Jennifer Crusie

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Jennifer Crusie is a pseudynom for Jennifer Smith, a bestselling and award winning author of contemporary romance novels. She has written over 15 novels, which have been published in 20 countries.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Jennifer Crusie was born Jennifer Smith in Wapakoneta, Ohio. "Jenny," as she is called, chose the Crusie surname for her writing to honor her maternal grandmother (who was born a Crusie). Crusie has spent much of her life and currently resides in Ohio.

[edit] Education

Crusie was graduated from Wapakoneta High School, and then earned a bachelor's degree in Art Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She has a Master's degree in Professional Writing and Women's Literature from Wright State University, and an MFA in Fiction from Ohio State University. She has also completed work towards a Ph.D. in feminist criticism and nineteenth century British and American literature at Ohio State University.

[edit] Family and Career

Crusie married in 1971, and followed her Air Force husband to Wichita Falls, Texas. He was soon transferred to Dayton, Ohio. They have one daughter, Mollie.

Crusie had long planned to be a teacher. She has taught all age levels, from pre-school through college, including 15 years in the Beavercreek (Ohio) public school system. Her junior and senior high school courses included art, Literature (touching on mythology, the Bible in literature, college composition, and British and American literature), as well as time spent directing the sets and costumes crews for the high school's drama department. She has also taught courses at Antioch University, Wright State University, and Ohio State.

[edit] Writing Career

Writing was an accidental career. Crusie's Ph.D. disseration was to focus on the impact of gender on narrative strategies. To research then differences in the way men and women tell stories, Crusie vowed to read one hundred romance novels and one hundred men's adventure novels. The romance novels were so compelling that Crusie changed her dissertation to focus on romantic fiction and decided to try her hand at writing some. She quit her job in the summer of 1991 to devote herself full-time to writing.

Crusie sold her first novella, Sizzle, in August 1992. For the first three years of her career, her books were presented as category romances under the Silhouette, Harlequin, and Bantam Loveswept lines. In 1995, Crusie developed a partnership with St. Martin's Press, and began writing single title novels. Her books are known for their humor, and for the interesting scenarios her heroines are placed in.

Crusie also collaborates with author Bob Mayer on romantic adventure novels, and collaborates with two other authors on a book due in 2007. She has also continued her interest in the academic side of fiction. She published a book of literary criticism on Anne Rice under the name Jennifer Smith.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Fiction

“This first collaboration between best-selling romance writer Crusie and adventure-thriller writer Mayer is a rare delight. Mayer's delectably dry sense of humor perfectly complements Crusie's brand of sharp wit, and together the two have cooked up a sexy, sassy, and smart combination of romance and suspense that is simply irresistible.” --Booklist

[edit] Non-Fiction

  • Totally Charmed: Demons, Whitelighters and the Power of Three (2005) (Smart Pop series) ISBN 1-932-10060-1 - editor and contributor
  • Flirting with Pride & Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece (2005) (Smart Pop series) ISBN 1-932-10072-5 - editor and contributor
  • Anne Rice: A Critical Companion (Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers) (1996) ISBN 0-313-29612-X

[edit] Awards and Honors

  • Jennifer Crusie won the Romance Writers of America 2005 RITA® in the Best Contemporary Single Title category for Bet Me
  • In 1996 the Romance Readers Anonymous listserv (RRA-L) awarded Jennifer Crusie the award for Best Series/Category Romance Author
  • In 1995 the Romance Readers Anonymous listserv (RRA-L) awarded Jennifer Crusie the award for Best Series/Category Author
  • In 1994 the Romance Readers Anonymous listserv (RRA-L) awarded Jennifer Crusie the award for Best Series/Category Author
  • She won the Romance Writers of America 1995 RITA® in the Best Short Contemporary Series category for Getting Rid of Bradley.

[edit] External Links

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