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In her first career, Zelly was a social worker in the adoption and foster care field. From there, she owned an online retail store specializing in hand-painted children’s gifts and party favors. Along the way, Zelly volunteered and raised funds for several non-profit organizations. In an alternate universe, she is probably an event planner. But once she moved to New York City, Zelly gave in to the compulsion to write women’s fiction spiced with suspense about motherhood, relationships, loss and love. Her debut novel, Not Yours to Keep, comes out in October 2024 with She Writes Press. When she’s not devising twisty plots, Zelly loves traveling, hiking, and, as a survivor, is a passionate volunteer for Brain Aneurysm Awareness. Her award-winning debut novel, Not Yours to Keep, came out in October 2024 with She Writes Press.

2024 Best Book Awards Winner in Best New Fiction
2024 American Fiction Awards Winner in Mystery/Suspense: General

“Two women are pulled together by their complicated relationships to motherhood in the tense but humane thriller Not Yours to Keep…whose suspense is directed by the intense emotions brought forth by the loss—or unrealized gain—of a child.”—Foreword Clarion Review

“An often intriguing narrative about loss and enduring hope.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Part emotional story of adoption and motherhood, and part heart-pounding suspense, Not Yours To Keep will have you racing to the end as you are swept into the lives of three people on a collision course.”—Lyn Liao Butler, best-selling author of Someone Else’s Life

“A missing newborn, an adoption worker struggling with infertility, and an abused woman desperate for a second chance at motherhood, all collide in Ruskin’s page-turning debut. About the ache for love, the desperate choices of birth and adoptive parents, and the struggles to make and keep a family, Not Yours to Keep is a stunner.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Days of Wonder

“With a gentle hand and tender heart, Not Yours to Keep examines what it really means to be a family. With captivating prose and a plot that will have you on the edge of your seat, Ruskin explores the ways we cleave to hope no matter how much adversity or unexpected change we face. Most definitely a novel that will keep you glued to the pages as you race toward the unexpected conclusion, Ruskin’s debut is a gem and a true winner!”—Jacqueline Friedland USA Today best-selling author of He Gets that From Me

“Zelly Ruskin’s ability to combine her career and personal experience with fertility issues and adoption procedures into the fictional mystery Not Yours to Keep makes for a compelling read. This debut novel will both rivet and educate couples facing such life-changing dilemmas and decisions.”—IndieReader

“One missing baby. A missing woman. Lots of secrets, lies, twists, and turns. In this heartfelt and heart-pounding domestic suspense, I found myself racing to the breathtaking conclusion. A sensational debut.”—Rea Frey, #1 best-selling author of Don’t Forget Me and The Other Year