Gina Ferris Wilkins

Gina Ferris Vaughan Wilkins
Born Gina Ferris Vaughan
December 20, 1954 (1954-12-20) (age 57)
Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Pen name Gina Wilkins
Gina Ferris
Gina Ferris Wilkins
Occupation Novelist
Nationality American
Period 1987 - present
Genres Romance
Spouse(s) John Wilkins (1972-present)
Children 3

Gina Ferris Wilkins, née Vaughan (born December 20, 1954 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA) is a best-selling American author of over 85 romance novels. She writes novels as Gina Ferris, Gina Wilkins and Gina Ferris Wilkins.

Contents

Biography

Born Gina Ferris Vaughan on December 20, 1954 in Little Rock, Arkansas, daughter of Beth Vaughan, an executive secretary, and Vernon Vaughan, an electrician. In February 1972, she married John Wilkins, a wood turner, and they have three children.[1]

She obtained a journalism degree from Arkansas State University (ASU) and worked in advertising and human resources.[1]

In 1987 she sold her first book to Harlequin and embarked on a career as a full-time writer. Since then, she has written more than eighty-five novels for various Harlequin and Silhouette category romance lines. Her early Silhouette novels were written under the pseudonyms, Gina Ferris and Gina Ferris Wilkins, which she later dropped in favor of Wilkins. Her books have been translated in twenty languages and appear in more than one hundred countries.[2]

Wilkins was awarded a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award in 2003 for Best Silhouette Special Edition, Make-Believe Mistletoe and has been nominated for both a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Harlequin Temptation (1998 for Tempting Tara) and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award.[3] The Georgia Romance Writers have awarded her the Maggie Award for Excellence four times, and Wilkins has seen her books appear on the Waldenbooks, B. Dalton, and USAToday Bestseller lists.[2]

In 1999, Wilkins was forced to sue BET Publishing for plagiarism. A librarian who was a fan of Wilkins noticed that a new book she was reading, When Love Calls[4] by Gail McFarland,[5] appeared to very closely match a Harlequin Temptation, Hotline published in 1991 by Wilkins. After purchasing and examining the other book, Wilkins claims that over 100 pages were taken in whole or part from her work. In an out-of-court settlement reached in 2000, BET agreed to withdraw all copies of their book from booksellers and to cease any future publication of the book. Neither the publisher nor the infringing author offered an apology or admission of guilt.[4]

Wilkins is a member of Novelists, Inc. and the Romance Writers of America, and often speaks at schools to emphasize literacy, goal-setting, and motivation.[2]

Bibliography

[6]

As Gina Wilkins

Heroes To Reed Sisters Series

  1. Hero in Disguise (1987)
  2. Hero for the Asking (1988)
  3. Hero by Nature (1988)

Single Novels

James Family Series

  1. Cause for Celebration (1988)
  2. A Bright Idea (1989)
  3. A Rebel at Heart (1991)

Veils and Vows Series

  1. Taking a Chance on Love (1992)
  2. Designs on Love (1992)
  3. At Long Last Love (1992)

Luck Brothers Series

  1. As Luck Would Have It (1993)
  2. Just Her Luck (1994)

Southern Scandals Series

  1. Seducing Savannah (1997)
  2. Tempting Tara (1998)
  3. Enticing Emily (1998)
  4. The Rebels Return (1998)
  5. Seductively Yours (2000)
  6. Secretly Yours (2000)
  7. Yesterday's Scandal (2000)

Arkansas Firefighters Series

  1. It Could Happen to You (1997)
  2. Valentine Baby (1998)

Family Found: Sons and Daughters Series

  1. Her Very Own Family (1999)
  2. That First Special Kiss (1999)
  3. Adding To The Family (2005)
  4. The Borrowed Ring (2005)
  5. The Road To Reunion (2006)

Hot Off the Press Series

  1. The Stranger in Room 205 (2002)
  2. Bachelor Cop Finally Caught? (2001)
  3. Dateline Matrimony (2001)

McClouds of Mississippi Series

  1. The Family Plan (2003)
  2. Conflict of Interest (2003)
  3. Faith, Hope and Family (2003)

Bachelor Auction Series Multi-Author

Merlyn County Midwives Series Multi-Author

Eligible Bachelors Series Multi-Author

The Parks Empire Series Multi-Author

Logan's Legacy Series Multi-Author

Nascar Series Multi-Author

Collections

Omnibus In Collaboration

As Gina Ferris

Single Novels

Family Found Series

  1. Full of Grace (1993)
  2. Hardworking Man (1993)
  3. Fair and Wise (1993)
  4. Far to Go (1993)
  5. Loving and Giving (1994)

As Gina Ferris Wilkins

A Family Way Series

  1. A Man for Mum (1995)
  2. A Match for Celia (1995)
  3. A Home for Adam (1995)
  4. Cody's Fiancee (1995)

Cameron/Gates Series

  1. A Valentine Wish (1996)
  2. A Wish for Love (1996)

Omnibus In Collaboration

References and Resources

  1. ^ a b Gina Ferris Vaughan Wilkins (1954–), http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=3273, retrieved 2011-02-11 
  2. ^ a b c "Gina Wilkins". eReader.Com. Archived from the original on 2007-02-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20070218170324/http://www.ereader.com/author/detail/13632?author=Gina_Wilkins. Retrieved 2007-02-09. 
  3. ^ "Gina Wilkins Author Profile". Romantic Times. http://www.romantictimes.com/authors_profile.php?author=3809. Retrieved 2007-02-09. 
  4. ^ a b Wilkins, Gina; Laurie Gold (May 19, 2000). "Quickie with Gina Wilkins on Being Plagiarized". All About Romance. http://www.likesbooks.com/quick21.html. Retrieved 2007-02-09. 
  5. ^ "From the Pen of Gail McFlarland". The Fitwryter. http://fitwryter.tripod.com/welcome/id4.html. Retrieved 2007-02-09. 
  6. ^ "Gina Ferris Wilkins". Fantastic Fiction. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/gina-wilkins/. Retrieved 2007-02-09. 

External links