Penny Halsall, neé Penelope Jones (b. November 24, 1946 in Preston, Lancashire, England) is a best-selling English author of over 200 romance novels. She start writing regency romances as Caroline Courtney, now she writes contemporany romances as Penny Jordan and historical romances as Annie Groves (her mother's maiden name). She also signed novels as Melinda Wright and Lydia Hitchcock. She sales of over 67 million copies of her books.
Widowed, she lives in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, surrounded by her pets.
Personal life
Penelope "Penny" Jones born at about seven pounds on November 24, 1946 in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, who died aged 85, and his wife, Margaret Louise Groves Jones, 86, who passed to Penny her Scots Celtic heritage. She has a brother, Anthony Jones, and a sister, Prudence "Pru" Jones.
She had been a keen reader from the childhood. Her mother left her in the children's section of our local library whilst she changed her father's library books. Her story-telling career began at the age of eight when she began telling original bedtime stories to her younger sister.
Her all-time favourite books are those of Jane Austen, Dorothy Dunnett, Catherine Cookson, Georgette Heyer, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare's plays and poetry and The Bible. After reading a serialised Mills & Boon book in a woman’s magazine, she fell in love with the hero. Penny was eleven and she quickly became an avid fan.
Penelope left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. In her early days, she spent fourteen years working as a shorthand typist in Manchester.
Penelope Jones married with Steve Halsall, an accountantand a “lovely man”, who smoked and drank too heavily, suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. They didn't have children, but she has a bakers dozen of assorted godchildren nieces and nephews.
Penelope writes from an office in her beautiful mock Tudor house in Nantwich, Cheshire home that she shares with her dog, Sheba, and cat, Posh.
Writing career
By her early twenties, Penelope was writing for herself, but her writing career began in earnest when she was 30, encouraged and supported by her husband, who bought her out of his own money at a time when he could ill afford it the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first books.
She entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, an agent, who was looking for a new-style Georgette Heyer, contacted the R.N.A..
In 1979, she published her first novels as Caroline Courtney. She published under this penname 25 regency romances.
From 1981 to 1983, she singed air-hostess romps as Melinda Wright and thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock.
In 1981, Mills & Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey signed as Penny Jordan. Since then, almost 70 million copies of her 167 Mills & Boon (or Harlequin) novels have been sold worldwide.
Her favourite Penny Jordan's Series is The Perfect Crightons. The surname for Crighton family came from her late mother in law as it was her family name prior to her marriage. The Crighton live in the fictional town Haslewich, inspired in Nantwich, the Hasle is a play on her own married surname.
Since 2003, she returned into historical novels as Annie Groves (She has adopted her mother's maiden-name). Penelope gains much of her inspiration from human interest stories in the news as well as her own family history. She adapted a story told by her grandmother Elsie Jones in Ellie Pride.
Penelope runs a writing group where she helps other aspiring writers to develop their craft, pointing them to agents and publishers who might be interested in their work. She is also active in women's charities in her native England.
As Caroline Courtney
Single novels
Duchess in Disguise (1979)
A Wager for Love (1979)
Love Unmasked (1979)
Guardian of the Heart (1979)
Dangerous Engagement (1979)
Love's Masquerade (1980)
The Fortunes of Love (1980)
The Romantic Rivals (1980)
Heart of Honour (1981)
Destiny's Duchess (1981)
The Masquerading Heart (1981)
Abandoned for Love (1981)
The Tempestuous Affair (1981)
Love of My Life (1981)
Love Triumphant (1981)
Lover's Victory (1981)
The Courier of Love (1982)
Love in Waiting (1982)
Libertine in Love (1982)
The Daring Heart (1982)
Forbidden Love (1982)
Hearts or Diamonds (1985)
Prisoner of Passion (1985)
Dual Enchantment (1985)
Conspiracy of Kisses (1986)
As Melinda Wright
Single novels
The Concorde Affair (1981)
Love at 30,000 Feet (1982)
Flight into Ecstasy (1983)
As Lydia Hitchcock
Single novels
The Ducetti Lair (1981)
The Geneva Touch (1982)
As Penny Jordan
Single Novels
Falcon's Prey (1981)
Tiger Man (1981)
Marriage without Love (1981)
Blackmail (1982)
Long Cold Winter (1982)
Caged Tiger (1982)
Daughter of Hassan (1982)
Northern Sunset (1982)
Island of the Dawn (1982)
An Unbroken Marriage (1982)
Bought with His Name (1982)
Escape from Desire (1982)
Desire's Captive (1983)
Forgotten Passion (1983)
Man Hater (1983)
Rescue Operation (1983)
Flawed Marriage (1983)
Phantom Marriage (1983)
Sudden Engagement (1983)
Passionate Protection (1983)
Savage Atonement (1983)
The Inward Storm (1984)
Love's Choices (1984)
Response (1984)
Shadow Marriage (1984)
Wanting (1984)
Darker Side of Desire (1984)
Rules of the Game (1984)
Campaign for Loving (1985)
Permission to Love (1985)
Taken Over (1985)
Time Fuse (1985)
You Owe Me (1985)
What You Made Me (1985)
The Friendship Barrier (1985)
Only One (1985)
The Six-Month Marriage (1985)
Exorcism (1985)
Fire With Fire (1985)
Injured Innocent (1985)
The Hard Man (1985)
Desire for Revenge (1985)
Capable of Feeling (1986)
A Man Possessed (1986)
Return Match (1986)
Desire Never Changes (1986)
Research into Marriage (1986)
A Reason for Marriage (1986)
Loving (1986)
Stronger Than Yearning (1986)
Too Short a Blessing (1987)
Passionate Relationship (1987)
A Savage Adoration (1987)
For One Night (1987)
An Expert Teacher (1987)
Substitute Lover (1987)
Levelling the Score (1987)
Fight for Love (1987)
Payment in Love (1988)
Special Treatment (1988)
Force of Feeling (1988)
Without Trust (1988)
Potential Danger (1988)
Lover's Touch (1988)
Power Play (1988)
A Reason for Being (1989)
Beyond Compare (1989)
Equal Opportunities (1989)
Valentine's Night (1989)
So Close and No Closer (1989)
Free Spirit (1989)
Bitter Betrayal (1989)
Silver (1989)
A Rekindled Passion (1989)
Rival Attractions (1990)
Time for Trust (1990)
Unspoken Desire (1990)
Breaking Away (1990)
Out of the Night (1990)
Game of Love (1990)
The Hidden Years (1990)
A Kind of Madness (1990)
Second Time Loving (1990)
Payment Due (1991)
A Forbidden Loving (1991)
A Time to Dream (1991)
Dangerous Interloper (1991)
Second-Best Husband (1991)
A Cure for Love (1991)
Stranger Form the Past (1991)
Past Passion (1991)
Law of Attraction (1992)
Lesson to Learn (1992)
Mistaken Adversary (1992)
Lingering Shadows (1992)
Past Loving (1992)
Passionate Possession (1992)
A Matter of Trust (1992)
Tug of Love (1992)
Yesterday's Echoes (1993)
For Better for Worse (1993)
French Leave (1994)
Cruel Legacy (1994)
Power Games (1995)
Unwanted Wedding (1995)
The Trusting Game (1995)
Her Christmas Fantasy (1996)
Stranger From The Past (1997)
Mission: Make-Over (1997)
To Love, Honour and Betray (1998)
Wanting His Child (1999)
One Intimate Night (1999)
Back in the Marriage Bed (2000)
The Marriage Demand (2001)
The City-Girl Bride (2001)
Christmas Eve Wedding (2002)
Now or Never (2003)
Sweet Revenge (2005)
The Christmas Bride (2006)
Her Lover Her Husband (2006)
The Italian Duke's Wife (2006)
The Christmas Bride (2006)
The Sheikh's Blackmailed Mistress (2008)
The Boss's Marriage Arrangement (2008)
The Desert Sheikh's Virgin (2008)
Virgin For The Billionaire's Taking (2008)
Jet Set Wives (2008)
Sins (2009)
For Her Eyes Only Series Multi-Author
An Unforgettable Man (1995)
The Bride's Bouquet Series
Woman to Wed? (1996)
Best Man to Wed? (1996)
Too Wise to Wed? (1996)
The Bride's Bouquet (Omnibus) (2000)
Duet: Woman to Wed? / Best Man to Wed? (2005)
The Perfect Crightons Series
A Perfect Family (1997)
The Perfect Seduction (1997)
Perfect Marriage Material (1997)
The Perfect Match? (1997)
The Perfect Lover (1998)
The Perfect Sinner (1999)
The Ultimate Surrender (2000)
The Perfect Father (2000)
A Perfect Night (2000)
Coming Home (2000)
Starting Over (2001)
The Crightons: The Perfect Seduction / Perfect Marriage Material / The Perfect Match? (by Request 3's) (2001)
Women and Love: The perfect lover / The perfect father / The perfect night (2002)
Fantasy in the Night Series
Fantasy for Two (1998)
One Night in His Arms (1998)
Big Event Series Multi-Author
Marriage Make Up (1998)
Sweet Revenge Or Seduction Series
Mistress Assignment (1999)
Lover by Deception (1999)
A Treacherous Seduction (1999)
The Marriage Resolution (1999)
Greek Tycoons Series Multi-Author
The Demetrios Virgin (2001)
The Mistress Purchase (2004)
Wedlocked! Series Multi-Author
The Blackmail Baby (2002)
Marco's Convenient Wife (2002)
Mistress to Her Husband (2004)
Do Not Disturb Series Multi-Author
The Tycoon's Virgin (2002)
Sheikh's Arabian Nights Series
The Sheikh's Virgin Bride (2003)
One Night with the Sheikh (2003)
Possessed by the Sheikh (2005)
Prince of the Desert (2006)
Taken By The Sheikh (2007)
By Royal Command Series Multi-Author
The Blackmail Marriage (2003)
The Italian Duke's Mistress (2006)
Mistress to a Millonaire Series
Mistress of Convenience (2004)
The Mistress Purchase (2004)
Foreign Affairs Series Multi-Author
Mistress of Convenience (2004)
Greek Tycoons Series Multi-Author
The Mistress Purchase (2004)
Jet Set Wives Series
Bedding His Virgin Mistress (2005)
Expecting The Playboy's Heir (2005)
Blackmailing the Society Bride (2005)
Jet Set Wives (Omnibus) (2008)
The Royal House Of Niroli Series Multi-Author
1. The Future King's Pregnant Mistress (2007)
8. A Royal Bride At the Sheikh's Command (2008)
Silk Series
Silk (2008)
Collections
Penny Jordan Collection (1984)
Best of Penny Jordan: Falcon's Prey / Tiger Man (1986)
Penny Jordan Omnibus: Shadow Marriage / Man-hater / Passionate Protection (1992)
Penny Jordan Collection: Fire with Fire / Capable of Loving / Substitute Lover (1993)
Two complete stories by Penny Jordan: Game of Love / Time for Trust (1995)
Mistletoe Magic (1996)
Marriage of Convenience: Loving / Injured Innocent / The Six-Month Marriage (2000)
Collector's edition: A Perfect Family / To Love, Honor and Betray / The Perfect Sinner (2000)
A Collection: Shadow Marriage / Man-Hater / Passionate Protection (2002)
Duet: Stronger Than Yearning / Silver (2004)
Sweet Seduction (2005)
Duet: Rules of the Game / Passionate Possession (2005)
Duet: Perfect Family / Fantasy for Two (2006)
The Sheikh's Bride (2006)
