Beverly Jenkins is a renowned American author, best known for her historical and contemporary romance novels. She has made a significant contribution to the genre by featuring African-American characters in periods that are often overlooked. Despite facing difficulties in getting published, as publishers were only interested in historical African-American novels set during slavery, Jenkins persevered and writes the Blessings series, among others.
Jenkins was born in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Cass Technical High School. She furthered her education at Michigan State University, where she majored in Journalism and English Literature. She currently resides in Southeastern Michigan with her family. Jenkins has written around 16 books, including five historical romance book series, many of which have become bestsellers worldwide. She has received several prestigious awards for her work, including a Book of the Year award by the Detroit Free Press, 3 Best Sellers Awards from Waldenbooks, a Black Writer's Guild Golden Pen Award, and a couple of Career Achievement Awards by the RT Magazine.
Jenkins has also been recognized by the Romance Writers of America (RWA) with the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, and the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance in 2016. She was featured in the documentary "Love Between the Covers" and on CBS Sunday Morning. Jenkins has been leading the charge for inclusive romance since the publication of Night Song in 1994, and has been a constant favorite among reviewers, fans, and peers alike, earning accolades from esteemed sources such as The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and NPR.