Meet the Author: Ann Bell

Ann Bell, librarian at Billings Central Catholic High School, published two novels in 1994. The novels, Autumn Love and Contagious Love, are the first of four novels set in the fictitious town of Rocky Bluffs, Montana. These "Rocky Bluffs Chronicles" respond to Ann's feeling that much of current fiction contains a tone of despair and hopelessness.

In her novels good does triumph over evil. Situations of tragedy, violence, and heartache figure in her writing, but these situations do not turn her characters into victims. Rather, their trials make them courageous survivors. Bell's novels, including the final two of the series, Inspired Love and Distant Love, are published by Barbour Press in Uhrichsville, Ohio.

Originally, Bell targeted her novels toward senior citizens because she discovered they had trouble finding suitable material based on positive experiences of their age group. After the release of the first book, she found that high school students too experience the same emotions of loneliness and misunderstanding.

At Central High, Ann has been involved in the renewal of the library. Students now have access to CD-ROMs, computer software programs, and laser disks. A modem and fax allow on-line searching and document retrieval. She also continues retrospective conversion toward complete auto-mation. Central is waiting approval of a grant which will adjoin a networked computer lab to the library.


Back to the Table of Contents, the Book Reviews .