Rizzolo, S(uzanne) K(aye) 1962-

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RIZZOLO, S(uzanne) K(aye) 1962-

PERSONAL: Born February 10, 1962, in Aspen, CO; daughter of Charles Farmer and Yolanda Jean (Potestio) Pitts; married Michael J. Rizzolo (a television sound producer), June 28, 1992; children: Miranda. Ethnicity: "White." Education: California State University—Fullerton, B.A.; California State University—Northridge, M.A. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, collecting antiques.

ADDRESSES: Home—CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Poisoned Pen, 6962 East First Ave., Suite 103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Buckley School, Los Angeles, CA, teacher of British literature, 1990-2002.

MEMBER: Sisters in Crime, Historical Mystery Appreciation Society.

WRITINGS:

The Rose in the Wheel (mystery novel), Poisoned Pen (Scottsdale, AZ), 2000.

Blood for Blood (mystery novel), Poisoned Pen (Scottsdale, AZ), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: S. K. Rizzolo told CA: "There's a sentence in The Rose in the Wheel, 'At dusk in Temple Gardens, the barrier between past and present turned fluid and ghosts walked.' I think that historical novelists attempt to make ghosts walk, resurrect the faint voices of the past. The echoes are there, but we have to listen carefully. That's one reason why London continues to be such an inspiring setting for me—all those layers of history.

"Set in 1811 London, my novel, the first in a series, explores the murder of an eccentric lady philanthropist and introduces a large cast of characters from all walks of life. So, unlike many Regency novels, this is not a book about the polished, restrained gentry, a segment of society that in actuality represents only a narrow slice out of the range of experiences at that time. That's why I made my heroine Penelope Wolfe the daughter of an expatriate radical philosopher and the wife of an artist. Her background helps me to get away with some rather unconventional behavior on her part!"