Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Sue-Ellen Welfonder is an American writer of romance novels. She is a USA Today bestselling author and the winner of a 2001 award from Romantic Times. Under her married name she writes historical romances set in medieval Scotland, and as Allie Mackay she writes Scottish-set paranormal romances. After spending several years living in Dallas, Texas, she met her husband in Munich, Germany, where they lived for fifteen years. They have since returned to Florida.

Welfonder learned to read before she entered school and has long been an avid reader. She began corresponding with her favorite romance author Becky Lee Weyrich, describing her travels. Weyrich encouraged her to try writing romances. For the next five years, Welfonder struggled to become a published author. Each story is fully planned well before Welfonder begins writing, although occasionally she detours from her plan. She does her own research and often reads reference books about Scotland or the medieval period for fun. Each book takes her approximately six to eight months to write. When she is finished, Welfonder does not read any reviews of the book if at all possible. Negative reviews distract her, and often leave her unable to write for days at a time.

In 2006 Welfonder released Highlander in My Bed, a Scottish-set paranormal romance, under the pseudonym Allie Mackay. For her pen name she chose Scottish names which were also family names, and made sure the new name was shorter than her existing name.