Eileen Dreyer is an American author of contemporary romance, historical romance and suspense, and also publishes under the pen name Kathleen Korbel. She is a five-time winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award and in 1995 was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In 2014, she competed on the TV game show Jeopardy!.
Biography Dreyer was born in St. Louis, Missouri and at the age of nineteen she began work as a trauma nurse.
She is trained in forensic nursing and death investigation and lives in Brentwood, Missouri with her husband and children. Her great-grandfather was a member of the IRA.
She published her first novel as Kathleen Korbel in 1986, writing for Harlequin's Silhouette category imprint. She said that "as a trauma nurse...she enjoyed writing romance because she liked to see good things happen to people, and scripting the story, she could be sure of that." Having grown up in a non-dysfunctional family, she said that working in the ER helped to show her the definition of a hero. "It constantly amazes me the people I've met who have had terrible things happen to them, but who live their lives well, loving and nurturing those around them. Those are my heroes. People who survive, who thrive, who triumph when there is no way they should."
Dreyer was a contestant on the October 30, 2014, episode of Jeopardy!, though she didn't win. She credited her ability to make it on the show and compete with reading a wide range of genres, but especially romance – "I think I picked up the best information from romance." This was especially true for Final Jeopardy!. As she related in an interview, "So the Final Jeopardy! category was English Monarchs, and I had to place my bet before I knew the answer. I had $6,400 at the time. I bet $6,200 because I had a strong feeling after my own history with historical romance, I would know this one. The answer was, 'The name of two kings, fifth and eighth, who were notable for being king but not crowned.' (Cue music.) And yes, I knew that the two kings, one of the boys Richard III allegedly killed in the Tower, and the king who abdicated for Wallace Simpson, were named Edward. I didn't win. Unfortunately, the other two players knew it, too. But I knew the answer. And I knew it because I read and write historical romance."
Bibliography
As Eileen Dreyer
Drake's Rakes 1. 2. 3. 3.5. 4. 5.
Molly Burke
Stand-alone works
Anthologies in Phyllis A. Whitney Presents Malice Domestic 5 in Mothers and Sons
As Kathleen Korbel
Daughters of Myth Paranormal Romance
Stand-alone works
Anthologies and short stories in Silhouette Summer Sizzlers in Silhouette Shadows '93
Non-fiction "And I Still Write Romance" essay in North American Romance Writers (1999, )
Awards and reception
1987 - RT Bookclub named her Best New Contemporary Romance Author 1989 - Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Silhouette Desire for Hotshot 1990 - Romance Writers of America RITA Award, Long Contemporary Series Romance – The Ice Cream Man 1990 - Romance Writers of America RITA Award, Romantic Suspense – Perchance to Dream 1992 - Romance Writers of America RITA Award, Single Title Contemporary Romance – A Man to Die For 1992 - Romance Writers of America RITA Award, Long Contemporary Series Romance – A Rose for Maggie 1993 – Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Series Romance Book of the Year for A Walk on the Wild Side 1995 - Romance Writers of America RITA Award, Long Contemporary Series Romance – A Soldier’s Heart 1996 – Anthony Award Nominee for Best Paperback Original for Bad Medicine 2003 – Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Silhouette Intimate Moments for Some Men's Dreams 2003 – Romance Readers Anonymous (RRA) Award for Some Men's Dreams 2005 – Romantic Times Career Achievement Award Winner – Suspense 2010 – Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Historical for Barely a Lady 2014 - Library Journal Top Ten Best Romances of 2014 – Twice Tempted
References
External links Official website