Tosca Lee (born December 1, 1969) is a bestselling American author known for her
historical novels
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ...
and thrillers.
Biography
Lee was born in
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is ...
, United States to a
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
father and Euro-American mother. Her father,
Professor Emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
Sang Moon Lee, who had early aspirations of an opera career, named
Tosca
''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language drama ...
for his favorite
Puccini
Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...
opera.
As a young classically trained
ballerina
A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on ye ...
and pianist Lee pursued an early career in dance until injuries derailed hopes of a successful career.
Lee received her BA from
Smith College in
Northampton, Massachusetts in English language and literature. She also studied
international economics
International economics is concerned with the effects upon economic activity from international differences in productive resources and consumer preferences and the international institutions that affect them. It seeks to explain the patterns and ...
at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
. While at Smith, Lee wrote her first novel—a story of the
Stonehenge people of
Salisbury plain (unpublished).
She began writing professionally in 1992 for ''Smart Computing Magazine'', during which time she co-authored two computer books. In the 1990s, Lee held two pageant titles, Mrs. Nebraska America 1996 and Mrs. Nebraska United States 1998, and placed first runner-up to Mrs. United States. For her philanthropic work and advocacy of health, women's, children's, ethnic, and cultural groups, she was awarded an admiralship of the
Great Navy of the State of Nebraska by then-governor
Ben Nelson
Earl Benjamin Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 37th governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the De ...
. During this time she wrote as a freelancer and penned the majority of her second novel (unpublished).
After setting the pageant world aside, she went to work in 2003 for
the Gallup Organization
Gallup, Inc. is an American analytics and advisory company based in Washington, D.C. Founded by George Gallup in 1935, the company became known for its public opinion polls conducted worldwide. Starting in the 1980s, Gallup transitioned its b ...
as a senior consultant to Fortune 500 companies.
Career
Lee penned the novel that would become ''Demon: A Memoir'' around 2000. It sold in 2006 in a multi-book deal after nearly six years of rejection. Once published it immediately garnered critical acclaim, including a Christy Award nomination.
Lee wrote her next novel, ''Havah: The Story of
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
'', while traveling internationally as a consultant for the Gallup Organization. ''Havah'' received a starred review from ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'',
[Publishers Weekly] 4.5 stars from ''Romantic Times'', and solidified Lee's reputation for meticulous research and scriptural interpretation. The two books weren't without controversy from conservative readers--''Demon'' for its darkly spiritual subject matter and ''Havah ''for its sensuality in the portrayal of Eve's relationship with
Adam.
In 2010, Lee left her position with Gallup and signed on to write the post-apocalyptic Books of Mortals series with ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' bestseller,
Ted Dekker
Ted Dekker (born October 24, 1962) is an American author of Christian mystery, thriller, and fantasy novels including ''Thr3e'', '' Obsessed'', and the '' Circle Series''.
Biography
Dekker was born in Netherlands New Guinea shortly after i ...
. ''Forbidden'', the first novel in the series, debuted on the
New York Times Bestseller list
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
in September 2011, as did the second installment, ''Mortal'', in June 2012. ''Sovereign'', the conclusion to the series, released June 2013 and became a bestseller in the
Christian market.
''Iscariot'', Lee's highly anticipated novel about
Judas
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betr ...
, the
disciple
A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to:
Religion
* Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ
* Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples
* Seventy disciples in t ...
and infamous betrayer of
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, released February 2013 after three publisher changes, three years of research and writing, and a five-year lull after the release of her last solo novel, ''Havah''. ''Iscariot'' became a bestseller in the Christian market where it also garnered starred reviews. ''Publishers Weekly'' praised ''Iscariot'' as "mind-bending
Biblical fiction that dares to put readers in the mind of the most infamous character of
Christian history
The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teach ...
" calling Lee's research and writing "impeccable and masterful."
In 2014, ''Iscariot'' won Christian Book of the Year in fiction.
It was also named a Best in Christian Fiction Title of 2013 by ''
Library Journal''.
Lee's novel about
The Queen of Sheba, ''The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen,'' released September 2014 to starred reviews. It was named a Best of Christian Fiction selection by ''Library Journal''
and also became a bestseller. In 2015, it finalized for the 2015 Christian Book Award for fiction, won by Lee's ''Iscariot'' the year before.
In 2015, Lee turned her attention to new adult
thrillers
Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Suc ...
but continued her study of historically significant, maligned characters in her House of Bathory duology
''The Progeny''Firstborn
--a pair of supernatural suspense thrillers centered around the fictional descendants of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Báthroy. In 2016 ''The Progeny'' landed on the IndieBound bestseller list. In 2018, ''Firstborn'' won Ream Makers' paranormal book award as well as Book of the Year''.'' The duology is currently in development for TV by Radar Pictures
Frederick Woodruff "Ted" Field (born June 1, 1953) is an American media mogul, record executive, entrepreneur and film producer.
He co-founded Interscope Records with Jimmy Iovine and founded Interscope Communications to develop and produce f ...
and Ed Burns
Edward P. Burns (born January 29, 1946) is an American screenwriter, novelist, and producer. He has worked closely with writing partner David Simon. For HBO, they have collaborated on ''The Corner,'' ''The Wire,'' ''Generation Kill'', ''The P ...
' Marlboro Road Gang Productions. November 2018 Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, wit ...
announced the CW Network
CW may stand for:
Science and technology
* centiwatt (cW), one hundredth of a watt
* Cω, a programming language
* CW complex, a type of topological space
* Carrier wave, in radio communications
* CodeWarrior, an integrated development environm ...
had bought the series, with CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
TV Studios joining production and Orphan Black'sbr>Chris Roberts
attached to show run and write.
The Line Between
', Lee's apocalyptic thriller about a young woman ousted from an Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
doomsday cult
A doomsday cult is a cult, that believes in apocalypticism and millenarianism, including both those that predict disaster and those that attempt to destroy the entire universe. Sociologist John Lofland coined the term ''doomsday cult'' in his ...
as a pandemic breaks out across the United States, entered development for TV by Radar Pictures and Marlboro Road Gang Productions prior to its release, as reported by Deadline Hollywood. The book debuted January 2019 as Amazon's #1 medical thriller, won a silver Literary Titan award September 2019, and was a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for best mystery/thriller of 2019. The sequel, ''A Single Light'', released September 17, 2019.
Recurring themes
Lee's historical fiction is known for her depth of characterization and sympathetic rendering of traditionally maligned characters. Reviewers praise her lyrical prose, emotive settings and historical detail. Her thrillers, which feature female leads, are consistently praised for their strong heroines and breakneck pacing.
Personal life
Lee lives with her husband, Bryan, and three of four stepchildren still at home.
Bibliography
In addition to English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, Lee's novels have been published in Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, Indonesian, Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
, Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
, Slovakian, Turkish, Estonian, Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
, Bulgarian, German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
, Hungarian, Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
, and Croatian.
*''A Single Light'', September 17, 2019, Simon & Schuster
*''The Line Between,'' January 2019, Simon & Schuster
* ''Firstborn,'' May 2017, Simon & Schuster
* ''The Progeny,'' May 2016, Simon & Schuster
* ''The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen,'' September 2014, Simon & Schuster
*''Ismeni'', August 2014, Simon & Schuster
* ''Iscariot: A Novel of Judas,'' February 2013, Simon & Schuster
* ''Havah: The Story of Eve,'' 2008, NavPress; re-released by B&H Publishing 2010; re-released by Simon & Schuster 2014
* ''Demon: A Memoir, 2007'', NavPress; re-released by B&H Publishing 2010; re-released by Simon & Schuster 2014
The Books of Mortals
with Ted Dekker
Ted Dekker (born October 24, 1962) is an American author of Christian mystery, thriller, and fantasy novels including ''Thr3e'', '' Obsessed'', and the '' Circle Series''.
Biography
Dekker was born in Netherlands New Guinea shortly after i ...
:
* Forbidden, September 2011, Hachette Book Group
* Mortal
Mortal means susceptible to death; the opposite of immortal.
Mortal may also refer to:
* Mortal (band), a Christian industrial band
* The Mortal, Sakurai Atsushi's project band
* ''Mortal'' (novel), a science fiction fantasy novel by Ted Dekker ...
, June 2012, Hachette Book Group
* Sovereign, June 2013, Hachette Book Group
*The Keeper, September 2011, Hachette Book Group
Awards and recognition
*2019 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Mystery/Thriller semifinalist (''A Single Light'')
*2019 Literary Titan Gold (''A Single Light'')
*2019 Top Shelf Magazine Editor's Choice Award (''The Line Between'')
*2019 Literary Titan Silver (''The Line Between'')
*2018 Book of the Year, Realm Makers (''Firstborn'')
*2018 Paranormal Winner, Realm Makers (''Firstborn'')
*2017 Inspy Awards Long List (''The Progeny'')
*2016 Indiebound Bestseller List (''The Progeny'')
* 2015 Finalist, ECPA Christian Book Award for Fiction (''Legend of Sheba'')
Christy Award
Finalist (''Demon: A Memoir'')
*2008 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Silver Award Winner (''Demon: A Memoir'')
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Tosca
1969 births
Living people
21st-century American novelists
Alumni of the University of Oxford
American novelists of Asian descent
American women novelists
American writers of Korean descent
Christian novelists
Writers from Roanoke, Virginia
Smith College alumni
21st-century American women writers
Novelists from Virginia