Emma Darcy is the pseudonym used by the Australian husband–wife writing team of Wendy Brennan (28 November 1940 – 12 December 2020) and Frank Brennan (1936 – 1995), they wrote in collaboration over 45

romance novels A romance novel or romantic novel generally refers to a type of genre fiction novel which places its primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and usually has an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Pre ...

. In 1993, for the Emma Darcy pseudonym's 10th anniversary, they created the "Emma Darcy Award Contest" to encourage authors to finish their manuscripts. After the death of Frank Brennan in 1995, Wendy wrote on her own. She lived in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. Darcy sold 60 million books from 1983 to 2001, and averaged six new books per year. In 2002, Darcy's first crime novel ''Who Killed Angelique?'' won the

Ned Kelly Award The Ned Kelly Awards (named for bushranger Ned Kelly) are Australia's leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction and true crime genres. They were established in 1996 by the Crime Writers Association of Australia to rewar ...

for Best First Novel. In 2003, the next novel, ''Who Killed Bianca'', was a finalist for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel.

Personal life

Wendy Brennan

Wendy was born 28 November 1940 in Australia, she had an Honours degree in Latin and worked as a high school English teacher. She was reputedly the first woman computer programmer in the southern hemisphere. She died on 12 December 2020.

Frank Brennan

Frank Brennan was a businessman. He died in 1995.

The marriage

Frank Brennan and Wendy married, and she left her job. The marriage had three sons. They were voracious readers, and they decided to write their own novels under the pseudonym Emma Darcy. Wendy died at Forresters Beach,

, Australia on 12 December 2020. She was survived by her 5 grandchildren and 3 adult sons.

Writing career

As Emma Darcy, they sold her first novels in 1983. Darcy sold 60 million books from 1983 to 2001, and averaged six new books per year. In 2002, Darcy's first crime novel ''Who Killed Angelique?'' won the

for Best First Novel. In 2003, the next novel, ''Who Killed Bianca'', was a finalist for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel.

Emma Darcy Award Contest

In 1993 Frank and Wendy Brennan created the "Emma Darcy Award Contest" to encourage authors to finish their manuscripts. It had a prize of $2,000 and a guarantee that the manuscript would be seen by an acquiring editor. Winners: *1994 –

Tracey Cooper-Posey Tracy, Tracey, or Tracie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tracy (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname, also encompassing spelling variations Places United States * Tracy, C ...

*1995 – Ginny Gibbs for ''The Last Resort'' *1996 – Bronwyn Jamesonfor ''For Love or Money'' *1997 – Fiona Brand for ''Cullen's Bride'' *1998 – Jill Watkinson for ''Black Pearl'' *1999 – Yvonne Lindsay for ''The Father Deal'' *2000 – Lucy Forster &

Danielle Ellis Danielle Ellis (born 17 November 1991) is a Canadian sitting volleyball player who competes in international volleyball competitions, she plays as captain. She is a Parapan American Games bronze medalist and has competed at the 2016 and 2020 Summ ...

*2001 – Laura Ruch for ''Full Circle'' (retitled ''The Tie that Binds'')

Sister of Wendy Brennan

Miranda Lee Miranda Lee (born Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia) is a popular Australian writer of over 75 romance novels. She published her novels in Mills & Boon's since 1990. Biography Miranda Lee was born in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, ...

was a romance writer and the sister of Wendy Brennan.

Bibliography as Emma Darcy

Single Novels

*''Tangle of Torment'' (1983) *''Twisting Shadows'' (1983) *''A World Apart'' (1984) *''Fantasy'' (1985) *''Don't Play Games'' (1985) *''Song of a Wren'' (1985) *''Point of Impact'' (1985) *''The Impossible Woman'' (1985) *''Man in the Park'' (1986) *''Woman of Honour'' (1986) *''Blind Date'' (1986) *''Don't Ask Me Now'' (1986) *''The Wrong Mirror'' (1986) *''The Unpredictable Man'' (1986) *''One That Got Away'' (1987) *''Strike at the Heart'' (1987) *''Positive Approach'' (1987) *''Mistress of Pillatoro'' (1987) *''Whirlpool of Passion'' (1987) *''Always Love'' (1988) *''The Falcon's Mistress'' (1988) *''A Priceless Love'' (1988) *''Aloha Bride'' (1988) *''The Ultimate Choice'' (1989) *''The Power and the Passion'' (1989) *''Pattern of Deceit'' (1989) *''The Colour of Desire'' (1990) *''Too Strong to Deny'' (1990) *''One-woman Crusade'' (1990) *''Bride of Diamonds'' (1990) *''To Tame a Wild Heart'' (1992) *''Breaking Point'' (1992) *''High Risk'' (1992) *''The Wedding'' (1992) *''The Seduction of Keira'' (1992) *''The Velvet Tiger'' (1992) *''An Impossible Dream'' (1993) *''The Upstairs Lover'' (1993) *''A Very Stylish Affair'' (1993) *''The Last Grand Passion'' (1993) *''The Sheikh's Revenge'' (1993) *''A Wedding to Remember'' (1994) *''In Need of a Wife'' (1994) *''Burning with Passion'' (1995) *''The Fatherhood Affair'' (1995) *''The Father of Her Child'' (1996) *''Jack's Baby'' (1996) *''Last Stop Marriage'' (1996) *''Craving Jamie'' (1997) *''The Secrets Within'' (1997) *''Marriage Meltdown'' (1997) *''Merry Christmas'' (1997) *''The Sheikh's Seduction'' (1998) *''The Marriage Decider'' (1999) *''A Marriage Betrayed'' (1999) *''Bride of His Choice'' (1999) *''Mistress to a Tycoon'' (2001) *''The Sweetest Revenge'' (2001) *''The Hot-blooded Groom'' (2001) *''Claiming His Mistress'' (2001) *''A Spanish Marriage'' (2004) *''His Bought Mistress'' (2004) *''The Billionaire's Scandalous Marriage'' (2007) *''Filling All the Holes'' (2007) *''Three's Never a Crowd'' (2008) *''The Master Player'' (2009) *''The Billionaire's Housekeeper Mistress'' (2010) *''Hidden Mistress, Public Wife'' (2011) *''The Costarella Conquest'' (2011) *''An Offer She Can't Refuse'' (2012) *''The Incorrigible Playboy'' (2012) *''His Most Exquisite Conquest'' (2013)

James Family Series

#''Ride the Storm'' (1991) #''Dark Heritage'' (1992) #''The Shining of Love'' (1994) #''The Bedroom Surrender'' (2003)

Kings of the Outback Series

#''The Cattle King's Mistress'' (2000) #''The Playboy King's Wife'' (2000) #''The Pleasure King's Bride'' (2000) *''Kings of the Outback'' (omnibus) (2004)

Who Killed...? Series

#''Who Killed Angelique?'' (2001) #''Who Killed Bianca?'' (2002) #''Who Killed Camilla?'' (2003)

Kings of Australia Series

#''The Arranged Marriage'' (2002) #''The Bridal Bargain'' (2002) #''The Honeymoon Contract'' (2002) *''Kings of Australia'' (omnibus) (2005)

The Outback Knights

#''The Outback Marriage Ransom'' (2004) #''The Outback Wedding Takeover'' (2004) #''The Outback Bridal Rescue'' (2004)

A Year Down Under Series Multi-Author

*''Heart of the Outback'' (1993) *''No Risks, No Prizes'' (1993)

Pages & Privileges Series Multi-Author

*''Climax of Passion'' (1995)

From Here to Paternity Series Multi-Author

*''Mischief and Marriage'' (1996)

This Time, Forever Series Multi-Author

*''Their Wedding Day'' (1996)

Scandals! Series Multi-Author

*''Seducing the Enemy'' (1997)

Man Talk Series Multi-Author

*''Fatherhood Fever!'' (1998)

Nanny Wanted Series Multi-Author

*''Inherited, One Nanny'' (1998)

Australians Series Multi-Author

:1. ''Outback Heat'' (1998) :13. ''The Marriage Risk'' (2000) :26. ''The Blind-Date Bride'' (2003)

Expecting! Series Multi-Author

*''Having Leo's Child'' (1999)

Passion Series Multi-Author

*''The Secret Mistress'' (1999) *''The Billionaire Bridegroom'' (2003)

In Love With Her Boss Series Multi-Author

*''His Boardroom Mistress'' (2003) *''The Playboy Boss's Chosen Bride'' (2006)

Mistress to a Millionaire Series Multi-Author

*''The Bedroom Surrender'' (2003) *''His Bought Mistress'' (2004)

The Ramirez Bride Series Multi-Author

:1. ''The Ramirez Bride'' (2005)

Italian Husbands Series Multi-Author

*''The Italian's Stolen Bride'' (2005)

Latin Lovers Series Multi-Author

*''The Secret Baby Revenge'' (2006)

Desert Brides Series Multi-Author

*''Traded to the Sheikh'' (2006)

Ruthless! Series Multi-Author

*''The Playboy Boss's Chosen Bride'' (2006) *''The Billionaire's Captive Bride'' (2007) *''The Billionaire's Scandalous Marriage'' (2007) *''Bought For Revenge, Bedded For Pleasure'' (2008) *''Ruthlessly Bedded By the Italian Billionaire'' (2008) *''Ruthless Billionaire, Forbidden Baby'' (2009)

Collections

*''The Emma Darcy Duet'' (1993) *''The Collection'' (Seasonal Products) (1998) *''Conveniently Yours'' (1999) *''Seduced'' (2002) *''Red-hot Passion'' (2003) *''The Bedroom Surrender / Mistress to a Millionaire'' (2003) *''Man in the Park / Point of Impact'' (2004) *''Power and the Passion / Burning with Passion'' (2004) *''Mistress to a Tycoon / Jack's Baby'' (2005) *''Jack's Baby / Craving Jamie'' (2005) *''Hot-blooded affairs: containing The Marriage Risk and The Hot-Blooded Groom'' (2008) *''Outback Grooms'' (2008) *''Secret Mistress / Marriage Betrayed'' (2008)

Omnibus in collaboration

*''Sunsational'' (1991) (with Emma Goldrick,

Penny Jordan Penelope Halsall (née Jones; 24 November 1946 – 31 December 2011) was a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels. She started writing regency romances as Caroline Courtney, and wrote contemporary romances as Penny ...

and

Carole Mortimer Carole Mortimer (born 1960 in England) is a popular British writer of over 150 romance novels since 1978. She was one of Mills & Boon's youngest authors, and now is one of their most popular and prolific authors. Biography Carole Mortimer was ...

) *''Father Knows Last: High Risk, Guilty Passion'' (1996) (with

Jacqueline Baird Jacqueline Baird (born 1 April in Northumberland, England) is popular English writer of over 30 romance novels since 1988. Awards * Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award 1998. Best Harlequin Presents * Romantic Times Wishes * Numerous Waldenb ...

) *''Passion with a Vengeance'' (1998) (with

and

Sara Craven Anne Ashurst (née Bushell; October 1938 in Devon, England – 15 November 2017), who wrote using the pseudonym Sara Craven, was a British author of over 80 romance novels. Her novels were published by Mills & Boon from 1975. In 2010 she became ...

) *''The Man She Married'' (1999) (with

Annette Broadrick Annette Broadrick (born November 26, 1938) is an American writer of over 55 romance novels since 1984. Biography Broadrick was born on November 26, 1938, and raised as an only child for sixteen years, until her younger sister, Derralee, was bor ...

and

Ann Major Margaret Major Cleaves (born February 13, 1946) is popular writer of over 45 romance novels since 1980 as her real name and under the pseudonym Ann Major. She is a founding member of the Romance Writers of America and the co-author of the artic ...

) *''Desert Heat'' (1999) (with

Lynne Graham Lynne Graham (born 30 July 1956 in Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish author of over 100 romance novels. She published her novels in Mills & Boon since 1987. Biography Graham was born on 30 July 1956 in Northern Ireland to an Irish- Scotti ...

and

Sandra Marton Sandra Marton (born June 30, 19?? in the United States) is a best-selling American author of over 86 romance novels in Harlequin Enterprises Ltd since 1985. In 2012, she began writing self-published novels. Six titles are currently available: ...

) *''Mothers-to-be'' (1999) (with

and

Leigh Michaels Leigh Michaels is the pseudonym used by LeAnn Lemberger (born July 27, 1954 in Iowa, United States), a popular United States writer of over 80 romance novels. She published her novels in Harlequin Enterprises Ltd since 1984 to 2006. She also te ...

) *''Father and Child'' (2000) (with

and

) *''Desert Destinies'' (2001) (with

Helen Brooks Rita Bradshaw (born 1949) is a British romance novelist. She wrote historical romances under her real name and contemporary romances under the pseudonym Helen Brooks. Biography Rita Bradshaw was born in 1949 in Northampton, England. She met h ...

and

Mary Lyons Mary-Jo Wormell (born 1947), better known as Mary Lyons, was a popular British writer of 45 romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1983 to 2001. Wormell, along with two other prolific Mills & Boon authors, launched Heartline Publishing on 14 Febr ...

) *''A Christmas Seduction'' (2001) (with

and Catherine Spencer) *''Latin Liaisons'' (2002) (with

) *''An Australian Christmas'' (2002) (with

Lindsay Armstrong Lindsay Armstrong is a popular South African-Australian writer of over 65 romance novels. She published her novels in Mills & Boon's since 1981. Armstrong was born and raised in South Africa, and married a New Zealand-born man who worked in We ...

and

) *''Boardroom Baby'' (2003) (with

Sandra Field Jill MacLean (born 1941 in England) is a Canadian writer of children's fiction books and, under the pseudonyms of Sandra Field, Jan MacLean and Jocelyn Haley, a popular author of over 70 romance novels for Harlequin Enterprises Ltd since 1974. ...

and

Kim Lawrence Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

) *''The Pregnancy Surprise'' (2003) (with Caroline Anderson and

Gayle Wilson Gayle Edlund Wilson (born November 24, 1942) is an American business professional, community activist, and the former Spouses of the Governors of California, First Lady of California (1991–1999). She is married to former California Govern ...

) *''Australian Tycoons'' (2004) (with

Marion Lennox Marion Lennox (born 1953) is a writer of over 110 romance novels. She began publishing in 1990, and has also written romantic novels under another pseudonym, Trisha David. Biography Marion Lennox was born in Australia in 1953. She was raised i ...

and

Margaret Way Margaret Way (b. Brisbane d. Cleveland, Queensland, Australia ) was an Australian writer of romance novels and women's fiction. A prolific author, Way wrote more than 120 novels since 1970, many through Mills & Boon, a romance imprint of Briti ...

) *''Seduced by a Sultan'' (2004) (with

Liz Fielding Liz Fielding (born in Berkshire, England) is an awarded British writer of over 60 romance novels published by Mills & Boon since 1992. Biography Liz Fielding was born in Berkshire, England, UK. She was educated at a girls' Convent School in ...

and

) *''Pregnant Brides'' (2004) (with

and

Carol Marinelli Carol may refer to: People with the name *Carol (given name) *Henri Carol (1910–1984), French composer and organist *Martine Carol (1920–1967), French film actress *Sue Carol (1906–1982), American actress and talent agent, wife of actor Ala ...

) *''Risque Business'' (2005) (with

and

Sharon Kendrick Sharon Kendrick, née ''Wirdnam'' (b. London, England) is a popular British writer of over 100 romance novels published by Mills & Boon since 1993. Her books regularly top the sales charts for romance fiction on both sides of the Atlantic. Biog ...

) *''Her Playboy Challenge / The Outback Bridal Rescue'' (2005) (with

Barbara Hannay Barbara Hannay is an Australian author of contemporary romance novels. Biography Hannay has long been interested in writing. When she joined the Brownies as a child, she earned her first proficiency badge in writing. Throughout her school yea ...

) *''Outback Desire'' (2006) (with

and

) *''Billionaire Grooms'' (2006) (with

and Sara Wood) *''More Than a Mistress'' (2006) (with

Anne Mather Anne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson (born 10 October 1936 in England, United Kingdom), a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming. Mildred Grieveson bega ...

and Catherine Spencer) *''Sweet Revenge'' (2006) (with

and

) *''More Than a Mistress'' (2006) (with

and Catherine Spencer) *''Blind-Date Grooms'' (2007) (with

and Jessica Hart) *''From Boardroom to Bedroom'' (2008) (with

and Nicola Marsh) *''The Italian's Love-Child'' (2009) (with

and Diana Hamilton) *''Ruthless'' (2009) (with

Helen Bianchin Helen Bianchin (born 20 February 1939) is a New Zealand-born Australian writer. Since 1975, she has written over 55 romance novels for Mills & Boon. Biography Bianchin was born on 20 February 1939 in New Zealand. She worked as a legal secretar ...

and

) *''Love-Slave to the Sheikh / Traded to the Sheikh / At the Sheikh's Command'' (2009) (with

and Kate Walker) *''Hired: A Bride for the Boss'' (2009) (with Susan Meier and

) *''At the Billionaire's Bidding'' (2009) (with

and

Melanie Milburne Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".Julia James Julia James (1890–1964) was an English actress of the 1900s Edwardian era, the leading lady at the Gaiety Theatre. Biography Julia James was born in London in 1890. In 1905 she began her career in '' Supper Belle in Blue Bell'' at the Aldwych ...

and Annie West)

Non fiction

*''The How to Be A Successful Romance Writer'' (1995)

Notes

External links

Bibliography and cover scans

interview {{DEFAULTSORT:Darcy, Emma 20th-century Australian novelists Australian romantic fiction writers Literary collaborations Ned Kelly Award winners