Stevens, Serita 1949–

views updated

Stevens, Serita 1949–

(Tyler Courtland, Megan MacDonnell, Serita Deborah Mendelson-Stevens, Serita Deborah Stevens, Serita Mendelson Stevens, Shira Stevens)

PERSONAL:

Given name is pronounced Sir-ree-ta; born January 20, 1949, in Chicago, IL; daughter of Albert Stanley (an engineer) and Frances (a homemaker) Mendelson; married Raymond Glassenberg (a doctor), August 29, 1971 (divorced, 1980); married Barrie Barr, October 1992 (divorced, October 1993); married Hank Tarlow, June 11, 2006; children: Alexzandra (adopted). Education: University of Illinois, B.S.N., 1971; Antioch University, M.A., 1977. Politics: "Democrat, pro-animal, pro-choice." Religion: Jewish. Hobbies and other interests: Cats, dogs, horseback riding (English style), flying a Cessna 172 airplane, metaphysics, reading, history, travel, square dancing, animal rescue, volunteering at a women's shelter.

ADDRESSES:

Home—North Hollywood, CA. Agent—Lettie Lee, Ann Elmo, 60 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10165. E-mail—[email protected]; [email protected].

CAREER:

Olsten Health, Los Angeles, CA, registered nurse, 1977-90; Kaiser Mental Health, Los Angeles, registered nurse, beginning 1990; Northwestern ER and Psych, Chicago, IL; writer; forensic nurse. Script reader and development assistant for film companies, including Chuck Fries Productions, Adams Productions, Cinaco Films, and Jireh Productions. Writing instructor at institutions, including University of Southern California, beginning 1983, Loyola Marymount University, beginning 1983, University of California, Los Angeles, California State University, Los Angeles, Roosevelt University, Writer's Digest Novel Writing Program, and OnlineUniversity.com. Hugs and Hopes—Romania (nonprofit organization), founder.

MEMBER:

International Association of Forensic Nurses, International Crime Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime (former chair of Los Angeles area speaker's bureau), American Crime Writers, Society of Children's Book Writers, Chicagoans in the Industry, Children's Book Authors, Romance Novelists Association, Disaster Mortuary Operations Recovery Team, West Coast Area Authors and Romance Enthusiasts.

WRITINGS:

FICTION, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

This Bitter Ecstasy, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1981.

The Shrieking Shadows of Penporth Island, Zebra Books, 1983.

(Under pseudonym Megan MacDonnell) A Dream Forever, Fawcett, 1984.

Tame the Wild Heart, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1984.

Spanish Heartland, Torch, 1984.

Bloodstone Inheritance Zebra Books, 1985.

Secrets At Seventeen, Fawcett, 1986.

(As Serita Deborah Stevens) Passion's Lure, Pioneer Communications Network (Rocky Hill, CT), 1986.

Lightning and Fire (romance), Leisure Books, 1987.

(Under pseudonym Shira Stevens) Deceptive Desires, Leisure Books, 1987.

Daughter of Desires, Leisure Books, 1987.

Unholy Alliance (young adult mystery), Fawcett, 1988.

(With Anne Klarner) Deadly Doses: A Writer's Guide to Poisons (nonfiction), Writer's Digest (Cincinnati, OH), 1990, published under the names Serita Stevens and Anne Bannon, as Book of Poisons: A Guide For Writers, 2007.

(Editor and contributor) Unholy Orders: Mystery Stories with a Religious Twist, Intrigue Press (Denver, CO), 2000.

The Adventure Begins, Palm Publishing (West Palm Beach, FL), 2004.

(With members of the International Association of Forensic Nurses) Forensic Nurse: The New Role of the Nurse in Law Enforcement (nonfiction), Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY) 2004.

(Editor) Blondes in Trouble: And Other Tangled Tales, Intrigue Press (Denver, CO), 2004.

"FANNIE ZINDEL MYSTERIES; WITH RAYANNE MOORE"

Red Sea, Dead Sea, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1991.

Murderous Education, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1992, published as Bagels for Tea, 1993.

OTHER

Also author of The Nurses, NAL Paperback, under the pseudonym Tyler Courtland, A Gathering Storm and Wild Is the Heart. Contributor to books, including The Fine Art of Murder. Author of radio scripts and screenplays. Contributor to periodicals, including Young Judean, Publishers Weekly, Chicago Tribune, Ave. M, Islands and Travel, Leisure and Splash, and Rosicrucian Digest.

ADAPTATIONS:

The author's work has been adapted for television and aired by Home Box Office (HBO) and Cinemax.

SIDELIGHTS:

Serita Stevens is a registered nurse, novelist, and nonfiction author. As a nurse, she specializes in psychiatry but also acts as a legal nurse consultant. She has been trained in sexual assault and murder investigations, forensic photography, criminal profiling, and victim and witness interviewing. Her forensic interests inform both her fiction and nonfiction work, which includes the mystery Murderous Education (also published as Bagels for Tea), written with Rayanne Moore, Deadly Doses: A Writer's Guide to Poisons, written with Anne Klarner, and Forensic Nurse: The New Role of the Nurse in Law Enforcement, written with members of the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Stevens's early works were historical romances, including such works This Bitter Ecstasy and Bloodstone Inheritance. She later began writing mysteries, includ- ing a young adult mystery, Unholy Alliance. The sleuth featured in the story is a rabbi's daughter, and an elderly Jewish woman fills the role of sleuth in Stevens' "Fanny Zindel Mysteries," written with Rayanne Moore. The character Fanny Zindel makes her debut in Red Sea, Dead Sea, published in 1991. On her first trip to Israel, the vivacious grandmother from California becomes involved in a Dead Sea Scrolls scheme. Fanny travels to England to visit her granddaughter Susan in Bagels for Tea, published in 1993. During Fanny' stay, Susan is expelled from school, thanks to Mary Louise, an anti-Semitic student and favorite of the headmistress. Soon after Susan's expulsion, Mary Louise is found dead, and Susan becomes a suspect, spurring Fanny to investigate. Fanny also makes a cameo appearance in Unholy Orders: Mystery Stories With a Religious Twist, a mystery anthology that Stevens edited. "In a Jewish Vein," a story that Stevens contributed to the volume, takes Fanny to Romania, where she meets a Jewish vampire.

With the help of toxicologists and coauthor Anne Klarner, Stevens combined her knowledge of substances and storytelling in her 1990 book Deadly Doses. The guide presents a history of poisons, details about a variety of toxins, examples of their use in fiction and real life, and recommendations for their application in creative writing. "One learns such things as which soft drink poses the greater threat to kidney patients, and the fact that eating ground up tiger whiskers is like ingesting glass," noted RQ contributor Anna M. Donnelly. In Donnelly's opinion, Deadly Doses provides "clearly written … information for developing plots with authenticity of fact."

In the 2004 nonfiction work Forensic Nurse, Stevens provides a glimpse into an emerging profession, detailing her experiences and those of her colleagues in forensic nursing. She emphasizes the increasing value of forensic nursing to criminal investigation, from the crime scene to the courtroom, and outlines the challenges of the work. In a review for AORN Journal, A. Lynn Littlefield wrote that Stevens depicts the forensic nurse's job "realistically and without the Hollywood glamour," adding, "this book is not for the faint of heart." While granting that Stevens paints a "vivid picture," Library Journal reviewer Bridget Faricy-Beredo felt that the book "devotes too much space to presenting numerous case studies" and too much attention to the sexual assault nurse examiner's role in particular. Littlefield, on the other hand, maintained that Forensic Nurse "gives the reader a thorough look at all aspects of this fledgling specialty."

Stevens once told CA: "I was born on Chicago's west side. When my little brother, Danny, was born, he couldn't pronounce my name and began calling me Rete. Since I had always loved reading and always had a book in my hand, the name stuck. My favorite stories at that time were Peter Pan—I collected every comic book and version I could find of it, within the limits of my allowance. I also loved biographies, gothics, and historical novels. Any time I was upset, I found solace in reading.

"I was writing for ten years before my first novel, This Bitter Ecstasy, sold. Because I loved history and loved making it come alive, I had decided that historical romances would be the best way for me to break in since I read them by the dozen.

"I love writing books for teens and for adults. I know that many disagree with this, but I feel that if I can entertain and teach at the same time (without being too preachy) it is good.

"If anyone reading this decides they want to be a writer, go for it, but be prepared to sacrifice for your commitment. Write because you love it, write because it's a part of you and you can't give it up."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

AORN Journal, October, 2006, A. Lynn Littlefield, review of Forensic Nurse: The New Role of the Nurse in Law Enforcement, p. 689.

Booklist, September 15, 2004, review of Forensic Nurse, p. 189.

Library Journal, November 1, 2000, Rex E. Klett, review of Unholy Orders: Mystery Stories With a Religious Twist, p. 142; September 15, 2004, Bridget Faricy-Beredo, review of Forensic Nurse, p. 75.

Publishers Weekly, April 12, 1993, review of Bagels for Tea, p. 50; August 2, 2004, review of Forensic Nurse, p. 62.

RQ, spring, 1991, Anna M. Donnelly, review of Deadly Doses: A Writer's Guide to Poisons, p. 412.