Susan Wiggs (born May 17, 1958) is an 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
historical and contemporary
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." Pr ...
.
Early years
Wiggs began writing as a child, finishing her first novel, ''A Book About Some Bad Kids'', when she was eight. She temporarily abandoned her dream of being a novelist after graduating from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, instead becoming a math teacher. She continued to read, especially reveling in
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." Pr ...
. After running out of reading material one evening in 1983, she began writing again, using the working title ''A Book About Some Bad Adults.''
Career
For three years Wiggs continued to write, and in 1987
Zebra Books published her first novel, a Western
historical romance
Historical romance is a broad category of mass-market fiction focusing on romantic relationships in historical periods, which Walter Scott helped popularize in the early 19th century.
Varieties Viking
These books feature Vikings during the Dar ...
named ''Texas Wildflower''.
Her subsequent historical and contemporary romances have been set in a wide range of settings and time periods. Many of her novels are set in areas where she's lived or visited.
She gave up teaching in 1992 to write full-time, and has since completed an average of two books per year.
In 2000, Wiggs began writing single-title women's fiction stories in addition to historical romance novels. The first, ''The You I Never Knew'', was published in 2001.
After writing
mass-market
The term "mass market" refers to a market for goods produced on a large scale for a significant number of end consumers. The mass market differs from the niche market in that the former focuses on consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds wit ...
original novels for several years, Wiggs made her
hardcover debut in 2003 with ''Home Before Dark''.
Many of her novels are connected, allowing Wiggs to revisit established characters.
Her books have been published in many languages, including French, German,
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
,
Latvian,
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
,
Hungarian and
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
.
Awards
Wiggs's books are frequently named finalists for the
RITA Award, the highest honor given in the genre. She received 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 ...
RITA Award for Best Romance of the year in 1993 for ''Lord of the Night''. She won a second RITA in 2000 when ''The Charm School'' was named "Favorite Book of the Year." She has also won the RITA in 2001 for Best Short Historical for ''The Mistress.''
and in 2006 for ''Lakeside Cottage''. She has also been the recipient of the Holt Medallion, the Colorado Award of Excellence, and the Peninsula Romance Writers of America Blue Boa Award.
''Romantic Times'' has twice named her a Career Achievement Award winner.
Personal
Wiggs lives on
Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Her mother maintains her web page.
Bibliography
Stand-alone novels
*''Texas Wildflower'' (1987)
*''Briar Rose'' (1987)
*''Winds of Glory'' (1988)
*''Embrace the Day'' (1988)
*''Moonshadow'' (1989)
*''The Raven and the Rose'' (1991)
*''Lord of the Night'' (1993)
*''Miranda'' (1996)
*''Merry Christmas, Baby!'' (1996)
*''The Lightkeeper'' (1998)
*''The Drifter'' (1999)
*''Husband for Hire'' (1999)
*''The You I Never Knew'' (2001)
*''Passing Through Paradise'' (2002)
*''Home Before Dark'' (2003)
*''Summer by the Sea'' (2004)
*''Lakeside Cottage'' (2005)
*''Table for Five'' (2005)
*''Just Breathe'' (2008)
*''The Borrowed Bride'' (2008)
*''How I Planned Your Wedding'' (2011)
*''The Goodbye Quilt'' (2011) also in The Summer It Begins
*''The St. James Affair'' (2014) also in Snowfall in the City
*''A Fairytale Christmas'' (2014)
*''Island Time'' (2016)
*''Map of the Heart'' (2017)
*''Between You and Me'' (June 26, 2018)
*''The Oysterville Sewing Circle'' (2019)
*''Sugar and Salt'' (2022)
Lakeshore Chronicles
Bella Vista Chronicles
Switchback, Vermont
Calhoun Chronicles
Us Series
Great Chicago Fire Trilogy
Tudor Rose series
Women of War series
Discovery series
Picture books
*''The Canary Who Sailed with Columbus'' (1989)
Anthologies and collections
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiggs, Susan
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American romantic fiction writers
Harvard University alumni
Living people
RITA Award winners
Writers from Bainbridge Island, Washington
American women novelists
Women romantic fiction writers
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women writers
Novelists from Washington (state)
1958 births
Writers of historical romances