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Barbara O'Neal

バーバラ・オニール

Bābara Onīru

Pen Names: Barbara Samuel（Used for women's fiction and historical romance）, Lark O'Neal（Used for new adult romance）, Ruth Wind（Used for contemporary romance）

Profile

Gender
Female
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
Novelist
Active Years
1990-
Memberships
Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame

Awards

RITA Award
1998
Work: Heart of a Knight
Category: Best Short Historical
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Winner
RITA Award
1998
Work: Reckless
Category: Best Long Contemporary Series Romance
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Winner
RITA Award
1999
Work: Meant to be Married
Category: Best Long Contemporary Romance
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Winner
RITA Award
2003
Work: No Place Like Home
Category: Best Contemporary Single Title
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Winner
RITA Award
2006
Work: Lady Luck's Map of Vegas
Category: Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Winner
RITA Award
2010
Work: The Lost Recipe for Happiness
Category: Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Winner
RITA Award
2012
Work: How to Bake a Perfect Life
Category: Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Winner
Romance Writers Hall of Fame
2012
Category: Strong Romantic Elements
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: Inducted

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

When We Believed in Mermaids

2019 women's fiction

A story of sisters reuniting and uncovering past secrets. Sold over 1 million copies and published in over 21 territories.

familysecond chancesmulti-generational women stories

The Starfish Sisters

2023 women's fiction

Story of lifelong friends and their lives.

friendshipfamilyfood

The Lost Recipe for Happiness

2008 women's fiction

A story themed around food and happiness.

foodsecond chancesfamily

Heart of a Knight

1997 historical romance

Medieval romance.

lovechivalry

Bibliography

  • The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth
  • Memories of the Lost
  • The Starfish Sisters
  • This Place of Wonder
  • Write My Name Across the Sky
  • The Lost Girls of Devon
  • When We Believed in Mermaids
  • The Art of Inheriting Secrets
  • The All You Can Dream Buffet
  • The Garden of Happy Endings
  • How to Bake a Perfect Life
  • The Secret of Everything
  • The Lost Recipe for Happiness
  • The Scent of Hours
  • Lady Luck's Map of Vegas
  • The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue
  • A Piece of Heaven
  • No Place Like Home
  • In the Midnight Rain
  • Random
  • Stoked
  • Epic
  • Brilliant
  • Intense
  • Extreme
  • Miranda's Revenge
  • Desi's Rescue
  • Juliet's Law
  • The Diamond Secret
  • Countdown
  • Born Brave
  • Beautiful Stranger
  • Rio Grande Wedding
  • For Christmas Forever
  • Meant to be Married
  • Her Ideal Man
  • Reckless
  • Marriage Material
  • Rainsinger
  • The Last Chance Ranch
  • Breaking the Rules
  • Walk in Beauty
  • Jezebel's Blues
  • A Minute to Smile
  • Light of Day
  • Summer's Freedom
  • Strangers On a Train
  • Night of Fire
  • The Black Angel
  • Heart of a Knight
  • Dancing Moon
  • Lucien's Fall
  • A Winter Ballad
  • A Bed of Spices

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Multi-generational stories about womenFood-themed narrativesEmotionally rich romantic style
Recurring Motifs
familysecond chancesfoodwomen's bonds

Legacy

Author of over 40 books, winner of 7 RITA Awards, inducted into Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Publishes general fiction with Lake Union Publishing.