Williams, Sheila J. 1948–

PERSONAL: Born 1948, in Columbus, OH. Education: Attended Ohio Wesleyan University; University of Louisville, earned degree. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, traveling, genealogy, and history.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Random House Publishing Group, 1745 Broadway, 18th Fl., New York, NY 10019. E-mail—Sheila@sheilaj williams.com.

CAREER: Writer. Has worked variously as a paralegal, corporate product manager, and creative writing teacher.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, Ballantine (New York, NY), 2002.

The Shade of My Own Tree, Ballantine (New York, NY), 2003.

On the Right Side of a Dream, Ballantine (New York, NY), 2005.

Girls Most Likely, Ballantine (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS: Sheila J. Williams was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where she started to write as a young girl. Through elementary and high school, she produced poems, short stories, newspaper articles, and plays, and in college she was published in the school literary magazine. Not until she was married, with nearly grown children, however, did she first begin to publish her work on a professional level. Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, Williams's first novel, was published in 2002, and later chosen by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) as a book-club selection. The novel recounts the story of forty-two-year-old Juanita Lewis, who is tired of her dead-end life and her ungrateful, useless children. After reading a series of romance novels, Juanita quits her job and goes in search of her own adventure. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews criticized the book, citing its "sitcom characters, lame jokes, weak plot." However, Booklist critic Lillian Lewis called the book "a delightful debut." On the Right Side of a Dream continues Juanita's story.

The Shade of My Own Tree tells another story of a woman discovering herself. In a tale reminiscent of the author's debut, Opal Sullivan leaves her abusive husband after years of marriage and sets out to build a new life, taking in a series of colorful boarders to help make ends meet. Lillian Lewis, again in Booklist, called the book "a well-written tale."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 2002, Lillian Lewis, review of Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, p. 390; September 1, 2003, Lillian Lewis, review of The Shade of My Own Tree, p. 64; May 1, 2005, Lillian Lewis, review of On the Right Side of a Dream, p. 1573.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2002, review of Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, p. 1172.

Publishers Weekly, October 28, 2002, review of Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, p. 49.