Keeping her readers 'mesmerized'

 

“In plotting a book, my goal is to raise the stakes for the characters and, in so doing, keep the reader mesmerized.“– Barbara Delinsky

Born in Boston in August, 1945 Delinsky started her writing career as a newspaper reporter and photographer while simultaneously becoming a volunteer and advocate for many medical causes, particularly on behalf of cancer victims and survivors.    Her first romance novels were written for Silhouette Books under the pseudonym Billie Douglass before she was signed by Harlequin Books under her own name.

After success with both names and another pseudonym, Bonnie Drake, she decided to work strictly as herself and even re-issued some Billie Douglass books under her own name.  To date, she has more than 30 million copies of her books in print and has won numerous awards, including several “best novel” prizes.  One of those, A Woman's Place, also was made into a “Lifetime” movie. 

 A breast cancer survivor, Delinsky branched into nonfiction with Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors.  She's donated proceeds from her nonfiction work to fight cancer and help train breast surgeons. 

Delinski, who writes in an office above her garage, has authored more than 60 books.  “Each of my books is different from the last, each with its own characters, its own setting, its own themes,” she said.   “As a writer, I need the variety. I sense my readers do, too.”