Barbara Taylor Bradford (May 10, 1933)

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Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE (born 10 May 1933) is an English novelist. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979 and she has so far written 24 bestselling novels.

Bradford was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire as the only child of Freda and Winston Taylor. She grew up in the Leeds suburb of Armley and after Town Street Church of England School (where she was in the same class as Alan Bennett) and Northcote School for Girls she worked in the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post before going into journalism. By the age of twenty she was the fashion editor of Woman's Own Magazine and an editor and columnist on Fleet Street for the London Evening News.

Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, became an enduring bestseller and was followed by 23 others - all bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic. Bradford's books have sold more than 81 million copies worldwide in more than 90 countries and 40 languages. Ten of her books have been made into television mini-series and television movies.

Currently, one of the richest living authors, Bradford's personal wealth has exceeded £145 million, making her one of the wealthiest women in the UK. The 2009 Sunday Times Rich List estimated her wealth at around £166 million, making her the 31st wealthiest woman in Britain.

It has been reported that she is working on creating a new soap opera for the U.S. market with longtime soap writer Millee Taggart.

Bradford lives in New York City with television producer Robert Bradford, her husband since 1963.

In 1999, Bradford became the first living female author to be featured on a postage stamp, when she was honored on legal tender by the nations of St. Vincent and Grenada. In 2002, she was again recognized with a postage stamp by the British Isle of Man. In April 2003, Mrs. Bradford was inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame of America. She was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list for her contributions to literature.

Bradford is a member of the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. She is heavily involved in a variety of charity projects around the world including: The Police Athletic League (PAL); PACT (Parents & Abducted Children Together) US and UK Chapters; and The New York Pops Orchestra.

Five of her television adaptations were re-released on DVD in the UK in September 2008 by Acorn Media UK. These are A Woman of Substance, Hold The Dream, To Be The Best, Act of Will and Voice of the Heart.

First Book - A Woman of Substance (1979)

Last Book - Breaking the Rules (2009)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Taylor_Bradford