Liz Hill

Liz Hill grew up in Staten Island, New York, the setting for her novel The Last Brass Ring. Since leaving New York in the 1980s, she has lived and worked in six other states. She and her husband now live part-time in western North Carolina and part-time in Mexico.

The Last Brass Ring was born during a corporate leadership retreat at Esalen Institute in Big Sur. At a closing campfire the participants were invited to summon an ancestor and ask for advice. Liz recalls clearly hearing the voice of a long-deceased relative saying: Life is about loss; but don’t let loss be your life. In other words, accept the challenges and sadness but never let them define you. Not long after that retreat Liz quit her corporate management job and began to consider Lilli’s story. What if a major loss was covered up and allowed to fester for years? How would that affect a young woman, even if she had never been told about the loss? And what might happen if she grew tired of the secrets and decided to dig for the truth?

Liz is the co-author of three other novels for young adults, written in the era of Goose Bumps, as well as co-author (with Ruthie Rosauer) of Singing Meditation: Together in Sound and Silence. Liz has also written several plays and enjoys watching imagined characters come to life on stage.

Liz spent her work life writing business communication for corporate and nonprofit clients, where she learned to understand engineers and technicians. Her years as an independent contractor taught her to troubleshoot her own technology issues. These days she enjoys acting as Tech Support to friends and family, unraveling the mysteries of apps, clouds, passwords, uploads, and downloads.

Liz has volunteered in a variety of leadership roles for literary, church, and community nonprofits. She is a co-founder of Lit Youngstown, a Literary Arts nonprofit, and has served on the board of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

She has kept a journal for over 50 years. As part of her training as a spiritual director some years back, she reviewed the journals and burned all but the last three years’ worth. The idea of burning shocks most fellow writers, but the process led Liz to develop a workshop called Un-Journaling, which guides people in reviewing their journals as a way of reflecting on their lives.