Betty Neels
Encyclopedia
Evelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels (b. 15 September 1909 in Devon
, England
- d. in England
) was a prolific English
author of romance novels. She wrote over 134 titles (first publication entirely for Mills & Boon
in England and later reprinted in the United States by Harlequin), beginning in 1969 and continuing until her death. Her work is known for being particularly chaste.
, England
to a family with firm roots in the Civil Service. She spent her childhood and youth in Devonshire. She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service (TANS), which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station, until the invasion of France in 1940. She was commissioned into the TANS as a Sister on 30 May 1941. Later she worked in Scotland
and Northern Ireland
, where she met a Dutchman, named Johannes Meijer. They married in 1942 and had a daughter Caroline, born 1945.
The married couple lived in London
, and later they moved to Holland for thirteen years, where she resumed her nursing career. When the family return to England
, she continued her nursing. When she eventually retired, she had reached the position of Night Superintendent.
Her hobbies were reading, animals, old buildings and, of course, writing. Her writing career began almost by accident. It began when she heard a woman in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. Though she had retired from nursing, her mind had no intention of vegetating. So she got a typewriter and developed what was to become a fantastic loving relationship with her millions of readers around the world.
Betty Neels died peacefully in hospital on 7 June 2001, aged 91.
or Harlequin
spanned 30 years, and she continued to write into her 90th year. She wrote 134 novels.
Her novels have several recurring themes. The main male and female characters are often brought together by circumstances before love flourishes. The male protagonist is often a Dutch surgeon. The heroine is usually either a Cinderella or a "splendidly built" queen-sized lady. A character will often have an expertise in antiques. Family pets are common.
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
- d. in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was a prolific English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
author of romance novels. She wrote over 134 titles (first publication entirely for Mills & Boon
Mills & Boon
Mills & Boon is a British publisher of romance novels. It was founded in 1908, and was independent until its purchase in 1971 by Harlequin Enterprises with whom the company had had a long informal partnership...
in England and later reprinted in the United States by Harlequin), beginning in 1969 and continuing until her death. Her work is known for being particularly chaste.
Personal life
Betty Neels was born on 15 September 1909 in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to a family with firm roots in the Civil Service. She spent her childhood and youth in Devonshire. She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service (TANS), which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station, until the invasion of France in 1940. She was commissioned into the TANS as a Sister on 30 May 1941. Later she worked in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, where she met a Dutchman, named Johannes Meijer. They married in 1942 and had a daughter Caroline, born 1945.
The married couple lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and later they moved to Holland for thirteen years, where she resumed her nursing career. When the family return to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, she continued her nursing. When she eventually retired, she had reached the position of Night Superintendent.
Her hobbies were reading, animals, old buildings and, of course, writing. Her writing career began almost by accident. It began when she heard a woman in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. Though she had retired from nursing, her mind had no intention of vegetating. So she got a typewriter and developed what was to become a fantastic loving relationship with her millions of readers around the world.
Betty Neels died peacefully in hospital on 7 June 2001, aged 91.
Writing career
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969. Her career with Mills & BoonMills & Boon
Mills & Boon is a British publisher of romance novels. It was founded in 1908, and was independent until its purchase in 1971 by Harlequin Enterprises with whom the company had had a long informal partnership...
or Harlequin
Harlequin
Harlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
spanned 30 years, and she continued to write into her 90th year. She wrote 134 novels.
Her novels have several recurring themes. The main male and female characters are often brought together by circumstances before love flourishes. The male protagonist is often a Dutch surgeon. The heroine is usually either a Cinderella or a "splendidly built" queen-sized lady. A character will often have an expertise in antiques. Family pets are common.
Single Novels
- Sister Peters in Amsterdam (1969)
- Amazon in an Apron (1969) aka A Match for Sister Maggy / Nurse in Holland
- Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1970) aka Surgeon from Holland / Visiting Surgeon / Visiting Consultant
- Tempestuous April (1970) aka Nurse Harriet Goes to Holland
- Damsel in Green (1970)
- Fate is Remarkable (1970)
- Tulips for Augusta (1971)
- Tangled Autumn (1971)
- The Fifth Day of Christmas (1971)
- Tabitha in Moonlight (1972)
- Wish with the Candles (1972)
- Saturday's Child (1972)
- Uncertain Summer (1972)
- Victory for Victoria (1972)
- Winter of Change (1973) aka Surgeon in Charge
- Cassandra by Chance (1973)
- Three for a Wedding (1973)
- Stars Through the Mist (1973)
- Enchanting Samantha (1973)
- The Gemel Ring (1974)
- The Magic of Living (1974)
- Cruise to a Wedding (1974)
- The End of the Rainbow (1974)
- A Small Slice of Summer (1975)
- Henrietta's Own Castle (1975)
- A Star Looks Down (1975)
- The Moon for Lavinia (1975)
- Cobweb Morning (1975)
- Heaven is Gentle (1975)
- Roses for Christmas (1975)
- The Edge of Winter (1976)
- Esmeralda (1976)
- A Gem of a Girl (1976)
- Grasp a Nettle (1977)
- A Matter of Chance (1977)
- Pineapple Girl (1977)
- The Little Dragon (1977)
- The Hasty Marriage (1977)
- Britannia All at Sea (1978)
- Never While the Grass Grows (1978)
- Ring in a Teacup (1978)
- Philomena's Miracle (1978)
- Sun and Candlelight (1979)
- The Promise of Happiness (1979)
- Midnight Sun's Magic (1979)
- Winter Wedding (1979)
- Hannah (1980)
- Last April Fair (1980)
- When May Follows (1980)
- Caroline's Waterloo (1980)
- The Silver Thaw (1980)
- Surgeon in Charge (1980)
- Not Once But Twice (1981)
- An Apple from Eve (1981)
- Heaven Round the Corner (1981)
- Judith (1982)
- A Girl to Love (1982)
- All Else Confusion (1982)
- A Dream Came True (1982)
- Midsummer Star (1983)
- Roses and Champagne (1983)
- Never Say Goodbye (1983)
- Never Too Late (1983)
- Once for All Time (1984)
- Year's Happy Ending (1984)
- Polly (1984)
- Heidelberg Wedding (1984)
- At the End of the Day (1985)
- A Summer Idyll (1985)
- Magic in Vienna (1985)
- Never the Time and the Place (1985)
- A Girl Named Rose (1986)
- Two Weeks to Remember (1986)
- The Secret Pool (1986)
- Stormy Springtime (1987)
- Off with the Old Love (1987)
- A Doubtful Marriage (1987)
- A Gentle Awakening (1987)
- The Course of True Love (1988)
- When Two Paths Meet (1988)
- Paradise for Two (1988)
- The Fateful Bargain (1989)
- No Need to Say Good-Bye (1989)
- The Chain of Destiny (1989)
- Hilltop Tryst (1989)
- The Convenient Wife (1990)
- A Suitable Match (1990)
- The Girl with Green Eyes (1990)
- The Most Marvellous Summer (1991)
- A Kind of Magic (1991)
- A Little Moonlight (1991)
- An Unlikely Romance (1992)
- Romantic Encounter (1992)
- The Quiet Professor (1992)
- An Old-Fashioned Girl (1992)
- The Awakened Heart (1993)
- At Odds with Love (1993)
- A Girl in a Million (1993)
- Waiting for Deborah (1994)
- Wedding Bells for Beatrice (1994)
- Dearest Mary Jane (1994)
- A Secret Infatuation (1994)
- Fate Takes a Hand (1995)
- Marrying Mary (1996)
- Only by Chance (1996)
- A Kiss for Julie (1996)
- The Vicar's Daughter (1996)
- The Daughter of the Manor (1997)
- The Mistletoe Kiss (1997)
- Love Can Wait (1997)
- The Fortunes of Francesca (1997)
- Nanny by Chance (1998)
- An Ideal Wife (1998)
- A Winter Love Story (1998)
- Discovering Daisy (1999)
- A Good Wife (1999)
- Making Sure of Sarah (1999)
- An Independent Woman (2001)
Collections
- Best of Betty Neels: Britannia All at Sea, The Little Dragon (1985)
- Sister Peters in Amsterdam / Nurse in Holland / Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1989)
- Christmas Gift Set (1998)
- The Proposal / Making Sure of Sarah (2001)
- Not Once But Twice / A Girl Named Rose (2002)
- The Christmas Proposal / A Christmas Romance (2001)
- Christmas Gift Pack (2001)
- The Most Marvellous Summer / A Summer Idyll (2002)
- Only by Chance / A Happy Meeting (2002)
- Tangled Autumn / The Edge of Winter (2002)
- The Secret Pool / The Girl with Green Eyes (2002)
- Winter of Change / A Winter Love Story (2002)
- A Betty Neels Christmas (2002)
- Sun and Candlelight / A Star Looks Down (2003)
- Matilda's Wedding / An Innocent Bride (2003)
- Dearest Mary Jane / Romantic Encounter (2003)
- Last April Fair / The Course of True Love (2003)
- The Promise of Happiness / Caroline's Waterloo (2003)
- Sister Peters in Amsterdam / Emma's Wedding (2003)
- The Christmas Collection (2003)
- Christmas Wishes (2003)
- Betty Neels Bridal Collection (2007)
Omnibus in Collaboration
- A Wife for Andrew / Bitter Masquerade / Fate Is Remarkable (1971) (with Lucy Gillen and Margery Hilton)
- Avenging Angel / Sown in the Wind / Cruise to a Wedding (1985) (with Helen BianchinHelen BianchinHelen Bianchin is a popular Australian writer of over 50 romance novels in Mills & Boon since 1975.-Biography:...
and Jean S. MacLeod) - The House in the Foothills / The Short Engagement / Henrietta's Own Castle (1986) (with Mons Daveson and Marjorie LewtyMarjorie LewtyMarjorie Lewty, née Lobb was a British writer of short stories and over 45 romance novels from 1958 to 1999 to Mills & Boon.- Biography :...
) - The Little Dragon / Adair of Starlight Peaks / The Dark Warrior (1987) (with Essie SummersEssie SummersEssie Summers was a New Zealand author who wrote so vividly of the people and landscape of her native country that she was offered The Order Of the British Empire for her contributions to New Zealand tourism.-Biography:Ethel Snelson Summers was born on on 24 July 1912 to a...
and Mary Wibberley) - Two for the Heart: The Proposal / The Engagement (1994) (with Ellen James)
- Christmas Miracles (1996) (with Carole MortimerCarole MortimerCarole Mortimer is a popular British writer of over 150 romance novels since 1978. She was one of Mills & Boon's youngest authors, and now is one of their most popular and prolific authors.-Biography:...
and Rebecca Winters) - Nearly Weds! (1999) (with Penny JordanPenny JordanPenny Halsall, née Penelope Jones better known by her pen name of Penny Jordan, is a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels...
and Carole MortimerCarole MortimerCarole Mortimer is a popular British writer of over 150 romance novels since 1978. She was one of Mills & Boon's youngest authors, and now is one of their most popular and prolific authors.-Biography:...
) - Mistletoe Magic (1999) (with Margaret WayMargaret WayMargaret Way is an Australian writer, and she is one of Mills & Boon's most prolific authors with more than 110 novels.-Biography:Margaret Way was born on 7 August in Brisbane, Australia...
and Rebecca Winters) - Mistletoe Miracles: Dearest Eulalia/the Extra-special Gift/the Doorstep Baby (2000) (with Catherine George and Marion LennoxMarion LennoxMarion Lennox is a popular writer of over 60 medical romance novels. She began publishing in 1990. She has also written "tender" romantic novels under another pseudonym, Trisha David.-Biography:...
) - Marrying a Doctor (2001) (with Caroline AndersonCaroline AndersonCaroline Anderson is a popular British writer of over 80 contemporary romance novels to Mills & Boon since 1991. She specializes in medical romances. She has lived in Suffolk, England.-Single Novels:...
) - The Engagement Effect: An Ordinary Girl / a Perfect Proposal (2001) (with Liz FieldingLiz FieldingLiz Fielding is a popular British writer of over 50 romance novels published by Mills & Boon since 1992.-Biography:Liz Fielding was born on 1 June in Wales. Her mother taught to her to read....
) - A Christmas To Remember (2004) (with Debbie MacomberDebbie MacomberDebbie Macomber is a best-selling American author of over 150 romance novels and contemporary women's fiction. Over 140 million copies of her books are in print throughout the world, and four have become made-for-TV-movies...
and Jessica SteeleJessica SteeleJessica Steele is a popular British author of over 85 romance novels. Her novels have been published by Mills & Boon since 1979.-Biography:...
) - The Doubtful Marriage / A Convenient Marriage(2005) (with Liz FieldingLiz FieldingLiz Fielding is a popular British writer of over 50 romance novels published by Mills & Boon since 1992.-Biography:Liz Fielding was born on 1 June in Wales. Her mother taught to her to read....
) - All I Want for Christmas... (2005) (with Jessica SteeleJessica SteeleJessica Steele is a popular British author of over 85 romance novels. Her novels have been published by Mills & Boon since 1979.-Biography:...
and Margaret WayMargaret WayMargaret Way is an Australian writer, and she is one of Mills & Boon's most prolific authors with more than 110 novels.-Biography:Margaret Way was born on 7 August in Brisbane, Australia...
) - Christmas Treasures (2006) (with Caroline AndersonCaroline AndersonCaroline Anderson is a popular British writer of over 80 contemporary romance novels to Mills & Boon since 1991. She specializes in medical romances. She has lived in Suffolk, England.-Single Novels:...
and Helen BrooksHelen BrooksRita Bradshaw is a British romance novelist, she wrote historical romances as her real name and under the pseudonym Helen Brooks contemporany romances at Mills & Boon since 1992.-Biography:...
) - Valentine Love Affairs (2006) (with Catherine George)
External links
- Betty Neels in Mills & Boon
- Harlequin Editorial's web-page about Betty Neels
- Betty Neels in Fantastic Fiction
- Amazon.comAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, eBayEBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
, original books and a list by D Hoffa http://people.westminstercollege.edu/faculty/dhoffa/Betty%20Neels%20Books.htm