About
Betina Krahn ...
(Humorista)
"One of the premier names in romance, renowned for her warm sense of humor
and sensual style..." Bantam Books To date, thirty Betina
Krahn bestselling books have been taken home from bookstores and been
eagerly read, passed around, and often saved as a keeper. The foreign
translations number more than 37 and can be found in countries from
Russia to Portugal and China to Brazil to Japan and her work is regularly
included in the EuroClub Book Club and Germany's Historical Gold. Her
works have won numerous industry awards, including winner of the
Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for Love and Laughter and
RWA's coveted RITA, and have appeared on prestigious bestseller lists.
What makes her books so popular and her readers so
loyal? Readers say Betina's books are hard to put down ... even when
nature calls. It's the pleasure of slipping into the minds and hearts
of people in her character driven stories. Of getting lost in stories
of humor and hope and enduring love. Of taking a journey with
characters they'd like to make a part of their lives.
It is Betina
Krahn’s women characters that readers
acclaim and most count upon… smart, daring, strong, perceptive, independent,
attractive, lovable, endearing, rousing, sexy, and ofttime inspiring… they
are the compelling hallmarks of her bestselling novels.
Want an example? Click Excerpt (here) or
the Excerpt Menu button above and read
an excerpt from the pages of Betina's July 1, 2009 new Harlequin Blaze book
Make Me Yours (4-½ Stars Romantic Times review), introducing heroine
Mariah Eller, and read the opening pages of RITA Winner The Book of True Desires as Betina introduces Cordelia
Blackburn, Hardacre Blackburn, and Goodnight.
Biography.
Writer... author... mother of
two(sons), and owner of two(dogs!)... Betina Krahn was born in Huntington,
West VA to educators Dors Maynard and Regina Maynard. Books were revered in
the household. Betina learned to read at age four, entered her first art
contest at age five, and began making up stories at age six. In fifth
grade, she won a silver "N.O.O.B." pin (Noble Order of Bookworms) for her
achievements in reading; in the sixth grade, she began to write; and in the
seventh grade, she penned several screenplays for popular TV shows.
She acquired a B.S. in Education, majoring in Biological Sciences at Ohio
University, and a M. Ed. in Counseling at Southwestern Oklahoma State
University.
A friend gave her a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss's
historical romance, Shanna.
Captured by the combination of history and romance, she was soon
constructing plots and characters of her own and began pouring them out,
long hand, onto yellow legal pads.
Betina's husband, Don Krahn, and
her sister, Sharon Stone, encouraged her to submit her first finished
manuscript for publication. Zebra Books offered her a contract for
Rapture's Ransom.
After her
third book, husband Don encouraged her to write full time. She signed with
literary agent Ruth Cohen, joined RWA, and learned and worked and celebrated
with writer friends from all over the country. In time, there came better
contracts with Avon Books and then Bantam.
Success came paired with
loss. Don died of cancer just six weeks after The Perfect Mistress first
appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. Intent on providing Nathan
and Zeb, her two sons, a home and sense of family, over the next several
years she saw her sons through college and on to law school and graduate
school, respectively.
Now,
again, her life is expanding in all sorts of wonderful ways... including two
lovely daughters-in-law Kristine and Krista, and three grandchildren, to
date, Nicholas, Michael, and Kate.
Through the ups and downs of life Betina has managed to maintain her
sense of humor. For example in an award ceremony to over a thousand
attending writers, she recently said ...”I finally achieved my lifelong
dream of moving to Florida and owning a swimming pool. I am so delighted; I
don't even mind the temporary dizziness that comes from blowing it up... It
is so much better than the beach, where those Greenpeace do-gooders kept
trying to push me back into the water."
It is in Florida she met Rex and fell in love for a second time. Rex is
supportive, insightful, and spiritual and creative... loves cooking, movies,
books, music and cars as much as she does. He is an avid reader and soulful
intellect who challenges her to deepen and broaden her work.
The
sunshine Betina has always craved is providing a burst of energy.
A new agent, Gail Fortune of the Talbot-Fortune Agency is helping her
explore new publishing options.
Betina is in the midst of completing another historical novel
and tackling some long-incubated contemporary women's fiction with a hoot of
a character. If that is not enough, she is also working on some non-fiction
ideas for a cherished project involving 'Compassion'.
Betina is an
optimist. She believes deeply in humor and love. It infuses everything she
does. She is confident in the potential of her fellow humans to learn and
grow and give of themselves. She believes the thing the world needs as much
as it needs love... is laughter.
At Home
With Betina Krahn
Pictured, Betina at home with Rex and Tyke(their Miniature Schnauzer).
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