Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris is a bestselling American author, born on November 25, 1951, in Tunica, Mississippi. Raised in the Mississippi River Delta area, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field and developed an early interest in reading and writing, particularly ghost stories and poems about teenage angst. Harris attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where she studied poetry and playwriting.

Throughout her thirty-five-year career, Harris has written in various genres, including mysteries, ghost stories, and poetry. She began her professional writing journey by publishing two stand-alone mystery novels. Later, she gained significant popularity with her light-hearted mystery series featuring Aurora Teagarden, a Georgia librarian. The first book in the series, Real Murders, was shortlisted for the Agatha Awards in 1990.

In 1996, Harris launched the Shakespeare mysteries, a much darker series featuring amateur sleuth Lily Bard, a karate student who works as a housecleaner. However, it was her Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, that catapulted her to international success. The series, which includes thirteen books, is set in the fictional Northern Louisiana town of Bon Temps and features a telepathic waitress named Sookie Stackhouse who navigates relationships with vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures.

Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series has been adapted into the hit HBO television series True Blood, which has further expanded her fanbase. In addition to the Aurora Teagarden and Sookie Stackhouse series, Harris has written several other novels, including the Harper Connelly mysteries and the Midnight, Texas books, both of which have been adapted for television. Harris is a member of various professional organizations and currently resides in Arkansas with her husband and two rescue dogs. She continues to write and is an avid reader.

In summary, Charlaine Harris is a prolific and successful American author, best known for her Sookie Stackhouse series, which was adapted into the popular HBO series True Blood. Throughout her career, she has written in various genres, including mysteries, supernatural fiction, and poetry. Harris is a member of several professional organizations and continues to write and read while residing in Arkansas.