Mary Cholmondeley (1859–1925) was the eldest daughter and third child of a family of eight, and from an early age made up stories to tell to her brothers and sisters for their entertainment. She began to write seriously in her late teens and her first novel was Her Evil Genius, followed by The Danvers Jewels in 1886. In 1899 Mary’s best-known novel Red Pottage was published and caused something of a sensation at the time because of its pointed satire. In addition to novels, Mary wrote essays, articles and short stories.
Marion Arnott is a teacher working in Scotland and a writer when she can be. Her work has appeared in Peninsular Magazine, QWF, West Coast, Northwords, Books Ireland, Hidden Corners, Chapman Magazine, Scottish Child, Solander, Crimewave 4& 6, Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 2002, Best British Mysteries, The Alsiso Project, Elastic Press Book of Numbers, Nova Scotia, New Scottish Speculative Fiction, Elastic Press Book of Extended Play, Hayakawa Mystery Magazine (Japan), Roadworks magazine, Midnight Street and Scottish Momentist Fiction 2006, and her collection, Sleepwalkers (Elastic Press, 2003). She won the Philip Good Memorial Prize for Fiction (QWF), CWA Short Dagger, and has been shortlisted for the same award twice more. She was also nominated for the British Fantasy Society’s Best Short Story Award.
Lilith Saintcrow is the author of several urban fantasy and (as Lili St Crow) YA series. She lives in Vancouver, Washington, with her children and several other strays.
Award-winning author Nancy Kilpatrick has published eighteen novels, two hundred short stories, one non-fiction book, and has edited a number of anthologies including Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead (2010) and Evolve Two: Vampire Stories of the Future Undead (2011). Upcoming books include a graphic novel, Nancy Kilpatrick’s Vampyre Theater (Brainstorm Comics); as editor, the anthology Danse Macabre: Close Encounters With the Reaper; and a new collection of her short fiction and novellas Vampyric Variations (both from Edge SF&F Publishing). Check her website for details (www.nancykilpatrick.com) and she invites you to join her on Facebook.
Muriel Gray is a writer and broadcaster. From an early career as an illustrator, then exhibition designer in Scotland’s National Museum of Antiquities, she carved out a career in the media as a well-known television and radio presenter before forming her own production company, which became the biggest independent in Scotland. Her passion for horror and fantasy is lifelong, and in addition to publishing several non-fiction books, her three novels, The Trickster, Furnace, and The Ancient, are all supernatural thrillers. Stephen King described the latter as “scary and unputdownable”. She has written many short stories for anthologies and comics, and is currently finishing a script for a horror film, beginning production in 2012, entitled Behind You. She lives in Scotland with her family.
Cynthia Asquith (1887–1960) is best known as an early anthologist of supernatural tales, persuading many of her literary friends to contribute stories to her books. She was also a writer of ghost stories. The daughter of the 11th Earl of Wemyss, and daughter-in-law of British prime minister Herbert Asquith, she worked for many years as secretary to J. M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, who left his literary estate (except for Peter Pan) to her upon his death.
Amelia B. Edwards (1831–1892) was a journalist, novelist, and noted Egyptologist in her time. She was also an active supporter of the Suffrage movement. The daughter of an army officer turned banker and an Irish mother, Amelia was home schooled for most of her childhood. Her first published work, the poem “The Knights of Old”, was written when she was just seven. A friend of Charles Dickens, many of her short stories were published in his magazines, notably the Christmas annuals. Among her many novels were The Ladder of Life, Half a Million of Money, and Lord Breckenburg.
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865) was a Victorian novelist, born in London, the daughter of a Unitarian minister. In 1832 she married William Gaskell, and they settled in the industrial city of Manchester. Motherhood and the obligations of a minister’s wife kept her busy. However, the death of her only son inspired her to write her first novel, Mary Barton, which was published anonymously in 1848. It was an immediate success, winning the praise of authors such as Charles Dickens and Thomas Carlyle. Dickens invited her to contribute to his magazine Household Words, where her next major work, Cranford, appeared in 1853. North and South was published the following year. Gaskell’s work brought her many friends, including the novelist Charlotte Brontë. When Charlotte died in 1855, her father, Patrick Brontë, asked Gaskell to write her biography, The Life of Charlotte Brontë. Gaskell died on 12 November 1865, leaving her longest work, Wives and Daughters, incomplete.
Gail Z. Martin is the author of The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven and Dark Lady’s Chosen (The Chronicles of the Necromancer series). She is also the author of The Fallen Kings Cycle from Orbit Books with Book One: The Sworn and Book Two: The Dread, and the upcoming Ascendant Kingdoms Saga. For book updates, tour information and contact details, visit www.ChroniclesoftheNecromancer.com. Gail is the host of the Ghost in the Machine Fantasy Podcast, and you can find her on Facebook, GoodReads, BookTour, BookMarketing.ning, Shelfari and Twitter. She blogs at www.DisquietingVisions.com. She is also the author two non-fiction series. The Thrifty Author’s Guide series (Comfort Publishing) includes Launching Your Book Without Losing Your Mind and Author Web Sites that Wow Readers and Impress Reporters. The 30 Day Guide Series (Career Press) includes 30 Days to Social Media Success and 30 Days to Online PR & Marketing Success. Gail’s short fiction has been featured in two anthologies: Rum and Runestones from Dragon Moon Press and The Bitten Word from New Con Press.
Edith Wharton (1862–1938) belonged to an aristocratic New York family with ancestry dating back three centuries. In 1885 she married Teddy Wharton, who was twelve years older than she was. Between 1900 and 1938, Wharton wrote many novels and wrote many ghost stories. The publication of The House of Mirth in 1905 marked the true beginning of her literary career. She continued to publish rapidly, producing, among others, Ethan Frome in 1911. Wharton continued writing until her death in 1938. She is buried in the American Cemetery at Versailles.
Gaie Sebold was born in the US, lives in South East London, and works for a social change charity. She has had several short stories and a book of poetry published. Her debut novel Babylon Steel is due out from Solaris in January 2012. She has been known to run around in woods hitting people with latex swords and declaim poetry in public, though not usually at the same time. She gardens inefficiently, reads obsessively, and is currently working on a novel collaboration with her partner, writer Dave Gullen, along with rather too many other projects. She is gradually being crowded out of her living room by plants. www.gaiesebold.com.
The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Mammoth Books) Page 53