Elizabeth Sims Explained

Elizabeth Sims
Birth Date:30 September 1957
Birth Place:Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation:Writer and editor
Education:Michigan State University
Wayne State University
Genre:Nonfiction, fiction
Subject:Mystery, crime
Spouse:Marcia Burrows
Awards:Florida Book Award
Golden Crown Literary Society Award
Lambda Literary Award
Tompkins Award for Graduate Fiction
Portaldisp:Literature

Elizabeth Sims (born September 30, 1957) is an American writer, journalist, and contributing editor at Writer's Digest magazine. She is a former correspondent for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and author of two series of crime novels, including her Rita Farmer Mystery Series, originally published by St. Martin's Press Minotaur and Lillian Byrd Crime Series, originally published by Alyson Books.

Early life and education

Elizabeth Sims was born on September 30, 1957, in Wyandotte, Michigan. She was raised in Detroit and attended Michigan State University and Wayne State University, graduating with degrees in English and composition theory. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., and American Mensa.[1] [2]

Professional background

In 1992, Sims began serving a two-year term on the editorial board of Moving Out literary journal, in which she also submitted the short story "Beautiful" in 1987, and "Cleva" in 1989. In 2006, she began writing features for Writer's Digest magazine.[1] She became a contributing editor in 2009, specializing in the art and craft of fiction.[3] She worked as a freelance correspondent for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 2011.[4] Also, Sims taught creative writing at Sarasota’s Ringling College of Art and Design in 2017 and 2018.[5]

Rita Farmer Mystery SeriesIn May 2008, she launched the Rita Farmer Mystery Series with The Actress. The main character, Rita Farmer, is a single mother and struggling Hollywood actress who is recruited to secretly coach the unsympathetic defendant in a high-profile murder trial.

The Extra, second in the Rita Farmer Mystery Series was published by St. Martin's Press Minotaur in June 2009. Rita, dressed in a police uniform as an extra on a movie shoot, is pulled into a real crime scene. When Rita and her boyfriend, George Rowe, try to help Amaryllis B. Cubitt, the director of an urban mission, they move deeper into mystery and danger.

Sims moves the action from Los Angeles to Washington's Olympic Peninsula in On Location, published by Minotaur in August 2010. Rita's sister Gina, working as a film location scout in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, goes missing, and Rita has no choice but to follow. Foul weather meets foul play as Rita and her stalwart friends risk their lives for the sake of truth—and love.[3]

Lillian Byrd Crime SeriesThe Lillian Byrd Crime Series is a six-novel series, originally published by Alyson Books (New York), beginning with Holy Hell in 2002. The series focuses on lesbian culture, mystery, and love. The second book in the series, Damn Straight, won a 2003 Lambda Literary Award.[2] Lucky Stiff and Easy Street followed in 2004 and 2005. The main character, Lillian Byrd, is a reporter turned sleuth whose quest for true love takes her into dangerous places. The series, set mostly in the Detroit, Michigan area, is noted for its off-kilter characters and wry humor. The fifth novel in the series, Left Field, was published in 2014 by Spruce Park Press. It received a Golden Crown Literary Society award in 2015. The sixth in the series, Tight Race, was published in 2022 by Spruce Park Press.
Crimes in a Second LanguageIn 2017, Sims published Crimes in a Second Language, a departure from her series work.The novel, set in contemporary Los Angeles, features a white retired schoolteacher who befriends a young Mexican-American housecleaner. Their story line intersects with the film business and industrial espionage, and explores questions of friendship and literacy. In April 2018 Crimes in a Second Language was awarded the silver medal in the Florida Book Award general fiction category.
  • Public speakingIn addition to her writing, Sims serves as a keynote speaker and presents workshops at writer's conferences and retreats around North America.[3]

    • Published works

    Fiction

    Rita Farmer Mystery Series
    Lillian Byrd Crime Series
    Other Novels
    Short Story Collections
    Short Stories

    Nonfiction

    Poetry

    Articles

    Honors and awards

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: elizabeth . Elizabeth Sims . 2013-07-18.
    2. Markowitz, Judith A. (2004). The Gay Detective Novel: Lesbian And Gay Main Characters and Themes In Mystery Fiction, McFarland Press, pages 143–145.
    3. Web site: Joyce author Sims puts series heroine on Peninsula; writer gives talk before moving to Florida - Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequim Forks Jefferson County Clallam County Olympic Peninsula Daily news . Peninsuladailynews.com . 2010-09-14 . 2013-07-18.
    4. Web site: newspaper reporting . Elizabeth Sims . 2013-07-18.
    5. Web site: Faculty Ringling College of Art and Design. 2019-02-08.
    6. Web site: Scene August 2016 . wwwscenesarasota.com . 2016-08-01 . 2016-08-18.
    7. Web site: Listen to the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra . Portangelessymphony.org . 2013-07-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130518000412/http://www.portangelessymphony.org/support/offer.html . 2013-05-18 . dead .
    8. News: Face-to-Face with an Agent . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2008-08-20 . 2013-07-18.
    9. News: Get Messy With Your First Draft . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2009-02-10 . 2013-07-18.
    10. News: The 7 Biggest Myths of Publishing (Know the Truth) . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2009-08-26 . 2013-07-18.
    11. Web site: Mystery Readers Journal: Los Angeles Mysteries I . Mysteryreaders.org . 2013-07-18.
    12. News: How to Make Your Novel a Page Turner . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2010-01-12 . 2013-07-18.
    13. News: 10 Simple Steps to Handselling Your Book . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2010-05-12 . 2013-07-18.
    14. News: How to Add Suspense to Your Novel . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2010-09-13 . 2013-07-18.
    15. News: 8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2011-03-01 . 2013-07-18.
    16. News: 8 Ways to Write Better Characters . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2011-06-21 . 2013-07-18.
    17. News: Should You Write a Novel or Short Story? . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2011-05-17 . 2013-07-18.
    18. News: Namedropping: Finding Solid Names for Your Unique Characters . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2012-08-28 . 2013-07-18.
    19. News: Novel Writing: 7 Simple Ways to Make a Good Story Great . Writer's Digest . WritersDigest.com . 2012-06-19 . 2013-07-18.
    20. Web site: 8 Simple Tips to Write Better . WritersDigest.com . 2012-10-23 . 2013-07-18.
    21. Web site: 10-Minute Fixes to 10 Common Plot Problems . WritersDigest.com . 2010-12-07 . 2013-07-18.
    22. Web site: How to Develop Any Idea Into a Great Story . WritersDigest.com . 2013-03-26 . 2013-07-18.
    23. Web site: How to Use Profanity and Other Raw Talk in Your Fiction . WritersDigest.com . 2013-12-26 . 2016-08-18.
    24. Web site: How to Map Out Your Hero's Adventure in Your Manuscript . WritersDigest.com . 2014-08-26 . 2016-08-18.
    25. Web site: 21 Fast Hacks to Fuel Your Story With Suspense . WritersDigest.com . 2015-01-12 . 2016-08-18.
    26. Web site: Mystery Readers Journal: Midwestern Mysteries . Mysteryreaders.org . 2017-05-25.
    27. Web site: Mystery Readers Journal: Southern California Mysteries . Mysteryreaders.org . 2024-03-26.

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