Pamela Jekel is a nationally-known novelist, well regarded for her historical sagas, four of which have been New York Times bestsellers. Her thirteen books were published in both hardcover and paperback, translated into sixteen foreign languages, and also published in Braille and Large Print Editions. Jekel grew up in California, inspired by her father, William Jekel, who was a successful Western watercolorist and muralist. Working at his feet as a child, she was encouraged by his belief that "Art is the only way to reinvent life according to our own specifications." Jekel received her formal training at UCLA, Old Dominion University, and the University of Virginia, obtained a Ph.D. in English, and has both written and painted all her life. Her works have received Best Historic Fiction awards by the National Booksellers Association and the Western Booksellers Association. Also an artist in oils and watercolors, her paintings can be seen at www.pamelajekel.com. Jekel has lived in many different locales and states, and she currently lives in Georgia.