Karen Robards is a successful American author, well-known for her work in historical romance, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense genres. Born into a family of doctors and lawyers, Robards did not initially intend to become a author, a career path that was not considered valid in her family. However, her writing journey began at a young age when she had a funny anecdote published in Reader's Digest, earning $100 and a spot in the magazine's December issue.
Robards' first book was born out of a graduate level creative writing class, where she was tasked with writing the first 50 pages of a publishable book. Unfamiliar with the romance genre, she researched what was selling in bookstores and decided to write a romance novel. Her classmates and professor laughed at her submission, but this discouragement was short-lived. Those first 50 pages turned into her first novel, Island Flame (1981), which was published by Leisure Books. Thrilled by her success, Robards dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career full-time.
Since then, Robards has become a highly acclaimed author, with over fifty novels and one novella to her name. She has won multiple awards, including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author, and her work has been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. The Daily Mail has recently described her as "one of the most reliable thriller writers in the world." Despite facing initial skepticism, Robards has built a successful career as a romance author, proving that she has a talent for writing exciting and steamy stories that resonate with readers.