The Best Reviews: Emilie Richards

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Emilie Richards

http://www.emilierichards.com/

Emilie Richards is the author of more than fifty books. Her newest novel from MIRA Books, the long awaited sequel to Whiskey Island, will be available in July 2003. The Parting Glass begins two years after Whiskey Island ends, and takes the Donaghue sisters of Cleveland, Ohio to County Mayo, Ireland. The novel required two trips to Ireland for research. She tried to milk it for another, but her husband could not be fooled again.

Emilie began writing in 1983 after the birth of her fourth child and a move to New Orleans, Louisiana. Four children, another strange city--New Orleans, God bless it, is stranger than most--and a blossoming need to do something "just for herself" convinced her to begin writing. Contemporary romance novels and, more recently, family dramas, were both logical choices because with a Master's degree in Family Counseling and experience as a counselor, she thought she might have something to say about relationships. A long and happy marriage to her minister husband Michael--now thirty- four years and counting--didn't hurt, either. Her first book, Brendan's Song, named in honor of the baby who was often on her lap as she wrote it, was published by Silhouette Romance in 1985.

Emilie has received a number of awards during her career, including the RITA and the Janet Dailey award from Romance Writers of America and several from Romantic Times magazine, including a career achievement award. She has been interviewed on both television and radio, including stints as a guest on the Leeza show and Hard Copy. Hard Copy, who did an entire segment--right after one on modern day vampires--called her the next Danielle Steel. She's even been quoted in Reader's Digest, right between Oprah and Thomas Jefferson.

Besides Virginia and Louisiana, Emilie and family have lived in Florida, California, Arkansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. A four month family sabbatical in Australia turned into six books for Silhouette with Australian or New Zealand settings. Ten years later she returned for three months with Michael and Brendan to research Beautiful Lies, her third book for MIRA.

Emilie currently lives in Northern Virginia with Michael and the summer addition of Brendan, now a college student. Despite the family's frequent moves Emilie is delighted that her three oldest children (along with a terrific son and daughter-in-law) are still within reach, and not in Australia as they so often threatened.

In addition to traveling, Emilie is an enthusiastic gardener who is quickly turning her suburban yard into an English cottage garden and a quilter who can't quite sew a straight seam. She writes with her faithful old Australian shepherd and his chihuahua sidekick at her feet. Oddly enough dogs seem to show up in many of her books.