Beverly Jenkins (born 1951, Detroit) is an American author of historical and contemporary romance novels with a particular focus on 19th-century African American life. She was a 2013 NAACP Image Award nominee and, in 1999, was voted one of the Top 50 Favorite African American writers of the 20th century by the African American Literature Book Club. Jenkins's historical romances are set during a period of African American history that she believes is often overlooked. This made it difficult to break into publishing, because publishers weren't sure what to do with stories that involved African Americans but not slavery.

Jenkins studied at Michigan State University as a Journalism and English Literature major. She lives in Southeastern Michigan.

Early life Jenkins was born in Detroit in 1951 to her parents, a high school teacher and an administrative aide. She grew up surrounded by words. Her mother read to Jenkins while she was in the womb, and bought her cloth books when she was a baby. Jenkins would chew on the cloth books while her mother encouraged her to "Eat those words, baby. Eat those words." She read widely at her local library, everything from Alice in Wonderland to Dune to Zane Grey, to early romance writers like Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart and Phyllis A. Whitney. Her early writing began when she became the editor of her elementary school newspaper.

Jenkins attended Michigan State University in the spring of 1969.

Career Jenkins worked full-time in the Michigan State University library's circulation department. Each lunch hour, she would read articles from The Journal of Negro History (now called The Journal of African American History).

Eventually, she and her husband moved to Ypsilanti, where she worked at the Parke Davis Pharmaceuticals' reference desk and began writing romance novels for fun. At the suggestion of a colleague, she looked for an agent and publisher, and sent her manuscript to Vivian Stephens, who agreed to represent her. Avon published her first novel, Night Song, in 1994.

Though Jenkins has published books in many romance sub-genres, the majority of her books are historical romances. She calls herself a "kitchen table historian." She likens American history to a quilt with some pieces ripped out—the pieces belonging to minority history. Jenkins uses her books to weave the quilt back together by revealing patches of black history that are rarely taught in school. Slavery and the Civil Rights Movement are important pieces of African American history, but they are not the only pieces. Jenkin's first three novels, Night Song, Vivid and Indigo, feature a schoolteacher, a cavalry officer, a female doctor and Underground Railroad heroes. They were all inspired by true history.

Jenkins found inspiration for Forbidden from two interesting bits of history. She read a news article about a high-end African American-run hotel that was uncovered during an archaeological dig in Virginia City. She also heard a story about a man seeing a black woman walking through the desert with a cook stove balanced on her head.

Jenkins includes bibliographies with her historical romances so readers can read further, if they choose.

Bibliography TitleSeriesPublication yearISBNNight Song1994VividGrayson Family No. 11995Indigo1996Topaz1997Through the StormLeVeq Family No. 11998The Taming of Jessi Rose1999Always and Forever2000Before the Dawn2001A Chance at Love2002Belle and the Beau2002"Homecoming"short story in Gettin' Merry anthology2002The Edge of Midnight2004Winds of the StormLeVeq Family No. 22006The Edge of Dawn2004Something like Love2005Black Lace2005Sexy/Dangerous2006Prisoner of Love2007Deadly Sexy2007"Prisoner"short story in Cuffed by Candlelight anthology2007Wild Sweet Love2007JewelGrayson Family No. 22008Josephine and the Soldier2009Bring on the BlessingsBlessings No. 12009CapturedLeVeq Family No. 32009A Second Helping,Blessings No. 22009"You Sang To Me"short story in Rhythms of Love anthology2010"Holiday Heat"short story in Once Upon a Holiday anthology2010Midnight2010"I'll Be Home for Christmas"short story in Baby, Let It Snow anthology2011Something Old, Something NewBlessings No. 32011Night Hawk2011"Hawaii Magic"short story in Island for Two anthology2012"Overtime Love"short story in Merry Sexy Christmas anthology2012Wish and a Prayer, ABlessings No. 42012Destiny's EmbraceDestiny No. 12013Destiny's SurrenderDestiny No. 22013Heart of GoldBlessings No. 52014Destiny's CaptiveDestiny No. 32014For Your LoveBlessings No. 62015ForbiddenOld West No. 12016Stepping to a New DayBlessings No. 72016BreathlessOld West No. 22017Chasing Down a DreamBlessings No. 82017TempestOld West No. 32018Second Time SweeterBlessings No. 92018RebelWomen Who Dare No. 12019On the Corner of Hope and MainBlessings No. 102020Wild RainWomen Who Dare No. 220219780062861719To Catch a RavenWomen Who Dare No. 320229780062861740A Christmas to RememberBlessings No. 1120239780063119253Calling All BlessingsBlessings No. 1220259780063018266

Awards 1996 – Romantic Times Historical Love and Laughter nomineeRT Book Reviews 1999 – Romantic Times Western Historical Romance winner 2000 – Romantic Times Multicultural Romance winner 2007 – Romantic Times Historical Storyteller of the Year nominee 2010 – A Second Helping – Romantic Times Multicultural Fiction Novel winner 2011 – Something Old, Something New – Romantic Times Multicultural Romance winner 2013 – Destiny's Embrace – Romantic Times American-Set Historical Romance winner 2013 – A Wish and a Prayer – NAACP Image Award for Literature nominee 2016 – Forbidden – Romantic Times Historical Romance winner 2017 – RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award

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