About Elles Lohuis

After working for nearly thirty years in international business, research and education, I left my academic position and private coaching practice to write full time.

As to my formal qualifications:

• Ph.D. degree in Social Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Master’s Degree in Business Sciences (M. Sc.) from the Radboud University Nijmegen
• Master’s Degree in History (M.A.), majoring in Medieval History and Celtic Studies from the Radboud University Nijmegen
• Post-Graduate Diploma Professional Coach Practitioner (NOBCO certification) from the Alba-academy Veldhoven

For a complete list of work experience, qualifications, and academic articles, see my LinkedIn profile.

What makes my novels different?

I write from the heart and only write the novels I want to read myself.

I write historical novels to engage and entertain, to sweep you away to far-away places and times long gone, opening a window to a world and its people that nowadays seems wondrous, foreign, and fascinating—but was once typically ours.

With the Nordun’s Way series, I take you to the rooftop of the world, into the turbulent times of 13th century Tibet with its royal clans, Mongolian invaders, smugglers, and SilkRoad traders.

With The Sea Surgeon’s Wife (coming Spring 2023) I immerse you into the Golden Age of Piracy, where in 1665 the world powers are at war over the trade routes, and the promise of land and fortune lures settlers and sailors to the booming English colony of Jamaica, and its cutthroat capital, Port Royal, the “wickedest city on earth.”

I write about ordinary people in extra-ordinary times, rising to the challenge as they answer the call of their heart and face the trials which afflict every family and human life—courage and cowardice, love and lust, loyalty and treachery, and cruel endings which do not always sprout into the new beginnings we desire them to be.

I write to entertain and to engage you, but I also write to make you—and myself—pause and reflect, to understand ourselves and our own world a little better, so that we may appreciate the astonishing opportunities of the privileged times in which we live in now, and challenge ourselves once again to be and do our best—every moment of this precious life.

I write novels that take a lot of research because I want to do justice to the times and to the people inhabiting these times, and to give you the most accurate and rewarding read with a well-developed story and characters you want to get to know even better.

Besides completing extensive desk research, I do in-depth field research. Nordun’s Way is partly based on the research I did for my PhD. I spend long periods of time with the most generous Tibetan Buddhist nuns in their tiny monasteries on the remote mountaintops in the Himalayas, relishing the solitude and contemplative life with them. I’ve also been very fortunate to spend three months in Kham (Tibet) with my Tibetan in-laws who made me part of their extended family and keep sharing their beautiful Tibetan culture with me.

My novels plunge you into a world different from yours, and that means the characters behave within the historical and cultural framework of their society and times. I do not adapt their behavior or their way of thinking and communicating to appease the present day outlook, even though it might be challenging to you. On the contrary, I hope it will inspire you to explore what exactly triggers you and what this tells you about yourself, and your outlook on the world, and moreover, explore further all that is wonderful—and not so wonderful—of the places and times that were once ours.

For me, hearing from readers is a privilege and a delight, and I always answer my emails. So please get in touch and share your thoughts on my writings with me. I’m also more than happy to join your book club via Skype or Zoom. To send a message, just fill out the contact form.

I am a self-published author and would love your support.

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