Donna Fletcher Crow

Donna Fletcher Crow is an author best known for historical Christian fiction.^[1]

Biography

Donna Fletcher grew up in Nampa, Idaho. She was participated in competitive riding, winning the titles of Snake River Stampede Rodeo Queen in 1959 and Miss Rodeo Idaho in 1960,^[2] and she was a runner up in the Miss Rodeo America 1960 competition. She graduated from Northwest Nazarene University in 1964. Donna married Stanley Crow, a college classmate, in 1964. They have four grown children, and live in Boise, Idaho.

Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of two dozen novels plus children's books, nonfiction works and plays. She brings a lifetime love of English literature and history to her writing which has earned numerous awards.

'Glastonbury, The Novel of Christian England', one of her most successful books, is an epic novel which tells the history of England from the birth of Christ through the English Reformation, covering Roman, Celtic, Arthurian, Anglo-Saxon, Norman and Tudor periods. Two more epics of British Christian history followed Glastonbury. 'The Fields of Bannockburn' tells the story of Scotland from the arrival of St. Columba on the Isle of Iona in A.D. 563 through the achievement of William Wallace's dream of Scottish independence in 1320 under Robert the Bruce, the real 'Braveheart.' Her 1998 Irish epic 'The Banks of the Boyne' traced the history of The Troubles from the beginning of the Plantations in the early 17th century on into the establishment of real peace.

'The Cambridge Chronicles' is a six-book series covering the history of the Evangelical Anglican movement through the 18th and 19th centuries. These historical novels tell the stories of the part played by John and Charles Wesley, the Countess of Huntingdon, Roweland Hill, Charles Simeon, William Wilberforce, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Hudson Taylor, the Cambridge Seven, and others whose influence is still felt in England today.

Donna Fletcher Crow's current project is 'The Monastery Murders', series set in current times in a monastery in rural Yorkshire. Her American heroine and Anglican priest hero must learn from saints and heroes of the past in order to solve modern mysteries.

Crow says she writes for the love of telling a story and her goal is to expand her reader's experience. "Background is especially important to me," she says, "both in what I read and what I write. Research is one of my favorite aspects of writing. I suppose at heart I'm still a teacher.

"I love my characters, even the villains. They are almost always combinations of people I know. For me, plot is the most difficult aspect of mystery writing, but ironically, I love dealing with structure. I'm fanatical about viewpoint and— here's the English literature teacher again— theme never fails to delight me when it shows its face."

An enthusiastic gardener, she grows David Austen English Roses and loves the challenge of creating an English cottage garden in the Idaho desert. She lists her favorite pastimes as drinking tea, reading, taking research trips and playing with grandchildren. Most influential authors include: Jane Austen, Dorothy L. Sayers, Barbara Pym, P. D. James and Susan Howatch.

Bibliography

Epic Novels

• Glastonbury: The Novel of Christian England (1992)
• The Fields of Bannockburn: A Novel of Scotland from Origins to Independence (1996)
• The Banks of The Boyne: The Generations of Northern Ireland (1998)

The Virtuous Heart Series

• All Things New (1997)
• Roses in Autumn (1998)

The Daughters of Courage

• Kathryn: Days of Struggle and Triumph (1992)
• Elizabeth: Days of Loss and Hope (1993)
• Stephanie: Days of Turmoil and Peace (1993)

Lord Danvers Mysteries

• A Most inconvenient Death (1993)
• Grave Matters (1994)
• To Dust You Shall Return (1995)

The Cambridge Chronicles

• A Gentle Calling (1994)
• Treasures of The Heart (1994)
• Where Love Begins (1994)
• To Be Worthy (1994)
• Encounter the Light (1997)
• Where Love Calls (1998)

Intrigue

• The Castle of Dreams (1992)

Serenade Romances

• Love Unmerited (1986)
• The Desires of Your Heart (1985)
• Greengold Autumn (1984)

Choose Your Own Adventure

• General Kempthorne's Victory Tour (1987)
• The Evil Plot of Dr. Zarnof (1983)
• Mr. Xanthu's Golden Scheme (1985)
• Professor Q's Mysterious Machine (1983)

Nonfiction

• Seasons of Prayer: Discovering the Riches of the Church Year Through Classic Prayer (2000)
• The Frantic Mother Cookbook (1982)
• Recipes for the Protein Diet (1972)

Notes and references

1. ^ Fantastic Fiction website (accessed 19 July 2008)
2. ^ Miss Rodeo Idaho website (accessed 19 July 2008)

Honors: The Banks of the Boyne, Silver Angel, First Place Historical Fiction, 1999 National Federation of Press Women The Fields of Bannockburn, First Place Historical Fiction, 1997 National Federation of Press Women Professional Achievement Award, 1994 Homecoming, Northwest Nazarene College Glastonbury First Place, Historical Fiction, 1993, National Federation of Press Women Award of Merit, Juvenile Books, Idaho Press Women, 1990 Pacesetter Award, Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference, 1990 Outstanding Historical Fiction, Idaho Press Women, National Federation of Press Women, 1989 Idaho Writer of the Year, 1988 Best Inspirational Novel, Finalist, 1985, Romance Writers of America Writer of the Year, 1983, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference

Listings: Contemporary Authors, NRS 1996 Something About The Author, 1986 Contemporary Authors, 1983 Who's Who of American Women, 14th edition The World Who's Who of Women, 8th and 10th editions Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors & Poets, 3rd edition International Authors and Writers Who's Who, 11th & 12th editions Notable American Women, 1st illustrated edition 1988 Biography International, 1986 Dictionary of International Biography, XXI edition Five Thousand Personalities of the World, 2nd edition Personalities of America, 5th edition Outstanding Young Women of America, 1972 Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, 1964

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Name	Crow, Donna Fletcher
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Date of birth	1941
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