Johanna Helen Lindsey, born as Howard on March 10, 1952, and passing away on October 27, 2019, was an American author who wrote historical romance novels. All of her books were listed on the New York Times bestseller list, and many of them reached the top position, number one.

Personal life

Johanna Helen Howard was born on March 10, 1952, in Frankfurt, West Germany. Her mother was Wanda Donaldson Howard, who worked in human resources. Her father was Edwin Dennis Howard, a soldier in the U.S. Army stationed in West Germany, where Johanna was born. The Howard family moved frequently when Johanna was young because of her father’s job in the military.

Her father always wanted to retire in Hawaii, but he passed away in 1964. That same year, her family moved to Hawaii, probably to fulfill his dream.

In 1970, after graduating from school, Johanna went on a blind date with Ralph Bruce Lindsey. They married four months later. The couple lived in Hawaii and had three children: Alfred, Joseph, and Garret. After her husband’s death, Lindsey moved to Maine and did not marry again.

Writing career

Lindsey wrote her first book, Captive Bride, in 1977 without planning. The book was a success. She has written forty-nine more novels since then. By 2006, over 58 million copies of her books had been sold worldwide. Her work has been translated into 12 languages.

Style

Because of the different settings, Lindsey's work includes many types of romance stories, such as historical fiction (medieval, Regency, American frontier, and Viking eras) and science fiction. Her most popular books are a series of Regency-era stories about the fictional Malory family (see Family Tree).

Richard Sandomir of The New York Times explained,

Legacy

In December 2019, Lindsey's son, Alfred, shared that Lindsey passed away on October 27, 2019, at the age of 67. The reason for her death was Stage 4 lung cancer.

An Italian model named Fabio was frequently shown on the covers of Lindsey's books. In 1987, Fabio first appeared on the cover of Lindsey's novel Hearts Aflame, which was painted by Elaine Duillo. This image is believed to have helped start Fabio's career as a male model. By 1992, more than 55 million romance novels featuring Fabio had been sold. In 2019, Fabio shared his sadness after learning about Lindsey's death.