Betty Neels facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evelyn Jessy Neels Meijer
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| Born | Evelyn Jessy Neels 15 September 1909 Devon, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 7 June 2001 (aged 91) England, United Kingdom |
| Pen name | Betty Neels |
| Occupation | Nurse, Midwife, Night Superintendent, then a Novelist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 1969–2001 |
| Genre | Romance novel |
| Spouse | Johannes Meijer |
| Children | 1 |
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.
Biography
Personal life
Evelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on 15 September 1909 in Leyton (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.
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.
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.
Neels died in hospital on 7 June 2001, aged 91.
Writing career
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969. 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. The heroine is usually either a Cinderella or a "splendidly built" queen-sized woman. A character will often have expertise in antiques. Family pets are common. The male protagonist is often a Dutch surgeon. Robin Ince has commented on the fact that her heroes are often Dutch. He also notes that some of her books have been re-published under different titles.
