Evelyn Jessy Neels Meijer
BornEvelyn Jessy Neels
(1909-09-15)15 September 1909
Devon, England, United Kingdom
Died7 June 2001(2001-06-07) (aged 91)
England, United Kingdom
Pen nameBetty Neels
OccupationNurse, Midwife, Night Superintendent, then a Novelist
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
Period1969–2001
GenreRomance novel
SpouseJohannes Meijer
Children1

Betty Neels (born 15 September 1909 in Leyton, England – d. 7 June 2001 in England) was a prolific British writer of over 134 romance novels (first publication entirely for Mills & Boon in United Kingdom and later reprinted in the North America by Harlequin), beginning in 1969 and continuing until her death. Her work is known for being particularly chaste.[citation needed]

Biography

Personal life

Evelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on 15 September 1909 in Leyton[1] (then part of Essex but now in Greater London) to a family with firm roots in the Civil Service. She spent her childhood and youth in Devonshire. She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.[2][3]

In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service (TANS), which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station, until the invasion of France in 1940. She was commissioned into the TANS as a Sister on 30 May 1941. Later she worked in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where she met a Dutchman, named Johannes Meijer. They married in 1942 and had a daughter in 1945.[2][3][4]

The married couple lived in London, and later they moved to the Netherlands for thirteen years, where she resumed her nursing career. When the family returned to England, she continued her nursing. When she retired, she had reached the position of Night Superintendent.[2]

Neels died in hospital on 7 June 2001, aged 91.[2]

Writing career

Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969.[2] Her career with Mills & Boon or Harlequin spanned 30 years, and she continued to write into her 90th year. She wrote 134 novels.

Her novels have several recurring themes. The main male and female characters are often brought together by circumstances before love flourishes.[citation needed] The heroine is usually either a Cinderella or a "splendidly built" queen-sized woman.[citation needed] A character will often have expertise in antiques. Family pets are common. The male protagonist is often a Dutch surgeon.[citation needed] Robin Ince has commented on the fact that her heroes are often Dutch.[5] He also notes that some of her books have been re-published under different titles.[5]

Bibliography

A collection of novels by Betty Neels

Single Novels

The Final Touch Series

  1. The Final Touch (1991)
  2. A Happy Meeting (1992)

Dr Fforde Series

  1. Always and Forever (2000)
  2. The Doctor's Girl (2001)

First Class Series Multi-Author

Kids & Kisses Multi-Author

Family Ties Multi-Author

Sealed with a Kiss Multi-Author

Holding Out for a Hero Multi-Author

Baby Boon Multi-Author

White Weddings Multi-Author

White Wedding Multi-Author

Collections

Omnibus in Collaboration

References

  1. ^ Certified copy of an entry of birth for Evelyn Jessy Neels (General Register Office for England and Wales)
  2. ^ a b c d e Mills & Boon's Biography, retrieved 31 August 2007
  3. ^ a b Birth, Marriage & Death registrations, retrieved 30 January 2011
  4. ^ London Gazette, retrieved 30 January 2011
  5. ^ a b Ince, Robin (2010). Robin Ince's Bad Book Club. Sphere. pp. 147–156. ISBN 9781847442697.

External links

Authority control databases
Categories