Ellen Byron

{{Short description|American mystery writer}}{{Infobox author

| occupation = {{cslist|Novelist|Screenwriter|Producer}}

| awards = {{plainlist|Agatha Award|Lefty Award}}

| website = {{URL|EllenByron.com}}

| birth_place = New York

}}

Ellen Byron (born in New York){{Cite web |title=Ellen Byron |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126386/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer.

As a novelist, she has written the Cajun Country Mystery series and Vintage Cookbook Mystery series, as well as the Catering Hall Mystery series under the pseudonym Maria DiRico. She has won two Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel{{Cite web |title=Agatha Awards |url=https://www.minlib.net/booklists/award-winners/agatha |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Minuteman Library Network |archive-date=2022-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305083247/https://www.minlib.net/booklists/award-winners/agatha |url-status=dead }} and multiple Best Humorous Mystery Lefty Awards. Bayou Book Thief, her first Vintage Cookbook Mystery, was nominated for an Anthony Award.

As a screenwriter, she has written for Wings, Just Shoot Me!, and The Fairly OddParents.

Biography

Byron was born in the borough of Queens, New York City.

She attended Tulane University.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-13 |title=Due South Eat. Drink. Read. Repeat.Author Ellen Byron Gets Inspired By Cajun Country |url=https://duesouth.media/author-ellen-byron-gets-inspired-by-cajun-country/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Due South |language=en-US}} Her experiences in Louisiana inspired her Cajun Country Mystery series.

Byron has written over 200 articles for national publications. She relocated from New York to Los Angeles to pursue a television career that spanned twenty-five years. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog.

Awards and honors

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

|+Awards for Byron's writing{{Cite web |title=Ellen Byron |url=http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/B_Authors/Byron_Ellen.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.stopyourekillingme.com}}

!Year

!Title

!Award

!Result

2015

| rowspan="2" |Plantation Shudders

|Agatha Award for Best First Novel

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2016 |title=2015 Agatha Award Winners |url=https://crimespreemag.com/2015-agatha-award-winners/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Crime Spree Magazine}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-02-05 |title=Nominees announced for 2015 Agatha Awards |url=https://crimespreemag.com/nominees-announced-for-2015-agatha-awards/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Crimespree Magazine |language=en-US}}

rowspan="2" |2016

|Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-02-29 |title=Winners of 2016 Lefty Awards |url=https://crimespreemag.com/winners-of-2016-lefty-awards/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Crimespree Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-01-17 |title=Nominees for the 2016 LEFTY Awards |url=https://crimespreemag.com/nominees-for-the-2016-left-awards/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Crimespree Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-01-16 |title=Left Coast Crime: Announcing the Lefty Awards Nominees! |url=https://leftcoastcrime2016.blogspot.com/2016/01/announcing-lefty-awards-nominees.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Left Coast Crime}}

rowspan="2" |Body on the Bayou

|Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-01-29 |title=Nominees for 2017 AGATHA Awards |url=https://crimespreemag.com/nominees-for-2017-agatha-awards/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Crimespree Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Agatha Awards |url=http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/Awards/Agatha_Awards.html |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Stop, You're Killing Me!}}

rowspan="2" |2017

|Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery Novel

|Winner

rowspan="2" |A Cajun Christmas Killing

|Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |title=2018 Agatha Award Winners |url=https://www.mysteryscenemag.com/blog-article/6072-2018-agatha-award-winners |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Mystery Scene Magazine}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-01-30 |title=Announcing 2018’s Agatha Award Nominees |url=https://www.criminalelement.com/announcing-2018s-agatha-award-nominees/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Criminal Element |language=en-US}}

rowspan="2" |2018

|Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery Novel

|Winner

rowspan="2" |Mardi Gras Murder

|Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel

|Winner

rowspan="2" |2019

|Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery Novel

|Finalist

rowspan="2" |Fatal Cajun Festival

|Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel

|Finalist