Lorraine Heath (edit name/settings)

When Lorraine Heath received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She writes for both adult and young adult readers. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Americana historicals. Her novels have been recognized with a RITA, Romance Writers of America’s most prestigious award for excellence; a HOLT medallion award honoring outstanding literary fiction; a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Americana as well as Best British Isle Set Historical; five Texas Gold Awards; the Golden Quill Award; the Rising Star Award; and many other awards and recognitions. Her novels have been selections of the Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA Today, Waldenbooks, and most recently, the New York Times.

At the invitation of Laura Bush when she was the First Lady of Texas, Lorraine served on a romance panel at the Texas Book Festival in 1998. She gave a presentation at the Texas Library Association Conference in 1999. She also served on a panel during RWA's 2001 Librarian Appreciation Day. She often speaks at local libraries, to writers' groups, readers' groups, and at small conferences.

The author of more than 30 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers. Under the name Rachel Hawthorne, she writes popular contemporary romance for teens readers.