Kennedy Ryan | |
|---|---|
 Ryan at the 2024 Gaithersburg Book Festival | |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Novelist  |
| Website | https://kennedyryanwrites.com/ |
Kennedy Ryan is an American romance novelist recognized for her contemporary romance novels highlighting social issues and diverse characters. She is the first Black winner of a RITA Award for romantic fiction and is an activist and founder of a nonprofit for autism awareness.
Ryan studied journalism [1] at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [2] She worked on writing for non-profit organizations and non-fiction ghost writing before focusing on fiction. [3]
Ryan's writing career focuses on contemporary romance novels noted for their emotional depth and portrayal of social issues. [4]
Ryan's "Hoops" series explores the lives of professional basketball players with its rights, and for her "All the King's Men" series, being acquired by The Traveling Picture Show Company (TPSC). [5]
In 2019, Ryan was the first Black author to receive the RITA Award [4] by the Romance Writers of America for Best Contemporary Romance for her novel "Long Shot," a recognition considered one of the highest honors in the romance writing community. [6] [7] The novel was inspired by the domestic violence incidents around football player Ray Rice. [8]
In 2023, her bestselling novel Before I Let Go was in development at Peacock from UCP and Universal Television. [9]
Ryan is also known for her advocacy work, particularly in raising awareness about autism, inspired by her personal experiences with her son. [10]
She has said Shonda Rhimes was an inspiration for her writing work. [11] Some other authors that Ryan has said inspire her include Tiffanie DeBartolo, Alyssa Cole, L.J. Shen, Nana Malone, Dylan Allen, Emma Scott, Kate Stewart, Amy Harmon, Helen Hoang, Andie Christopher and Talia Hibbert. [12]
Julie 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.
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 Maria Edgeworth, Samuel Richardson, Jane Austen, and Charlotte Brontë.
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Shondaland is an American television production company founded by television writer and producer Shonda Rhimes. She founded it to be one of the production companies of her first series, the medical drama Grey's Anatomy in 2005. It has since gone on to produce Rhimes's other creations, Grey's spinoff Private Practice and the political drama Scandal, and her other productions—the short-lived Off the Map, the Viola Davis-starring legal thriller How to Get Away with Murder, and the crime thriller The Catch—all of which are co-produced with ABC Studios and air on ABC. As of 2017, it has a partnership affiliation with Netflix creating shows like Bridgerton and the spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Their logo features a rollercoaster.
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Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times bestselling American author of women's fiction, contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She is a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance for Daniel's Gift in 1997, and for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance for The Way Back Home in 2013. She has sold over 5 million books, with 18 books making the New York Times bestseller list. In 2014, she was named the Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of All Time.
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