Jodi Thomas
Encyclopedia
Jodi Thomas is the pen name of Jodi Koumalats, an American author of historical
romance novels, most of which are set in Texas.
and moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech University
. She has a Master's degree in Family Studies.
Thomas married Tom Koumalats and spent several years travelling while he served in the United States Army
. The couple then returned to Amarillo and had two sons. Both husband and wife became teachers, and for the next fifteen years Thomas taught family living at Amarillo High School.
In 1984, worried that teacher salaries would be insufficient to save for her children's college education, Thomas began writing. Her first published work was an article for the Oklahoma Daily about the Llano Cemetery in Amarillo. She also sold many short stories for children, most averaging about 244 words. By 1988, Thomas had begun writing in earnest after work. When she sold her first book, publishers suggested that her surname, Koumalats, was too ethnic. As a compromise, she took her husband's first name as her pen name.
Thomas's first novel, Beneath the Texas Sky, met with critical success. It won a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Western Romance and was designated a National Press Women Novel of the Year. By 1991, Thomas was able to quit teaching to become a full-time writer. She has won three Romance Writers of America
RITA Awards,–the highest award given to romance novelists– in 1992, 1995, and 2006. Her third win, for The Texan's Reward, led to her immediate induction into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Thomas has been nominated for RITAs several other times. Her novels have been translated into at least six languages. Several of her novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List or the USAToday Bestseller List.
In 2003, Thomas became the writer-in-residence at West Texas A&M University
. She was only the second writer-in-residence to be appointed.
s in the early 1980s because she was dissatisfied with the ones she had read. In many cases, the romances she picked up contained historical errors or relationships that she thought were implausible. Her own novels draw on family stories of living in Texas, as well as months of research for each. The majority of her novels are set in Texas, and many contain the word "Texas" or "Texan" in the title.
Although most of her novels are historical or conteporary romances, with Widows of Wichita County Thomas branched into mainstream women's fiction.
Historical romance
Historical romance is a subgenre of two literary genres, the romance novel and the historical novel.-Definition:Historical romance is set before World War II...
romance novels, most of which are set in Texas.
Biography
Jodi Thomas is a fifth-generation Texan, whose grandmother was born in Texas in a covered wagon. She grew up in Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
and moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
. She has a Master's degree in Family Studies.
Thomas married Tom Koumalats and spent several years travelling while he served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The couple then returned to Amarillo and had two sons. Both husband and wife became teachers, and for the next fifteen years Thomas taught family living at Amarillo High School.
In 1984, worried that teacher salaries would be insufficient to save for her children's college education, Thomas began writing. Her first published work was an article for the Oklahoma Daily about the Llano Cemetery in Amarillo. She also sold many short stories for children, most averaging about 244 words. By 1988, Thomas had begun writing in earnest after work. When she sold her first book, publishers suggested that her surname, Koumalats, was too ethnic. As a compromise, she took her husband's first name as her pen name.
Thomas's first novel, Beneath the Texas Sky, met with critical success. It won a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Western Romance and was designated a National Press Women Novel of the Year. By 1991, Thomas was able to quit teaching to become a full-time writer. She has won three Romance Writers of America
Romance Writers of America
Romance Writers of America is a national non-profit genre writers association. It provides networking and support to individuals seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction and supports top authors such as Nora Roberts and Judith McNaught.-History:...
RITA Awards,–the highest award given to romance novelists– in 1992, 1995, and 2006. Her third win, for The Texan's Reward, led to her immediate induction into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Thomas has been nominated for RITAs several other times. Her novels have been translated into at least six languages. Several of her novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List or the USAToday Bestseller List.
In 2003, Thomas became the writer-in-residence at West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...
. She was only the second writer-in-residence to be appointed.
Books
Thomas began writing historical romanceHistorical romance
Historical romance is a subgenre of two literary genres, the romance novel and the historical novel.-Definition:Historical romance is set before World War II...
s in the early 1980s because she was dissatisfied with the ones she had read. In many cases, the romances she picked up contained historical errors or relationships that she thought were implausible. Her own novels draw on family stories of living in Texas, as well as months of research for each. The majority of her novels are set in Texas, and many contain the word "Texas" or "Texan" in the title.
Although most of her novels are historical or conteporary romances, with Widows of Wichita County Thomas branched into mainstream women's fiction.
Awards
- 1988 - National Press Women's Novel of the Year, Beneath the Texas Sky
- 1990 - (Texas) Panhandle Professional Writers Best Novel, Northern Star
- 1990 - Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. best novel, Northern Star
- 1991 - Romance Writers of America (RWA) RITA Award for Best Historical Romance, The Tender Texan
- 1994 - Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Historical Romance, To Tame a Texan's Heart
- 1998 - Romantic Time Magazine Career Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to women's fiction over the past ten years
- 1999 - Romantic Times Magazine Career Achievement Award for Outstanding Fiction
- 2002 - Named a Texas Tech University Distinguished Alumna
- 2005 - National Reader's Choice Award, Finding Mary Blaine
- 2006 - Romance Writers of America (RWA) RITA Award,The Texan's Reward
- 2006 - Inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of FAme
The Wife Lottery Series
- The Texan's Wager, 2002
- When a Texan Gambles, 2003
- A Texan's Luck, 2004
- The Texan's Reward, 2005
The McLain Series
- The Texan's Touch, 1998
- To Kiss a Texan, 1999
- To Wed in Texas, 2000
- Twilight in Texas, 2001
- The Texan's Dream, 2001
The Whispering Mountain Series
- Texas Rain, 2006
- Texas Princess, 2007
- Tall, Dark, and Texan, 2008
- The Lone Texan, 2009
Other Historical Novels
- Beneath the Texas SKy, 1988
- Northern Star, 1990
- The Tender Texan, 1991
- Prairie Song, 1992
- Cherish the Dream, 1993
- The Texan and the Lady, 1994
- To Tame a Texan's Heart, 1994
- Forever in Texas, 1995
- Texas Love Song, 1996
- Two Texas Hearts, 1997
Mainstream Fiction
- The Widows of Wichita County, 2003
- Finding Mary Blaine, 2004
- The Secrets of Rosa Lee, 2005
- Twisted Creek, 2008
Anthologies
- Sweet Hearts, 1993
- A Country Christmas, 1993
- How to Lasso a Cowboy, 2004