Alyssa Cole (born August 12, 1982) is an American author of

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

, and contemporary

romance novel A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and Romance (love), romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed ...

s. Her stories include diverse casts of characters with a variety of professions, from Civil War spies to modern day epidemiologists. Her romance works explore both straight and gay relationships.

Career

Alyssa Cole began her writing career by publishing collections of short stories and novellas. Her stories tend to take place during important events in American history, including the civil rights movement, the Revolutionary War, and the

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the ti ...

. Cole's Loyal League novels, a trilogy taking place with the backdrop of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, is represented by

Kensington Publishing Corporation Kensington Publishing Corp. is an American, New Yorkbased publishing house founded in 1974 by Walter Zacharius (1923–2011)Grimes, William''New York Times'' (MARCH 7, 2011). and Roberta Bender Grossman (1946–1992). Kensington is known as "Ame ...

. Her Reluctant Royals novels, a contemporary romance series inspired by modern-day royalty, is represented by Avon Romance. Alyssa Cole has collaborated with other authors on anthologies. These authors include Rose Learner, Courtney Milan, Lena Hart, Kianna Alexander, Piper Huguley, and Kate McMurray. At times, Cole has taken part in the month-long challenge of

National Novel Writing Month National Novel Writing Month, often shortened to NaNoWriMo ( ), was a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that promoted creative writing around the world. Its flagship program was an annual, international creative writing event in which participa ...

(NaNoWriMo) to encourage her writing habits and finish longer works. Cole's ''An Extraordinary Union'', published in 2017, won multiple awards, and her book ''A Princess in Theory'' was named one of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' most notable books of 2018. Her 2020 thriller novel ''When No One Is Watching'' garnered acclaim from critics. Cole is a prominent figure in the effort to increase the representation of black authors in the romance publishing industry. Her discussion for the need for diversity in the genre has occurred in convention panels and on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

. In late December 2019,

Romance Writers of America Romance Writers of America (RWA) is an American non-profit writers' association founded in 1980. Its mission is to "advance the professional and common business interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy and by inc ...

(RWA) suspended Courtney Milan, chair of the ethics committee, after other romance authors filed complaints with the RWA because she highlighted racist tropes in those authors' books on social media. With Milan's permission, Alyssa Cole made documents related to the dispute public on

Themes

Cole's writing often contains political and activist elements. One of her historical novel series takes place during the Civil War and contains heroines and heroes who are involved in important political events in American history. Another historical series, set in the American 1960s, sees Cole's characters in the middle of the civil rights movement. Cole's works of historical fiction set in America often thematically connect love and freedom. Her contemporary novel, ''A Princess in Theory'', contains a hero who is a prince of a small, fictional African country that deals with advances and issues modeled after real life nations of similar size and geography.

Personal life

Cole was born in the Bronx, and spent her childhood there and in Jersey City. Cole mainly resides in the Caribbean island of

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

, but also spends a portion of her time in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. During the process of writing a character with

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...

, Cole discovered she also lived with the same diagnosis.

Bibliography

Awards

* 2019 - ''An Unconditional Freedom'' - The Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romance Fiction *2019 - ''Once Ghosted Twice Shy'' - The Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romance Fiction *2019 - ''A Prince on Paper'' - The Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romance Fiction *2018 ''-

An Extraordinary Union ''An Extraordinary Union'' is a 2017 romance novel by American author Alyssa Cole. It was received favorably by critics and named to multiple best-of lists. It won multiple awards but was passed over by Romance Writers of America's nominations ...

'' - American Library Association RUSA Best Romance *2017 - ''An Extraordinary Union'' - Vulture's 10 Best Romance Books of 2017 *2017 - ''An Extraordinary Union'' - Booklist Top 10 Romances 2017 *2017 - ''An Extraordinary Union'' - Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2017, Romance *2021 – '' When No One Is Watching'' –

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...

for Best Paperback Original.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Alyssa 1982 births Living people Cole Alyssa American women romantic fiction writers 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American novelists American women novelists African-American women writers 20th-century African-American writers 20th-century African-American women People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder