Gina Ferris Wilkins, née Vaughan (born December 20, 1954, in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

, United States) is a

best-selling A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

American

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of over 85

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 ...

. She writes novels as Gina Ferris, Gina Wilkins and Gina Ferris Wilkins.

Biography

Born Gina Ferris Vaughan on December 20, 1954, in

, daughter of Beth Vaughan, an executive secretary, and Vernon Vaughan, an electrician. In February 1972, she married John Wilkins, a wood turner, and they have three children. She obtained a journalism degree from Arkansas State University (ASU) and worked in advertising and human resources. In 1987 she sold her first book to

Harlequin Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque dialect, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the ''zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian language, Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city o ...

and embarked on a career as a full-time writer. Since then, she has written more than 85 novels for various Harlequin and Silhouette category romance lines. Her early Silhouette novels were written under the pseudonyms, Gina Ferris and Gina Ferris Wilkins, which she later dropped in favor of Wilkins. Her books have been translated into twenty languages and appear in more than 100 countries. Wilkins was awarded a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award in 2003 for Best Silhouette Special Edition, ''Make-Believe Mistletoe'' and has been nominated for both a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Harlequin Temptation (1998 for ''Tempting Tara'') and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. The Georgia Romance Writers have awarded her the Maggie Award for Excellence four times, and Wilkins has seen her books appear on the Waldenbooks, B. Dalton, and ''

USAToday ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' Bestseller lists. In 1999, Wilkins was forced to sue BET Publishing for plagiarism. A librarian who was a fan of Wilkins noticed that a new book she was reading, ''When Love Calls'', by Gail McFarland, appeared to very closely match a Harlequin Temptation, ''Hotline'', published in 1991 by Wilkins. After purchasing and examining the other book, Wilkins claims that over 100 pages were taken in whole or part from her work. In an out-of-court settlement reached in 2000, BET agreed to withdraw all copies of their book from booksellers and to cease any future publication of the book. Neither the publisher nor the infringing author offered an apology or admission of guilt. Wilkins is a member of Novelists, Inc. and the

Romance Writers of America 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 incr ...

, and often speaks at schools to emphasize literacy, goal-setting, and motivation.

Bibliography

As Gina Wilkins

Single novels

*''Partner for Life'' (1988) *''Stroke of Genius'' (1989) *''Single and Looking'' *''Could it be Magic'' (1989) *''After Hours'' (1990) *''Changing the Rules'' (1990) *''A Perfect Stranger'' (1991) *''Hotline'' (1991) *''My Valentine'' (1992) *''When It's Right'' (1993) *''Rafe's Island'' (1993) *''Undercover Baby'' (1994) *''Gold and Glitter'' (1994) *''I Won't!'' (1995) *''All I Want for Christmas'' (1995) *''A Night to Remember'' (1996) *''The Getaway Bride'' (1997) *''The Father Next Door'' (1997) *''Healing Sympathy'' (1998) (originally as Gina Ferris) *''In from the Rain'' (1999) (originally as Gina Ferris) *''The Littlest Stowaway'' (1999) *''The Best Man's Plan'' (2002) *''The Groom's Stand-in'' (2002) *''It Takes a Cowboy'' (2003) *''Make Believe Mistletoe'' (2003) *''Love Lessons'' (2006) *''Season of Dreams'' (2007) *''Husband for a Weekend'' (2012) *''Wake Me'' (2012) *''His Best Friend's Wife'' (2012) *''The Right Twin'' (2013) *''The Texan's Surprise Baby'' (2013) *''A Match for the Single Dad'' (2013)

Reed Sisters: Holding out for a Hero series

#''Hero in Disguise'' (1987) #''Hero for the Asking'' (1988) #''Hero by Nature'' (1988)

James Family series

#''Cause for Celebration'' (1988) #''A Bright Idea'' (1989) #''A Rebel at Heart'' (1991)

Veils & Vows series

#''Taking a Chance on Love'' (1992) #''Designs on Love'' (1992) #''At Long Last Love'' (1992)

Luck Brothers series

#''As Luck Would Have It'' (1993) #''Just Her Luck'' (1994)

Arkansas Firefighters series

#''It Could Happen to You'' (1997) #''Valentine Baby'' (1998)

Southern Scandals series

#''Seducing Savannah'' (1997) #''Tempting Tara'' (1998) #''Enticing Emily'' (1998) #''The Rebels Return'' (1998)

The Wild McBrides series

#''Seductively Yours'' (2000) #''Secretly Yours'' (2000) #''Yesterday's Scandal'' (2000)

Family Found: Sons and Daughters series

#''Her Very Own Family'' (1999) #''That First Special Kiss'' (1999) #''Surprise Partners'' (2000) #''Adding To The Family'' (2005) #''The Borrowed Ring'' (2005) #''The Road To Reunion'' (2006) #''Wealth Beyond Riches'' (2006) #''The Texan's Tennessee Romance'' (2009)

Hot Off the Press series

#''The Stranger in Room 205'' (2002) #''Bachelor Cop Finally Caught?'' (2001) #''Dateline Matrimony'' (2001)

McClouds of Mississippi series

#''The Family Plan'' (2003) #''Conflict of Interest'' (2003) #''Faith, Hope and Family'' (2003)

Brannon Brothers series

#''The Date Next Door'' (2006) #''The Bridesmaid's Gifts'' (2007) #''Finding Family'' (2008) #''The Man Next Door'' (2008)

Doctors in Training series

#''Diagnosis: Daddy'' (2009) #''The Doctor's Undoing'' (2010) #''Prognosis: Romance'' (2010) #''Private Partners'' (2011)

Doctors in the Family series

#''The M.D. Next Door'' (2011) #''A Home for the M.D.'' (2011) #''Doctors in the Wedding'' (2011)

Bachelor Auction series multi-author

*''It Takes a Hero'' (1999)

Merlyn County Midwives series multi-author

*''Countdown to Baby'' (2004)

Eligible Bachelors series multi-author

*''Doctor in Disguise'' (2004)

The Parks Empire series multi-author

*''The Homecoming'' (2004)

Logan's Legacy series multi-author

*''The Secret Heir'' (2005)

Nascar series multi-author

*''Almost Famous'' (2007) *''Hearts Under Caution'' (2007) *''A NASCAR Holiday 2'' (omnibus) (2007) (with

Pamela Britton Pamela Britton (born Armilda Jane Owens, March 19, 1923 – June 17, 1974) was an American actress, best known for appearing as Lorelei Brown in the television series ''My Favorite Martian'' (1963–1966) and for her female lead in the film noi ...

, Ken Casper and Abby Gaines)

Collections

*''Holding Out for a Hero'' (1999) *''Once a Family...: Full of Grace / Hardworking Man'' (2005) (originally as Gina Ferris)

Omnibus in collaboration

*''Matched By Mistake'' (1996) (with

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 b ...

) *''Valentine Delights'' (1997) (with

Kate Hoffmann Peggy Hoffmann is an American writer of over 70 romance novels since 1993 as Kate Hoffmann. She has written for both the Temptation and Blaze lines for Harlequin Books. In 1992 she won the Harlequin Temptation contest. She lives in southeastern ...

and

Meryl Sawyer Meryl is a given name, and may refer to: In people: * Meryl, a musical artist originating from the Martinique * Meryl Cassie (born 1984), New Zealand actress * Meryl Davis (born 1987), American ice dancer * Meryl Fernandes (born 1983), British a ...

) *''Written in the Stars'' (2001) (with

Judith Arnold Barbara Keiler (born April 7, 1953 in New York City, United States), known more widely by her pseudonym Judith Arnold, is a best-selling American author of crime fiction and over eighty-five romance novels. She has been writing since 1983, and h ...

and

) *''Heat of the Night'' (2002) (with

Lori Foster Lori Foster is a best-selling American writer of over seventy romance novels. She also writes Urban Fantasy novels using her first and middle initials, L.L. Foster. Since first publishing in January 1996, Foster has become a ''USA Today'', ''Pu ...

and

Vicki Lewis Thompson Vicki Lewis Thompson (born 11 October 1950 in United States) is a best-selling American writer of over seventy romance novels. She has also been published under the pseudonyms Cory Kenyon and Corey Keaton with Mary Tate Engels. Biography Vicki L ...

) *''Marriage for Keeps'' (2004) (with

Margot Dalton Margot Dalton is a pseudonym used by Phyllis Strobell to write contemporary romance novels. Dalton has been nominated for a ''Romantic Times'' Career Achievement Award and for a ''Romantic Times'' Reviewers' Choice Award for ''Fourth Horseman''. ...

and Karen Young) *''Christmas Feast / Make-Believe Mistletoe'' (2004) (with

Peggy Webb Peggy Webb, née Peggy Elaine Hussey (born February 8, 1942) is an American author of romance novels. Biography Peggy Webb has born and raised on a farm in Lee County, Mississippi. As a child she would often sit in the hayloft and write down her ...

) *''Secret Heir / Newlyweds'' (2005) (with

Elizabeth Bevarly Elizabeth Bevarly (born 1961 in Louisville, Kentucky, United States) is an American writer of over 70 romance novels since 1989. She is a ''New York Times'' bestselling author. Biography Bevarly was born in 1961 and raised in Louisville, Kentu ...

) *''Intimate Surrender / The Secret Heir'' (2005) (with

RaeAnne Thayne Rayan ( ar, ريّان or ريان, translit=rayyān), also spelt Rayyan, is generally a given name of Arabic origin, usually male but sometimes female, meaning "Door Of Heaven”, “Beautifier", "luxuriant" or "plentiful" in Arabic. In Islami ...

) *''Adding to the Family / Pregnancy Project'' (2005) (with

Victoria Pade Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

) *''Borrowed Ring / Where There's Smoke'' (2005) (with

Kristin Hardy Kristin may refer to: * Kristin (name), a Scandinavian form of Christine * ''Kristin'' (TV series), a 2001 American sitcom * Kristin Peak, Antarctica * Kristin School, a school in New Zealand See also * Kristen (disambiguation) Kristen may re ...

) *''Protectors in Blue'' (2006) (with Rachel Lee)

As Gina Ferris

Single novels

*''Healing Sympathy'' (1988) *''Lady Beware'' (1989) *''In from the Rain'' (1991) *''Prodigal Father'' (1991) *''Babies on Board'' (1994)

Family Found series

#''Full of Grace'' (1993) #''Hardworking Man'' (1993) #''Fair and Wise'' (1993) #''Far to Go'' (1993) #''Loving and Giving'' (1994)

As Gina Ferris Wilkins

A Family Way Series

#''A Man for Mum'' (1995) #''A Match for Celia'' (1995) #''A Home for Adam'' (1995) #''Cody's Fiancee'' (1995)

Gates-Cameron series

#''A Valentine Wish'' (1996) #''A Wish for Love'' (1996)

Omnibus in collaboration

*''Three Mothers And a Cradle: Rock-a-bye Baby, Cradle Song, Beginnings'' (1996) (with

Jill Marie Landis Jill Marie Landis (born November 8, 1948, in Clinton, Indiana, United States) is an American author of historical and contemporary romance novels. Biography Jill Marie Landis was born on November 8, 1948, in Indiana, but moved to California w ...

and

Debbie Macomber Debbie Macomber (born October 22, 1948) is an American author of romance novels and contemporary women's fiction. Six of her novels have become made-for-TV movies and her ''Cedar Cove'' series of novels was adapted into a television series of the ...

)

References and resources

External links

Gina Wilkins's webpage on Harlequin Enterprises Ltd's websiteGina Wilkins's webpage on Mills & Boon's webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Gina Ferris 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American romantic fiction writers 1954 births Living people Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas American women novelists Women romantic fiction writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers