Joan Johnston is a prolific American author, best known for her contemporary and historical romance novels. She has written numerous successful series, including Hawk's Way, Captive Heart, Bitter Creek, and Benedict Brothers. Johnston was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and grew up as the third of seven children. Her father was a sergeant in the Air Force, and her mother was a music teacher, which led to Johnston having a rich and adventurous upbringing. She went on to receive her B.A. in theatre from Jacksonville University and her M.A. in theatre from the University of Illinois, Urbana. Johnston then earned a law degree with honors from the University of Texas and worked as an attorney for five years, serving with major companies like Hunton and Williams and Squire Sanders & Dempsey.
In addition to her work as an attorney, Johnston has also worked as a newspaper editor and drama critic and as a college professor. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, and Florida Romance Writers. Johnston has received numerous awards for her work, including the Paperback Book Club of America's Book Rak Award (twice), Romantic Times' Best Western Historical Series Award (twice), Romantic Times' Best New Western Writer, Romantic Times' Best Historical Series Award (twice), The Maggie (twice), and Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist for The Disobedient Bride. She is a bestselling author with over 15 million copies of her books in print and has two children and one grandchild. Johnston splits her time between Colorado and Florida.