Writer makes a splash with mermaid story Oakley resident says key to success in children's book market is to let your imagination take over By Jim Knippenberg The Cincinnati Enquirer The secret, Ellen Schreiber says, dropping her pink plastic "Hello Kitty" purse on the table, is to think young. A Cincinnati native, she majored in theater at Northern Kentucky University, launched her career in Chicago with an assortment of comedic roles, then landed at Second City for a while as she evolved into a stand-up comedian.