About the Author

Helen Buell

Helen grew up hearing fascinating stories about her grandfather, who died long before she was born. She wanted to write about them but didn't believe she could write from a man’s point of view. She searched her family genealogy for a likely woman through whom to tell her story, found Elizabeth Sloan, and thus, “Betsy” was born. She put family legends and genealogy together with history of the times and a good lot of imagination. The result was an enjoyable historical romance novel although her grandfather, James McCutchen, turned out to be only a bit player in this book.

From age seventeen, when Helen started collecting stories about her grandfather, to age sixty-seven, when she finally published her book, she lived a full life, with marriages (3), children (3), adventures of her own (lived in Alaska for almost 30 years) and a career (nurse and counselor). After her second husband died, she retired, eventually remarried and now lives in Arizona, where she's working on her second book.  In this book, she says her grandfather really will be a central character.

Although Betsy is Helen's first novel, she has published other items:

Independent items:

  • Gremlins, a poem published in 2007 by poetry.com. This poem received an Editors Choice Award.


  • Riding the Roller coaster of Lewy Body Dementia. A Powerpoint presentation designed in 2006-2007 and presented in in several western states in 2007. To be accredited in Arizona for nurses in 2008.


  • The George McCutchen Family, a self-printed sixteen page booklet of prose and photos. Published 2002, in Vancouver WA. Sold mostly to family.


  • Alcohol Withdrawal, an accredited training for Alaskan nurses. Presented last in 1999 in Fairbanks, AK.


  • Female children of alcoholics. 1986. University of Alaska, Anchorage. A 91 page master's thesis, stored in the university library.


  • Numerous work related articles and lesson plans, written for my own use, but distributed to other treatment facilities throughout Alaska. 1981-1999.


  • An Annotated Lord's Prayer, published on the cover of the Unity of Anchorage Church bulletin, November 1984. Anchorage, AK.

Newspapers, newsletters:

  • The Highland Herald. A local newsletter in a 273 home 55+ community. Published monthly. Editor and Publisher since October 2007.


  • The Lewy Body Digest, a quarterly newsletter distributed nationally. At least one article in every issue since 2006, like "Travelers Extraordinaire" on page 7 of the Summer issue.


  • New Thoughts, bi-monthly newsletter for the Abundant Life Center, Vancouver, WA. Copy editor, 2004- present. Occasional articles like "ALC Website" in the Dec 2004 issue.


  • Meet our Volunteers, a monthly column for the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, Vancouver WA. 2001-2002.


  • The Forum,a monthly column on women's issues in the Kodiak Times, Kodiak, AK, 1977-78.


  • Numerous letters to the editor. The Kodiak Times, Kodiak, AK, 1975-8. The Anchorage Times, 1981-1998. The Columbian, Vancouver, WA, 1999-2003.

Web sites:

Helen McCutchen Buell Whitworth

January, 2008