her bachelor’s degree in Spanish. In addition to being fluent in Spanish, Connie recently took Italian lessons, and mastered that language as well.
Connie has owned property in White County since the late 1990’s, and is counting the days until she can move here full-time. Given her 16 years of “running and gunning,” there is nothing she enjoys more than reading a good book in front of the fire, or on the porch rocker. She also loves talking about her days on the force, and can tell a compelling war story or two!!
Connie is very excited to be partnering with Ellen to help her realize her dream of owning a bookstore, and looks so forward to spending time with fellow readers and residents of White County.
Daisy, Store Kitty and Mascot
Daisy, the store kitty and mascot, is a lifelong resident of White County. Prior to becoming Mt. Yonah Book Exchange’s store cat, Daisy resided at the Smithgall Woods Animal Shelter.
Daisy’s favorite books are The Great Gatsby (she was named after Daisy in the book, and she thinks it is called “The Great Catsby”), The Cat in the Hat, and Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man. Although she does not herself read, she shows her appreciation of a good book by sitting in a lap and purring loudly.
Daisy also enjoys watching the bird feeder intently, eating, and sleeping, preferably on Connie’s head. She loves to be cuddled, and is waiting for you to visit and show her some love.