New York Times Bestselling Author Linda Lael Miller
Awards Non-Traditional Scholarships for Women
Cave Creek, AZ - A 51-year-old battered wife, a 30-year-old single parent of a severely disabled son and a 40-year-old mother whose husband abandoned his family are three of the six women who have touched Linda Lael Miller's heart this year.

The six, from California, to South Carolina, are recipients of Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, funded personally by the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Arizona author who never forgets what it's like to struggle.

Annually, the author of more than 60 novels stages a $5000 scholarship competition unlike any she's seen. Women, from 18 to 108, who desire to improve their lot in life through education, may apply by writing essays. The winners may use their scholarship monies not only for tuition and books, but for child care, transportation or any other education-related expense that will enable them to leap the barriers keeping them from building a better life.

"My philosophy is, 'Educate a woman, impact endless future generations,'" Linda said, from the horse property outside Scottsdale where she writes novels published by Pocket and Atria Books. "Each of these scholarships will have a long-lasting effect on the recipient's family and will help demonstrate to their children and their children's children that a woman can overcome adversity and succeed, through education."

Born in Northport, WA, Linda married straight out of high school and suffered adversity herself in a difficult marriage before she set out on her own and became an internationally bestselling author. Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women.


Whether she's writing romantic fiction set in the Old West, or contemporary thrillers with kick-butt heroines, her characters are always women who succeed despite overwhelming odds.

Linda's 2004 novels include DON'T LOOK NOW (Pocket Books, July mass market paperback) and NEVER LOOK BACK (Atria Books trade paperback). The thrillers are set in her beloved Arizona and feature a smart-mouthed attorney, who marshals all her resources to protect those she loves, and a sexy sidekick cop who must learn that, despite murder and mayhem, the lady can take care of herself.

This year's recipients of Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for women are:

Louise Brown (not her real name), 51, found the courage to escape her abusive second husband five years ago after he locked her up in their home and beat her daily for six months. To evade his relentless pursuit, she subsequently had to move fifteen times, finding help through the Hotline for Domestic Violence and staying in battered women’s shelters. Now living on her own, she is studying criminal justice. Her goal is to serve as an advocate in court for abused women and children. She is using her Linda Lael Miller Scholarship for Women to pay for textbooks.

"I have learned that I can survive," Louise said, as she described the horror of the life she left behind, "and that I can pursue my dreams. The taste of freedom has opened up my soul and my mind to helping others that find themselves in similar circumstances. Freedom to me is a gift that I will never take for granted again."

Nora Zoe Daniels, 26, of Tucson, AZ, works as a career counselor for PHASE, the Project for Homemakers in Arizona Seeking Employment, and as a homeless advocate at a shelter for women and their children. While she is currently pursuing her M.Ed. In Educational Psychology, Guidance and Counseling at the University of Arizona in Tucson, the super-motivated, 4.0 student plans to get her Ph.D. in her field. Her ultimate goal is to teach on the university level and write textbooks on career choice assistance.

"I have had health problems for the past few years," Nora said. "Many of these came to the fore in the week before my 26th birthday – this past December. Some people say experiences like that are a "wake-up call," but I don’t think I was asleep. Instead, I see this as a way of life, showing us how unpredictable and unexpected it can be . . . and how we have to be even more dedicated to living fulfilling, invigorating lives. So even though sometimes I feel like I am too busy, working a full-time and a part-time job and going to school, I also feel like I am doing what I need to do, for myself, to be able to go to bed each night with a light heart and a smile on my face, as I like my life, and know that I’m doing what is important for me to do."

Nicole Eckland, 30, of LaCrosse, WI, is studying to be an elementary school teacher after her son’s father took his own life in 2001 following a long battle with mental illness. Working through her grief, Nicole realized that life is precious and should be valued, and that doing "good" in life turns the negative into a positive.

For Nicole that good was setting the goal for herself of becoming an elementary school teacher – and a role model for her son. At age 29, she went back to school and is currently enrolled at Viterbo University, where she has maintained a 3.86 grade average. A full-time student, and full-time mom of a six-year-old son, Nicole works at the University and tutors at her son’s school. As a teacher Nicole hopes to convey to her students tolerance of disabilities and the differences in students.

Nicole maintains that life is one hundred percent choices. "I always thought I could never go back to school. I never thought I would get a 4.0 GPA in a semester. I never thought I could be a single mom and live through the death of his father," she said. "But then I realized that these things are all choices and all I had to do is decide to do it."

Margaret Gray, 39, of Rock Hill, SC, is a nursing home laundress who needed help so she could finally get her high school diploma. With degree in hand, she then plans to pursue adult education computer classes to increase her earning power.





Lisa Santiago-Weber, 40, of Fountain Valley, CA, is a mother of two who is striving to build a new life for herself and her family after her husband returned to his native Guatemala – and abandoned them. Studying to become a graphics designer, she is using her scholarship to defray expenses for the extension courses she’s taking and for classes at California State Fullerton in the fall. She is dedicating her efforts to her older sister, Jodi Weber Whyte, who was a never-ending source of inspiration for Lisa and who lost her battle with cancer in 2003.

"In the future I’d like to do some work for non-profit organizations," Lisa said when asked about her hopes and dreams. "I’ve worked for the Legal Aid Society, and I’ve seen how important a helping hand can be to people in crisis. Most of all, I’d like to encourage other women to keep following their dreams, no matter how hard the struggle, so that we will be able to build a brighter future for our families, and for ourselves."

Dawn Thurmond, 30, of El Paso, TX, is a single Hispanic mother, struggling to provide for her severely disabled son and to complete her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at El Paso. As a student of political science and communications, this positive, motivated woman is also an advocate for people with disabilities and works in the community to improve their lives. On her own since age 19, she wants to earn her law degree and go on to educate politicians that everyone, despite their labels or hardships, can live full and happy lives.

Dawn says her five-year-old son, Zachary, who was born with cerebral palsy, is a hero. Having made strides that confound doctors, he inspires others by his refusal to give up or to give in to the idea that life has handed him a raw deal.

With an educational career that has spanned more than 13 years, Dawn was due to graduate in December of 2004 when she learned that she would no longer quality for student loans or financial aid, because she had reached the allowable attempted hours for students. Her Linda Lael Miller Scholarship for Women is helping her obtain that degree, the one thing Dawn knows will help her create a better life for her and her son.