Barbara O'Neal

Barbara O'Neal
Pen name	Barbara Samuel, Lark O'Neal, Ruth Wind
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	America
Period	1990 - present
Genre	women's fiction, new adult romance, contemporary romance, historical romance
Website
www.barbaraoneal.com

Barbara O'Neal is an American romance novelist who has written over forty books. Her books include The Lost Recipe for Happiness and How to Bake a Perfect Life^[1] as well as The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue and Lady Luck's Map of Vegas. She has written women’s fiction under the names Barbara O’Neal and Barbara Samuel, contemporary and historical romance novels under the names Barbara Samuel and Ruth Wind, and new adult romances under the name Lark O’Neal.^[2]

Career

O'Neal began her writing career as an author for Harlequin Silhouette. Writing as Ruth Wind,^[3] she has published over twenty contemporary romances, winning two RITA awards in this genre.^[4] She has written seven historical romances under the name Barbara Samuel, winning a RITA in 1998 for her book, Heart of a Knight.^[4]

In 2000, O'Neal began writing women’s fiction under the name Barbara Samuel, publishing five books under this name until moving her women’s fiction titles under the name Barbara O’Neal.^[5] These books are set mostly in her home state of Colorado or New Mexico, with themes of food, second chances, and multi-generational stories about women. She has won three RITA awards for her women’s fiction work, making her eligible for the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame, into which she was inducted in 2012.^[6]

O'Neal has won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award seven times, and been nominated for seven others.^[4] Her books have also won two Colorado Book Awards,^[7] and been named Favorite Book of the Year from Romance Writers of America, a Target Book Club pick, and a top book from Library Journal.^[8]

When New Adult Romance emerged as a new genre 2013, O'Neal began writing as Lark O’Neal, launching her first New Adult series, Going the Distance, later that year.^[9]

Personal life

O'Neal lives in her hometown of Colorado Springs with her partner, an endurance athlete.

Bibliography

Women's Fiction

Published as Barbara O'Neal

• The All You Can Dream Buffet. Bantam. March 2014. ISBN 978-0345536860.
• The Garden of Happy Endings. Bantam. April 2012. ISBN 978-0-345-53446-0.
• How to Bake a Perfect Life. Bantam. December 2010. ISBN 978-0-553-38677-6.
• The Secret of Everything. Bantam. December 2009. ISBN 978-0-553-38552-6.
• The Lost Recipe for Happiness. Bantam. December 2008. ISBN 978-0-553-38551-9.

Published as Barbara Samuel

• The Scent of Hours (originally published as Madame Mirabou's School of Love). Ballantine. March 2006. ISBN 9780345469144.
• Lady Luck's Map of Vegas. Ballantine. January 2005. ISBN 9780451229021.
• The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue. Ballantine. February 2004. ISBN 9780345445698.
• A Piece of Heaven. Ballantine. February 2003. ISBN 9780345445674.
• No Place Like Home. Ballantine. February 2003. ISBN 9780451229021.

Published as Ruth Wind

• In the Midnight Rain. Harper Collins. May 2000. ISBN 9780061030123.

New Adult Romance

Published as Lark O'Neal

• Random. November 2013.
• Stoked. February 2014.
• Epic. August 2014.
• Brilliant. December 2014.
• Intense. May 2015.
• Extreme. December 2015.

Contemporary Romance

Published as Ruth Wind

• Miranda's Revenge. Silhouette. September 2007. ISBN 9780373275496.
• Desi's Rescue. Silhouette. April 2007, ISBN 9780451229021.
• Juliet's Law. Silhouette. October 2006. ISBN 9780373275052.
• The Diamond Secret. Silhouette. January 2010. ISBN 9780733569258.
• Countdown. Silhouette. April 2005. ISBN 9780373513529.
• Born Brave. Silhouette. October 2001. ISBN 9780373271764.
• Beautiful Stranger. Silhouette. June 2000. ISBN 9780451229021.
• Rio Grande Wedding. Silhouette. November 1999. ISBN 9780373079643.
• For Christmas Forever. Silhouette. December 1998. ISBN 9780373078981.
• Meant to be Married. Silhouette. August 1998. ISBN 9780373241941.
• Her Ideal Man. Silhouette. August 1997. ISBN 9780373078011.
• Reckless. Silhouette. July 1997. ISBN 9780373077960.
• Marriage Material. Silhouette. June 1997. ISBN 9780373241088.
• Rainsinger. Silhouette. May 1996. ISBN 9780373240319.
• The Last Chance Ranch. Silhouette. August 1995. ISBN 9780373099771.
• Breaking the Rules. Silhouette. August 1994. ISBN 9780451229021.
• Walk in Beauty. Silhouette. April 1994. ISBN 9780373098811.
• Jezebel's Blues. Silhouette. December 1992. ISBN 9780373097852.
• A Minute to Smile. Silhouette. May 1992. ISBN 9780373097425.
• Light of Day. Silhouette. November 1990. ISBN 9780373096350.
• Summer's Freedom. Silhouette. March 1990. ISBN 9780373095889.
• Strangers On a Train. Silhouette. October 1998. ISBN 9780373095551.

Historical Romance

Published as Barbara Samuel

• Night of Fire. Avon. December 2000. ISBN 9780061013911.
• The Black Angel. Harper Collins. October 1999. ISBN 9780061013898.
• Heart of a Knight. Harper Collins. August 1997. ISBN 9780061085185.
• Dancing Moon. Harper Collins. September 1996. ISBN 9780061083631.
• Lucien's Fall. Harper Collins. September 1995. ISBN 9780061083624.
• A Winter Ballad. Harper Collins. November 1994. ISBN 9780061080791.
• A Bed of Spices. Harper Collins. September 1993. ISBN 9780061080784.

Nonfiction

Published as Barbara Samuel

• The Care and Feeding of THE GIRLS IN THE BASEMENT: An Upbeat Guide to Life as a Writer. eBook.
• THE GIRLS IN THE BASEMENT: CELEBRATION BOOK, A Writer's Guide to Joy. eBook.

Omnibus

• Seal of My Dreams. Belle Bridge Books. November 2011. ISBN 9781611940510.
• Chalice of Roses. NAL. January 2010. ISBN 9780451229021. (with Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Karen Harbaugh)
• A Mother's Love. Harlequin. April 2008. ISBN 9780451229021. (with Janice Kay Johnson, Raeanne Thayne)
• Dragon Lovers. NAL. March 2007. ISBN 9780451229021. (with Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Karen Harbaugh)
• Lakota Legacy. Harlequin. October 2003. ISBN 9780373218103. (with Madeline Baker, Kathleen Eagle)
• Faery Magic. Kensington. 1998. ISBN 9780821758175. (with Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Karen Harbaugh)
• Irish Magic II. Kensington. June 2009 (re-release). ISBN 9781420106626. (with Susan Wiggs, Morgan Llywelyn, Roberta Gellis)
• Irish Magic. Kensington. February 1996, ISBN 9781575660028. (with Susan Wiggs, Morgan Llywelyn, Roberta Gellis)

Awards

• 2012 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements for How to Bake a Perfect Life^[4]
• 2010 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements for The Lost Recipe for Happiness"^[4]
• 2006 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements for Lady Luck's Map of Vegas (written as Barbara Samuel)^[4]
• 2003 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Contemporary Single Title for No Place Like Home (written asBarbara Samuel)^[4]
• 1999 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Long Contemporary Romance for Meant to be Married (written as Ruth Wind)^[4]
• 1998 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Short Historical for Heart of a Knight (written as Barbara Samuel)^[4]
• 1998 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Long Contemporary Series Romance for Reckless (written as Ruth Wind)^[4]

External links

• Barbara O'Neal web site
• Barbara Samuel web site
• Lark O'Neal web site

References

1. Fox, Rose (June 30, 2012). "Digital-First Books Win Romance Awards". Publishers Weekly.
2. Romance Writers of America. "Barbara Samuel". myRWA Speakers Bureau. Romance Writers of America. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
3. Harlequin. "Ruth Wind Bio". Harlequin.com. Harlequin. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
4. "myRWA : RITA Awards : RITA Winners". rwa.org. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
5. Penguin Random House. "Barbara O'Neal". Barbara O'Neal - Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
6. Romance Writers of America. myRWA: Awards: RWA Hall of Fame https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=555. Retrieved 20 October 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
7. Colorado Book Awards. "Colorado Book Awards History". Colorado Book Awards History - Colorado Humanities. Colorado Humanities. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
8. Colorado Springs Independent. "On Target". Colorado Springs Independent. Colorado Springs Independent. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
9. Kindle Daily Post. "Kindle Post: How Lark O'Neal Finds Her Cover Art". Kindle Daily Post. Amazon Blogs. Retrieved 19 November 2015.