Whitney PhyllisA

Japanese-American writer who is the best-selling author of romantic suspense novels. In total, she has written 68 books, including "Flaming Tree," "Rainsong," and her latest, "Silversword" (1984). Whitney began writing when she was 12, going to a missionary school in China where the English teacher encouraged her. Born in Japan to American parents who later lived in the Philippines and China, Whitney first saw the U.S. when she was 15, after her dad died and mom returned home. She worked as a book editor while polishing her own craft, writing hundreds of short stories, some of which actually sold. Her first hardcover success was in 1941 with "A Place for Ann," a book for teenagers. She was at one time married, and had a daughter. With a belief that writing kept her young, she published her last book in 1997, age 93-94. She died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008 in Faber, VA. She was 104. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less