[b]Cordelia Frances Biddle[/b] is an independent scholar and novelist, and a direct descendent of Francis Martin Drexel, grandfather of Saint Katharine Drexel. Her Biddle ancestors trace back to Nicholas Biddle, president of the Second Bank of the United States; he also edited The Journals of Lewis and Clark. Historians divide the family into two branches: “The Romantics” and “The Solids”. Cordelia is from “The Romantic” line. (Yes, bankers can be “romantic”.) Her biography of Saint Katharine Drexel, [i]Saint Katharine: the Life of Katharine Drexel[/i] allowed her to explore a remarkable woman’s mission and ministry. Biddle’s works of fiction are: [i]Without Fear, Deception’s Daughter[/i] and [i]The Conjurer[/i]. The novels are set during the Victorian era in Philadelphia and explore women’s issues and the chasm between wealth and poverty. A prior novel, [i]Beneath the Wind[/i], examined imperialism during the Edwardian era. She has contributed to [i]Town and Country[/i], [i]Hemispheres and W[/i], and won the 1997 SATW Lowell Thomas travel-writing award for [i]Three Perfect Days in Philadelphia[/i]. She was an original writer for the documentary series, [i]Philadelphia: The Great Experiment[/i], and created a one-man show for Sam Waterston: This Community of Faith: Hopes, Dreams, Trials and Resolution in celebration of the 250th anniversary of St. Peter’s Church (Philadelphia). She contributed to St. Peter’s Church: Faith in Action for 250 Years (Temple University Press). She has recently completed a new historical novel. She and her husband, Steve Zettler, co-authored [i]The Crossword Mystery Series[/i] under the nom de plume of Nero Blanc. There are twelve titles in the series. Open Road will release all as e-books. Prior to her career as an author, Cordelia was an actress in New York, appearing on stage and in the daytime drama[i] One Life to Live[/i]. Cordelia Biddle teaches creative writing at Drexel University’s Pennoni Honors College, and was the recipient of the Pennoni Honors College Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012. She is a member of the Authors Guild. Сайт автора: https://cordeliafrancesbiddle.com/