Judith McNaught was born on May 10, 1944. She is a bestselling author who has written more than 12 historical and contemporary romance novels. More than 30 million copies of her books are still being sold. She was also the first woman to hold the position of executive producer at a CBS radio station.

Early career

She was born on May 10, 1944, in San Luis Obispo. She studied business at Northwestern University. She married a dentist from St. Louis and had two children, a daughter named Whitney and a son named Clayton, before her divorce.

Before becoming a writer, she worked in several jobs. She was an assistant director on a film set, an assistant controller at a large trucking company, president of a temporary job agency, and president of a company that helps find jobs for executives. She also became the first woman to hold the position of executive producer at a CBS radio station.

She met her second husband, Michael "Mike" McNaught, while working as an assistant director on a film set. The movie was made for a division of General Motors. At the time, McNaught worked as the director of public relations for the company. Together, they had seven children—her two and his five from a previous marriage. Her husband supported her writing career by buying her a typewriter and encouraging her during years when publishers did not accept her books.

Her first book, Whitney, My Love, was written between 1978 and 1982. After struggling to sell that novel, she wrote and sold Tender Triumph in early 1982. She received the cover for Tender Triumph on June 20, 1983—the day after her husband was killed in an accident.

Success

Whitney, My Love, the first book, was published in 1985 after McNaught had written two successful novels. She did not know the rules that most Regency romances followed, so her early books were different. Her stories introduced the hero first, not the heroine. Unlike typical Regency romances, which were usually light and not romantic, her books were more romantic and clever. This book is now credited with helping create the Regency Historical genre. Whitney, My Love included elements of traditional Regency romances, but its long length, romantic scenes, and emotional depth were more like traditional historical romances, which were rarely set during the Regency period. Even though it took many years to sell the story, the book was very successful. Its success encouraged other editors to ask for stories written in the same style.

At the start of her writing career, McNaught was one of very few authors writing historical romances. By 1985, however, the genre had grown quickly, and over 50 new historical romances were published each month, many set during the Regency period like McNaught’s. Despite her long success in historical romances, in 1990 she changed genres to write contemporary romances, hoping to stand out in a less crowded market. As her career continued, she added suspense to her stories. Regardless of the genre, her books are fast-paced and feature strong, loyal, kind, and smart female characters.

McNaught was one of the first romance authors to sign a multimillion-dollar contract and have her books published in hardcover, which helped them get reviewed by major publications. She first appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List in 1988, and all her books after that also made the list. After one of her books reached the New York Times Bestseller List, McNaught asked her publisher to change the covers of future books. Instead of the common covers showing romantic scenes, she wanted her books to have "classy" covers.

In the early 1990s, Coors Brewing asked her to write a book that would appeal to women and help promote its women’s literacy program. Learning that one in five women was functionally illiterate, McNaught agreed to add the literacy theme to her nearly finished book, Perfect. This change took six extra weeks to complete. She donated part of her earnings from the book to women’s literacy programs and included a card in each book with information on how to donate to literacy programs or become a tutor.

She was the keynote speaker at the Romance Writers of America Conference in 1996. In 1997, Texas Women’s Monthly chose her as one of their four favorite authors, along with John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, and Dean Koontz. She has also won a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and had a Number 1 New York Times Bestseller with the romantic suspense novel Night Whispers.

Personal life

McNaught once lived in Saint Louis, Missouri, but she moved to Texas after falling in love with Dallas during a book tour. Her third marriage, to Don Smith, who worked as a professional golfer and engineer, ended in May 1993. McNaught described the separation as peaceful and friendly, and she held a party for 160 friends to celebrate beginning a new chapter in her life. As of 2007, she lived in Frisco, Texas. McNaught is involved in children's charities and breast cancer awareness efforts, and she recently started supporting literacy causes. After including a subplot about literacy in her novel Perfect, McNaught asked her publishers to add a response card to the book packaging. Because of this, thousands of women who read the book volunteered to become tutors and help others learn to read.

Selected awards

• 1985 – Romantic Times Special Award for Career Excellence in Best New Historical Romance, Whitney, My Love
• 1986 – Romantic Times Award for Best Harlequin Superromance, Tender Triumph
• 1987 – Affaire de Coeur Certificate for Excellent Writing, Once and Always
• 1987 – Affaire de Coeur Award for Best Historical Romance, Once and Always