Background
Martha C. Lawrence was born on March 20, 1956, in Waukegan, Illinois, United States. She is the daughter of Frank H. and Carroll Horton Driggs.
Martha C. Lawrence was born on March 20, 1956, in Waukegan, Illinois, United States. She is the daughter of Frank H. and Carroll Horton Driggs.
Martha C. Lawrence received a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1978.
Martha C. Lawrence made her living as an astrologer for several years before turning to writing. She also helped to solve the crimes thanks to her psychic ability. Prior to writing full time, she worked as an assistant editor at Simon & Schuster in New York City from 1981 till 1983 and for several years, from 1983 till 1987, served as an acquisitions editor for Harcourt Brace. Then she was a business writer and astrologer till 1995.
Lawrence's first book Murder in Scorpio (1995) features Elizabeth Chase, a former psychotherapist who uses her psychic powers to help San Diego police solve crimes. The character of Elizabeth Chase came to Lawrence when she was standing in the mystery section of a bookstore. She realized that, although she had read many mystery novels in her life, she was "hungering to read the adventures of a detective who used the intuitive, right side of her brain as brilliantly as Sherlock Holmes had used his logical, left brain".
Chase again starred in Lawrence’s second mystery 1997’s The Cold Heart of Capricorn in which she is called upon by the police in a case involving a vicious serial rapist. She had first contacted them when she had a clairvoyant dream about an attack that later came true. Now she is assigned to work with police detectives on the case.
In the third novel Aquarius Descending, Chase takes on a case close to home when her boyfriend, police officer Tom McGowan, asks her to help him find his missing ex-fiancée, Jen Shaffer. Jen joined a cult called the Bliss Project a number of years ago and has not been heard from for some time. When a package containing her Medic Alert bracelet arrives in the mail, Tom and Jen's father both fear the worst. Reluctantly, Chase goes undercover and joins the Bliss Project.
Lawrence's fourth novel Pisces Rising finds Chase investigating the murder of a Native-American casino owner on the Temecu Indian Reservation. Not only does the psychic sleuth have visions of events that have not yet happened, but she begins seeing the spirit form of a shaman named Sequoia, who guides her throughout the investigation.
In Lawrence's fifth "Elizabeth Chase" mystery, titled Ashes of Aries, Chase's psychic abilities are used to help find the missing four-year-old son of media mogul Frank Fielding.
In addition to her Elizabeth Chase mysteries, Lawrence has written two books on the history of Nantucket crafts: Lightship Baskets of Nantucket (1990) and Scrimshaw: The Whaler's Legacy (1993). She also reviewed fiction for The San Diego Union-Tribune and has made numerous television and radio appearances. She contributed short stories to magazines and co-authored the book Trust Works! Four Keys to Building Lasting Relationships (2013) as well.
Martha C. Lawrence's books were published around the world. Her book Murder in Scorpio was nominated for the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, and the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery, all in 1996. The novel Pisces Rising won the San Diego Magazine award for best fiction in the year 2000 and was nominated for the Nero award.
(Psychic private eye Elizabeth Chase finds her unique tale...)
2000(Now Elizabeth Chase returns in a case more dangerous than...)
1997(On the island of Nantucket, the Nantucket Lightship Baske...)
1990(Intricate, painstaking, sturdy yet incredibly delicate, s...)
1993
Quotations:
"The most common misconception is that a psychic has superhuman powers. This myth has been promulgated by the media and false advertising. Not all psychics have the same level or types of abilities and no one is infallible. As in any other profession, psychics have good days and bad days."
"I believe everyone has far more psychic power than they realize. However, the extreme psychic experiences - precognitive dreams, encounters with light beings, etc. - are rare, even for so-called gifted psychics like me. Still, those everyday psychic insights can really enrich your life."
"I get lots of letters from people who share their own psychic experiences. Many readers say they're complete skeptics, but they love my books. I cherish those."
"From an early age, I’ve experienced psychic events: vivid dreams and premonitions that later came to pass, apparitions, telepathy. Random, unpredictable, yet profound, these experiences have shaped my worldview. I believe the current cultural bias against the existence of psychic Phenomena is based on ignorance, and that one day the scientific paradigm will expand to include what is now referred to - somewhat pejoratively - as the paranormal."
Martha C. Lawrence was a member of Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.
Quotes from others about the person
Lawrence writes a gripping, believable story, distinguished by a wise and sensitive narrative voice, that even those skeptical of psychics will enjoy.
reading, yoga, gardening, snorkeling, watching movies, psychology, history, astrology, comparative religion, and hanging out with friends
Ross MacDonald, Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Lev Raphael, Sparkle Hayter, Sue Grafton, Tony Hillerman, Kaye Gibbons, Anne Lamott, Stephen King, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson
Martha C. Lawrence married Wayman C. Lawrence on June 24, 1978. The marriage produced one child, Clark Lawrence. The couple divorced in 1987.
