Elizabeth Wein was born in New York City, grew up abroad, and currently lives in Scotland with her husband and two children. She is an avid flyer of small planes. She also holds a PhD in Folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. Her books include the acclaimed Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire, and Black Dove, White Raven.Wein's new novel is The Pearl Thief.
From the author's Q&A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: Why did you decide to write this prequel to your novel Code Name Verity?Visit Elizabeth Wein's website.
A: So many reasons!
I’ve always wanted to write a mystery. When Code Name Verity won the Edgar Award, I was thrilled to become a member of the Mystery Writers of America.
I am so proud of that Edgar, and for some time now I’ve felt that I sort of owe it to the MWA to produce a classic mystery novel – I mean, one that isn’t in disguise as a thriller (Code Name Verity) or historical fantasy (my third novel, The Sunbird, was also nominated for an Edgar, though it didn’t make the short list).
I really love 1930s mysteries, and Dorothy L. Sayers in particular is one of my favorite authors. I thought first about setting a story in the 1930s… and then thought it would be fun to set it in Scotland… do you see where this is going?
Then I thought, hmmm, Julie (one of Code Name Verity’s two narrators) would have been in her teens in Scotland in the 1930s… wouldn’t it be fun to make this her story?
Another reason I decided to make this a prequel to Code Name Verity is because...[read on]
The Page 69 Test: Black Dove, White Raven.
The Page 69 Test: The Pearl Thief.
Writers Read: Elizabeth Wein.
--Marshal Zeringue