Brenda Jackson

Brenda Jackson is a renowned American author, particularly known for her romance novels and women's fiction. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1953, she was raised in the same city and went on to attend Jacksonville University, where she earned a degree in business administration. Jackson is married to her high school sweetheart, Gerald, and they have two sons together.

Jackson's writing career began in 1995 with the publication of her first book, "Tonight and Forever." Since then, she has published over 100 novels and novellas, making her the first African-American author to accomplish such a feat. Her works have been widely read, with over 3 million books in print. Jackson is also the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.

Jackson's writing is particularly notable for its representation of diverse characters and ethnic groups. When she first began reading romance novels, she noticed a lack of representation and was inspired to write her own novels with more diverse characters. She has since written several different series, including the Madaris Family, Westmorelands, Steele, and Bachelors in Demand series.

In 2012, Jackson received the Romance Writers of America's Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a Trailblazer in the literary field. Jackson has also collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film, and her 2011 novel A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director. In 2020, she formed a partnership with Hollywood's Bobby Smith, Jr to bring more of her books to the movie screen.