RITA Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 26 (2007) Winner
Jessica Bird
ジェシカ・バード
Jeshika Bādo
Aliases:
Jessica Rowley Pell Bird / Jessica Rowley Pell Bird Blakemore
Pen Names:
J. R. Ward（Used for paranormal romance works）,
Jessica Ward（Used for standalone novel）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1969-04-19 （Boston, Massachusetts）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Boston, Massachusetts → Louisville, Kentucky
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Healthcare administrator, Lawyer
- Active Years
- 2002-2024
- Affiliations
- Romance Writers of America
- Memberships
- Romance Writers of America
- Influenced By
- Stephen King
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith College | — | History and art history, medieval studies | BA | — | United States |
| Albany Law School | — | Law | J.D. | — | United States |
Smith College
History and art history, medieval studies
Degree:
BA
Country:
United States
Majored in history and art history with concentration in medieval studies
Albany Law School
Law
Degree:
J.D.
Country:
United States
Earned Juris Doctor, licensed to practice law in two states
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | RITA Award | From the First | Best Short Contemporary Romance | Romance Writers of America | Winner |
| 2008 | RITA Award | Lover Revealed | Best Paranormal Romance | Romance Writers of America | Winner |
| 2019 | RITA Award | Dearest Ivie | Best Paranormal Romance | Romance Writers of America | Winner |
RITA Award
2007
Work:
From the First
Category:
Best Short Contemporary Romance
Organization:
Romance Writers of America
Result:
Winner
RITA Award
2008
Work:
Lover Revealed
Category:
Best Paranormal Romance
Organization:
Romance Writers of America
Result:
Winner
RITA Award
2019
Work:
Dearest Ivie
Category:
Best Paranormal Romance
Organization:
Romance Writers of America
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Leaping Hearts
2002 RomanceContemporary romance, author's debut novel
Romance
Dark Lover
2005 Paranormal romanceFirst in Black Dagger Brotherhood series about vampire warriors
VampiresBrotherhoodRomance
Lover Revealed
2007 Paranormal romanceBlack Dagger Brotherhood series entry. RITA Award winner
VampiresRomance
Dearest Ivie
2018 Paranormal romanceNovella in Black Dagger world. RITA Award winner
VampiresRomance
Adaptations
- The Black Dagger Brotherhood (TV Mini-Series, 2025, Passionflix)
Translations of Works
- Published in 25 countries and several languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Short clips like moviesReappearing characters in seriesAlpha males
- Recurring Motifs
- VampiresTough arrogant malesIntelligent strong womenBrotherhood
Legacy
Bestselling romance novelist famous for Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Over 16 million copies in print, translated into 25 languages, multiple #1 New York Times bestsellers.
In Popular Culture
- Black Dagger Brotherhood adapted into Passionflix TV mini-series (2025)
Quotes
-
The tougher, the cockier, the more arrogant, the better.
Source: Interview (2004) (2004)
Trivia
- Completed her first story at age eight
- Wrote her first romance book the summer before college
- Became interested in romance fiction at age thirteen