Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins | |
---|---|
Born | 1951 (age 72–73) Detroit, United States |
Occupation | Novelist |
Nationality | American |
Period | 1994–present |
Genre | Historical romance, Contemporary romance |
Website | |
www |
Beverly Jenkins (born 1951, Detroit) is an American author of historical and contemporary romance novels with a particular focus on 19th century African-American life.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
Jenkins studied at Michigan State University as a Journalism and English Literature major. She lives in Southeastern Michigan.[4]
Early Life
Jenkins was born Brenda Hunter in Detroit in 1951 to her parents, a high school teacher and an administrative aide.[5] Her mother always encourage literacy by reading to Jenkins in the womb and buying her cloth books when she was a baby.[6] Her early writing began when she became the editor of her elementary school newspaper. Jenkins read widely at her local library, everything from Alice in Wonderland to Dune to Zane Gray to early romance writers like Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart & Phyllis Whitney. Jenkins began her studies at Michigan State University in the Spring of 1969.
Bibliography
Title | Series | Publication Year | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Night Song | 1994 | 9780380776580 | |
Vivid | Grayson Family #1 | 1995 | 9780595162024 |
Indigo | 1996 | 9780595002023 | |
Topaz | 1997 | 9780380786602 | |
Through the Storm | LeVeq Family #1 | 1998 | 9780380798643 |
Taming of Jessi Rose, The | 1999 | 9780380798650 | |
Always and Forever | 2000 | 9780380813742 | |
Before the Dawn | 2001 | 9780380813759 | |
Chance at Love, A | 2002 | 9780060502294 | |
Belle and the Beau | 2002 | 9780064473422 | |
"Homecoming" short story in Gettin' Merry anthology |
2002 | 9780312982195 | |
Winds of the Storm | LeVeq Family #2 | 2004 | 9780060575311 |
Edge of Dawn, The | 2004 | 9780060540678 | |
Something Like Love | 2005 | 9780060575328 | |
Black Lace | 2005 | 9780060815936 | |
Sexy/Dangerous | 2006 | 9780060818999 | |
Prisoner of Love | 2007 | 9781625172761 | |
Deadly Sexy | 2007 | 9780061246395 | |
"Prisoner" short story in Cuffed by Candlelight anthology |
2007 | 9781600430077 | |
Edge of Moonlight, the | 2007 | 9780060540661 | |
Wild Sweet Love | 2007 | 9780061161308 | |
Jewel | Grayson Family #2 | 2008 | 9780061161353 |
Josephine and the Soldier | 2009 | 9780060012205 | |
Bring on the Blessings | Blessings #1 | 2009 | 9780061688409 |
Captured | LeVeq Family #3 | 2009 | 9780061547799 |
Second Helping, A | Blessings #2 | 2009 | 9780061547812 |
"You Sang To Me" short story in Rhythms of Love anthology |
2010 | 9780373861606 | |
"Holiday Heat" short story in Once Upon a Holiday anthology |
2010 | 9780373831913 | |
Midnight | 2010 | 9780061547805 | |
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" short story in Baby, Let It Snow anthology |
2011 | 9780373862337 | |
Something Old, Something New | Blessings #3 | 2011 | 9780061990793 |
Night Hawk | 2011 | 9780062032645 | |
"Hawaii Magic" short story in Island for Two anthology |
2012 | 9780373862610 | |
"Overtime Love" short story in Merry Sexy Christmas anthology |
2012 | 9780373534876 | |
Wish and a Prayer, A | Blessings #4 | 2012 | 9780061990809 |
Destiny's Embrace | Destiny #1 | 2013 | 9780062032652 |
Destiny's Surrender | Destiny #2 | 2013 | 9780062231116 |
Heart of Gold | Blessings #5 | 2014 | 9780062207975 |
Destiny's Captive | Destiny #3 | 2014 | 9780062231130 |
For Your Love | Blessings #6 | 2015 | 9780062207999 |
Forbidden | Old West #1 | 2016 | 9780062389008 |
Stepping to a New Day | Blessings #7 | 2016 | 9780062412638 |
Breathless | Old West #2 | 2017 | 9780062389039 |
Chasing Down a Dream | Blessings #8 | 2017 | 9780062412652 |
Awards
- 1996 - Romantic Times Historical Love and Laughter Nominee[7]
- 1999 - Romantic Times Western Historical Romance Winner[7]
- 2000 - Romantic Times Multicultural Romance Winner[7]
- 2007 - Romantic Times Historical Storyteller of the Year Nominee[7]
- 2010 - A Second Helping - Romantic Times Multicultural Fiction Novel Winner[7]
- 2011 - Something Old, Something New - Romantic Times Multicultural Romance Winner[7]
- 2013 - Destiny's Embrace - Romantic Times American-Set Historical Romance Winner[7]
- 2013 - A Wish and a Prayer - NAACP Image Award for Literature Nominee[8]
- 2016 - Forbidden - Romantic Times Historical Romance Winner[7]
- 2017 - RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award [9]
References
- ^ "Author Beverly Jenkins' Romance With the Past". Huffington Post. May 8, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "Beverly Jenkins, Author". aalbc.com.
- ^ "Beverly Jenkins Wraps Bitter History in Sweet Romance". npr.org.
- ^ "Author Beverly Jenkins biography and book list". freshfiction.com.
- ^ Drew, Bernard A. 100 Most Popular African American Authors, p. 176. Unlimited, Westport, 2007.
- ^ "Talking Black History and Love Stories with Romance Writing Pioneer Beverly Jenkins". Jezebel. January 26, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h RT Book Reviews
- ^ "NAACP Image Awards: Winners Announced". Hollywood Reporter. February 1, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ Romance Writers of America
Further reading
- Official website
- Grimaldi, Christine (August 18, 2015). ""Happily Ever After" for African-American Romance Novelists". The Rumpus. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
- Jordan, Emily (June 25, 2017). "Uncommon Ground: Beverly Jenkins, Diverse Romance and American History the Way It Really Happened". Salon. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
- 1951 births
- 20th-century women writers
- 21st-century women writers
- 20th-century American novelists
- 21st-century American novelists
- African-American novelists
- American romantic fiction novelists
- American romantic fiction writers
- American women novelists
- Living people
- Michigan State University alumni
- American writer stubs