in chemistry and English in 1947 at Hunter College, and master's degrees in biochemistry and medieval literature.
[4] After leaving her research lab job when her son was born, Gellis wrote her first novels, Bond of Blood and Knight's Honor, in the 1960s.
These included more than twenty historical romances, including the Roselynde Chronicles and the Heiress Series, medieval murder mysteries, historical fantasies, space opera, and a mystery featuring Lucrezia Borgia as an amateur detective.
[5] In 1981, the publisher of Romantic Times named Gellis as one of the most popular historical romance authors.
[3] Gellis died on May 6, 2016, in Michigan and is buried at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI.