Peggy Bechko

Fiction has been her passion from about the age of fourteen. Her only quandary was that she could never write anything short. So, in the course of things, she just kind of skipped over short stories and jumped right to novel length and submitted what she felt was her first marketable works when she was nineteen, to a literary agency in New York. They welcomed her into their ranks of writers, addressing her as Mr. Bechko, which at that time went uncorrected as she was then submitting westerns and was told, repeatedly, 'women can't write westerns'.

The book, THE NIGHT OF THE FLAMING GUNS, written it in the first person as a middle-aged man, was published when she was twenty-two. Doubleday went on to buy a total of five westerns from her. Romances were picking up avid fans about that time, and she tried that genre as well, managing to keep her western influence strong while writing a more modern 'romance' set in Mexico, DARK SIDE OF LOVE.

In her early days, since writing unfortunately did not completely cover the bills, she held an assortment of 'day' jobs. Such things as Gift Wrap & Customer Service in a department store; an Artist's Model; Delivery Person; Clerical and Office person; Legal Secretary & Office Manager; Administrative Assistant and Assistant Bookstore Manager.

Bechko is also talented with her hands as well as her mind. She has had paper mache' sculptures for sale in a well known local gallery, and hand made jewelry on sale at several galleries.

Peggy A. Bechko has 15 completed, published books to her credit, some under the name of P.A. Bechko, others under Peggy Bechko. She has written six complete spec screenplays.

Born in Michigan, raised in Indiana and Florida, she now lives with her husand in New Mexico, a beautiful state of mountains, pines, desert and cactus. She is married to Steven Chappell, author.