Rabe, Sheila (Sheila Roberts, Sheila Robins)

PERSONAL:

Married; children: three.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—Rolling Bay, WA.

CAREER:

Writer, public speaker, songwriter, and musician. Played keyboard and bass in local bands; owned singing telegram company.

WRITINGS:

ROMANCE NOVELS

Faint Heart, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1990.

A Ghostly Charade, Zebra (New York, NY), 1991.

The Improper Miss Prym, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1991.

The Lost Heir, Diamond Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Lady Luck, Diamond/Charter (New York, NY), 1992.

The Wedding Deception, Diamond/Charter (New York, NY), 1993.

The Accidental Bride, Zebra (New York, NY), 1994.

Miss Plymptom's Peril, Jove (New York, NY), 1994.

Bringing Out Betsy, Zebra (New York, NY), 1994.

An Innocent Imposter, Zebra (New York, NY), 1995.

The Adventuress, Zebra (New York, NY), 1996.

All I Want for Christmas, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Be My Valentine, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2001.

A Prince of a Guy, Berkley Books (New York, NY), 2001.

(As Sheila Robins) Christmas in Carol, Avalon Books (New York, NY), 2006.

(As Sheila Roberts) On Strike for Christmas, St. Martin's Griffin (New York, NY), 2007.

NONFICTION

(With Eric Schneider) Parties and Games for All Ages, Kaleidoscope Press (Puyallup, WA), 1994.

I Hate Whining Except When I'm Doing It: And Other Lessons Learned at My Children's Knees, Christian Publications (Camp Hill, PA), 1996.

It's a Wonderful Midlife! Finding the Positives in Aging, Horizon Books (Camp Hill, PA), 1999.

Contributor to anthologies, including A Christmas Treasure, Berkley Books (New York, NY), 1992.

SIDELIGHTS:

Sheila Rabe's first love was songwriting, but in 1989 she turned to writing books and has since produced numerous regency and contemporary romance novels, sometimes writing under the pseudonyms Sheila Roberts and Sheila Robins. The author began her career with historical romance novels set in England's Regency period of the early 1800s. For example, in An Innocent Imposter, the author presents a prince-and-pauper tale of switched identities. This time, a stagecoach accident mixes up the lives of an heiress and a governess who look exactly alike. Melinda Helfer, writing on the Romantic Times Online, called the novel "nicely written." In her review of The Adventuress, about a woman who marries an old man who dies shortly after their wedding and then meets the man of her dreams, Helfer noted the author's "graceful writing style."

Following her historical romances, the author turned to contemporary tales of love. Her first, All I Want for Christmas, tells the story of Susan Carpenter, a single mom so known for her love of Christmas that the people of Angel Falls call her Suzi Christmas. However, her new neighbor, Luke Potter, is not impressed with her over-the-top Christmas decorations and constant visitors that produce too much traffic on their small street. Despite his overall dislike for Christmas in general, Luke soon finds himself falling for Susan. "All I Want for Christmas immerses the reader in the true meaning of Christmas, without becoming overly sentimental," wrote Karen Lynch on the Romance Readers Web site. Library Journal contributor Kristin Ramsdell wrote that the romance will "put readers in a holiday mood."

Be My Valentine, which features two interrelated romances, gives readers "a boatload of romance, emotional confusion and fun-filled meddling," according to Jill M. Smith writing on the Romantic Times Online. In A Prince of a Guy, Dr. Kate Stonewall is a psychologist with a talk radio show. Prejudiced against "jocks" ever since her husband accidentally choked to death while getting overexcited during a Super Bowl game, Kate soon finds herself battling Jeff Hardin, a sports radio-show host who moves next door and tries to convince Kate's children to participate in sports. When another man comes on the scene whom Kate perceives as perfect, Jeff sets out to show Kate that he, not the other guy, is the right man for her. Shelley Mosley, writing in Booklist, noted the novel's "deftly turned phrases and witty dialogue." Best Reviews Web site contributor Kathy Boswell commented that the novel "kept me reading late into the night in order to see just how the story of Kate and Jeff would end."

Writing as Sheila Robins, the author tells the story of a New York advertising planner who travels home to Carol, Washington, for Christmas in the novel Christmas in Carol. Once home, Andie Hartwell not only deals with her difficult and strange family but also an ex-boyfriend. Writing in the Library Journal, Kristin Ramsdell commented that "this lighthearted romp has homespun values." Robert H. Goss, writing on the Roundtable Reviews Web site, noted: "The characters practically jump off the page at you."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August, 2001, Shelley Mosley, review of A Prince of a Guy, p. 2101

Library Journal, November 15, 2000, Kristin Ramsdell, review of All I Want for Christmas, p. 57; February 15, 2001, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Be My Valentine, p. 155; December 1, 2006, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Christmas in Carol, p. 103.

ONLINE

Best Reviews,http://thebestreviews.com/ (July 25, 2001), Kathy Boswell, review of A Prince of a Guy.

Historical Romance Writers,http://historicalromancewriters.com/ (August 28, 2007), brief profile of author.

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (December 11, 2006), Cathy Sova, "Meet Author Sheila Rabe"; (August 29, 2007), Susan Scribner, review of Be My Valentine; Karen Lynch, review of All I Want for Christmas.

Romantic Times,http://romantictimes.com/ (August 29, 2007), Melinda Helfer, reviews of The Adventuress and An Innocent Imposter; Jill M. Smith, reviews of Be My Valentine, All I Want for Christmas, and A Prince of a Guy.

Roundtable Reviews,http://www.roundtablereviews.com/ (August 28, 2007), Robert H. Goss, review of Christmas in Carol.

Sheila Roberts Home Page,http://www.sheilasplace.com (August 29, 2007).