regency
dating
In Elizabeth’s 12th book, Love
Letters from a Duke, she used once again
her fictional Bachelor Chronicles, a veritable Who’s Who of eligible
dukes and noblemen, to help her heroine find true love. Elizabeth mined Regency
era resources on dating and the nobility, as well as modern publications
to create this catalogue of romance worthy bachelors. If you would like an
article or information on how the ladies of Jane Austen’s time period
went about finding husbands without online help or speed dating, contact
her.
Autism
One
of the most often asked questions Elizabeth receives is not about her writing,
but “What is it like to have a child with autism?” Always open about
her youngest son’s disability and limitations, she encourages friends,
family members and total strangers to watch “Autism
Every Day” a
13-minute video that clearly and unflinchingly illustrates the daily struggles
and common misconceptions of autism. Frustrated with the lack of funding
available to autism research, Elizabeth has dedicated a portion of her royalties
from Love Letters From a Duke to
Austim Speaks and
FEAT of Washington.
Not finished there, she also auctioned off naming rights to a character that
appears in Love Letters From a Duke at the annual
FEAT auction. The winning bidder, Jamilla Kounellas became the fictional Princess
Jamilla Kounellas, already a popular character with reviewers. If you would
like more details about autism, future character auctions, their family and
son’s struggles and
progress, please write Elizabeth.
first
sale
Elizabeth’s
first book, Brazen Angel,
sold under extraordinary circumstances, winning the Dell Diamond Debut competition.
Picked as the winner from over 200 entries, the road from finalist to winner
was anything but easy and in fact, almost never happened. Read the romantic
story of how Brazen Angel made it to New York in the nick of time to win
the publishing prize in My Favorite Hero.
As if that wasn’t enough, Brazen Angel later won the coveted Romance
Writers of America RITA award for Best First Book.
working
at home
Many
people dream about working from home and Elizabeth has for the last ten years.
But the days of working in your sweats and lounging over your morning coffee
aren’t quite what they seem when you are also a stay-at-home mom.
Elizabeth has written 12 books with babies, toddlers, and now school-aged
children, underfoot. She’s learned to work on the fly, work quickly or
just work at odd hours, often writing late into the night at local coffee shops.
At the precocious age of four, her oldest son was asked where his mother worked,
and he replied with all seriousness, “Starbucks.” Make that a double
tall latte with a love scene to go.
seattle
As
a lifelong Seattleite, Elizabeth is a spirited booster for her hometown,
which is a haven for writers and readers. Perhaps it is something about the
gray skies and legendary rain that makes for great writing, or maybe it is just
the stunning views and landscapes that excites writers’ imaginations,
leaving them with visions of rolling English countryside or wild Scottish
coastlines. Elizabeth participates in writing conferences, library events,
and readers’ teas
and luncheons around Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, sharing her bubbly
enthusiasm and knowledge about the area. If you think a writer can’t find
Regency England in Seattle, Elizabeth begs to differ and invites you to contact her
about teashops and tours of her favorite city.
Publishing History contact
Eight
of Elizabeth’s books are USA Today bestsellers, as well
as one of them making an appearance on the New York Times extended
bestseller list.
Born
and raised in the Seattle area, Elizabeth is a proud descendant of Washington
State pioneers. Her great-great-grandfather helped draft the state’s constitution
but was unable to sign when a drought forced him to return to his farm in
Eastern Washington. It was years later before he was able to sign the document
he helped create, and then only after special legislative action was taken to
allow him the honor.
A
graduate of Seattle University, Elizabeth also completed their prestigious Honors
program which she attributes to giving her the dedication and perseverance to
finish her first book, as well as a deep and abiding love of history and an
unending curiosity about the people who changed the world in ways big and small.
(Thanks, Mr. Mann and Dr. Tadie!)
Elizabeth
loves traveling and considers London and the UK a second home. She’s
driven a train through the Highlands of Scotland, explored castle ruins,
daydreamed beside standing stones and wandered Mayfair searching for the perfect
setting for her next book. She loves poking around old shops, lives for off-the-beaten
track museums and devours 200-year old magazines like they were tabloids,
as well as being a member of The Jane Austen Society.
Elizabeth appreciates your requests for photographs for press use. The photo shown below is available for download in both mac(.sit) and pc(.zip) formats. Simply click on a link below. All images are jpgs; pixel dimensions denote height. Please let us know where you post your article so we can link to it. Thank you!
