What: The Seton Hill University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program will host a speech, book signing and reception featuring New York Times Bestselling Author Eloisa James. The event is free and open to the public, however, tickets are required. Tickets can be obtained through the Seton Hill Box Office at www.setonhill.edu/tickets or by calling 724-552-2929.

When: Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at 7 p.m.

Where: Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Avenue, Greensburg, Pa.

Who: New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists. After being a finalist for a RITA—the top award in the genre of romance fiction awarded by the Romance Writers of America—over ten times, she won in 2013. After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.

Background: The Seton Hill University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction Program is hosting this special event with Eloisa James as part of its January residency, one of two, week-long, on-campus residencies held each year. During the event, James will speak on the topic, “Shakespeare in Love: From the Renaissance to the Regency Romance.” A book-signing and reception will follow.

Seton Hill’s unique Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program teaches students to write marketable novels in popular genres like mystery, romance, science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Additional specialties include literature for children and adolescents, and cross-genre blends like romantic suspense or young adult mysteries. Students attend two weeklong, on-campus residencies each year to master the core elements of fiction writing and effective marketing and to gain inspiration from faculty mentors and special guests, all published authors in genre fiction. Established authors mentor students one-on-one as they work toward completing a market-ready manuscript from home. Readings, classes, and on-line discussion about the history, trends, and techniques of genre fiction add depth to the student's experience. For more information about the Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill, visit http://fiction.setonhill.edu or contact Seton Hill’s Office of Graduate and Adult Studies at 724-838-4209.