Shannon Drake is the pen name of Heather Graham Pozzessere, a bestselling American author who has written romance, paranormal, mystery, historical fiction, thriller, and contemporary novels. She has written over 150 books and novellas in her career, which have been translated into 25 languages and sold over 75 million copies worldwide. Drake was born on March 15, 1953, in Dade County, Florida, and spent her early years growing up in the Miami-Dade County. After completing high school, she married Dennis Pozzessere and enrolled at the South Florida University, where she majored in theater arts. After graduation, she worked in a dinner theater, did some modeling, waitressed, and tended bar.\n \nDrake began her writing career after the birth of her third child, as she wanted to devote her time to her passion. She wrote her first novel, "When Next We Love," in 1982, and since then, she has written over 100 novels and novellas, primarily in the romance genre. She has also tried her hand at historical fiction, romantic suspense, time travel, and mystery. Drake has been the launch novelist for the Silhouette's Shadows line, the Mira Books of the mainstream brand of Harlequin, and the Ecstasy Supreme Line by Dell. She has received numerous awards for her novels, including the Lifetime Achievement Award by the RWA in 2003. Drake is an active member of several writers' groups, including International Thriller Writers, MWA, Novelists Inc., and has formerly served as the Vice President of the Horror Writers Association.
Heather Graham Pozzessere, who also writes under her real name and her maiden name, was born on March 15, 1953, in Dade County, Florida. She grew up in the Miami-Dade County and attended the University of South Florida at Tampa, majoring in theater arts. After college, she acted in dinner theaters, modeled, waitressed, and tended bar. She married Hershey Dennis Possezzere and has five children.
Graham's success as a writer is reflected in the reader response and the over 20 million copies of her books in print. She has received numerous awards for her novels, including over 20 trade awards from magazines such as Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur, bestseller awards from B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, and BookRak, and several Reviewers' Choice and People's Choice awards. She has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, Romantically Speaking, a TV talk show that aired nationwide on the Romance Classics cable channel, and CBS Sunday News. Graham has been quoted in People and USA Today, been profiled in The Nation, and featured in Good Housekeeping. Her books have been selections for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. She has been published across the world in more than 15 languages and has published over 70 titles, including anthologies and short stories.
Despite her busy schedule, Graham manages to balance her family, career, and marriage while maintaining a level of success that few can aspire to. She lives in Florida, where she writes, scuba dives, and spends time with her husband and five children.