Leigh Michaels is the pseudonym used by LeAnn Lemberger (born July 27, 1954 in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, United States), a popular United States writer of over 80

romance novel 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 ...

s. She published her novels in

Harlequin Enterprises Ltd Harlequin Enterprises ULC (known simply as Harlequin) is a romance and women's fiction publisher founded in Winnipeg, Canada in 1949. From the 1960s, it grew into the largest publisher of romance fiction in the world. Based in Toronto, Canada si ...

since 1984 to 2006. She also teaches romance writing for Gothan Writers' Workshop among other places.

Biography

LeAnn was born on July 27, 1954 in

, United States. She received a ''Bachelor of Arts'' in journalism from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. Hi ...

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, Iowa, after three years of study and maintained a 3.93 grade-point average. She received the ''Robert Bliss Award'' as top-ranking senior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and won a national ''William Randolph Hearst Award'' for feature-writing as an undergraduate. When LeAnn was very young she read romance novels, and when she was fifteen, she wrote her first romance novel and burned it. She burned five more complete manuscripts before submitting one to a publisher. The first submission was accepted by

Harlequin Enterprises Harlequin Enterprises ULC (known simply as Harlequin) is a romance and women's fiction publisher founded in Winnipeg, Canada in 1949. From the 1960s, it grew into the largest publisher of romance fiction in the world. Based in Toronto, Canada si ...

, the only publisher to look at it, and was published in 1984 under the pseudonym Leigh Michaels (her husband name). LeAnn married to Michael W. Lemberger, an artist-photographer.

Awards

*''Ties That Bind'': Finalist for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America. *''The Lake Effect'': Finalist for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America. *''Traveling Man'': Finalist for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America. *''The Unlikely Santa'': Finalist for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America. *''The Daddy Trap'': Finalist for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America.

Bibliography

Single Novels

*Wednesday's Child (1985) *Deadline for Love (1985) *Come Next Summer (1985) *Dreams to Keep (1985) *Leaving Home (1985) *Capture a Shadow (1986) *Brittany's Castle (1986) *Carlisle Pride (1987) *Rebel with a Cause (1987) *Strictly Business (1987) *Close Collaboration (1988) *Just a Normal Marriage (1988) *Shades of Yesterday (1988) *Let Me Count the Ways (1988) *With No Reservations (1989) *An Imperfect Love (1990) *Promise Me Tomorrow (1990) *Temporary Measures (1991) *Old School Ties (1992) *The Lake Effect (1993) *Safe in My Heart (1993) *Ties That Blind (1993) *House of Dreams (1994) *The Only Solution (1994) *A Singular Honeymoon (1994) *Traveling Man (1994) *Marrying the Boss! (1996) *Dialogue Ain't Cheap (1998) *The Men in My Life (1998) *The Problem with Conflict (1998) *Her Husband to Be (1999) *Unraveling the Romance (1999) *Tempting a Tycoon (1999) *His Trophy Wife (2001) *Backwards Honeymoon (2001) *The Bride Assignment (2003) *Assignment: Twins (2004) *The Tycoon's Proposal (2006)

Logan Brothers Series

#The Grand Hotel (1984) #Touch Not My Heart (1985)

Springhill Series

#Sell Me a Dream (1986) #Once and for Always (1989) #An Uncommon Affair (1990) #The Best Made Plans (1992) #Family Secrets (1994)

Tyler-Royalel Series

#O'Hara's Legacy (1986) #A New Desire (1988) #The Unlikely Santa (1995)

McKenna Family Series

#No Place Like Home (1988) #A Matter of Principal (1989) #Garrett's Back in Town (1991) #The Unexpected Landlord (1992) #Dating Games (1993)

San Valentin! Series

#The Perfect Divorce! (1997) #The Fake Fiance! (1997)

Finding Mr. Right Series

#The Billionaire Date (1998) #The Playboy Assignment (1998) #The Husband Project (1998)

Hiring Ms. Right Series

#Husband on Demand (2000) #Bride on Loan (2000) #Wife on Approval (2000)

Men: Made in America Series Multi-Author

:15. Kiss Yesterday Goodbye (1984)

American Heroes: Against All Odds Series Multi-Author

:15. Exclusively Yours (1988)

Sealed with a Kiss Series Multi-Author

*Invitation to Love (1994)

Kids & Kisses Series Multi-Author

*Family Secrets (1994)

Pages & Privileges Series Multi-Author

*Taming a Tycoon (1995)

Holding Out for a Hero Series Multi-Author

*The Only Man for Maggie (1996) *The Daddy Trap (1996)

Baby Boom Series Multi-Author

*Baby You're Mine! (1997)

Marrying the Boss Series Multi-Author

*The Boss and the Baby (1999) *The Corporate Wife (2000)

Daddy Boom Series Multi-Author

*The Tycoon's Baby (1999)

Nearlyweds Series Multi-Author

*The Bridal Swap (1999)

A Walk Down the Aisle: Wedding Celebration Series Multi-Author

*A Convenient Affair (2001)

Contract Brides Series Multi-Author

*Bride by Design (2002)

To Have and To Hold Series Multi-Author

*Maybe Married (2002)

Nine To Five Serie Multi-Author

*The Boss's Daughter (2002) *The Marriage Market (2003) *The Billionaire Bid (2003) *The Corporate Marriage Campaign (2005)

What Women Want Series Multi-Author

*Part-time Fiance (2003) *The Takeover Bid (2003) *The Husband Sweepstake (2004)

Collections

*Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man? (2006)

Omnibus In Collaboration

*My Valentine (1992) (with Katherine Arthur,

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 ...

and Peggy Nicholson) *A Man for Mum: Four Stories in One (1999) (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 ...

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

Emma Darcy 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. In 1993, for the Emm ...

and

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 ...

) *A Tender Christmas (2000) (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 Emma Goldrick) *Switched at the Altar (2001) (with

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, A ...

Susan Napier Susan Napier (born 14 February 1954 in Auckland, New Zealand) was a popular New Zealand writer of over 30 romance novels in various Mills & Boon category lines since 1984. Biography Napier worked as a reporter at the newspaper ''Auckland Star' ...

and

Rebecca Winters Rebecca Brown Burton (born February 14, 1940 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States) is a popular United States writer of over 75 romance novels under her married name Rebecca Burton, under her complete name Rebecca Brown Burton, and as Rebecc ...

) *Bachelors' Babies (2001) (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 ...

) *Temporary Santa (2003) (with

Cathy Gillen Thacker Cathy Gillen Thacker is an American author of over seventy romance novels. Biography Thacker began writing to occupy herself while she was raising small children. She wrote seven books as she taught herself how to be an author. Her eighth att ...

) *Billionaire Grooms (2006) (with

and Sara Wood) *Bewitched by the Boss (2006) (with

Alison Fraser Alison Fraser (born in Natick, Massachusetts) is an American actress, voice actress and singer who has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in television and film. In concert, she has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, The White Hou ...

and

Charlotte Lamb Sheila Holland, née Sheila Ann Mary Coates ( in Dagenham, Essex, England – in Isle of Man) was best known under the pseudonym Charlotte Lamb as a prolific romantic novelist. She signed her novels with her married or maiden names – Shei ...

)

Non fiction

*Writing the Romance Novel (1996) *A Taste of Love (1998) *Writing the Romance Novel: Updated (1999) *Creating Romantic Characters: Bringing Life to Your Romance Novel (2002) *On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells (2007)

References and Resources

Leigh Michaels's Official WebsiteHarlequin Enterprises Ltd

External links

a Manuscript Collection held by th
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries {{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Leigh American romantic fiction writers Living people 1954 births American women writers Writers from Iowa Women romantic fiction writers 21st-century American women