Niki Burnham
Encyclopedia
Niki Burnham is the author of several romance novels and books for teens. She writes young adult novels under the name Niki Burnham and romances under the name Nicole Burnham.
, but was born in Key West, Florida
, while her father was briefly stationed there with the military. She graduated from Mannheim
American High School in 1988, then obtained her B.A. in political science magna cum laude in 1991 from Colorado State University
, where she was Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to earn both an M.A. in political science from the University of Michigan
and a J.D.
from the University of Michigan Law School
in 1994. She clerked for a federal magistrate in Colorado and practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri
before turning to writing full-time.
Burnham was a double finalist for the Romance Writers of America
's Golden Heart in 2000. One of those two finalist manuscripts was Going to the Castle, which went on to become her first published novel the following year. She won the 2004 RITA in the Best Short Contemporary Series category for The Knight's Kiss, her third published novel.
Burnham is a member of the Romance Writers of America and served on the Board of Directors for four years, first as Region One Director, then as the PAN Liaison.
An Army brat, Burnham has lived in eight U.S. states as well as in Germany
. She currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and black miniature poodle
, Tipper. She is an avid baseball fan and maintains a blog called The Go-Ahead in which she frequently discusses her two favorite teams, the Boston Red Sox
and the Colorado Rockies
.
This series of romantic comedies centers on high school sophomore Valerie Winslow, whose parents are getting a divorce because her mother has fallen in love with another woman. Valerie's father works as the chief of protocol in a very conservative White House. Since his divorce is taking place during an election year, he is offered a temporary job with the royal family of fictional Schwerinborg, a German-speaking nation in western Europe, to keep any tinge of scandal from the President, who is up for re-election. Valerie must choose whether to live with her mother and her mother's new girlfriend across town (which means attending a new high school), or move to Europe with her father. Valerie opts to go to Europe, where she ends up falling for the royal family's teenage son, Prince Georg.
2. The Prince's Tutor (Silhouette Romance) - January 2003
3. The Knight's Kiss (Silhouette Romance) - May 2003
4. Falling for Prince Federico (Silhouette Romance) - August 2004
These romances follow four royal siblings in the fictional Italian-speaking country of San Rimini.
Biography
Niki Burnham is originally from ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, but was born in Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, while her father was briefly stationed there with the military. She graduated from Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
American High School in 1988, then obtained her B.A. in political science magna cum laude in 1991 from Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
, where she was Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to earn both an M.A. in political science from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
in 1994. She clerked for a federal magistrate in Colorado and practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
before turning to writing full-time.
Burnham was a double finalist for the 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:...
's Golden Heart in 2000. One of those two finalist manuscripts was Going to the Castle, which went on to become her first published novel the following year. She won the 2004 RITA in the Best Short Contemporary Series category for The Knight's Kiss, her third published novel.
Burnham is a member of the Romance Writers of America and served on the Board of Directors for four years, first as Region One Director, then as the PAN Liaison.
An Army brat, Burnham has lived in eight U.S. states as well as in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and black miniature poodle
Poodle
The Poodle is a breed of dog. The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is highly intelligent and skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding...
, Tipper. She is an avid baseball fan and maintains a blog called The Go-Ahead in which she frequently discusses her two favorite teams, the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
.
The Valerie Winslow series
To date, there are three books in the Valerie Winslow series:- 2004 — Royally Jacked — Simon Pulse (UK title: Royally Crushed )
- 2005 — Spin Control — Simon Pulse
- 2006 — Do-Over — Simon Pulse
This series of romantic comedies centers on high school sophomore Valerie Winslow, whose parents are getting a divorce because her mother has fallen in love with another woman. Valerie's father works as the chief of protocol in a very conservative White House. Since his divorce is taking place during an election year, he is offered a temporary job with the royal family of fictional Schwerinborg, a German-speaking nation in western Europe, to keep any tinge of scandal from the President, who is up for re-election. Valerie must choose whether to live with her mother and her mother's new girlfriend across town (which means attending a new high school), or move to Europe with her father. Valerie opts to go to Europe, where she ends up falling for the royal family's teenage son, Prince Georg.
Other young adult fiction
- 2005 — Sticky Fingers — Simon Pulse
- 2006 — Scary Beautiful — Simon Pulse
- 2007 — Goddess Games — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
The San Rimini series
1. Going to the Castle (Silhouette Romance) - December 20012. The Prince's Tutor (Silhouette Romance) - January 2003
3. The Knight's Kiss (Silhouette Romance) - May 2003
4. Falling for Prince Federico (Silhouette Romance) - August 2004
These romances follow four royal siblings in the fictional Italian-speaking country of San Rimini.
Other romance fiction
- One Bachelor to Go (Silhouette Romance) - February 2004
- The Bowen Bride (Silhouette Romance) - November 2004
Shorter Works
- "Night Swimming" in the young adult anthology Fireworks: Four Summer Stories with Erin Haft, Sarah MlynowskiSarah MlynowskiSarah Mlynowski is an editor and a writer of chick lit and young-adult fiction novels. In 2001, she published her first novel Milkrun, which has since been published in 16 countries, selling over 600,000 copies around the globe.Married, Sarah lives in New York City, United States.-Personal...
, and Lauren MyracleLauren MyracleLauren Myracle is an American author of young adult books. She is the oldest of three sisters and has three older brothers. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia where she attended Trinity School and The Westminster Schools...
(Scholastic Point) - April 2007 - "Last Stand" in the young adult anthology Breaking Up (Is Hard To Do) with Terri Clark, Ellen HopkinsEllen HopkinsEllen Hopkins is a novelist who has published several New York Times bestselling novels that are popular among the teenage and young adult audience.-Career:...
, and Lynda Sandoval (Houghton Mifflin Graphia) - May 2008
Honors and awards
- 2004 RITA Winner - Best Short Contemporary Series category romance for The Knight's Kiss
- 2005 RITA Finalist- Best Traditional Series category romance for The Bowen Bride
- American Library AssociationAmerican Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers for Royally Jacked - New York Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
's 2005 Books for the Teen Age for Royally Jacked - Teen PeoplePeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
Pick for Royally Jacked
Trivia
- In the same class section at Michigan Law School as Cynthia Leitich SmithCynthia Leitich SmithCynthia Leitich Smith is a New York Times best-selling author of fiction for children and young adults. A member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, she writes fiction for children centered on the lives of modern-day American Indians. These books are taught widely by teachers in elementary, middle...
and Pat DeWinePat DeWineRichard Patrick "Pat" DeWine is an American lawyer and politician from Ohio. He is the son of former U.S Senator Mike DeWine and like his father is a Republican....
. Burnham and Leitich Smith were bridesmaids in each other's weddings.
- Appeared on Jeopardy!Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
in July 2000, losing to eventual Jeopardy! Tournament of ChampionsJeopardy! Tournament of ChampionsThe Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions is an annual tournament featuring the longest-running champions from the past season or seasons of the TV quiz show Jeopardy! The tournament began in the show's first season in 1964 during Art Fleming's tenure as host, and continued into the Alex Trebek era of...
runner-up Tad Carithers.
See also
- Niki Burnham Official Website
- Niki Burnham Official MySpace
- A Home Run First Time at Bat? - All About Romance Interview
- Interview with Nicole Burnham - The Romance Reader
- Spotlight on Nicole Burnham - Interview at RBL
- September 2006 Interview with Funny Author Niki Burnham - YA Books Central Interview
- Interview with Niki Burnham - Interview by Sara Webb-Quest at The Authors Den
- What's Fresh With Niki Burnham's Do-Over - Interview by Kelly Parra of YA Fresh