Creating 'Readers for Life'

“Librarians and romance writers accomplish one mission better than anyone, including English teachers: we create readers for life - and what could be more fulfilling than that?” – Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Credited as being the creator of the sports romance genre, Phillips has often been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy.”  Born in Ohio on this date in 1948, she is the only 5-time winner of the Romance Writers of America Favorite Book of the Year Award.

A graduate of Ohio University, she was a teacher for a number of years, then a stay-at-home mom when she joined with neighbor Claire Kiehl to co-author her first book, The Copeland Bride, under the pen name Justine Cole.  By the mid-1980s she had begun her own career, which has now produced some 30 titles.

Among her many bestsellers are the terrific “Chicago Stars” series, including It Had To Be You; Heaven, Texas; and her 2016 hit First Star I See Tonight. 

Inducted into the Romance Writers Hall of Fame, Phillips also is recipient of the Romance Writers Lifetime Achievement Award.      When she isn’t writing she enjoys hiking, gardening and reading – and supporting her local library.

Her advice is simple and to the point.  “You can't do extraordinary things in the world,” she said,  “if you're spending time criticizing others because they don't look or behave the way you think they should.”

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