Gwynne Forster

Gwynne Forster was born in North Carolina, grew up in Washington, D. C., and has lived, studied and worked in New York City ever since she came of voting age. She considers herself a humanitarian, a perspective that she inherited from her mother, a high school principal, and which she also attributes to her work and education in the social sciences, more specifically, demography. Her fiction writing reflects her training in the sociology of the family and her understanding of inter-personal relations. It should not be surprising then, that quite a few of Gwynne's novels and novellas are set within the context of the family. Gwynne relaxes best when she is near—but not in—the water. She loves boating and would spend hours fishing daily if she could. Oddly, she never learned to swim, and she always wears a lifejacket when boating or fishing. Her bedroom faces a river, and if she didn't work, she would spend a lot of time sitting in the bedroom gazing at the water and the passing boats. Moving water, she thinks, is soothing and relieves stress. Gwynne Forster is national best-selling and award-winning author of eight novels of general fiction, thirty-two romance novels, and six novellas. All of her mainstream novels and several of her romance novels have been featured in Black Expressions Magazine. When Twilight Comes, her first mainstream novel, was featured on the magazine's cover, and it also remained on the Essence Magazine list of best sellers for several months. Her latest mainstream novel, A Change Had To Come received excellent reviews, and Romantic Times Magazine nominated Getting Some Of Her Own-–published in October 2007 as best of its class for that year. e-Harlequin's Weekly Newsletter listed Gwynne's latest romance, Forbidden Temptation as one of Harlequin's ten best books of 2007. The highly acclaimed mainstream novel, When You Dance With The Devil, published in August 2006, attracted media attention. Publisher's Weekly called a Different Kind of Blues, published in 2008, "…an ode to life….warm and wonderful…" Among her many awards and forms of recognition, Gwynne is most proud of her election in 2006 to the Affaire de Coeur Magazine Hall Of Fame, the Lifetime Achievement Award given her by Romantic Times Magazine in 2007, and her selection by Harlequin to participate in its Warm Hands, Warm Hearts project with the St. June Children's Research Hospital.. The following novels were nominated by Affaire de Coeur Magazine for "Best romance novel of the year with African-American Hero and heroine: Ecstasy, Obsession, Naked Soul, Against The Wind, Fools Rush In, Swept Away, Secret Desire, Scarlet Woman. Winners of the award were: Ecstasy, Naked Soul, Fools Rush In, Swept Away, Against The Wind Readers of Affaire de Coeur Magazine named Gwynne one of Top Ten Favorite Authors for the years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2006, and one of five outstanding achievers (1998) Rendezvous Magazine voted Secret Desire “Rose Bud of the month for November 2003.” The 2001 Gold Pin Award from Black Writers Reunion and Conference went to Beyond Desire, one of Gwynne’s most celebrated books. Double Day Book Club and Literary Guild selected Beyond Desire and used the book to start the Black Expressions Book Club. Romance In Color internet site and reviews gave its 1999 Award of Excellence to Against The Windand voted Gwynne Author of the Year. The site voted Flying High runner-up to best romance of the year 2003 and gave it Honorable mention. Romance Slam Jam 2000 nominated Gwynne for the Vivian Stephens Lifetime Achievement Award. Romance Slam Jam 2001 gave Gwynne an Emma Award for her novella, “Learning to Love” in the anthology, Going To The Chapel. Romance Slam Jam 2003 nominated Blues From Down Deep for an Emma Award as best mainstream novel. Fiction writing is Gwynne Forster’s second career. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in sociology, a master’s degree in economics/demography and has additional graduate credits in journalism. As a demographer, she is widely published. She is formerly chief of (non-medical) research in fertility and family planning in the Population Division of the United Nations in New York and served for four years as chairperson of the International Programme Committee of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (London, England). These positions took her on official business to sixty-three developed and developing countries. Gwynne sings on her church choir, loves to entertain, and is a museum hopper, gourmet cook and avid gardener. She enjoys classical music, opera, jazz and blues with her husband with whom she lived in New York City. Ms. Forster passed away in 2015.