Hello and Welcome to Lisa Higdon's Virtual Homepage . . . Portrait of a Lady.
You've entered The Diary, Lisa's page about herself, her writing life, her family, and her pets. Lisa hopes that you'll enjoy her site, which is about women in history, romance, fashion. There are also some tidbits on recipes and antiques. A site index is below. . . .
Some facts about Lisa she thought you'd enjoy. . .
A native Memphian, Lisa enjoyed a successful career in banking prior to selling her first novel to Berkley Publishing in 1995. Since then she has sold four more novels and a short story. Currently, she is working on two historical romances for Kensington Publishing. An avid reader, Lisa took the first steps toward a writing career in 1990 by joining the local chapter of Romance Writers of America, Inc. This organization provided hands-on instruction and access to reliable information regarding the publishing industry. "I never felt I was wandering in the dark in hopes of publishing," Lisa maintains. "I knew exactly what publishers were looking for and how to submit a manuscript."
Still, this was no guarantee against rejection. All writers face rejection at some point, and Lisa, like most, has a notebook jammed with letters declining her work. Perseverance, she found, was the key to selling that first book. The most talented writer in the world will never publish if they let rejection discourage them, while the mediocre novice will not be deterred and eventually will improve and succeed.
Lisa also credits the support of her family for her success. Her husband and daughter not only encouraged her but enabled her to write by respecting her need for writing time that often interfered with family time. When she first disclosed her intention of writing a book, her father purchased her first computer, confident she would succeed, as was her mother. Not once did anyone say, "You can't do that."
Elizabeth George Speare and Laura Ingalls Wilder are two of the authors whose books first instilled in Lisa a love of historical fiction. LaVyrle Spencer, Dorothy Garlock, and Virginia Brown later became favorite authors and reinforced her desire to write historical fiction in the romance genre. In addition to reading, Lisa also enjoys gardening, travel, and is a compulsive antique shopper. She is most proud of her growing collection of antique kitchenware - dishes, glassware, andgadgets are displayed (some say cluttered) on every shelf and counter in her kitchen.
 A friend of Lisa's with her pugs Toby and Honey |
 Anna |
 Honey |
