-Writer-
CRYSTAL McQUEEN
UP POPS THE SUN
Debut Novel by Crystal McQueen
Coming Soon!
What if there were a way to talk to those we’ve lost?
In the wake of her mother’s death, Ellie Adams, a brilliant yet broken data scientist, pioneers Elysium—a groundbreaking mobile app that creates digital replicas of the departed—giving herself and others a chance for closure. Partnering with high-stakes investor Eric Spaulding, Ellie transforms her pain into a revolutionary “After Life” business. But the technology may not be as beneficial as it seems, and Spaulding may not be as philanthropic as he pretends.
Between maintaining a meaningful relationship with her mother’s digital echo, repairing a strained relationship with her best friend, and a romantic entanglement that won’t stay at bay, Ellie has a lot of competing priorities in her life. Especially when mounting pressures endanger Elysium’s existence at every turn. A mysterious death, a scheming colleague, and betrayal from those Ellie trusts the most threaten her company’s survival. When her account is stolen, exposing critical flaws in the program, Ellie races to recover her mother’s replica before she is gone forever.
As Elysium’s fate spirals beyond her control, Ellie faces an impossible choice. Protect her last connection to her mother or risk it all and finally confront the grief she has worked so hard to keep buried.

Audiobook Narration

Hearts Crazier Than Mine
written by Lee Doyle,
narrated by Crystal McQueen
Seventeen-year old Sheila O'Connor falls for an unscrupulous drifter the day before her brother joins the Marines. It's 1975 in the Salinas Valley, the same year Sheila's long-widowed mother remarries and her best friend goes off the rails. Sheila is forced to confront both old and new losses as her life and relationships fall into disarray. She discovers that the only fate she can influence is her own.
Short Works
Fiction
“Vanishing Pop-Tarts.” The Writing Disorder, March 2022
“Dandelions.” The Lindenwood Review, Issue 13, February 2023
“The Begotten One.” The Brussels Review, Summer 2025
“Looks Like D-Bo.” Eckleburg, Coming December 2026
NonFiction
“Just Calm Down.” borrowed solace, Issue 5.1, June 2022
“Snow Days.” The Bluebird Word, 2022/2023 Winter Holiday Issue, December 2022
Essays
“The American Idyll.” Twenty-two Twenty-eight, March 2025
Poetry
“I Know You,” Giant Robot Poems, Middle West Press, July 2024







