Vanished - Author

Danielle Steel

Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel (born August 14, 1947), better known as Danielle Steel, is an American romantic novelist and author of mainstream dramas.

Steel has sold more than 800 million copies of her books (as of 2005) worldwide and is the fourth best selling writer of all time, and is currently the best-selling author alive. Her novels have been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks and 22 have been adapted for television.

Early life

Steel was born in New York City, the only child of Norma da Câmara Stone dos Reis and John Schulein-Steel. Her father was a German Jewish immigrant, and her mother, born in Portugal, was the daughter of a diplomat.

Steel was raised Catholic and had wanted to be a nun during her early years. Her parents divorced when she was eight, and she was raised primarily in New York City and Europe by her father, rarely seeing her mother.

Steel started writing stories as a child, and by her late teens had begun writing poetry. A graduate of the “Lycée Française de New York”, class of 1963, she studied literature design and fashion design, first at “Parsons School of Design” in 1963 and then at “New York University” from 1963 to 1967. 

Personal life

Steel has been married 5 times, and she had 7 children from his first, second and fourth marriages, Beatrix (1966), Nicholas (born in 1678 and committed suicide in 1997 as a result of bipolar disorder), Samantha (April 14, 1982), Victoria (September 5, 1983), Vanessa (December 18, 1984), Max (February 10, 1986) and Zara (September 26, 1987).

Steel's longtime residence was in San Francisco, but she now spends most of her time at a second home in Paris.

Career

• While Steel was still attending New York University, she began writing, completing her first manuscript the following year, when she was nineteen.

• In 1966, Steel worked for a public relations agency in New York called Supergirls for several years. A magazine client was highly impressed with her freelance articles and encouraged her to focus on writing and suggested she write a book, which she did.
  

• Most of her books were born from her serial marriages, such as Going home (1972), Passion’s Promises (1977), The promises (1978), The Klone and I (1998).

• In 1984, Steel contributed to her first non-fiction work Having a Baby and featured a chapter about suffering through miscarriage.Steel also ventured into children's fiction by writing "Max and Martha" series (1989-1991) and "Freddie" series (1992).

• To honor the memory of her son Nicholas, Steel wrote the non-fiction book His Bright Light about Nick's life and death.

• Steel's novels have been translated into 28 languages and can be found in 47 countries across the globe, and 22 of her books have been adapted for television, including two that have received Golden Globe nominations.

• Her novels sometimes explore the world of the "rich and famous" and frequently deal with serious life issues, like illness, death, loss, family crises, war and relationships.
  

• In recent years, Steel has also been willing to take more risks with her plots. Ransom focuses more on suspense than romance, and follows three sets of seemingly unconnected characters as their lives begin to intersect.

• In 1998, Steel sold the rights of her novel The Ghost to Columbia Pictures, and in 2005, she reached an agreement with New Line Home Entertainment to sell the film rights to 30 of her novels for DVDs.

• Steel is a prolific author, often releasing several books per year. Each book takes 2½ years to complete, so Steel has developed an ability to juggle up to five projects at once, researching one book while outlining another, then writing and editing additional books.

Honors & Awards 

• In 1981, Steel has been a near-permanent fixture on the New York Times hardcover and paperback bestsellers lists.

• In 1989, she was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having a book on the New York Times Bestseller List for the most consecutive weeks of any author - 381 consecutive weeks at that time.

• In 2002, Steel was decorated by the French government as an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for her contributions to world culture.

• She has additionally received:

1. Induction into the California Hall of Fame, December 2009.
2. "Distinguished Service in Mental Health Award" (first time awarded to a non-physician) from New York Presbyterian Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Columbia University Medical School and Cornell Medical College, May 2009.
3. "Outstanding Achievement Award" for work with adolescents from Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco, May 2003.
4. "Service to Youth Award" for improving the lives of mentally ill adolescents and children from the University of San Francisco Catholic Youth Organization and St. Mary's Medical Center, November 1999.
5. "Outstanding Achievement Award" in Mental Health from the California Psychiatric Association 
6. "Distinguished Service Award" from the American Psychiatric Association

Bibliograpy

• Golden Moments –1979
• The Ring – 1980
• Remembrance – 1981
• Secrets – 1985
• Jewels – 1992
• Vanished – 1993
• Malice – 1996
• Mirror Image – 1998
• Lone Eagle – 2001
• Second Chance – 2004
• Sisters – 2007
• A good women – 2008
• Legacy – 2010
• Betrayal – 2012

Source : Wikipedia