Debbie Macomber

Debbie Macomber
Born October 22, 1948
Yakima, Washington, United States
Occupation Novelist
Nationality American
Period 1983 - Present
Genre romance, women's fiction
Website
www.debbiemacomber.com

Debbie Macomber (b. October 22, 1948 in Yakima, Washington) is an American author of romance novels and contemporary women's fiction. Four of her novels have become made-for-TV-movies.[1] Macomber was the inaugural winner of the fan-voted Quill Award for romance in 2005[2] and has been awarded both a Romance Writers of America RITA and a lifetime achievement award by the Romance Writers of America.[3]

Career

Early career

Macomber is dyslexic and has only a high school education. Determined to be a writer,[4] she sat in her kitchen in front of a rented typewriter to develop her first few manuscripts, while raising four children.[5] After five years and many rejections from publishers, she turned to freelance magazine work.[4]

Macomber attended a romance writer's conference, where one of her manuscripts was selected to be publicly critiqued by an editor from Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. The editor tore apart her novel and recommended that she throw it away. Undaunted, Macomber scraped together $10 to mail the same novel, Heartsong, to Harlequin's rival, Silhouette Books. Silhouette bought the book, which became the first romance novel to be reviewed by Publishers Weekly.[4]

Career

Starlight was the first of her novels to be published, as part of the Silhouette Special Edition romance line, now owned by Harlequin.[6] Macomber continued to write romances for Silhouette, and later Harlequin. In 1988, Harlequin asked Macomber to write a series of interconnected stories, which became known as the Navy series. Before long, she was releasing two or three titles per year. By 1994, Macomber began releasing single-title novels. Her first hardcover was released in 2001.[6]

In 2002, Macomber realized that she wanted to write books focusing more on women and their friendships. Thursdays at Eight was her first departure from the traditional romance novel into contemporary women's fiction.[4]

In most years since 1986, Macomber has released a Christmas-themed book or novella.[7]

Macomber's novels focus on delivering the message of the story and do not include detailed descriptive passages. Her heroines tend to be optimists, and the "stories are resolved in a manner that leaves the reader with a feeling of hope and happy expectation."[7] Many novels take place in small, rural towns, with her Cedar Cove series loosely based on her own hometown.[8] Because of her Christian beliefs, Macomber does not include explicit sexual details in her books, although they do contain sensuality.[9]

Over 170 million copies of her books are in print throughout the world.[10] This Matter of Marriage, became a made-for-TV-movie in 1998.[1] Three of Macomber's novels have been made into Hallmark television movies: "Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle", "Call Me Mrs. Miracle", and "Trading Christmas", based on Macomber's novel "When Christmas Comes".

Macomber also now writes inspirational nonfiction, including cookbooks and children's books. Macomber owns a yarn store in Port Orchard, Washington and there is a Debbie Macomber line of knitting pattern books.

In July 2013, the Hallmark Channel began airing its first-ever original, scripted series based on her Cedar Cove book series. Macomber is the series developer and executive producer.[11]

Recognition

Macomber is a three-time winner of the B. Dalton Award,[3] and the inaugural winner of the fan-voted Quill Award for romance (2005, for 44 Cranberry Point).[2] She has been awarded the Romantic Times Magazine Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award and has won a Romance Writers of America RITA Award, for The Christmas Basket.

She threw out the first pitch in a Seattle Mariners game at Safeco Field in 2007.

Personal

Macomber is a volunteer mentor for young people, and is active in fundraising for battered women's shelters and for literacy and medical research. She is a national board member for Warm-Up America,[6] and was appointed an ambassador for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America national office in 1997.[3]

Macomber and her husband, Wayne, raised four children and have grandchildren. They live in Port Orchard, Washington and winter in Florida.

Bibliography

Stand-alone novels

Legendary Lovers Series

  1. Cindy and the Prince, Silhouette Books 1988
  2. Some Kind of Wonderful, Silhouette Books 1988
  3. Almost Paradise, Silhouette Books 1988

Navy Series

  1. Navy Wife, Silhouette Books 1988/2003
  2. Navy Blues, Silhouette Books 1989/2003
  3. Navy Brat, Silhouette Books 1991/2004
  4. Navy Woman, Silhouette Books 1991/2004
  5. Navy Baby, HQN Books 1991/2005
  6. Navy Husband, Silhouette Special Edition 2005

The Manning Sisters Series

  1. The Cowboy’s Lady, Silhouette Special Edition 1990
  2. The Sheriff Takes A Wife, Silhouette Special Edition 1990

Those Manning Men Series

  1. Marriage of Inconvenience, Silhouette Special Edition 1992
  2. Stand-In Wife, Silhouette Special Edition 1992
  3. Bride on the Loose, Silhouette Special Edition 1992

Orchard Valley Trilogy

  1. Valerie, Harlequin 1992
  2. Stephanie, Harlequin 1992
  3. Norah, Harlequin 1993

From This Day Forward

  1. Groom Wanted, Silhouette Special Edition 1993
  2. Bride Wanted, Silhouette Special Edition 1993
  3. Marriage Wanted, Silhouette Special Edition 1993

Angel Series

  1. A Season of Angels , Harper/Avon 1993
  2. The Trouble With Angels, Harper/Avon 1994
  3. Touched By Angels, Harper/Avon 1995
  4. Shirley, Goodness and Mercy, MIRA Books 1999
  5. Those Christmas Angels, Harlequin SuperRomance 2003
  6. Where Angels Go, Mira Books, 2007
  7. Angels at the Table, Ballantine, 2012

That Special Woman Series Multi-Author

Midnight Sons Series

  1. Brides For Brothers, Harlequin Romance 1995
  2. Marriage Risk, Harlequin Romance 1995
  3. Daddy's Little Helper, Harlequin Romance 1995
  4. Because of the Baby, Harlequin Romance 1996
  5. Falling For Him, Harlequin Romance 1996
  6. Ending In Marriage, Harlequin Romance 1996
  7. Mail Order Marriages, Harlequin Romance 2000
  8. Family Men, Harlequin Romance 2000
  9. The Last Two Bachelors, Harlequin Romance 2000
  10. Born In A Small Town, Harlequin SuperRomance 2000

Deliverance Company Series

  1. Someday Soon, Harper/Avon 1995
  2. Sooner or Later, Harper/Avon 1996
  3. Moon Over Water, MIRA Books 1999/2003

Heart of Texas Series

  1. Lonesome Cowboy, Harlequin Romance 1998
  2. Texas Two-Step, Harlequin Romance 1998
  3. Caroline's Child, Harlequin Romance 1998
  4. Dr. Texas, Harlequin Romance 1998
  5. Nell's Cowboy, Harlequin Romance 1998
  6. Lone Star Baby, Harlequin Romance 1998
  7. Promise, Texas, MIRA Books 1999
  8. Return to Promise, MIRA Books 2000

Dakota Series

  1. Dakota Born, MIRA Books 2000
  2. Dakota Home, MIRA Books 2000
  3. Always Dakota, MIRA Books 2001
  4. Buffalo Valley, MIRA Books 2001

Cedar Cove Series

For the 2013 television series based on the books, see Cedar Cove (TV series)
  1. 16 Lighthouse Road, MIRA Books 2001
  2. 204 Rosewood Lane, MIRA Books 2002
  3. 311 Pelican Court, MIRA Books 2003
  4. 44 Cranberry Point, MIRA Books 2004
  5. 50 Harbor Street, MIRA Books 2005
  6. 6 Rainier Drive, MIRA Books 2006
  7. 74 Seaside Avenue, MIRA Books 2007
  8. 8 Sandpiper Way, MIRA Books 2008
  9. 92 Pacific Boulevard (MIRA Books, September 2009)
  10. 1022 Evergreen Place Fall 2010
  11. 1105 Yakima Street MIRA Books 2011
  12. 1225 Christmas Tree Lane MIRA Books 2011

The Blossom Street Series

  1. The Shop on Blossom Street, MIRA Books 2004/2005
  2. A Good Yarn, MIRA Books 2005/2006
  3. Susannah's Garden, MIRA Books May 2006
  4. Christmas Letters, Mira Books October 2006
  5. Back on Blossom Street, MIRA Books 2007
  6. Twenty Wishes, MIRA Books 2008
  7. Summer on Blossom Street, May 2009
  8. Hannah's List, April 2010
  9. A Turn in the Road, April 2011
  10. Starting Now, April 2013
  11. Blossom Street Brides, March 25, 2014

Rose Harbor Series - A Spin off of the Cedar Cove Series

  1. When First They Met, June 18, 2012
  2. 1 The Inn At Rose Harbor, 2012 (em Português: A Pousada Rose Harbor)
  3. 1.5 Lost and Found in Cedar Cove, July 15, 2013
  4. 2 Rose Harbor in Bloom, August 13, 2013

Anthologies

Anthologies in collaboration

Nonfiction

Awards

See also

List of romantic novelists

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cockburn, Catherine (2006). "Debbie Macomber: the interview". The Romance Writers of Australia. Archived from the original on 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Munro, Aria C. (October 13, 2005). "Debbie Macomber Wins First Annual Quill Award for Romance Category". Publishers Newswire. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Debbie Macomber". eHarlequin.Com. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Dinsmore, Jeffrey (Spring 2005). "Meet the Writers: Debbie Macomber". Barnes and Noble. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  5. ↑ "ARR Interview with Debbie Macomber". A Romance Review. 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-16. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Donahue, Dick; Coffey, Michael (June 19, 2006). "How They Do Debbie". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Huseby, Sandy (2005). "Q&A: Macomber's high-flying romance". BookPage. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  8. ↑ Green, Tara (October 22, 2003). "Interview with Debbie Macomber". Contemporary Romance Writers. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  9. ↑ Neal, Jeri (December 2004). "Author of the Month: Debbie Macomber". The Romance Reader's Connection. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  10. ↑ Schmitt, Brad (July 5, 2013). "Nashville is perfect setting for 'Rose' author's fan retreat.". The Tennesseean. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  11. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 17, 2012). "Hallmark Channel Reaffirms Series Order To ‘Cedar Cove’ Starring Andie MacDowell". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 12, 2013.

External links