May We Suggest...Danielle Steel

From an education in New York and Europe to a professional background in public relations and advertising, and teaching, Ms. Danielle Steel moved on quickly to her literary career and has been hard at work writing ever since. She wrote her first book at nineteen. Often, she works on five books at a time — researching one storyline, writing another, and editing the third. Still, she often spends two to three years researching and developing a single project. In the heat of a first draft, it is not uncommon for her to spend eighteen to twenty hours a day glued to her 1946 Olympia manual typewriter.

There are more than 590 million copies of her books in print, and every one of her books is a bestseller. In short, Danielle Steel is the most popular author writing today. She is read by women, men, young people, old people in 47 countries and 28 languages. Ms. Steel’s 84th best-selling novel, Betrayal debuted in hardcover in March 2012. Other 

recent bestsellers include Hotel Vendome, Happy Birthday, 44 Charles Street, Legacy, Family Ties, Big Girl, Southern Lights, Matters of the Heart, One Day at a Time, A Good Woman, Rogue, Honor Thyself, Amazing Grace, Bungalow 2, Sisters, H.R.H., Coming Out, The House, Toxic Bachelors, Miracle, Impossible, Echoes, Second Chance, Ransom, Safe Harbour, Johnny Angel, Dating Game, and Answered Prayers, all of which have leapt to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, the Wall Street Journal list and comparable bestseller lists around the world.

Since 1981, Ms. Steel has been a permanent fixture on the New York Times hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. In 1989, she was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having at least one of her books on the Times bestseller list for 381 consecutive weeks. Twenty-one of Ms. Steel’s novels have been adapted for television. In addition, Ms. Steel is the author of the “Max and Martha” series of books for young readers. She has also written the “Freddie” books, four of them, about real-life situations in children’s lives, like a visit to the doctor and the first night away from home. Ms. Steel has also written nonfiction, His Bright Light, about the life and death of her son Nicholas Traina, released by Delacorte Press in September 1998, which immediately jumped to the New York Times Non-Fiction bestseller list.” She has also written a book of poetry entitled Love: Poems by Danielle Steel.

In 2002, Ms. Steel was decorated by the French government as an “Officier” of the distinguished Order of Arts and Letters, for her lifetime contribution to world culture. She was awarded the second highest rank of the Order.
Ms. Steel also has a passionate interest in emerging contemporary artists. She had an art gallery for several years, and guest curates now for an art gallery in San Francisco. In addition to her writing, Ms. Steel has varied philanthropic interests. She founded and runs two foundations, one named in honor of her late son, The Nick Traina Foundation, which funds organizations involved in mental illness and child abuse. The second was established to assist the homeless. She has won numerous awards for her personal work with mentally ill adolescents and children. Ms. Steel maintains a passionate interest in the welfare and well-being of children, particularly those in jeopardy.

She has raised nine children of her own. And they continue to keep her busy, as she juggles writing and family. Her family is her first priority, despite her many interests. Despite her varied interests and activities, Ms. Steel leads an extremely private family-centered life. She lives in San Francisco and Paris.