Mary Jo Putney (born in
New York) is an American
author of over twenty-five
historical and contemporary
romance novels. She has also published
romantic fantasy novels as M.J. Putney. Her books are known for their unusual subject matter, including alcoholism, death, and domestic abuse.
Biography
Putney was born and raised in
New York. She attended
Syracuse University, earning degrees in English literature and Industrial design.[1] She served as the art editor of The New Internationalist magazine in
London and worked as a designer in
California[2] before settling in
Baltimore, Maryland in 1980[2] to run her own freelance graphic design business.[1]
After purchasing her first computer for her business, Putney realized that it would make writing very easy. She began work on her first novel, a traditional Regency romance, which sold in one week. Signet liked the novel so much that it offered Putney a three-book contract immediately.[2] In 1987 that first novel, The Diabolical Baron, was published. Since then, she has published twenty-nine books (as of January 2007). Her books have been ranked on the national bestseller lists of the New York Times, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly.[1] The vast majority of her works have been historical romance, although she did write three contemporary romances. She has also begun writing fantasy romance and romantic fantasy as M.J. Putney.
According to IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) Magazine, Mary Jo Putney wed John Rekus (IUP alumni 1990), a consulting engineer, on April 14, 2012 at the castle at Maryvale. They reside at their estate in Ruxton, Maryland along with their four cats.
Awards
Putney has won the
Romance Writers of America RITA Award twice, for Dancing on the Wind and The Rake and the Reformer and has been a RITA finalist nine times. She is on the Romance Writers of America Honor Roll for bestselling authors, and has been awarded two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards and four Golden Leaf Awards.[1]
Bibliography
As M.J. Putney
Dark Mirror
Dark Mirror (2011)
Dark Passage (2011)
Dark Destiny (2012)
As Mary Jo Putney
Single novels
Lady of Fortune (1988)
Uncommon Vows (1991)
Carousel of Hearts (1992)
Dearly Beloved (1990)
The Bargain (1999) (revised from The Would-be Widow (1988))
Davenport Series
The Diabolical Baron (1987)
The Rake (1998) (revised from The Rake and the Reformer (1989))
"Sunshine for Christmas" in A Regency Christmas II (1990)
Bride Trilogy
The Wild Child (1998)
The China Bride (2000)
The Bartered Bride (2002)
Silk Trilogy
Silk and Shadows (1991)
Silk and Secrets (1992)
Veils of Silk (1992)
Fallen Angels Series
Thunder and Roses (1993) (reissued in Great Britain as Fallen Angel (2009))
Petals in the Storm (1993) (revised from The Controversial Countess (1989))
Dancing on the Wind (1994)
Angel Rogue (1995) (revised from The Rogue and the Runaway (1990))
Shattered Rainbows (1996)
River of Fire (1996)
One Perfect Rose (1997)
Circle of Friends Series
The Burning Point (2000)
The Spiral Path (2002)
"A Holiday Fling" in Christmas Revels (2002)
Twist of Fate (2003)
Guardian Series
"The Alchemical Marriage" in Irresistible Forces (2004)
A Kiss of Fate (2004)
Stolen Magic (2005) (as M.J. Putney)
A Distant Magic (2006)
"The Tuesday Enchantress" in The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (2009)
"The White Rose of Scotland" in Chalice of Roses (2010)
Christmas Revels (2002) includes 5 novellas: Sunshine for Christmas, The Christmas Cuckoo, The Christmas Tart, The Black Beast of Belleterre, and A Holiday Fling
Dangerous to Know (2007) includes the novel The Diabolical Baron (1987) and the novella Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know
Christmas Mischief (2010) includes 3 novellas: Sunshine for Christmas, The Christmas Cuckoo, and The Christmas Tart
Omnibus in Collaboration
"The Christmas Cuckoo" in A Regency Christmas (1991) (with
Mary Balogh, Sandra Heath, Melinda McRae and Edith Layton)
"The Christmas Tart" in A Regency Christmas IV (1992) (with
Mary Balogh, Marjorie Farrell, Sandra Heath and Emma Lange)
"The Black Beast of Belleterre" in A Victorian Christmas (1992)(with Edith Layton,
Betina Krahn,
Patricia Gaffney and Patricia Rice) reissued in Christmas Roses (2013)
"Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know" in Rakes and Rogues (1993) (with
Mary Balogh, Melinda McRae, Anita Mills and Maura Seger) reissued in Captured Hearts (1999) (with
Mary Balogh, Edith Layton, Patricia Rice and
Joan Wolf)
"The Wedding of the Century" in Promised Brides (1994) (with
Kristin James and Julie Tetel) reissued in Bride by Arrangement (2000) (with Merline Lovelace and
Gayle Wilson)
"The Devil's Spawn" in Dashing and Dangerous (1995) (with
Mary Balogh, Edith Layton, Melinda McRae and Anita Mills)
"Goldspun Promises" / "No Brighter Dream" / "Dancing on the Wind" (1995) (with Elizabeth Gregg and
Katherine Kingsley)
"The Dragon and the Dark Knight" in Dragon Lovers (2007) (with
Jo Beverley, Karen Harbaugh and
Barbara Samuel)
"She Stoops to Wenchdom" in Mischief and Mistletoe (2012) (with
Jo Beverley, Joanna Bourne, Patricia Rice,
Nicola Cornick, Cara Elliott, Anne Gracie, and
Susan King)