The Full Biography of Karen Kingsbury

by Dan Davis Photography™USA Today and #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America’s #1 inspirational novelist. There are more than 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists. 

Karen has a true love for her readers, and she has nearly 280,000 friends on Facebook along with more than 32,000 followers on Twitter. The popular social networking sites have allowed Karen daily interaction with her reader friends.

Karen's latest novel, The Bridge, released on October 23, 2012 and is said to be "The most anticipated novel this fall."

Karen's novel, Coming Home, released in June, 2012 and landed #5 on the New York Times Bestsellers List!

Karen's novel, Loving, released on March 27, 2012 and landed in the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestsellers List the first week it released. Loving was the 4th and final book in the Bailey Flanigan Series and features Karen's daughter, Kelsey Marie, as the cover model for Bailey Flanigan. 

Longing, book 3 in the Bailey Flanigan Series, released on November 22, 2011 and landed in the # 2 spot on the New York Times Bestsellers List during its first week of release.

Learning, book 2 in the Bailey Flanigan Series, released on June 21, 2011 and landed #4 on the New York Times Bestseller List the first week it released.

Karen's previous novel, Leaving, book 1 in the Bailey Flanigan Series, released on March 22, 2011.  Leaving landed #2 on the New York Time's Bestseller List the first week it released.

Her novel, Unlocked released October 12, 2010 and landed #3 on the New York Times Bestsellers List! 

Above the Line, Take Four released June 23, 2010. This was the final installment in the Above the Line Series. Take Four rose to the # 5 spot on the New York Times Bestseller's List just one week after it was released.   

• Above the Line, Take Three released March 23, 2010. Take Three is the third book in the Above the Line Series. 
• Shades of Blue, Karen's latest stand alone title, hit stores in October 2009. Karen's newest series, Above The Line Series began with Above The Line, Take One, which released in March, 2009. The second book in this series, Above The Line, Take Two released in June 2009. 
• Karen's recent title, This Side of Heaven, landed in the #5 spot on the CBD Bestsellers Fiction List
• Karen's Sunset, the final book in the 14 book series about the Baxter Family, hit the New York Times Bestsellers List at #2. Someday, the second to last book in this same series, landed #8 on the New York Times Bestsellers List. 
• Karen’s other recent titles, Summer, Sunrise and Family, hit the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists and quickly broke many of her own personal sales records. 

Awards

Karen won the 2007 Gold Medallion for Best Book of the Year with her novel, Ever After. She also won the 2007 Retailer's Choice Award for Found. Karen was named the 2007 Author of the Year Award from Logos Bookstores.

Karen won the “2005 Gold Medallion” and “2005 Retailer Choice” best novel awards for Oceans Apart, and the “2005 Retailer Choice” best series award for her Redemption Series. Her critical success is matched by popular acclaim and correspondence from tens of thousands of readers who have said Karen’s fiction has dramatically changed their lives. These letters and e-testimonials of improved marriages, spiritual awakening and new-found hope enabled her to formally trademark her work Life-Changing Fiction™. 

Film & Television

Karen’s novels have been a magnet for film and television producers. Like Dandelion Dust, starring Mira Sorvino and Barry Pepper, was in theaters October 2010 and is now available on DVD. This movie was adapted from my novel of the same name. For more information on this movie visit IMDb

One of her earlier books, Deadly Pretender, was made into a CBS Movie-of-the-Week called, “Every Womans Dream,” which starred Kim Cattrall. Several of her recent novels, including;  A Thousand Tomorrows, Ever After and Gideon's Gift are currently under full-length movie production and option agreements with major motion picture production companies and will be appearing in theaters over the next several years.

Karen’s Red Gloves Collection with Warner Books has spurred community service projects across the country that Karen calls Red Gloves Projects. Karen has also created Forever in Fiction as an auction item, giving the winner a chance to name a character in one of Karen’s upcoming books. To date, Forever in Fiction has raised more than $200,000 for charities across the country.

Karen's First Novel

After graduating from college in 1986 with a degree in journalism, Karen became a full-time reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Her first book, Missy’s Murder, was based on a murder story she covered in Los Angeles as a reporter. She sold a version of the story to People magazine in 1989. A New York agent read her People story and asked her for a book proposal. The book hit stores in 1992. She then wrote three more true crime novels. Next she wrote four collections of answered prayers and miracle stories before transitioning to inspirational fiction in 1998.

Her first novel, Where Yesterday Lives, was a real challenge for Karen to get published. Although publishing companies said they liked the story, they were not sure what to do with it since it didn’t contain foul language and had no sex scenes. Finally, the Christian publishing house Multnomah, published her novel and gave her a multi-book contract. Her books made a real connection with contemporary romance fans. 

Dubbed by Time magazine as the “queen” of Christian fiction, Karen receives tens of thousands of letters from readers who say that Karen’s fiction has dramatically changed their lives. These letters and e-testimonials of improved marriages, spiritual awakenings and new found hope have enabled her to formally trademark her work Life-Changing Fiction™.

A Speaker

A popular speaker at women’s groups around the country, Karen spends her spare time playing with her children, going on dates with her husband and writing songs with several chart-topping Nashville stars. This past Christmas, Karen wrote "Miracle's Happen," a Christmas song sung by Richie McDonald (formerly of Lonestar) which now appears on Richie's cd,If Every Day Could Be Christmas. 

Family Life

Karen lives with their five sons, three of whom are adopted from Haiti. Their daughter Kelsey is married to Christian artist Kyle Kupecky. They currently live in Nashville, Tennessee after relocating in June 2011 from the Pacific Northwest. They were married in June, 1988 and have lived happily ever after since then. You can read her Adoption story here. 

They celebrate their faith daily by laughing, loving and living life to the fullest. You can contact Karen at moc.yrubsgniKneraK@neraK.

Karen is represented by Rick Christian, president of the Colorado Springs-based literary agency Alive Communications.