Karen Hawkins (edit name/settings)

From the author's website

Karen Hawkins (born Tennessee) is a best-selling American author of sixteen historical romance novels. Her novels are known for their humor.
Hawkins was raised in Tennessee, where she lived with her parents, biological brother and sister, an adopted sister, numerous foster siblings and a number of foreign exchange students. It was not uncommon for 12-15 children to be living in the house at any one time.
Hawkins has a Ph.D. in political science, and spent time teaching political science at a small college in Georgia. She studied writing by joining the Romance Writers of America and attending their workshops and conferences. Before she was published, she won RWA chapter and national contests for her work, allowing her to gain feedback and critiques from actual editors. With this feedback, she refined her craft, and sold her first book in 1998. She now publishes two books a year. Hawkins was also the driving force behind the two Lady Whistledown anthologies, developing the idea, gaining a publisher, and organizing the intertwined parts of the books..

Hawkins is divorced and currently lives in Orlando, Florida. She has two children, a son and a daughter, and is addicted to chocolate and shoes.

Awards
2003 - Romance Writers of America Favorite Book of the Year, Confessions of a Scoundrel
2003 - The Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist for Confessions of a Scoundrel
The Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist for her novella from the first Lady Whistledown
New York Times Bestseller's List, various books
USA Today Bestseller's List, various books