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.
Jackie Diamond Hyman is an American writer and former Associated Press reporter and columnist. Since 1982, she has written more than ninety novels in genres including romance, horror, fantasy and mystery under the pen names Jacqueline Diamond, Jacqueline Topaz, Jacqueline Jade, Jackie Hyman, and Jackie Diamond Hyman.
Sandra Kitt is an African-American author of contemporary romance novels. Her works have frequently made it to Essence magazine's "Black Board" bestseller lists.
MaryJanice Davidson is an American author who writes mostly paranormal romance, but also young adult literature and non-fiction. She is the creator of the popular Undead series. She is both a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. She won a 2004 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and was nominated for the same award in 2005. Davidson lives in Minnesota with her husband and two children. She grew up on military bases and moved often, as she was the child of a United States Air Force airman. Pamela Clare of USA Today wrote, "It's Davidson's humor, combined with her innate storytelling ability and skill with dialogue, that has lifted her from small presses to the big best-seller lists.". Davidson is the mother of fantasy author C. M. Alongi.
Lori Wick is an American author of Christian Romance novels. She writes a combination of historical and contemporary inspirational romance novels. Many of her books are published by Harvest House.
Janet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey. Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.
Carrie Vaughn is an American writer, the author of the urban fantasy Kitty Norville series. She has published more than 60 short stories in science fiction and fantasy magazines as well as short story anthologies and internet magazines. She is one of the authors for the Wild Cards books. Vaughn won the 2018 Philip K. Dick Award for Bannerless, and has been nominated for the Hugo Award.
Barbara Keiler, known more widely by her pseudonym Judith Arnold, is an American author of crime fiction and over eighty-five romance novels. She has been writing since 1983, and has also been published under the pen names Ariel Berk and Thea Frederick.
Liz Fielding is an awarded British writer of over 60 romance novels published by Mills & Boon since 1992.
Jill Shalvis is an American author of contemporary romance novels, including the Lucky Harbor series.
Leanne Banks is an American writer of over 60 romance novels since 1991.
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.
Barbara Hannay is an Australian author of contemporary romance novels hwo was born in Kogarah, New South Wales, in 1950.
Laurie Blalock Vanzura(born Texas, United States) is an American author of contemporary romance novels, first under the pseudonym Laura Anthony, and now as Lori Wilde.
Susan Lisa Jackson is an American author of over 75 romance novels and romantic suspense novels.
Karin Kallmaker is an American author of lesbian fiction whose works also include those originally written under the name Laura Adams. Her writings span lesbian romance, lesbian erotica, and lesbian science-fiction/fantasy. Dubbed the Queen of Lesbian Romance, she publishes exclusively in the lesbian market as a matter of personal choice.
Celeste O. Norfleet is a contemporary African-American novelist known for romance and young adult novels.
Adrianne Janette Byrd was a best-selling African-American author of more than 50 romance novels. Her most widely held book, The Beautiful Ones, is in more than 400 WorldCat libraries.
Stephanie Bond, also known under the pseudonym Stephanie Bancroft, is an American born author known for writing commercial fiction novels of romance and mystery. She published her first book, Irresistible?, through Harlequin Enterprises in 1997 and, a few years later, left a corporate computer programming job to began writing full-time. During her career she has written dozens of romance and mystery novels, novellas, and short stories for publishers such as Harlequin, HarperCollins, and Random House. In 2011 Bond began self-publishing under her own imprint NeedtoRead Books. In 2015 Bond licensed her Body Movers series to Amazon for their Kindle Worlds fan-fiction program. In 2016, Bond licensed her Southern Roads romance series to Kindle Worlds and her independently published romantic comedy "Stop the Wedding!" was adapted into a television film for the Hallmark Channel.
Molly O'Keefe is an American author of contemporary romance. She is a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best Contemporary Romance for Crazy Thing Called Love in 2014, and for Best Romance Novella for "The Christmas Eve Promise" in 2010.
