Sue-Ellen Welfonder classifies herself as a die-hard
Anglophile. With a
grandfather whose name was Charles Henry Edwards, perhaps her great love of
all things British was predestined? But with strong links to Scotland on her
father's side, she also harbors a great passion for England's neighbor to
the north. Her father's clan, the MacFie's of Colonsay in the Hebrides,
claim to be descended from a Selkie woman. Perhaps that explains Sue-Ellen's
life-long fascination with all things mystical?
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Sue-Ellen spent many childhood hours reading about Great Britain and longing to go there. Her first visit there, at the age of nineteen, was the beginning of a life-long love affair with the British Isles. Sue-Ellen worked as a flight attendant for many years, enjoying London layovers and using her travel benefits to spend as much time as possible in her favorite place. No longer with the airlines, she still makes annual trips to Great Britain, forsaking other destinations to return again and again to the place that holds her heart.
Trips to Great Britain allow her to indulge in her great passions: Medieval History and the paranormal. Either alone, or in the company of like-minded friends, she has visited many haunted sites in the British Isles and has had several unusual experiences about which she has written with her friend, Karen Stevens, and others, in a co-authored nonfiction book about ghosts.
Sue-Ellen is married to a German and therefore spent fifteen years living in the Bavarian capital of Munich. When asked what her favorite aspect about living in Europe, she'll smile and tell you it was "being only a two-hour flight away from London." In 1995, Sue-Ellen and her husband moved to her homestate of Florida. She is very happy to be back in the States and also very glad that she no longer works for the airlines. She enjoys staying home and spends her time writing, considering it a luxury not to have to go anywhere. (but she will pack a bag in a minute if London or Edinburgh happen to be the destination!)
Sue-Ellen's writing interests parallel her passion for Medieval History and the paranormal. Besides being a co-author on Karen Steven's ghost book project, she writes and has published many travel articles (about Great Britain, of course), and hopes to see her romances published someday. Naturally, her books have a touch of the mystical: sexy, ghost heroes of barons or knights; time travels that send her heroine back to Medieval Scotland, or pure Medieval romances, without ghosts, but with other touches of magic.
Her articles may be found in the upcoming new romance magazine, INTRINSIC ROMANCE, and she has a short story that will appear in the Jan. '99 release, CHOCOLATE FOR A LOVER'S HEART, Simon & Schuster. Sue-Ellen is also a very active member of RWA and does a lot of volunteer work for her favorite RWA chapter, Outreach. She speaks, reads, and writes fluent German and does secretarial and translation work for her businessman husband, activities she is happy she can do from her home office.
Currently, she is reminiscing fondly about a three and a half week journey she took through Scotland in June of '98, and looking forward to a trip to Ireland and Scotland in fall of '99. In the meantime, she may be found at her computer, writing and ... what else? ... dreaming about the British Isles.