Karen Kingsbury
Karen Kingsbury is an American Christian novelist born in Fairfax, Virginia.
She was a sports writer for the Los Angeles Times and later wrote for the Los Angeles Daily News. Her first book, Missy's Murder, was based on a murder story that she covered in Los Angeles. During this time, she had an article published in People Magazine.
She has written or co-written almost 100 novels or short stories, and has nearly 13 million copies of her novels in print. She is a #1 New York Times and USA Today best selling novelist with the last dozen books published topping bestseller lists. Some of her novels are being developed into movies by The Hallmark Channel, including The Bridge, A Time to Dance, and Maggie's Christmas Miracle. Her Baxter Family series was adapted into a television series by Lightworkers Media and Roma Downey in 2024 on Prime Video.
Kingsbury also does public speaking, and through national events she reaches more than 100,000 people each year.
Early life
Karen Kingsbury is the oldest of five children born to Ted and Anne Kingsbury. Her family moved around a lot because of her father's job with IBM; ultimately the family would finally settle down in the San Fernando Valley when Karen was ten.She graduated with a degree in journalism from California State University Northridge in 1986.
Career
She worked for the Los Angeles Times as a sports writer and also reported on the crime beat.In conjunction with Kingsbury, Liberty University announced in November 2017 the opening of the Karen Kingsbury Center for Creative Writing as part of its College of Arts and Sciences, where students can obtain a minor in Creative Writing. Kingsbury herself will teach several of the courses, both in residence at Liberty and online.
Personal life
She married her husband, Don Russell, on July 23, 1989. They joined a nondenominational church, and were baptized. They have three children and later adopted three boys from Haiti.Karen Kingsbury's father died due to complications from diabetes. She chose to start eating healthier and to cut out sugar and as a result lost 70 pounds between January and November 2007.
Books
Series involving the Baxter Family
These sets of series is by far her most popular, and comprise nearly a quarter of her work. The Baxters are either the main characters, or play key roles, in each of the books. The series is set mainly in and around Bloomington, Indiana.Redemption series (with [Gary Smalley])
Redemption Remember Return Rejoice- ''Reunion''
Firstborn series
Fame Forgiven Found Family- ''Forever''
Sunrise series
Sunrise Summer Someday- ''Sunset''
Above the Line series
Take One Take Two Take Three- ''Take Four''
Bailey Flanigan series
Leaving Learning Longing- ''Loving''
Coming Home, The Baxter Family (a standalone work originally planned to end the series)
- ''Coming Home''
Baxter Family Collection
A Baxter Family Christmas Love Story In This Moment To the Moon and Back When We Were Young Two Weeks Someone Like You- ''Truly, Madly, Deeply''
Baxter Family Children series (with Tyler Russell, for ages 8-12)
Best Family Ever Finding Home Never Grow Up Adventure Awaits- ''Being Baxters''
Other series
Angels Walking series
Angels Walking Chasing Sunsets Brush of Wings- ''Always and Forever''
Heart of the Story Series
The Family of Jesus The Friends of Jesus The Followers of Jesus- ''First Hand Encounters of Jesus''
9/11 Series
One Tuesday Morning Beyond Tuesday Morning- ''Remember Tuesday Morning''
Lost Love series
Even Now- ''Ever After''
Red Gloves series
Gideon's Gift Maggie's Miracle Sarah's Song- ''Hannah's Hope''
Forever Faithful series
Waiting for Morning A Moment of Weakness- ''Halfway to Forever''
Timeless Love series
A Time to Dance- ''A Time to Embrace''
Cody Gunner series
A Thousand Tomorrows- ''Just Beyond the Clouds''
Treasury of Miracles Books
Source:A Treasury of Christmas Miracles A Treasury of Miracles for Women A Treasury of Miracles for Teens A Treasury of Miracles for Friends A Treasury of Adoption Miracles- ''Miracles - A 52 Week Devotional''
Other works
True crime
Missy's Murder Final Vows Deadly Pretender: The Double Life of David Miller The Snake and the SpiderThese four books were Kingsbury's first novels. They were re-released in 2014 and included a letter from Kingsbury to her readers, explaining how writing these types of stories became too much for her to handle emotionally due to the darkness associated with them, and thus she changed genres to writing more general fiction with a Christian emphasis.
Standalone novels
Source:On Every Side Oceans Apart Divine Like Dandelion Dust When Joy Came to Stay Where Yesterday Lives Between Sundays Shades of Blue This Side of Heaven Unlocked The Bridge The Chance Fifteen Minutes A Distant Shore Just Once- * Although not part of any of her Baxter Family series, one of the characters is briefly portrayed as the manager of an adult care home where the main character resides in the latter stages of her life.
Children's books
Let Me Hold You Longer Let's Go On a Mommy Date We Believe In Christmas The Princess and the Three Knights Let's Have a Daddy Day The Brave Young Knight Far Flutterby Always Daddy's Princess Go Ahead and Dream- ''Whatever You Grow Up To Be''
Gift books
Forever Young Be Safe Little Boy Stay Close Little Girl Forever My Little Boy- ''Forever My Little Girl''
E-shorts
The Beginning I Can Only Imagine Elizabeth Baxter's 10 Secrets to a Happy Marriage- ''Once Upon A Campus''
Music
Karen Kingsbury co-wrote her first song, "Walls" with Gary Baker and Richie McDonald; it appeared on McDonald's inspirational album, I Turn to You and hit Christian and Country radio in January 2009.She wrote the song, "Tell Me to Breathe", that was included on the album I Can Do This by Marie Osmond.
Kingsbury also wrote "Miracles Happen", a Christmas song sung by country musician Richie McDonald, which now appears on McDonald's CD, If Every Day Could Be Christmas.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Based on a novel/book by | Writer | Producer | Notes |
| 2009 | Like Dandelion Dust | theatrical film | |||
| 2015 | Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge - Part 1 | Hallmark Channel TV Movie | |||
| 2016 | Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge - Part 2 | Hallmark Movies & Mysteries TV Movie | |||
| 2016 | Karen Kingsbury's A Time to Dance | Hallmark Movies & Mysteries TV Movie | |||
| 2017 | Karen Kingsbury's Maggie's Christmas Miracle | Hallmark Movies & Mysteries TV Movie | |||
| 2023 | Karen Kingsbury's A Thousand Tomorrows | Pure Flix original series | |||
| 2024–present | The Baxters | TV series | |||
| 2024 | Someone Like You | Theatrical Film |