Eleanor Marie Robertson was born on October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A. She was the youngest of the five children, also the only girl, of a marriage with Irish ancestors. Her family were avid readers, so books were always important in her life. She attended a Catholic school and credits the nuns with instilling in her a sense of discipline. During her sophomore year in high school, she transferred to a local public school, where she met Ronald Aufdem-Brinke, her future first husband.
In Augusy 17, 1968, as soon as she had graduated from High School, Eleanor married, against her parents' wishes. The marriage settled in Keedysville, Maryland. Her husband worked at his father's sheet-metal business before joining her parents in their lighting company. While, she worked briefly as a legal secretary. "I could type fast but couldn't spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever," she says now. After their sons, Dan and Jason, were born she stayed home. Calling this her "Earth Mother" years, she spent much of her time doing crafts, including ceramics and sewing her children's clothes. The marriage ended separating, and they obtained the divorce in January 1985.
In February 1979, a blizzard in forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate. During the now famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981 as Nora Roberts, a shortened form of her birth name Eleanor Marie Robertson, because she assumed that all authors had pen names.
Eleanor wrote under the pseudonym Jill March a story for a magazine titled "Melodies of Love".
Eleanor met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Her husband owns and operates a bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland called "Turn the Page Books". Since that time, they've expanded their home, traveled the world.
In 1992, she decided adopted other pseudonym so to publish a futuristic-suspense novels, she first decided to use the pseudonym D.J. MacGregor, but she discovered that this pseudonym was used by another author. In 1995, her first "In Death" serial novel was published under the pseudonym J.D. Robb, the initials "J.D." were taken from her sons, Jason and Dan, while "Robb" is a shortened form of Roberts.
Eleanor has also been known as Sara Hardesty, because when the "Born In" series was released in U.K. it carried that name instead of Nora Roberts. She has since changed publishers.
Eleanor has been plagiarized by another best-selling romance writer, Janet Dailey. The practice came to light after a reader read Nora Roberts' "Sweet Revenge" and Janet Dailey's "Notorious" back-to-back; she noticed several similarities and posted the comparable passages on the Internet. Calling the plagiarism "mind rape," Eleanor sued Janet Daily. In 1997, Janet, admitted to repeatedly plagiarizing from Nora Roberts' work, and that both "Aspen Gold" and "Notorious" lifted heavily from Nora Roberts's work. Both of those novels were pulled from print after Janet's admission. She acknowledged the plagiarism and blamed it on a psychological disorder. In a settlement, Janet paid Eleanor an undisclosed sum, which Eleanor donated to the Literacy Volunteers of America.
A founding member of the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A.), she was the first inductee in the organization's Hall of Fame. She also is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry.
In 1989, Nora Roberts's novel "Magic Moments" had been made into TV movie, also "Sanctuary" (Melissa Gilbert) in 2001. In 2007 Lifetime Television adapted four Nora Roberts's novels into TV movies: , "Montana Sky" (Ashley Williams), "Carolina Moon" (Claire Forlani), "Blue Smoke" (Alicia Witt) and "Angel's Fall" (Heather Locklear).
Website
http://www.NoraRoberts.com1,056 works Add another?
Most Editions | First Published | Most Recent
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Hot ice
19 editions - first published in 1987 Borrow -
Hidden Riches
18 editions - first published in 1994 Checked out -
Montana Sky
17 editions - first published in 1996 Borrow -
Angels Fall
16 editions - first published in 2006 Borrow -
Honest illusions
16 editions - first published in 1992 Checked out -
Homeport
16 editions - first published in 1998 Checked out -
High Noon
15 editions - first published in 2007 Borrow -
River's End
15 editions - first published in 1999 Borrow -
Rising tides: Nora Roberts.
14 editions - first published in 1998 Checked out -
Carolina Moon
13 editions - first published in 2000 DAISY -
Heaven and Earth
12 editions - first published in 2001 -
True Betrayals
12 editions - first published in 1995 Checked out -
Dance of the Gods (The Circle Trilogy, Book 2)
11 editions - first published in 2006 Borrow -
Sweet revenge
11 editions - first published in 1988 Checked out -
Public secrets
11 editions - first published in 1990 Checked out -
Red Lily (In the Garden)
10 editions - first published in 2005 -
Midnight Bayou
10 editions - first published in 2001 DAISY -
Key of Valor
9 editions - first published in 2003 -
Black Rose (In the Garden)
9 editions - first published in 2005 -
Blue Dahlia (In the Garden)
9 editions - first published in 2004 -
Key of Knowledge
9 editions - first published in 2003 -
Chesapeake Blue (Chesapeake Bay)
9 editions - first published in 2002 -
Dance upon the air
9 editions - first published in 2001 DAISY -
Reef, The
9 editions - first published in 1998 -
Three Fates
9 editions - first published in 2002 Borrow -
Genuine lies
9 editions - first published in 1991 Borrow -
Born in ice: Born Concannon #2
9 editions - first published in 1995 Checked out -
Divine evil
9 editions - first published in 1992 Borrow -
Private scandals
9 editions - first published in 1993 Borrow -
The MacGregors: Daniel-Ian
9 editions - first published in 1985 Checked out -
Jewels of the Sun
8 editions - first published in 1999 -
Born in Fire
8 editions - first published in 2000 -
Heart of the Sea
8 editions - first published in 2000 -
Inner Harbor (Chesapeake Bay)
8 editions - first published in 1998 -
Sea Swept (Chesapeake Bay)
8 editions - first published in 1998 -
Portrait in Death (In Death)
8 editions - first published in 2003 -
From the heart: Tonight and Always/A Matter of Choice/Endings and Beginnings
8 editions - first published in 1996 Borrow -
The reef
8 editions - first published in 1998 Borrow -
Sanctuary
8 editions - first published in 1997 Checked out -
The law is a lady
7 editions - first published in 1984 -
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven)
7 editions - first published in 2007 -
Without a trace: The O'Hurleys! #4
7 editions - first published in 1991 -
Key of Light
7 editions - first published in 2003 -
Waiting for Nick
7 editions - first published in 1997 Checked out -
Tears of the Moon
7 editions - first published in 2000 -
First impressions
7 editions - first published in 1984 DAISY -
Carnal innocence
7 editions - first published in 1991 Borrow -
Island of flowers
7 editions - first published in 1982 Borrow -
Sea swept
7 editions - first published in 1998 Borrow -
The winning hand
7 editions - first published in 1998 Checked out -
Finding the dream
7 editions - first published in 1997 Checked out -
Holding the Dream
7 editions - first published in 1997 Borrow -
Daring to dream
7 editions - first published in 1996 Checked out -
Lawless: Jack's Stories Prequel
7 editions - first published in 1989 Borrow -
Born in Fire: Born Concannon #1
7 editions - first published in 1994 Borrow -
Last Honest Woman: The O'Hurleys! #1
6 editions - first published in 1988 -
Once more with feeling: Nora Roberts.
6 editions - first published in 1983 -
The Hollow (Sign of Seven)
6 editions - first published in 2008 -
Tribute
6 editions - first published in 2008 Borrow -
O'Hurley's return: skin deep
6 editions - first published in 2003 DAISY -
Sullivan's Woman
6 editions - first published in 1984 DAISY -
Brazen virtue
6 editions - first published in 1988 DAISY -
Untamed
6 editions - first published in 1983 DAISY -
Dance To The Piper: The O'Hurleys! #2
6 editions - first published in 1988 -
Her mother's keeper
6 editions - first published in 1983 Borrow -
Entranced: Donovan Legary #2
6 editions - first published in 1992 Borrow -
Born in shame: The Born In Trilogy #3 (Born in Trilogy)
6 editions - first published in 1996 Checked out -
The Calhoun Women
6 editions - first published in 1998 Checked out -
The MacGregor grooms
6 editions - first published in 1998 Checked out -
Jewels of the sun: The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy #1 (Irish Trilogy)
6 editions - first published in 1999 Checked out -
Search for love
5 editions - first published in 1982 -
The welcoming
5 editions - first published in 1989 DAISY -
Lieutenant Eve Dallas
5 editions - first published in 2000 -
The search
5 editions - first published in 2010 Borrow -
Black Hills
5 editions - first published in 2009 Borrow -
Night shadow: Night Tales #2
5 editions - first published in 1991 -
Blood Brothers
5 editions - first published in 2007 Borrow -
Birthright
5 editions - first published in 2003 DAISY -
Captivated: Donovan Legacy #1
5 editions - first published in 1992 DAISY -
Charmed: Donovan Legacy #3
5 editions - first published in 1992 Checked out -
Convincing Alex: Stanislaskis, Those Wild Ukrainians #4
5 editions - first published in 1994 -
Heaven and earth
5 editions - first published in 2001 DAISY -
Dance of dreams: Bannion #2
5 editions - first published in 1983 Borrow -
Rebellion: MacGregor Prequel
5 editions - first published in 1988 Checked out -
Nightshade: Night Tales #3
5 editions - first published in 1993 Borrow -
Taming Natasha: Stanislaskis, Those Wild Ukrainians #1
4 editions - first published in 1990 -
Irish Thoroughbred: Irish Hearts #1
4 editions - first published in 1981 -
Night Smoke (American Hero, Night Tales): Night Tales #4
4 editions - first published in 1994 -
The pagan stone
4 editions - first published in 2008 Borrow -
Skin deep: The O'Hurleys! #3
4 editions - first published in 1988 -
Red lily
4 editions - first published in 2005 DAISY -
Night shield: Night moves
4 editions - first published in 2000 DAISY -
Luring a lady: Stanislaskis, Those Wild Ukrainians #2
4 editions - first published in 1991 Borrow -
Boundary lines
4 editions - first published in 1985 -
Local hero
4 editions - first published in 1988 -
Charmed And Enchanted: Charmed\Enchanted (Donovan Legacy)
4 editions - first published in 2004 DAISY -
The heart's victory
4 editions - first published in 1982 -
Affaire royale: Cordina's Royal Family #1
4 editions - first published in 1986 DAISY -
Tears of the moon
4 editions - first published in 2000 DAISY -
This magic moment
4 editions - first published in 1983
Subjects
Places
People
Links (outside Open Library)
Alternative names
- Eleanor Marie Robertson Aufdem-Brinke Wilder
- J. D. Robb
- Jill March
- Nora Roberts ... [et al.]
History Created April 1, 2008 · 15 revisions
| March 1, 2013 | Edited by Amy L Hester | reverted to revision 13 |
| January 8, 2013 | Edited by Antonia Cervantes | merge authors |
| January 15, 2012 | Edited by Alicia Metzler | merge authors |
| November 8, 2011 | Edited by E-Romance | Update photos |
| April 1, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | initial import |