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Kristen Ashley

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Kristen Ashley
BornKristen A L Moutaw
(1968-04-08) April 8, 1968 (age 57)
Gary, Indiana, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Alma materPurdue University
Period2008-present
GenreRomance, Fantasy, Erotica, Paranormal
Spouse
David Mark Ashley
​
​
(m. 2003; div. 2013)​
Website
www.kristenashley.net

Kristen Ashley (born Kristen A L Moutaw; April 8, 1968) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 100 books in 14 languages, with over three million copies sold. [1][2][3] Two of her novels have been adapted into film.

Career

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Ashley began writing books while working in the medical field at the Rocky Mountain MS Center, the Colorado Neurological Institute, and at The Pituitary Foundation in Bristol, England. She has authored 100 romance novels.

In 2013, Ashley signed her first traditional publishing contract, with Grand Central Publishing's Forever line.[4] As of 2019, she had released three series of books through traditional publishing.

Passionflix purchased the film rights to several of Ashley's novels.[5] The Will, based on Ashley's novel of the same name, was released on February 14, 2020.[6] In 2020, Passionflix was scheduled to film an adaptation of Ashleys' "Three Wishes".[7]

As of 2019, Ashley had published more than 60 novels, which have been translated into 14 languages and sold a combined three million copies.[1]

Reception

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Her novel, Raid, was on the USA Today bestseller list. Own the Wind placed on the New York Times bestseller list.[8] She won the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense for Law Man and the Romance Reviews Reader's Choice Award for Ride Steady. She was nominated for Romantic Times awards for Best Independent Contemporary Romance (Hold On) and Best Contemporary Romance (Breathe). Four of her novels (Motorcycle Man, The Will, Ride Steady, and The Hookup) have been finalists for Goodreads Choice Awards in the Romance category.

Writing

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As influences, Ashley cites Janet Evanovich, Judith McNaught, J. K. Rowling, and Carl Hiaasen.[9]

Ashley struggled with sleep due to an active mind, which she turned to creating stories that she continued developing over time. Her heroes are often Alpha males with the heroine bringing a strong character to match them.[10][11][12][13] Her heroines run the gamut from independent women who run their own businesses to more traditional women whose utmost goal is to become a mother.[1] Family, friends, and music are recurring thematic elements.[9] She claims that she does not tone down or restrict her characters into the typical hero and heroines found in romance novels, this being part of the reason for rejections by traditional publishers.[1] She has written racially diverse characters, as well as LGBTQ characters.[1]

Bibliography

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Main article: Kristen Ashley bibliography

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Suriano, Jessica (17 August 2018). "Kristen Ashley shakes up the world of romance novels". USA Today. AZ Central. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  2. ^ "E-Book Fiction Books - Best Sellers". The New York Times. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  3. ^ "E-Book Fiction Books - Best Sellers". New York Times. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  4. ^ Lamb, Joyce (5 April 2013), "Interview: Kristen Ashley, 'Own the Wind'", USAToday, retrieved 14 April 2020
  5. ^ Field, Sonya (12 October 2017). "'The Will' and 'Three Wishes' by Kristen Ashley optioned by Passionflix". Hypable.
  6. ^ "Production to Begin on Film Adaptation of New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Ashley's 'The Will'". PR Newswire. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  7. ^ Edwards, Shanee (18 March 2020). "The Passionate Entrepreneur". The Argonaut News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  8. ^ Dale, Brady (3 February 2016). "TITANS OF KINDLE E-Books Let Kristen Ashley Turn Years of Rejection Into a Self-Publishing Empire". Observer. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  9. ^ a b Lamb, Joyce (5 April 2013). "Interview: Kristen Ashley, 'Own the Wind'". USA Today. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  10. ^ Monkou, Michelle (19 May 2014). "Must-read romance: 'Finding Serenity'; Emma Award winners". USA Today. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  11. ^ Gonzalez, Vilma (23 June 2014). "Love in Suspense: The bad-boy allure". USA Today. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  12. ^ Gonzalez, Vilma (7 July 2014). "Love in Suspense: 'The Promise' by Kristen Ashley". USA Today. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  13. ^ Special for USA Today (9 October 2014). "Sharing some love for Bruce Springsteen, Kristen Ashley, Donna Tartt". USA Today. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
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