Helen Elswyth Thane Ricker Beebe (1900 - 1984) was an American romance novelist. Born in Burlington, Iowa, she was the daughter of a local teacher and high school principal. The family moved to New York City in 1918, and "Helen Ricker" changed her name to "Elswyth Thane". She began working as a freelance writer in the 20s, and became a newspaper writer and a Hollywood screenwriter. Her first novel, "Riders of the Wind, " was published in 1926. Her novel "The Tudor Wench, " about Elizabeth I of England, was made into a play.