Kate Elliott is the pen name

Pen name

A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...

 of American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 and science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 writer Alis A. Rasmussen (born 1958).

Writing

Although Rasmussen's first novels The Labyrinth Gate (1988) and The Highroad (1990) (a science fiction trilogy) failed to become bestsellers, additional publishers liked her manuscripts but wanted a fresh name unconnected with the sales figures of the previous books. Starting in 1992 under the new name of Kate Elliott, her sales have flourished. Crown of Stars

Crown of Stars (series)

Crown of Stars is a series of epic fantasy novels by American author Alis A. Ramussen, under the pen-name Kate Elliott. The series consists of seven novels.-Novels:* King's Dragon * Prince of Dogs * The Burning Stone...

series has been featured in the Science Fiction Book Club.

Personal life

A native of Junction City, Oregon

Junction City, Oregon

Junction City is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,392 at the 2010 census.- History :In the 1870s, Junction City was named by railroad magnate Ben Holladay, who decided this would be where the rail line on the east side of the Willamette Valley would meet the rail...

, Rasmussen moved to Oakland, California

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

 to attend Mills College

Mills College

Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...

. There she became active in the Society for Creative Anachronism

Society for Creative Anachronism

The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century...

 where she eschewed the more typical image of a medieval lady and pursued medieval sword fighting. Rasmussen met her future husband, Jay Silverstein, on the battlefield.

Living in San Jose, California

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

, Rasmussen and Silverstein have three children (including twins). When Silverstein returned to school to pursue a career in archaeology

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

, Rasmussen found that a novelist could work equally well in various locations around the country and the world. They currently live in Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, where "Kate Elliott" continues to produce fantasy and science fiction novels.

As Alis A. Rasmussen

• The Labyrinth Gate fantasy (1988), ISBN 0-671-69793-5
• The Highroad Trilogy science fiction (1990)
  • A Passage of Stars (volume 1), ISBN 0-553-28372-3
  • Revolution's Shore (volume 2), ISBN 0-553-28544-0
  • The Price of Ransom (volume 3), ISBN 0-553-28788-5

As Kate Elliott

• The Spiritwalker Trilogy fantasy series:
  • Cold Magic (2010)
  • Cold Fire (September, 2011)
  • Cold Steel (Tentative) (Forthcoming)
• Crossroads fantasy series:
  • Spirit Gate (2007)
  • Shadow Gate (2008)
  • Traitor's Gate (2009)
• Crown of Stars
  Crown of Stars (series)
  Crown of Stars is a series of epic fantasy novels by American author Alis A. Ramussen, under the pen-name Kate Elliott. The series consists of seven novels.-Novels:* King's Dragon * Prince of Dogs * The Burning Stone...
  
  fantasy series:
  • King's Dragon (1997) (finalist for 1997 Nebula Award for Best Novel
    Nebula Award for Best Novel
    Winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year.- Winners and other nominees :...
    
    )
  • Prince of Dogs (1998)
  • The Burning Stone (1999)
  • Child of Flame (2000)
  • The Gathering Storm (2003)
  • In the Ruins (Aug 2005)
  • The Crown of Stars (Feb 2006)
• The Golden Key, an epic collaboration with Melanie Rawn
  Melanie Rawn
  Melanie Rawn is an author of fantasy literature. She received a BA in history from Scripps College and worked as a teacher and editor before becoming a writer....
  
   and Jennifer Roberson
  Jennifer Roberson
  Jennifer Mitchell Roberson is an author of fantasy and historical literature.Roberson has lived in Arizona since 1957. She grew up in Phoenix, but in 1999 relocated to Flagstaff. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Northern Arizona University in 1982 as an adult student...
  
   combining intriguing details of medieval art and politics with believable magical elements; World Fantasy Award
  World Fantasy Award
  The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
  
  finalist for Best Novel of 1996
• The Novels of the Jaran science fiction novels:
  • Jaran (1992)
  • An Earthly Crown (1993)
  • His Conquering Sword (1993)
  • The Law of Becoming (1994)

Short Stories

• • My Voice Is In My Sword

    Weird Tales from Shakespeare (1994)

  • The Memory of Peace

    Enchanted Forests (1995)

  • A Simple Act of Kindness

    The Shimmering Door (1996)

  • With God to Guard Her

    Return to Avalon (1996)

  • The Gates of Joriun

    Tarot Fantastic (1997)

  • Making the World Live Again

    Zodiac Fantastic (1997)

  • Sunseeker

    30th Anniversary DAW Books Science Fiction (2002)

External links

• Official Kate Elliot web site