Fern Michaels
Mary Ruth Kuczkir, known by the pen name Fern Michaels, was an American writer of romance and thriller novels. Her books include Family Blessings, Pretty Woman, and Crown Jewel, as well as the Texas quartet and the Captive series. She wrote over 200 books and sold an estimated 150 million copies, with more than 150 New York Times and USA Today best sellers.
Life and career
Mary Ruth Koval was born in Hastings, Pennsylvania, on April 9, 1933. She married Michael Kuczkir in 1952, moved to Edison, New Jersey, and had five children. When the youngest entered school in 1973, her husband told her to get a job. Since she was unsure of how to get a job, she decided to try writing a book. Her husband was not very supportive of her efforts, and consequently, they separated.Kuczkir originally wrote with a co-author, Roberta Anderson, under the joint pseudonym, Fern Michaels. Their first novel, Pride & Passion, was published in 1975. By 1978, they had signed a three-year contract with Ballantine Books, and their third novel, Captive Passions, had over 500,000 copies in circulation. In 1989, Kuczkir became the sole author under the Fern Michaels pen name.
Michaels has been quoted as saying that she loves breathing life into her characters. She has said she loves writing books about women who prevail under difficult circumstances, which she feels reflect her struggle for success early in her career. For her efforts, she has been inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame.
When she was a girl, Michaels's grandmother told her "when God is good to you, you have to give back". With this in mind, she founded the Fern Michaels Foundation, which grants four year scholarships for deserving students. In addition to that, she has also helped establish pre-school and day care programs with affordable rates for single mothers.
Michaels lived in Summerville, South Carolina, in a 300-year-old plantation house listed in the Historic Registry. She claimed to share the house with a ghost named Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret was said to leave messages on her computer.
Michaels died on November 12, 2025, at the age of 92.
Captives
- Captive Passions
- Captive Embraces
- Captive Splendours
- Captive Secrets
Texas
- Texas Rich
- Texas Heat
- Texas Fury
- Texas Trilogy
- ''Texas Sunrise''
Sins
- Sins of Omission
- ''Sins of the Flesh''
Vegas
- Vegas Rich
- Vegas Heat
- Vegas Sunrise
- ''Vegas Trilogy''
Kentucky
- Kentucky Rich
- Kentucky Heat
- ''Kentucky Sunrise''
Sisterhood
- 1. Weekend Warriors
- 2. Payback
- 3. Vendetta
- 4. The Jury
- 5. Sweet Revenge
- 6. Lethal Justice
- 7. Free Fall
- 8. Hide and Seek
- 9. Hokus Pokus
- 10. Fast Track
- 11. Collateral Damage
- 12. Final Justice
- 13. Under the Radar
- 14. Razor Sharp
- 15. Vanishing Act
- 16. Deadly Deals
- 17. Game Over
- 18. Cross Roads
- 19. Déjà Vu
- 20. Home Free
- 21. Gotcha
- 22. Blindsided
- 23. Kiss and Tell
- 24. Eyes Only
- 25. In Plain Sight
- 26. Point Blank
- 27. Crash and Burn
- 28. Need to Know
- 29. Safe and Sound
- 30. Cut and Run
- 31. Truth and Justice
- 32. Bitter Pill
- 33. 19 Yellow Moon Road
- 34. Tick Tock
- 35. Rock Bottom
- 36. Backwater Justice
- 37. ''Code Blue''
Cisco
- No Place Like Home
- ''Family Blessings''
The Godmothers
- The Scoop
- Exclusive
- Late Edition
- Deadline
- Breaking News
- Classified
- Hideaway e-novella
- Getaway e-novella
- Spirited Away e-novella
- ''Far and Away''
Men of the Sisterhood
- Double Down
- Fast and Loose
- High Stakes
- Truth or Dare
- ''Hot Shot''
Santa's Crew
- Santa Cruise
- Santa & Company
- ''Santa's Secret''
Stand alone novels
- Pride and Passion
- Vixen in Velvet
- Valentina
- Whitefire
- Sea Gypsy
- The Delta Ladies
- Whisper My Name
- Golden Lasso
- Beyond Tomorrow
- Paint Me Rainbows
- Captive Innocence
- Night Star
- Tender Warrior
- Wild Honey
- Picture Perfect
- All She Can be
- Free Spirit
- Cinders to Satin
- To Taste the Wine
- For All Their Lives
- Seasons of Her Life
- To Have and to Hold
- Desperate Measures
- Serendipity
- Yesterday
- Wish List
- Dear Emily
- Whitefire
- Finders Keepers
- Sara's Song
- Annie's Rainbow
- Celebration
- Split Second
- The Guest List
- Picture Perfect
- Listen to Your Heart
- What You Wish for
- Charming Lily
- Plain Jane
- The Future Scrolls
- Late Bloomer
- About Face
- Trading Places
- Crown Jewel
- The Real Deal
- The Nosy Neighbor
- Pretty Woman
- Fool Me Once
- Hey, Good Looking
- The Marriage Game
- Up Close and Personal
- Mr. and Miss Anonymous
- I'll Be Home for Christmas
- Return To Sender
- Christmas at Timberwoods
- Betrayal
- Southern Comfort
- Tuesday's Child
- Fancy Dancer
- Forget Me Not
- The Blossom Sisters
- A Family Affair
- Wishes for Christmas
- Perfect Match
- No Safe Secret
- Holly and Ivy
- Sweet Vengeance
- Deep Harbor
- Spirit of the Season
- ''Fear Thy Neighbor''
Omnibuses/collections
- Desperate Needs
- A Joyous Season
- Heartbreak Ranch
- Homecoming
- Heart of the Home
- Through the Years
- Five Golden Rings
- Shattered Night: Split Second and Picture Perfect
- The Delta Ladies / Wild Honey
- Maybe This Time
- Let It Snow
- Jingle All the Way
- Deck the Halls
- Dream of Me: Whisper My Name / Paint Me Rainbows
- Weekend Warriors / Payback
- Sugar and Spice
- Captive Passions / Captive Embraces
- Captive Splendors / Captive Secrets
- Texas Fury / Texas Sunrise
- Texas Rich / Texas Heat
- Comfort and Joy
- Promises: Nightstar/Beyond Tomorrow
- Silver Bells
- Wildflowers: Sea Gypsy/Golden Lasso
- Holiday Magic
- Making Spirits Bright
- Coming Home for Christmas: Silver Bells/Snow Angels/Holiday Magic
- A Winter Wonderland
- Balancing Act: All She Can Be/Free Spirit
- Secret Santa
- When the Snow Falls
- The Most Wonderful Time
- Winter Wishes
- Mistletoe Magic: Making Spirits Bright/Mister Christmas/A Winter Wonderland/Candy Canes and Cupid
- Fate & Fortune: Vixen in Velvet/Whitefire
- A Season to Celebrate
- ''A Snowy Little Christmas''