Julie Garwood

Julie Elizabeth Garwood ( Murphy; December 26, 1944 – June 8, 2023) was an American writer of over twenty-seven romance novels in both the historical and suspense subgenres. Over thirty-five million copies of her books are in print, and she had at least 24 New York Times Bestsellers. She also wrote a novel for young adults called ''A Girl Named Summer''.

Garwood's novel ''For the Roses'' was adapted for the television feature ''Rose Hill''.

Biography

Julie Garwood born Julia Elizabeth Murphy and was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, the sixth of seven children in a large Irish family. She was the daughter of Felicita “Flip” Murphy, née Kennedy and Thomas Murphy and had five sisters: Sharon, Kathleen, Marilyn, Mary Colette "Cookie", and Joanne, and one brother: Tom. After having a tonsillectomy at age six, because she missed so much school, she did not learn to read as the other children her age did. She was eleven before her mother realized Garwood was unable to read. A math teacher, Sister Elizabeth, devoted the entire summer that year to teaching Garwood how to read, and how to enjoy the stories she was reading. This teacher had such an impact on Garwood's life that she named her daughter Elizabeth.

While studying to be a registered nurse, Garwood took a Russian history course and became intrigued by history, choosing to pursue a double major in history and nursing. A professor, impressed by the quality of her essays, convinced Garwood to write. The result was a children's book, ''A Girl Named Summer'', and her first historical novel, ''Gentle Warrior''.

Garwood married young and had three children: Gerry, Bryan, and Elizabeth. The family resided in Leawood, Kansas. Although Garwood enjoyed her writing, she was not intending to pursue a career as an author. As a young wife and mother she took several freelance writing jobs, and wrote longer stories to amuse herself. After her youngest child started school, Garwood began attending local writers' conferences, where she soon met an agent. The agent sold both her children's book and her historical novel, and soon the publisher requested more historical romances.

Garwood's novels are particularly known for the quirkiness of her heroines, who tend to have an ability to get lost anywhere, clumsiness, and a "charming ability to obfuscate and change the direction of conversations to the consternation, frustration, but eventual acceptance of the other party." She was not afraid to tackle difficult issues, and one of her books deals with spousal abuse.

Despite her success in the historical romance genre, Garwood ventured into a new genre and began writing contemporary romantic suspense novels. Like her historicals, these contemporaries still focus on family relationships, whether between blood relatives or groups of friends who have styled themselves as a family.

Her first contemporary offering, ''Heartbreaker'', was optioned for film and was serialized in ''Cosmopolitan''.

Garwood died at her home in Kansas on June 8, 2023, at the age of 78.

Bibliography

As Emily Chase

The Girls of Canby Hall series

*14.What's a Girl to Do? 1985

(''Under the pseudonym Emily Chase, Julie Garwood wrote one Young Adult novel'').

As Julie Garwood

Young Adult

*''A Girl Named Summer'' 03/1986

Single Novels

*''Gentle Warrior'' (Elizabeth Montwright - Geoffrey Berkley) 10/1985
*''Rebellious Desire'' (Caroline Richmond - Jered Marcus Benton) 06/1986
*''Honor's Splendour'' (Madelyne - Baron Duncan) 12/1987
*''The Prize'' 08/1991
*''Saving Grace'' 12/1993
*''Prince Charming'' 06/1994

Crown's Spies Series

#''The Lion's Lady'' 12/1988
#''Guardian Angel'' 05/1990
#''The Gift'' 01/1991
#''Castles'' 07/1993

Lairds' Brides Series

#''The Bride'' 07/1989
#''The Wedding'' 04/1996

Highlands' Lairds Series

#''The Secret'' 05/1992
#''Ransom'' 09/1999
#''Shadow Music'' 12/2007

Clayborne of Rosehill Series

#''For The Roses'' 02/1995
#''One Pink Rose'' 06/1997 (and in "The Clayborne Brides")
#''One White Rose'' 07/1997 (and in "The Clayborne Brides")
#''One Red Rose'' 08/1997 (and in "The Clayborne Brides")
#''Come The Spring'' 12/1997

Buchanan/FBI Series

#''Heartbreaker'' 08/2000 (Nick Buchanan/Laurant Madden)
#''Mercy'' 09/2001 (Theo Buchanan/Dr. Michelle Renard)
#''Killjoy'' 09/2002 (John Paul Renard/Avery Delaney)
#''Murder List'' 08/2004 (Alec Buchanan/Regan Hamilton Madison)
#''Slow Burn'' 08/2005 (Dylan Buchanan/Kate MacKenna)
#''Shadow Dance'' 12/2006 (Noah Clayborne/Jordan Buchanan)
#''Fire and Ice'' 12/2008 (Jack MacAlister/Sophie Summerfield Rose)
#''Sizzle'' 12/2009 (Samuel Kincaid/Lyra Prescott)
#''The Ideal Man'' 08/2011 (Max Daniels/Dr. Ellie Sullivan)
#''Sweet Talk'' 08/2012 (Grayson Kincaid/Olivia Mackenzie)
#''Hotshot'' 06/2013 (Finn MacBain/Peyton Lockhart)
#''Fast Track'' 02/2014 (Aiden Madison/Cordelia Kane)
#''Wired'' 05/2017 (Liam Scott/Alison Trent
#''Grace Under Fire'' 07/2022 (Michael Buchanan/ Grace Isabel MacKenna)

References

External links

Official Site
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garwood, Julie
1944 births
2023 deaths
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American thriller writers
American romantic fiction writers
RITA Award winners
Writers from Kansas City, Missouri
People from Leawood, Kansas
Novelists from Kansas
American people of Irish descent
American women novelists
American women thriller writers
American women romantic fiction writers
Novelists from Missouri
American historical fiction writers
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women writers