Emilie Richards
Encyclopedia
Emilie Richards is an American
author
of over 50 contemporary romance and mystery novels.
and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida
. After receiving an undergraduate degree in American studies from Florida State University
, Richards earned a master's degree in family development from Virginia Tech. She worked as a therapist in a mental health center, before becoming a parent services coordinator for families enrolled in Head Start and then working in several pastoral counseling centers. Richards is married to her college sweetheart, a Unitarian Universalist minister.
Romance category line. She has subsequently written over 40 novels for Silhouette, including six, all set in Australia or New Zealand
, written during a four-month sabbatical in Australia
.
As a result of years working as a family counselor, her novels "feature complex characterizations and in-depth explorations of social issues."
Richards won a Romance Writers of America
RITA Award, the highest award given to romance authors, in 1994 for Dragonslayer. Richards has also been nominated three times for Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards and is a recipient of their Career Achievement Award.
Despite the occasional use of overly cliched lines, Richards' writing "effortlessly flows from page to page." Her characters often sport unusual quirks, such as a penchant for strange sandwich ingredients, which gives the story an added charm.
In 2004, Richards began a new series of single-title novels centered around quilting. These novels were inspired by a volunteer stint with VISTA
. While she was an undergraduate, Richards spent a summer living in the Arkansas
Ozark Mountains, helping the residents and learning to quilt.
The following year, Richards began writing murder mysteries in addition to romance novels. The novels, in a series called Ministry is Murder, are based partially on her experience as a minister's wife and are written in first-person
from the perspective of the heroine, minister's wife "Aggie" Wilcox. Characters in this series are "interesting [and] well-developed]]," although suspense is "minimal."
. They have lived throughout the United States
, including in Florida
, Louisiana
, California
, Arkansas
, Ohio
, and Pennsylvania
. As of 2007, they reside in Arlington, Virginia.
She was the first person to be named to the National Advisory Board of ABC Quilts, a non-profit association which teaches people to quilt.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of over 50 contemporary romance and mystery novels.
Early years
Emilie Richards was born in Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. After receiving an undergraduate degree in American studies from Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, Richards earned a master's degree in family development from Virginia Tech. She worked as a therapist in a mental health center, before becoming a parent services coordinator for families enrolled in Head Start and then working in several pastoral counseling centers. Richards is married to her college sweetheart, a Unitarian Universalist minister.
Writing career
Richards began writing in 1983 after the birth of her fourth child. Her son would sit on her lap as she wrote, and Richards titled her first completed work, Brendan's Song, after him. The book was published in 1985 in the SilhouetteHarlequin Enterprises Ltd
Harlequin Enterprises Limited is a Toronto, Ontario-based company that is a publisher of series romance and women's fiction. Owned by the Torstar Corporation, the largest newspaper publisher in Canada, the company publishes approximately 120 new titles each month in 29 different languages in 107...
Romance category line. She has subsequently written over 40 novels for Silhouette, including six, all set in Australia or New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, written during a four-month sabbatical in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
As a result of years working as a family counselor, her novels "feature complex characterizations and in-depth explorations of social issues."
Richards won a Romance Writers of America
Romance Writers of America
Romance Writers of America is a national non-profit genre writers association. It provides networking and support to individuals seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction and supports top authors such as Nora Roberts and Judith McNaught.-History:...
RITA Award, the highest award given to romance authors, in 1994 for Dragonslayer. Richards has also been nominated three times for Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards and is a recipient of their Career Achievement Award.
Despite the occasional use of overly cliched lines, Richards' writing "effortlessly flows from page to page." Her characters often sport unusual quirks, such as a penchant for strange sandwich ingredients, which gives the story an added charm.
In 2004, Richards began a new series of single-title novels centered around quilting. These novels were inspired by a volunteer stint with VISTA
Volunteers in Service to America
VISTA or Volunteers in Service to America is an anti-poverty program created by Lyndon Johnson's Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Initially, the program increased employment opportunities for conscientious people who felt they could contribute tangibly to...
. While she was an undergraduate, Richards spent a summer living in the Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Ozark Mountains, helping the residents and learning to quilt.
The following year, Richards began writing murder mysteries in addition to romance novels. The novels, in a series called Ministry is Murder, are based partially on her experience as a minister's wife and are written in first-person
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
from the perspective of the heroine, minister's wife "Aggie" Wilcox. Characters in this series are "interesting [and] well-developed]]," although suspense is "minimal."
Personal life
Richards and her husband, Michael, have three biological sons and a daughter who was adopted from IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They have lived throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. As of 2007, they reside in Arlington, Virginia.
She was the first person to be named to the National Advisory Board of ABC Quilts, a non-profit association which teaches people to quilt.
Ministry is Murder
- Blessed is the Busybody (2005)
- Let There Be Suspects (2006)
- Beware False Profits (2007)
- A Lie for a Lie (2009)
- A Truth for a Truth (10/2010)
Shenandoah Album
- Wedding Ring (2004)
- Endless Chain (2005)
- Lover's Knot (2006)
- Touching Stars (2007)
- Sister's Choice (2008)
MacDonalds Sisters
- Sweet Georgia Gal (1985)
- Sweet Sea Spirit (1986)
- Sweet Mockingbird's Call (1986)
- Sweet Mountain Magic (1986)
- Sweet Homecoming (1987)
Men of Midnight
- Duncan's Lady (1995)
- Iain Ross's Woman (1995)
- MacDougall's Darling (1995)
Tales of the Pacific
- From Glowing Embers (1988)
- Smoke Screen (1988)
- Rainbow Fire (1989)
- Out of the Ashes (1992)
Novels
- Brendan's Song (1985)
- Gilding the Lily (1985)
- The Unmasking (1985)
- Angel and the Saint (1986)
- Something So Right (1986)
- Good Time Man (1986)
- Season of Miracles (1986)
- Outback Nights (1987)
- Aloha Always (1987)
- All the Right Reasons (1988)
- Classic Encounter (1988)
- Island Glory (1989)
- All Those Years Ago (1991)
- One Perfect Rose (1992)
- Dragonslayer (1993)
- The Trouble with Joe (1994)
- Once More With Feeling (1996)
- Woman Without a Name (1996)
- Mail-order Matty (1996)
- Twice upon a Time (1997)
- One Moment Past Midnight (1999)
- Beautiful Lies (1999)
- Fox River (2001)
- Prospect Street (2002)
Omnibus / Compilations
- Christmas Classics (1989) (with Joan HohlJoan HohlJoan Hohl is a popular U.S.American writer of over 60 romance novels since 1980. She also signed her novels as Paula Roberts and Amii Lorin.-Biography:Joan Hohl was born June 13, 1935 in United States...
) - Birds Bees and Babies (1990) (with Jennifer Greene, Karen Keast)
- Mistletoe and Holly / Sweet Sea Spirit (1991) (with Janet DaileyJanet DaileyJanet Anne Haradon Dailey is an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey . Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide....
) - Desperate Needs (1995) (with Fern MichaelsFern MichaelsFern Michaels is an American author of romance and thriller novels, including nearly 50 best selling books with more than 70 million copies in print...
and Sherryl WoodsSherryl WoodsSherryl Woods is an American writer of over 110 romance and mystery novels since 1982. She also signed her novels as Alexandra Kirk and Suzanne Sherrill.-Biography:...
) - Outlaws and Lovers (1996) (with Naomi Horton, Kathleen Korbel)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Delivery Room (1997) (with Kathleen EagleKathleen EagleKathleen Eagle is an American author of over 40 romance novels.-Biography:...
, Kasey Michaels) - A Mother's Gift (1998) (with Kathleen Eagle, Joan Elliott PickartJoan Elliott PickartJoan Elliott Pickart is a popular United States writer of over 100 romance novels since 1984. She also writes under the pen name Robin Elliott...
) - Southern Gentlemen (1998) (with Jennifer Blake)
- A Mother's Day (2002) (with Elizabeth BevarlyElizabeth BevarlyElizabeth Bevarly is an American writer of over 55 romance novels since 1989. She is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning author.-Biography:...
, Marie FerrarellaMarie FerrarellaMarie Ferrarella, née Rydzynski is a popular and prolific American writer of over 150 romance novels as Marie Ferrarella, which have been translated into at least seven languages...
) - Maybe This Time (2003) (with Fern Michaels and Sherryl Woods)
- To the One I Love (2003) (with Allison Leigh, Peggy MorelandPeggy MorelandPeggy Morse, née Bozeman well known as Peggy Moreland is a USA TODAY and Waldenbooks bestselling American writer of over 40 romance novels since 1989. She also signed a novel with her married name Peggy Morse.-Biography:Peggy Bozeman was born Taurus in Texas, United States. She grew up with her...
) - More Than Words (2004) (with Susan MallerySusan MallerySusan Mallery is the author of over 80 books for Harlequin and Silhouette as well as full length novels. She lives in the Los Angeles Area with her husband and cats.- Booklist by Years:2010s:*Completely Smitten...
, Carla Neggers, Brenda NovakBrenda NovakBrenda Novak is an American author. She has written more than 35 books, and has sold more than 3 million copies. Her novels have received critical acclaim and won many awards, including two RITA Award nominations, the Book Buyer’s Best and the Bookseller's Best Award...
, Diana PalmerDiana Palmer (author)Susan Kyle, née Susan Eloise Spaeth is an award winning American writer well-known as Diana Palmer, who has published romantic novels since 1979. She has also written romances as Diana Blayne, Katy Currie, and under her married name Susan Kyle and a science fiction novel as Susan S...
) - Mother's Love (2004) (with Elizabeth Bevarly, Marie Ferrarella)
- Nobody's Child / Older Woman / Royal MacAllister (2004) (with Joan Elliott PickartJoan Elliott PickartJoan Elliott Pickart is a popular United States writer of over 100 romance novels since 1984. She also writes under the pen name Robin Elliott...
, Cheryl Reavis) - Love Undercover (2004) (with Merline Lovelace)
- A Mother's Touch: Way Home / Stranger's Son / Paternity Test (2005) (with Linda HowardLinda HowardLinda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance/suspense author under her pseudonym Linda Howard. Before she became a writer, she was an avid reader and fond of Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for...
and Sherryl Woods) - Lady of the Night / Island Glory (2005)
- From This Day Forward (2005) (with Marie Ferrarella)