Elizabeth H. Cottrell is a scientist by training but more recently, she is a freelance and technical writer, ghostwriter, and blogger, called to encourage readers to strengthen the bonds of faith, family, and friends and to cultivate the joy and impact of personal, handwritten notes and letters. She is the founder and OEO (that’s Only Executive Officer) of RiverwoodWriter, LLC. As a writer and blogger at Heartspoken.com, she has been a contributor to numerous magazines, blogs, and books. Her book HEARTSPOKEN: How to Write Notes that Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire was published this summer (2022) by Koehler Books. The theme of much of her writing is the importance and power of connection in contributing to success and happiness in both personal and professional life.



Her circuitous, quirky path has also included a graduate degree in human anatomy, leprosy researcher, published scientist, wife, mother, grandmother, community activist, bank board chair (the first female board member and board chair in the bank’s 100+ year history), desktop publisher, piano and guitar player, and ham radio operator.



An avid personal note writer and believer in human potential, she is here to talk about her passion (some would say addiction) for buying greeting cards, writing notes, and teaching others to embrace what some have called “a lost art.”