Elizabeth Sims learned the art of fiction by listening to tall tales on her father's knee, and by reading all sorts of books brought home by her mother, a teacher. (These ranged from Grimm's Fairy Tales to the Canterbury Tales, from Laura Ingalls Wilder to Ernest Hemingway.) Today Elizabeth is the author of the Rita Farmer Mysteries and the Lambda Award-winning Lillian Byrd Crime Series, and she has written short stories, poems, and essays for numerous publications. In addition, Elizabeth is an internationally recognized authority on writing. She writes frequently for Writer's Digest magazine, where she is a contributing editor. Through her articles, in-person workshops, and online teaching, she has helped thousands of fledgling authors find their wings. Are you a writer too, or would you like to be one? You might find inspiration in her book, You've Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams, published by Writer's Digest Books. Elizabeth holds degrees in English from Michigan State University and Wayne State University, where she won the Tompkins Award for graduate fiction. She's worked as a reporter, photographer, technical writer, bookseller, street busker, ranch hand, corporate executive, and symphonic percussionist. She belongs to several literary societies as well as American Mensa. To learn more about her and to view a full list of her available works, including free excerpts and book discussion guides, visit www.elizabethsims.com.