The mother of five sons and the author of thirty–eight published novels, Parris Afton Bonds is the cofounder of Southwest Writers Workshop and cofounder and first vice president of Romance Writers of America.
Although she wrote her first novel at the early age of five (The Blackhawk Women Ride Again), she didn't publish professionally until she began freelancing while living outside the United States. When she moved back to the States, with more than a dozen articles and short stories to her credit, she decided to tackle novel writing again. Because of the explosion of the romance novel at that time, she wrote and sold her first submission, the historical romance Sweet Golden Sun, to Popular Library. Her editor was Kate Duffy who went on to establish a stellar name for herself in the publishing industry.
Declared by ABC's Nightline as one of the three best-selling authors of romantic fiction, the award-winning Parris Afton Bonds has been interviewed by such luminaries as Charlie Rose and featured in major newspapers as well as published in more than a dozen languages. She donates her time to teaching creative writing to both grade school children and female inmates. The Parris Award was established in her name by the Southwest Writers Workshop to honor a published writer who has given outstandingly of time and talent to other writers. Prestigious recipients of the Parris Award include Tony Hillerman and the Pulitzer nominee Norman Zollinger.
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