Phillips was born on December 11 in
Cincinnati, Ohio to John Aller Titus and Louesa Coate Titus. After receiving a
B.F.A. in theater arts from
Ohio University, Phillips taught drama, speech, and English at a local high school until her first child was born, then became a stay-at-home mother. In 1976, the family moved from
Ohio to
New Jersey. There Phillips and her neighbor, Claire Lefkowitz, often discussed the books they liked to read. Together they wrote a historical romance,
The Copeland Bride, which was published in 1983 under the
pen name Justine Cole. After Claire and her family moved, Phillips began writing by herself. Her subsequent novels, were published under her own name. Phillips and her husband, Bill, met on a blind date while in college. They have two grown sons, and live in
Chicago, Illinois. ==Honors==