Roberta Leah Jacobs Gellis is a renowned author, born on September 27, 1927. She has made significant contributions to various genres, including historical romance, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, and fantasy. Gellis is known for her meticulous research and attention to detail, which has earned her a reputation as one of the most successful writers of historical fiction.
Gellis' educational background is as diverse as her writing portfolio. She has a master's degree in medieval literature and another in biochemistry. This unique combination of skills has enabled her to bring depth and authenticity to her historical novels. Before becoming a full-time writer, Gellis worked as a research chemist for ten years and freelanced as an editor of scientific manuscripts for many years.
Gellis has been married to her husband Charles for over 60 years and they have one child, Mark, who is a Rhetoric teacher at Kettering University in Michigan. Mark is married to Sandra and they have a daughter named Elizabeth. Gellis and her husband currently reside in Lafayette, Indiana, with their Scottish terrier, Zoe.
In addition to publishing under her own name, Gellis has also written using three different pen names: Max Daniels, Priscilla Hamilton, and Leah Jacobs. She has published around 25 historical novels since 1964, with her most famous work being The Roselynde Chronicles. This series, which includes Roselynde, Alinor, Joanna, Gilliane, Rhiannon, and Sybelle, has been reprinted several times since its initial publication in 1979. Gellis has received numerous awards for her work, including the Silver and Gold Medal Porgy for historical novels from West Coast Review of Books, the Golden Certificate and Golden Pen from Affaire de Coeur, and Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also ventured into other genres, including mythological fantasy and historical mystery.