Lee Child, Author Biographies

Lee Child (pseudonym for Jim Grant) was born in 1954 in Coventry, England. When Lee was four years old, his parents moved the family to Handsworth Wood in Birmingham. He says that he was a tough guy in a tough neighborhood, growing large at a young age.

Although Lee Child didn’t get the bug to write until he was 35 years old, he loved the library and was a voracious reader. He says there were only two channels on television back in the day, and for lack of alternate entertainment, he read. He says he was bitten by the mystery bug even as a youngster and loved book series.

Lee Child studied Law at Sheffield University in Sheffield, England even though he never intended on being a lawyer. He says “Studying the law gives you a streetwise frame of reference.” The law, he say encompasses all the things he is interested in, history, politics, sociology, language and economics.

One of Lee’s dreams was to be an actor but says he had no talent as an actor, singer or dancer, so he worked backstage. He did not think about being a writer until he was about 35 years old. Today he says that “writing is the ultimate backstage job.”

After graduating college, Lee worked as a presentation director with a British television network until he was let go at the age of 40. In retrospect, this was a blessing in disguise.

It was at this time that Lee Child decided to be an author. He said that his wife took it quite well and even helped him name his protagonist, Reacher. He wrote his first book in longhand sitting at the dining room table. He bought his first computer with his first advance. His first book, “Killing Floor” was published in 1997.

In 1998, Lee and his wife, Jane and their daughter Rachel, moved to New York where Jane was a native. Today they reside in New York and France.

According to one interviewer, Lee Child has been called “the poster boy of American crime Fiction and the best thriller author at the moment.” Lee has a brother, Andrew Grant, 14 years younger, who is also a successful author.

In 2008, Lee was invited to be a visiting professor at his Alma Mater, The University of Sheffield. He received an Honorary Doctorate in 2009. Lee funded 52 Jack Reacher scholarships at the university.

Lee Child was elected the president of the Mystery Writers of America organization for 2009.
Lee has a fan base that is vast and varied. He seems to appeal to young and old, male and female. He says he likes to interact with his fans through his official website. And of course there is great personal satisfaction seeing people reading and enjoying his books. Lee says, “I use the complainers as a rough gauge to how many people I’m actually reaching. Twenty serious complainers as a percentage implies a million satisfied customers, in my experience.”

Bibliography:
Jack Reacher Series:
Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, No. 1) (1997)
(1998)
Tripwire (1999)
The Visitor (2000)
Echo Burning (2001)
Without Fail (2002)
Persuader: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher Novels) (2003)
(2004)
One Shot (2005)
The Hard Way (2006)
Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
Nothing to Lose (2008)
Gone Tomorrow (Jack Reacher, No. 13) (2009)
(2010)

Omnibus:
Killing Floor/Die Trying/Tripwire
Running Blind/Echo Burning/Without Fail

Alexander McCall Smith, Author Biographies

Alexander McCall Smith (nicknamed Sandy) was born on August 24, 1948 in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. Back then it was a British colony, and now is named Zimbabwe. His education was at Christian Brothers College. He moved to Scotland where he attended the University of Edinburgh to study law. He later moved to Botswana, Africa to help set up a law school and teach at the University of Botswana.

After Alexander returned to Edinburgh he married Elizabeth, a physician. They have two daughters. Back at the University of Edinburgh he became a professor of medical law and is now an Emeritus Professor.

Alexander says that he submitted his first manuscript when he was eight years old and was kindly rejected. When he was 28 years old, he had his first book, a children’s novel, published. He says that he wrote around 30 children’s books, but he was disappointed to be only moderately successful. He was told that his writing style was too gentle and whimsical.

Then he began writing short stories, some to be broadcast on the BBC and even wrote a radio play. Then he started writing some Botswana stories. Alexander McCall Smith’s career took a dramatic turn when he published “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”, which was intended to be a series of very short stories but turned into a series of novels. Now he has three more series and several stand alone novels.

Alexander and his wife started “The really Terrible Orchestra”, which he says is a truly amateur orchestra. He is a bassoonist. He said they have played on NPR and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Alexander also cofounded the “No. 1 Ladies’ Opera House”, an opera training center in Botswana.

Alexander says he always wears a kilt to his book signings. In Scotland kilts are worn for special occasions and his book signings are special occasions.

Bibliography:

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series:
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1) (1998)
(2000)
Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
The Full Cupboard of Life (2004)
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (2009)
(2010)

The 2 ½ Pillars of Wisdom Series:
Portuguese Irregular Verbs (2003)
The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs (2003)
At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (2003)
The Sunday Philosophy Club Series: AKA Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries
The Sunday Philosophy Club (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries) (2004)
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (2005)
The Right Attitude of Rain (2006)
The Careful Use of Compliments (2007)
(2008)
The Lost Art of Gratitude: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (2009)

44 Scotland Street Series:
44 Scotland Street (2005)
Espresso Tales (2005)
Love over Scotland (2006)
The World According to Bertie (2007)
(2008)

Other Novels:
Children of Wax: African Folk Tales (1991)
Heavenly Date: And Other Flirtations (1995)
The Girl Who Married a Lion: And Other Tales from Africa (2004)

Stand Alone Novels:
La's Orchestra Saves the World: A Novel (2008)
Corduroy Mansions (2008)

Children’s Books:
The Perfect Hamburger (1984)
Alix and the Tigers (1988)
The Tin Dog (1990)
Calculator Annie (1991)
The Popcorn Pirates (1991)
Akimbo and the Lions (1992)
The Doughnut Ring
Akimbo and the Crocodile Man (1993)
Paddy and the Rat Catcher (1994)
The Muscle Machine (1995)
The Bubblegum Tree (1996)
Bursting Balloons Mystery (1997)
The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean (1997)
Chocolate Money Mystery (1999)
Teacher Trouble (2000)
Akimbo and the Elephants (2005)
Dream Angus (2006)
Akimbo and the Snakes (2006)
Akimbo and the Baboons (2008)

Leon Uris Author Biographies

Leon Marcus Uris was born August 3, 1924 in Baltimore Maryland. His parents were Wolf William Uris, a Polish immigrant, a paper hanger and later became a shop owner, and Anna Uris, a first generation American. Leon did poorly in school and never graduated high school. He joined the United States Marine Corp when he was only 17, serving from 1942 until 1945. He met and married Marine Sergeant, Betty Beck, in 1945.

Leon started writing stories as a child but remained unpublished until 1950, when an article he wrote was bought by Esquire Magazine. That started him writing full time. His first novel was published in 1953 an after being rejected nine times, became a best seller.

Leon worked as a war correspondent in 1956, covering the Arab-Israeli fighting. The book Exodus, published in 1958, came about from these events. The book was made into a movie and later a musical. He also authored several screen plays during his career.

Leon and Betty divorced in 1965. He was remarried in 1968 to Margery Edwards, but she died a year later. In 1970 he married photographer, Jill Peabody. They had two children, but divorced in 1989.

Leon Uris became a prolific public speaker and from1959-1993 spoke mostly on Jewish causes at on University campuses.

Leon died on June 21, 2003.

Books by Leon Uris: Novels:
Battle Cry(1953)
The Angry Hills (1955)
Exodus (1958)
Exodus Revisited (1960)
Mila 18 (1961)
Armageddon (1963)
Topaz (1967)
The Third Temple (1967)
QB VII (1970)
Trinity (1976)
The Haj(1984)
Mitla Pass (1988)
Redemption (1995)
A God in Ruins(1999)
O’Hara’s Choice (2003)

Omnibus:
Three Great Novels of World II(1996) (Thomas Heggen, James A Michener)

Danielle Steel Author Biographies

Danielle Steel was born Danielle Fernandes Schuelein on August 14, 1947 in New York City, New York. Her parents, John Schlein, a descendant from the Lowenbrau Beer founders, and Norma da Camara Stone Reis, the daughter of a Portuguese diplomat. They divorced when Danielle was only seven years old and she was raised mostly by her German born father.

Danielle loved to write stories and poetry even as a child. She graduated from Lycee Francais de New York in 1965 and studied literature and fashion design at Parson School of Design and New York University.

Danielle started her business career in PR work before she settled down to writing manuscripts in the seventies. First published in 1973, she now has more than 350 million books in print. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, she has been on the New York Times Best seller List for 381 consecutive weeks.

Danielle Steel has been married five times. She married Claude-Eric Lazard, a French banker, when she was eighteen. The marriage lasted nine years and produced a daughter. She had a son, Nick by her third husband.

In 1981, her fourth husband, John Traina, brought two sons into their marriage and adopted Danielle’s son and Danielle adopted John’s two sons. They had five more children together. Danielle says the children are the most important thing in her life. John Traina and Danielle later divorced.

Danielle married a financier, Tom Perkins, but divorced two years later. Her later wrote a novel and dedicated it to Danielle.

Danielle started and runs the Nick Traina Foundation in memory of her son who committed suicide in 1997. Nick suffered from bipolar disorder and drug abuse. She is active in lobbying for children with mental health disorders.

Her children’s book series, Martha and Max, and later the Freddie series are geared to help children deal with real life problems.

Today Danielle Steel is a single woman and divides her time between her homes in San Francisco and in France. And, yes, she is still writing novels.

Bibliography:

Max and Martha Series:
Martin’s Best Friend (1989)
Martha’s New Daddy (1989)
Martha’s New School (1989)
Max and the Babysitter (1989)
Max’s Daddy Goes to the Hospital (1989)
Martha’s New Puppy (1990)
Max Runs Away (1990)
Max’s New Baby (1990)
Martha and Hilary and the Stranger (1991)
Ma and Granma and Grandpa Winky (1991)
Freddie Series:
Freddie and the Doctor (1992)
Freddie’s Accident (1992)
Freddie’s First Night Away (1992)
Freddie’s Trip (1992)

Novels:
Going Home (1973)
Passion’s Promise (1976)
The Promise (1978)
Now and Forever (1978)
Season of Passion (1978)
Golden Moments (1979)
Summer’s End (1979)
Loving (1980)
The Ring (1980)
To Love Again (1980)
A Perfect Stranger (1981)
Remembrance (1981)
Palomino (1981)
Once in a Lifetime (1982)
Crossings (1982)
Changes (1983)
Thurston House (1983)
Full Circle (1984)
Family Album (1985)
Secrets (1985)
Wanderlust (1986)
Kaleidoscope (1987)
Fine Things (1987)
Zoya (1988)
Star (1989)
Daddy (1989)
Message From Nam (1990)
Heartbeat (1991)
No Greater Love (1991)
Jewels (1992)
Mixed Blessings (1992)
Vanished (1993)
Wings (1994)
The Gift (1994)
Accident (1994)
Five Days in Paris (1995)
Lightning (1995)
Silent Honor (1996)
Malice (1996)
The Ghost (1997)
Special Delivery (1997)
The Ranch (1997)
The Klone and I (1998)
The Long Road Home (1998)
Mirror Image (1998)
The Wedding (1998)
Bittersweet (1999)
Irresistible Forces (1999)
Granny Dan (1999)
Journey (2000)
The House on Hope Street (2000)
The Kiss (2001)
Leap of Faith (2001)
Lone Eagle (2001)
Answered Prayers (2002)
The Cottage (2002)
Sunset in St Tropez (2002)
Johnny Angel (2003)
Safe Harbor (2003)
Dating Game (2003)
Miracle (2004)
Ransom (2004)
Second Chance (2004)
Echoes (2004)
Impossible (2005)
Toxic Bachelors (2006)
Coming Out (2006)
H.R.H. (2006)
Bungalow Two (2006)
The House (2006)
Sisters (2007)
Amazing Grace (2007)
Honor Thyself (2008)
Rogue (2008)
A Good Woman (2008)
One Day at a Time (2009)
Matters of the Heart (2009)
Southern Lights (2009)
Family Ties (2010)
First Sight (2010)
Big Girl (2010)

Other Works:
Love: Poems (1981)
The Happiest Hippo in the World (2009)

Nonfiction:
His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina(1998)