Tapestry ( CD)

Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the most popular writers working in the genre of paranormal romance. Dozens of her books have appeared on the bestseller lists, often in the number-one-spot, and they have been published in more than 100 countries. Kenyon, a native of Georgia, had a difficult childhood. Her father, an Army officer, left the family when she was small, and her mother fought to make ends meet as a convenience-store clerk. Writing provided an escape for Kenyon. When she was seven, she wrote a story about a telekinetic girl who kills her siblings and classmates. (Her mother, who loved horror films, responded, as Kenyon has recalled, "Cool. [But] you need more guts.") Dyslexic and with a partially paralyzed hand that made typing difficult, Kenyon struggled in college but eventually completed an interdisciplinary degree in medieval history and classical studies at the University of Georgia. Although she produced a steady stream of gothic and science fiction tales, the first book she sold was a nonfiction writing guide called THE CHARACTER NAMING SOURCEBOOK, which was published in 1992. "Vampire, I found, was a four-letter word," she told one journalist, discussing the number of rejections she received early in her career. She tried her hand, instead, on a different genre, and in 1998 she sold a historical romance, using the pen name Kinley MacGregor. (She has since written several romances under that name.) In 2002 FANTASY LOVER, a prequel to Kenyon's wildly popular Dark-Hunter series, about a group of supernatural warriors who protect humanity, was published. Thanks in part to Kenyon's savvy use of social media, the book was an immediate hit, and NIGHT PLEASURES, the first official book in the series, which was published later that year, enjoyed similar success. Kenyon now writes several series--including Brotherhood of the Sword, the League, Lords of Avalon, and the Chronicles of Nick. Her Web site gets more than 100 million visitors a year, and she oversees an annual convention, K-Con, for her fans, many of whom attend costumed as her characters. (The most avid also sport tattoos drawn from motifs in the books.)