A former teacher turned author
I’ve taught literature and writing for decades. Consequently, my writings and musings are like me—filled with questioning, feistiness, humor, and a relentless retelling of the facts. I do not recoil from the reality that sometimes there are unhappy endings and unflattering portrayals. In short, my fiction both teaches and entertains, but I did not get to this point in my life without some real-world experiences.
SHORT BIO
Inspired by her students, and her fervent love of travel, Elisabeth (Lis) Carson-Williams thrives on meeting new people and hearing their stories. This, coupled with her own desire to understand her family’s history, led her to write historical fiction, to capture the themes and voices of those not found in a textbook. She is a member of James River Writers, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the Historical Novel Society. Lis lives with her husband in central Virginia with her feline assistants, Otis and Etta.
“Ricochet,” her short story in Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women anthology, is about the quiet battles women fight in order to survive, and how one person’s actions can ricochet through multiple generations.
Castaway on the Isle of Devils is her first young adult novel.
LONG BIO
Teacher. Traveler. Reader. Author. Originally from Richmond, Lis did not grow up learning to appreciate Virginia’s history. She wanted to go to Busch Gardens, not Jamestown or Williamsburg. While her brother was entertained with displays of muskets and cannons, she was forced to endure cooking and sewing demonstrations—neither of which proved to be of any interest to her as a child or an adult.
When she earned her B.A. in English Literature and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Wright State University, Lis learned of the depth to which women had contributed to literature and history. This launched an unflinching desire to research, revisit, and share a wider, more inclusive, narrative. She went on to teach both American and British literature, as well as A.P. literature to high school juniors and seniors. She has presented at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) national conference.
Lis’s love of books is matched by a love of adventure and travel. She has visited every state except Hawaii, and traveled extensively throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan. Her favorite part of travel is meeting new people (and other authors) and hearing their stories, which supports her quest to broaden the scope of history’s trail-makers.
She is a member of James River Writers, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the Historical Novel Society.
Lesser-known facts about Lis include her ability to play the French horn, teaching in schools from Tokyo to Utah, and an innate ability to be scorned by the cats in her house. She lives with these fickle felines and her husband in central Virginia.
“Ricochet,” her short story in Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women anthology, is about the quiet battles women fight in order to survive, and how one person’s actions can ricochet through multiple generations.
Castaway on the Isle of Devils is her first young adult novel.