Alison Scott, the daughter of two writers, Alexander Leslie Scott, master of the western detective novel, and artist turned short story writer, Lily Kay Scott, was born in Manhattan.  Her brother, Justin Scott, is a master of thrillers, mysteries, and sea stories, including the Isaac Bell Adventures.  A Junior Year Abroad from her American university took her to Scotland, where she met her future husband, Clement Skelton--an actor, playwright, film cameraman, Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot, and monster hunter.  She had her first baby while living on the shores of Loch Ness.
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From an apprenticeship in Gothic romances, she went on to publish her first hardcover novel, A World Full of Secrets, writing as Alison Scott, while her husband became C.L. Skelton, writing successful family sagas.  After she was widowed, she continued writing while raising their two sons, Professor Alasdair Skelton, geologist researching climate change, and actor and gardener Justin Skelton.
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As Alison Scott Skelton, she has published several works of contemporary and historical fiction in the US and Britain; among them, Different Families, A Murderous Innocence, Saving Grace, An Older Woman, and Family Story.