Elizabeth DeLancey

Elizabeth DeLancey is the pen name of Elizabeth Tunis. Elizabeth is a National Library of Medicine reference librarian whom started her writing career in the 1970's, after graduating from the University of Massachusetts with her graduate degree in History.
At first she tackled historical nonfiction- biography- but found she wasn't having any success selling her manuscript. Already working as a reference librarian at American University, but still looking to combine research and writing, she decided to try her hand at historical fiction in 1983. In 1990, her 6- year effort in the genre paid off when she sold "Sea of Dreams" and "Touch of Lace" to the Berkley publishing group for its Diamond Line.
"The most fascinating thing about writing fiction is making the characters come alive. Incorporating the characters into the research and plot, watching them take on a life of their own- it's a wonderful way to explore human nature."
To Tunis, the appeal of romance novels is obvious. "Romance is a genre fiction at its feminist best," she says. "The heroine drives the story. She's a strong-minded women whose emotional conflict with the hero keeps tensions high and pages turning till the final twist of the plot. Of course..they live happily ever after."
Tunis came to the NIH in 1986 after leaving a reference post at the Library of Congress. A native of Up state NY with ties to New England, she says living in the resource rich Washington metropolitan area gives her a distinct advantage as a writer. What she can't "soak up" visually for her novels, she can easily pluck from the various shelves around town.
*NIH record, Vol XLV, No.10 May 11, 1993