Linda S. Howington was born on August 3, 1950, in Alabama, United States. She is an American best-selling romance and suspense author who writes under the pseudonym Linda Howard.

Biography

Howington began writing at the age of nine and continued writing for twenty years for her own enjoyment. She worked at a trucking company where she met her husband, Gary F. Howington. In 1980, she decided to try to get her work published. After writing for 21 years, she submitted a novel for publication. It was very successful. Her first book, All That Glitters, was published by Silhouette in 1982.

Howington joined the Romance Writers of America (RWA) in 1981, shortly after the organization was formed. She served as Region 3 Director until October 31, 2008. In 2017, Howard criticized the RWA's efforts to include more non-white authors. Howard wrote on an internal forum that "Diversity for the sake of diversity is discrimination." The argument caused by her statement led Howington to resign from the organization.

Her husband was a professional fisherman who competed in bass tournaments. She traveled with him and worked on her laptop. The couple lived on a farm in Alabama, where they raised cattle and had two dogs. Linda’s husband passed away on January 3, 2025.