Look and Listen

Biography

Helen Osterman lives in Homer Glen, a suburb of Chicago. She has five children and nine grandchildren. She received a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Mercy Hospital-St. Xavier College and later earned a Master’s Degree from Northern Illinois University. Throughout her forty-five year nursing career, she wrote articles for both nursing and medical journals. She is the author of the Emma Winberry Mystery Series. Helen has had a life-long love of opera and always wanted to be a supernumerary, an extra in the opera, but the demands of her profession and family left this dream unfulfilled. She has done this vicariously though her character, Emma Winberry. Like Emma, Helen is an avid gardener and baker. The Accidental Sleuth, published in 2007 by Five Star Publishing. The Stranger in the Opera House, published in 2009 also by Five Star The Elusive Relation, published by Five Star, Sept, 2011. Notes in a Mirror, also published in 2009 by Weaving Dreams Publishing. This is a paranormal/historical novel. Song of the Rails, a love story, also by Weaving Dreams, came out in June, 2011. She is a member of American Association of University Women, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime and The Authors Guild. Helen is also an accomplished artist. Four of her paintings of historic Maxwell Street in Chicago are part of the permanent collection of the Chicago History Museum. Website: www.helenosterman.com

Inspiration

Ever since I was a child, I made up stories in my head. I truly lived in a dream world. During my nursing career, I wrote for the professional journals, then took courses in creative writing and turned my hand to the novel. For my Emma Winberry mystery series, I made my character an extra (supernumerary) in the opera. It was something I always wanted to do, but never had the time. For Notes in a Mirror, I called upon my student nursing experinece in a state mental hospital. And, for Song of the Rails, I patterned the book after some of my own life experiences. As with most seious writers, the ideas keep popping into my head. I'll keep going until there are none left.