Ashley Ellington Brown

Ashley Ellington Brown grew up in New Orleans and spent her childhood lost in the magical worlds of her favorite books. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Foreign Affairs (which she did not use, although she had a lot of fun getting it), then worked as a waitress, receptionist, advertising copywriter and account executive, book editor, and employee communications manager for the world's third-largest death care firm before becoming a freelance writer in 2000. She also authors the blog Joy Detectives, about her quest to enjoy her "one precious life" as much as she can.

This quest led her to experiment with implementing a morning ritual, despite not being a morning person. She quickly discovered how life-changing it was, inspiring her to write A Beautiful Morning: How a Morning Ritual Can Feed Your Soul and Transform Your Life about this powerful practice so others can benefit. Ashley lives in Florida with her husband and son and their rescued beagle, Snoopy.