Rochelle Alers
Encyclopedia
Rochelle Alers is an American writer
of romance novel
s. She has also written under the pen names Susan James and Rena McLeary.
, New York
, where she also raised. After earning degrees in sociology and psychology, she taught pre-school for a time before entering the business world.
Alers began writing her first novel in 1984, after a decade of reading romance novels. She finished her first manuscript, the novel Hideway, in 1985. After several rejections because her work did not fit the formula of a category romance novel, Alers perfected her style and was first published by Doubleday Books in 1988. She has since been published through St. Martin's Press
, Ballantine Books
, Odyssey, Arabesque, and Genesis Press, as well as through Silhoutte's Desire line.
Almost two million copies of her novels are now in print, and they have regularly appeared on the Waldenbooks, Borders, and Essence bestseller lists. Alers has been awarded the Gold Pen Award, the Emma Award, the Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award.
Alers writes full time currently after retiring from her job as a Community Liaison Specialist for a state funded abuse program in Long Island. She lives in Freeport, New York
with her beautiful pup name Oliver.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s. She has also written under the pen names Susan James and Rena McLeary.
Biography
Rochelle Alers was born on August 7, 1963 in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where she also raised. After earning degrees in sociology and psychology, she taught pre-school for a time before entering the business world.
Alers began writing her first novel in 1984, after a decade of reading romance novels. She finished her first manuscript, the novel Hideway, in 1985. After several rejections because her work did not fit the formula of a category romance novel, Alers perfected her style and was first published by Doubleday Books in 1988. She has since been published through St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
, Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
, Odyssey, Arabesque, and Genesis Press, as well as through Silhoutte's Desire line.
Almost two million copies of her novels are now in print, and they have regularly appeared on the Waldenbooks, Borders, and Essence bestseller lists. Alers has been awarded the Gold Pen Award, the Emma Award, the Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award.
Alers writes full time currently after retiring from her job as a Community Liaison Specialist for a state funded abuse program in Long Island. She lives in Freeport, New York
Freeport, New York
Freeport is a village in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 42,860 at the 2010 census. A settlement since the 1640s, it was once an oystering community and later a resort popular with the New York City theater community...
with her beautiful pup name Oliver.
Single novels
- Careless Whispers, (1988)
- My Love's Keeper, (1991)
- Happily Ever After, (1994)
- Home Sweet Home, (1996)
- Reckless Surrender, (1997)
- Gentle Yearning, (1998)
- Summer Magic, (1999)
- A Younger Man, (2002)
- Secrets Never Told, (2003)
- Lessons of a Lowcountry Summer, (2004)
- All My Tomorrows, (2005)
- A Time to Keep, (2006)
- Pleasure Seekers, (2007)
- After Hours, (2008)
- Naughty, (2009)
- Butterfly, (2010)
First Generation
- Hideaway (1995) Reissue 2009
- Hidden Agenda (1997) Reissue 2009
- Vows (1997) Reissue 2010
- Heaven Sent (1998) Reissue 2010
Daughters and Sisters Trilogy
- Harvest Moon (1999) Reissue 2011
- Just Before Dawn (2000)
- Private Passions (2001)
- Stranger in My Arms (2007)
- Breakaway(2010)
Sons and Brothers Trilogy
- No Compromise (2002) Reissue 2009
- Homecoming (2002)
- Renegade (2003)
- Secret Agenda (2009)
The Whitfields of New York
- Long Time Coming (2008)
- The Sweetest Temptation(2008)
- Taken By Storm(2008)
The Best Men Trilogy
- Man of Fate (2009)
- Man of Fortune (2009)
- Man of Fantasy (2009)
The Blackstones of Virginia
- The Long Hot Summer (2004)
- Very Private Duty (2004)
- Beyond Business (2005)
The Eatons
- Bittersweet Love, (2009)
- Sweet Deception, (2009)
- Sweet Dreams, (2010)
- Twice The Temptation, (2010)
- Sweet Persuasions, (2011)
- Sweet Destiny, (2011)
Anthologies in collaboration
- "Fresh Fruits" in Holiday Cheer (with Angela Benson and Shirley Hailstock) 1995/12
- "Hearts of gold" in Love Letters (with Donna Hill and Janice Sims) 1997/02
- Novella in Rosie's Curl and Weave (with Donna Hill, Felicia Mason and Francis RayFrancis RayFrancis Ray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling African-American writer of romance novels. She is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET...
) 1999/02 - Novella in Island Magic (with Shirley Hailstock, Marcia King-Gamble and Felicia Mason) 2000/02
- "Sweet Surrender" in Della's House of Style (with Donna Hill, Felicia Mason and Francis RayFrancis RayFrancis Ray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling African-American writer of romance novels. She is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET...
) 2000/07 - Novella in Welcome to Leo's (with Donna Hill, Brenda JacksonBrenda JacksonBrenda Jackson is an American novelist who writes contemporary multicultural romance novels. She was the first African-American author to have a novel published as part of the Silhouette Desire line, and has seen many of her novels reach the USAToday Bestseller list.-Biography:Brenda Jackson was...
and Francis RayFrancis RayFrancis Ray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling African-American writer of romance novels. She is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET...
) 2000/12 - "Stand-in bride" in Going to the Chapel (with Gwynne Forster, Donna Hill and Francis RayFrancis RayFrancis Ray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling African-American writer of romance novels. She is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET...
) 2001/06 - "First Fruits" in Tis the Season (with Donna Hill and Candice Poarch) 2001/10
- "From the Heart" in Island Bliss (with Carmen Green, Marcia King-Gamble and Felicia Mason) 2002/02
- "Anniversary" in Twilight Moods 2002/09
- "Reunion" in Living Large (with Donna Hill, Brenda JacksonBrenda JacksonBrenda Jackson is an American novelist who writes contemporary multicultural romance novels. She was the first African-American author to have a novel published as part of the Silhouette Desire line, and has seen many of her novels reach the USAToday Bestseller list.-Biography:Brenda Jackson was...
and Francis RayFrancis RayFrancis Ray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling African-American writer of romance novels. She is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET...
) 2003/01 - "Summer Madness" in Four Degrees of Heat (with Reshonda Tate Billingsley, Brenda L. Thomas and Crystal Lacey Winslow) 2004/07
- "Love Lessons" in Let's Get it On (with Donna Hill, Brenda JacksonBrenda JacksonBrenda Jackson is an American novelist who writes contemporary multicultural romance novels. She was the first African-American author to have a novel published as part of the Silhouette Desire line, and has seen many of her novels reach the USAToday Bestseller list.-Biography:Brenda Jackson was...
and Francis RayFrancis RayFrancis Ray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling African-American writer of romance novels. She is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET...
) 2004/11 - Lost in Sensation & Very Private Duty (with Maureen Child) 2005/01
- The Long Hot Summer with Private Indiscretions by Susan Crosby 2005/02
- Very Private Duty with Beyond Control by Bronwyn Jameson) 2005/07
- Rules Of Attraction & Beyond Business (with Susan Crosby) 2005/07
- "A Younger Man" in When You Least Expect It (with Brenda JacksonBrenda JacksonBrenda Jackson is an American novelist who writes contemporary multicultural romance novels. She was the first African-American author to have a novel published as part of the Silhouette Desire line, and has seen many of her novels reach the USAToday Bestseller list.-Biography:Brenda Jackson was...
) 2005/09 - "Shepherd Moon" in A Season of Miracles (with Adrianne Byrd, Kayla Perrin and Janice Sims) 2005/10
- Beyond Business with Apache Nights by Sheri Whitefeather 2006/09
Nonfiction
- Getting Political: Stories of a Woman Mayor (2002) (with Alice Crozier and Joan Darrah)