Alyssa Cole

Last updated
Alyssa Cole
Born (1982-08-12) August 12, 1982 (age 41)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation Novelist
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
Genre Romance fiction, Historical romance, science fiction
Years active2014–present
Notable worksAn Extraordinary Union
A Princess in Theory
When No One Is Watching
Website
www.alyssacole.com

Alyssa Cole (born August 12, 1982) is an American author of historical, science fiction, and contemporary romance novels. Her stories include diverse casts of characters with a variety of professions, from Civil War spies [1] to modern day epidemiologists. [2] Her romance works explore both straight and gay relationships. [3]

Contents

Career

Alyssa Cole began her writing career by publishing collections of short stories and novellas. Her stories tend to take place during important events in American history, including the civil rights movement, the Revolutionary War, and the Harlem Renaissance. [4]

Cole's Loyal League novels, a trilogy taking place with the backdrop of the American Civil War, is represented by Kensington Publishing Corporation. [4] Her Reluctant Royals novels, a contemporary romance series inspired by modern-day royalty, is represented by Avon Romance. [5]

Alyssa Cole has collaborated with other authors on anthologies. These authors include Rose Learner, Courtney Milan, [6] Lena Hart, Kianna Alexander, Piper Huguley, [7] and Kate McMurray. [8] At times, Cole has taken part in the month-long challenge of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) to encourage her writing habits and finish longer works. [4]

Cole's An Extraordinary Union, published in 2017, [9] [10] [11] [12] won multiple awards, and her book A Princess in Theory was named one of The New York Times most notable books of 2018. [13] [14] Her 2020 thriller novel When No One Is Watching garnered acclaim from critics. [15]

Cole is a prominent figure in the effort to increase the representation of black authors in the romance publishing industry. Her discussion for the need for diversity in the genre has occurred in convention panels and on Twitter. [14]

In late December 2019, Romance Writers of America (RWA) suspended Courtney Milan, chair of the ethics committee, after other romance authors filed complaints with the RWA because she highlighted racist tropes in those authors' books on social media. With Milan's permission, Alyssa Cole made documents related to the dispute public on Twitter. [16] [17] [18]

Themes

Cole's writing often contains political and activist elements. One of her historical novel series takes place during the Civil War and contains heroines and heroes who are involved in important political events in American history. [19] Another historical series, set in the American 1960s, sees Cole's characters in the middle of the civil rights movement. [20] Her contemporary novel, A Princess in Theory, contains a hero who is a prince of a small, fictional African country that deals with advances and issues modeled after real life nations of similar size and geography. [19]

Personal life

Cole was born in the Bronx, and spent her childhood there and in Jersey City. [21]

Cole mainly resides in the Caribbean island of Martinique, [7] but also spends a portion of her time in New York City. [6]

During the process of writing a character with ADHD, Cole discovered she also lived with the same diagnosis. [22] [23]

Bibliography

TitleSeriesPublication YearISBN/ASIN
Sweet to the Taste2014B00IJYGP76
For Love & Liberty: Untold love stories of the American Revolution20149781941885017
Eagle's Heart2014B00HZ6CJVA
Radio SilenceOff the Grid #120159781539664666
Signal BoostOff the Grid #220159781539694663
Mixed SignalsOff the Grid #320159781539712565
The Brightest Day: A Juneteenth Historical Romance Anthology20159781519616470
Be Not Afraid20169781530675029
Let it Shine20169781530758067
Agnes Moor's Wild Knight20169781530771561
Daughters of a Nation: A Black Suffragette Historical Romance Anthology20169781941885345
Let Us Dream20179781544766195
An Extraordinary Union The Loyal League #120179781496707444
Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances20179781977530691
A Hope DividedThe Loyal League #220179781496707468
A Princess in TheoryReluctant Royals #120189780062685544
A Duke by DefaultReluctant Royals #220189780062685568
Bingo Love Volume 1: Jackpot Edition20189781534310247
Once Ghosted, Twice ShyReluctant Royals #2.520199780062931870
An Unconditional FreedomThe Loyal League #320199781496707482
Can't Escape LoveReluctant Royals #2.620199781982649012
A Prince on PaperReluctant Royals #320199780062685582
The A.I. Who Loved Me2019B07WQYP9MM
How to Catch a QueenRunaway Royals #120209780062933966
When No One Is Watching20209780062982650
How to Find a PrincessRunaway Royals #220219780062934000
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries20229780063136052
One of Us Knows20249780063297135

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Quinn</span> American historical romance author

Julia Pottinger, better known by her pen name, Julia Quinn, is an American author of historical romance fiction. Her novels have been translated into 41 languages and have appeared on The New York Times Bestseller List 19 times. She has been inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Her Bridgerton series of novels has been adapted for Netflix by Shondaland under the title Bridgerton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romance novel</span> Genre novel on the theme of romantic love

A romance novel or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primary focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed to the development of this genre include Samuel Richardson, Jane Austen, and Charlotte Brontë.

Romance Writers of America (RWA) is an American non-profit writers' association founded in 1980. Its mission is to "advance the professional and common business interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy and by increasing public awareness of the romance genre." Relevant works must be themed around the development of a romantic relationship between two people, and there must be a happy ending. As well as published authors, those with complete but unpublished manuscripts are eligible for membership.

Jessica Rowley Pell Bird Blakemore is an American novelist. Under her maiden name, Jessica Bird, she writes contemporary romance novels, and as J.R. Ward, she writes paranormal romance. She is a three-time winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award, once as Bird for Best Short Contemporary Romance for From the First and twice as Ward for Best Paranormal Romance for Lover Revealed and Dearest Ivie, and her books have been on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Christine Feehan is an American author of paranormal romance, paranormal military thrillers, and fantasy. She is a #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly, and International bestselling author of seven series; Carpathian, GhostWalker Series, Drake Sisters, Sister of the HeartSeries, Shadow Riders Series, Leopard Series and Torpedo Ink Series. Six of the seven series have made #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. As of January 2020 she has 80 published novels. The first in her Torpedo Ink Series, Judgment Road, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list.

Brenda Jackson is an American novelist who writes contemporary multicultural romance novels. She was the first African-American author to have a novel published as part of the Silhouette Desire line, and has seen many of her novels reach The New York Times and USAToday bestsellers lists. Jackson reached a milestone in her career in October 2013 when she published her 100th novel, becoming the first African American to achieve this milestone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RITA Award</span> Literary award for romance fiction

The RITA Award, presented by the Romance Writers of America (RWA) from 1990 to 2019, was the most prominent award for English-language romance fiction. It was named for the RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada. After not being awarded in 2020, it was replaced by the Vivian Award, which was awarded once in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kresley Cole</span> American writer

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of paranormal romance and young adult novels. She has received three Romance Writers of America (RWA) RITA Awards and was inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah MacLean</span> American writer

Sarah MacLean is a New York Times bestselling American author of young adult novels and romance novels. Her first adult romance novel, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List, where it stayed for four weeks. Since then, all of her adult romance novels have been on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. From 2014 to 2018, MacLean wrote a monthly romance novel review column for The Washington Post. She is a two-time winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Historical Romance for A Rogue by Any Other Name in 2013 and No Good Duke Goes Unpunished in 2014. She's also the co-host of the weekly Fated Mates podcast, where she and her co-host, Jen Prokop, analyze and deconstruct the romance genre.

Courtney Milan, a pseudonym for Heidi Bond, is a bestselling American author of historical and contemporary romance novels. After releasing her first few books under a traditional publishing contract, Milan has self-published more recent works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Jenkins</span> American novelist

Beverly Jenkins is an American author of historical and contemporary romance novels with a particular focus on 19th-century African American life. Jenkins was a 2013 NAACP Image Award nominee and, in 1999, was voted one of the Top 50 Favorite African American writers of the 20th century by the African American Literature Book Club. Jenkins's historical romances are set during a period of African American history that she believes is often overlooked. This made it difficult to break into publishing because publishers weren't sure what to do with stories that involved African Americans but not slavery.

Jeannie Lin is an author of historical romance novels. Her debut novel Butterfly Swords won the Golden Heart award for Historical fiction from the Romance Writers of America association.

The Ripped Bodice, established March 4, 2016, is a bookstore in Culver City, California in the United States, which sells only romance novels. It was the first romance book store opened in the Northern Hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alisha Rai</span> American lawyer and writer

Alisha Rai is an American author of contemporary, erotic, and paranormal romance novels. She advocates for greater diversity in the romance genre.

Talia Hibbert is a British romance novelist. She writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Critics describe her as a writer of diverse narratives, with characters of varying race, ethnicity, body shape, sexual orientation, and life experience. She is best known for her 2019 novel Get a Life, Chloe Brown.

<i>Get a Life, Chloe Brown</i> 2019 novel by Talia Hibbert

Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a 2019 romance novel written by Talia Hibbert and published by Avon Romance. It is Hibbert's first traditionally published book from and is the first book of a trilogy following the Brown sisters. The novel was followed by Take A Hint, Dani Brown in 2020 and Act Your Age, Eve Brown in 2021.

Rebekah Weatherspoon is an American author and romance novelist. Her books often feature heroines who are Black, plus-size, disabled, and/or LGBTQ. She founded the website WOC in Romance. Weatherspoon received a 2017 Lambda Literary Award for her novel Soul to Keep and was an honoree at the inaugural Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romance Fiction for Xeni.

Racism in the romance fiction industry is a recognized issue that has received scholarly attention since the 1980s. Romance novels featuring protagonists of color were not published before 1969 in the United States and did not become part of the mainstream romance fiction industry before 1980. Romance novels featuring Black protagonists were marketed differently and, as of 2021, have been frequently shelved in segregated sections. Black novelists have felt unwelcome in industry organizations and industry awards are not regularly accorded to their work.

<i>An Extraordinary Union</i> 2017 romance novel by Alyssa Cole

An Extraordinary Union is a 2017 romance novel by American author Alyssa Cole. It was received favorably by critics and named to multiple best-of lists. It won multiple awards but was passed over by Romance Writers of America's nominations process for their major award, sparking discussions of racism within the romance fiction industry.

Adriana Herrera is an author of romantic fiction and erotica. She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and now resides in New York City.

References

  1. ↑ James, Kendra (2017-11-27). "Alyssa Cole On the Magic of Writing Romance". Shondaland. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
  2. ↑ Murphy, Mary Jo (2018-02-02). "Love Notes". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-01-29.
  3. ↑ Rodale, Maya (November 9, 2017). "For November, A Romance Trio For 'Hamilton' Fans (And The Rest Of You, Too)". NPR. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Adewunmi, Bim (May 1, 2018). "Meet The Black Women Upending The Romance Novel Industry". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  5. ↑ "Alyssa Cole". Avon Romance. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  6. 1 2 Walker, Savanna (April 1, 2017). "An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole - Interview | BookPage". BookPage.com. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  7. 1 2 Woolverton, Paul (July 13, 2015). "Authors to discuss history of Juneteenth at Museum of the Cape Fear". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  8. ↑ "For Love and Liberty, by Alyssa Cole, Kate McMurray, Lena Hart, and Stacey Agdern". Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  9. 1 2 "Popular romance novelist Alyssa Cole to speak at Literary Tastes". RUSA Update. April 23, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Green, Jaime (December 21, 2017). "The 10 Best Romance Books of 2017". Vulture. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Seaman, Donna (September 15, 2017). Top 10 Romance Fiction . Retrieved February 1, 2019– via Booklist Online.
  12. 1 2 "Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2017". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  13. ↑ "100 Notable Books of 2018". The New York Times. 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  14. 1 2 Beckett, Lois (April 4, 2019). "Fifty shades of white: the long fight against racism in romance novels". The Guardian. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  15. ↑ "When No One Is Watching: A Thriller | Book Marks" . Retrieved 2020-12-25.
  16. ↑ de León, Concepción (January 9, 2020). "Racism Dispute Roils Romance Writers Group". The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  17. ↑ Willingham, AJ (January 13, 2020). "A romance novelist accused another writer of racism. The scandal is tearing the billion-dollar industry apart". CNN. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  18. ↑ Farzan, Antonia Noori (January 8, 2020). "A romance writer called a novel racist. Now the industry is in chaos and its top awards have been canceled". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  19. 1 2 Green, Jaime (February 27, 2018). "Alyssa Cole on Why Her Romance Novels Are Always Political". Vulture. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  20. ↑ Dev, Sonali (August 17, 2016). "For The 'Oscars Of Romance,' Representation Matters". NPR. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Why Alyssa Cole Put Romance Aside and Wrote a Thriller About Gentrification - The New York Times". The New York Times . Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  22. ↑ Faires, Rosalind (October 29, 2018). "Texas Book Festival 2018: Real Romance: Alyssa Cole and Jasmine Guillory". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  23. ↑ Alexander, Corey (July 16, 2018). "Interview with Alyssa Cole". Corey's Book Corner. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  24. 1 2 3 Doherty, Alison (February 14, 2020). "The Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romance Fiction Announced". Book Riot. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  25. ↑ "2021 Edgar Allan Poe Award Winners – Mystery Writers of America".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.