Sarah MacLean

MacLean was born in Lincoln, Rhode Island to an Italian father and a British mother. MacLean's website reports that her mother worked for MI6. MacLean started reading romance because her older sister read the books, and she has wanted to be a romance novelist since she was a teenager.{{Cite web |url=http://macleanspace.com/biography.html |title=Biography |author=Sarah MacLean |publisher=macleanspace.com |access-date=September 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409154105/http://www.macleanspace.com/biography.html |archivedate=April 9, 2010 |df=mdy-all }} In 2000, MacLean received a BA in American Studies from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. While at Smith, MacLean and her friends read hundreds of romance novels.

MacLean moved to New York City in 2000, and worked as a literary publicist until she attended graduate school at Harvard University, receiving a master's degree in education.{{Cite web|url=http://www.projo.com/books/content/lb-The-Season_05-05-09_UVE5CCP_v15.2580598.html |title=R.I. native writes fiction that is romantic and meant for young adults |author=Bryan Rourke |date=May 4, 2009 |publisher=projo.com |access-date=September 23, 2010}}

Upon returning to New York City, she wrote her first book, a young adult novel, The Season, after a friend suggested she try her hand at writing for teens.{{Cite web|url=http://acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com/2010/01/ya-month-book-and-chat-with-sarah.html |title=YA month a book and a chat with Sarah MacLean |date=January 16, 2010 |publisher=Acrossthepond-storyheart.blogspot.com |access-date=September 23, 2010}} The book, set in Regency England, received numerous awards, and was named to the 2010 Lone Star Reading List of the Texas Library Association.{{Cite web|url=http://www.txla.org/sites/tla/files/groups/YART/docs/LoneStar/docs/2010annontatedlonelist.pdf |title=2010 Texas Lone Star Annotated Reading List |date= |website=www.txla.org/ |access-date=December 6, 2010 }}

After The Season, MacLean wrote her first adult romance novel, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, a Regency historical. The book debuted on the USA Today Bestseller List and The New York Times Best Seller list, where it stayed for four weeks, and was the first recipient of the Romantic Times Magazine Seal of Excellence.{{Cite web |url=http://www.avonromance.com/2010/04/first-ever-romantic-times-seal-of-excellence-goes-to-sarah-maclean/ |title=First Ever Romantic Times "Seal of Excellence" Goes to Sarah MacLean |author=Christine Maddalena |date=April 22, 2010 |publisher=avonromance.com |accessdate=September 23, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

MacLean is a self-proclaimed feminist and speaks widely on the intersection of feminism and the romance genre.{{cite web|url=http://alumnae.smith.edu/cms/?spotlight=behind-the-book-secrets-of-a-wedding-night|title=Behind the Book: "Secrets of a Wedding Night" « - Smith College Office of Alumnae Relations Smith College Office of Alumnae Relations|website=alumnae.smith.edu}} She is a vocal defender of the literary merit of the romance novel and the skill it takes to write it well.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/books/review/letters.html|title=Letters|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 17, 2013|publisher=}} In February 2014, MacLean began writing a monthly romance review column for The Washington Post.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/best-new-romance-novels-from-jill-shalvis-cynthia-eden-and-lorraine-heath/2014/02/25/ec947380-9b1e-11e3-975d-107dfef7b668_story.html|title=Best new romance novels from Jill Shalvis, Cynthia Eden and Lorraine Heath|newspaper=Washington Post}} In July 2019, she hosted the Romance Writers of America RITA Awards.{{Citation|title=2019 RWA RITA Awards Ceremony| date=August 15, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4uqBSIuZbQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/e4uqBSIuZbQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2019-08-27}}{{cbignore}} In 2021, MacLean appeared on the popular podcast 99% Invisible where she discussed the importance of the romance genre and its history (which co-aired on Fated Mates).{{Cite web|title=The Clinch|url=https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-clinch/|access-date=2022-02-24|website=99% Invisible|date=June 2, 2021 }}

MacLean is a staunch advocate for political and literary causes. In 2024, she became a founding board member of Authors Against Book Bans, a national organization of authors in the fight against book bans and challenges.{{Cite web|title=Authors Against Book Bans|url=https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com/|access-date=2024-09-21|website=Authors Against Book Bans}} Through her podcast, MacLean runs weekly phonebanks for progressive candidates during election years, and raises money for democrats in downticket races.{{Cite web|title=Fated States|url=https://www.fatedmates.net/fatedstates/|access-date=2024-09-21|website=Fated Mates Podcast}}

She and her husband live in Brooklyn, New York. She is extremely active in social media, and often discusses her daily life on Twitter and Instagram.

1. {{cite book | title =Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake | orig-date = 2010 |date=March 2010 |publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780061852053}}
2. {{cite book | title =Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord | url =https://archive.org/details/tenwaystobeadore0000macl | url-access =registration | orig-date = 2010 |date=October 26, 2010 |publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780061852060}}
3. {{cite book | title =Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart | orig-date =2011 | date =April 26, 2011 | publisher =Avon | isbn =9780061852077 | url =https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780061852077 }}

1. A Rogue By Any Other Name
2. {{cite book | title =One Good Earl Deserves A Lover | orig-date = 2013 |date=January 29, 2013 |publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780062068538}}
3. {{cite book | title =No Good Duke Goes Unpunished | orig-date = 2013 |date=November 26, 2013 |publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780062068545}}
4. {{cite book | title =Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover | orig-date = 2014 |date=November 2014|publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780062068514}}

1. {{cite book | title =The Rogue Not Taken | orig-date = 2016 |date=January 2016|publisher=Avon|isbn=9780062379412}}
2. {{cite book | title =A Scot in the Dark | orig-date = 2016 |date=September 2016|publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780062379429}}
3. {{cite book | title =The Day of the Duchess | orig-date = 2017 |date=July 2017|publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780062379467}}

1. {{cite book | title =Wicked and the Wallflower | orig-date = 2018 |date=June 2018|publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780062379467}}
2. {{cite book | title =Brazen and the Beast | orig-date = 2019 |date=July 2019|publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780062912978}}
3. {{cite book | title =Daring and the Duke | orig-date = 2020 |date=June 2020|publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780063006492}}

1. {{cite book | title =Bombshell | orig-date = 2021|date=August 2021|publisher=Avon|isbn=9780063056152}}
2. {{cite book | title =Heartbreaker | orig-date = 2022|date=August 2022|publisher=Avon|isbn= 9780349429632}}
3. {{cite book | title =Knockout| orig-date = 2023|date=August 2023|publisher=Avon|isbn=9780349429656}}

1. "The Bladesmith Queen" appeared in the anthology Sword Stone Table (July 2021).
2. "A Duke Worth Falling For" appeared in the anthology Naughty Brits (September 2020).
3. "The Duke of Christmas Present" appeared in the anthology How the Dukes Stole Christmas (October 2018).
4. "She, Doomed Girl", co-written with Carrie Ryan, appeared in the anthology Dark Duets (March 2013).

1. {{cite book|title=The Season|orig-date=2009|date=March 2009|publisher=Orchard Books|isbn=9780545048866|url=https://archive.org/details/season00macl}}
2. {{cite book|title=Generation Wonder|orig-date=2022|date=June 2022|publisher=Harry N Abrams|isbn=9781419754463}}

In 2018, MacLean started the Fated Mates podcast with critic Jen Prokop. The weekly podcast releases Wednesdays and features "deep dive discussions" of classic texts and books that showcase the sociological work of the romance genre, as well as "interstitial episodes" which provide long form analysis of common tropes used in the genre.

In its fourth season, Fated Mates began collecting the oral histories of romance trailblazers: authors, editors and others who built the modern genre.{{Cite web |title=romance trailblazers — Episodes |url=https://fatedmates.net/episodes/tag/romance+trailblazers |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=Fated Mates Podcast |language=en-US}}

In 2020, Fated Mates launched Fated States, to provide their listeners an outlet for political action.{{Cite news |title=Romance authors and fans teamed up to support Georgia Democrats. Here's the story. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/14/romance-authors-fans-teamed-up-support-georgia-democrats-heres-story/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US}} The podcast hosts phonebanks and fundraising drives for democratic candidates during election season, and mobilizes off-season to support progressive causes.{{Cite web |title=Fated States |url=http://www.fatedmates.net/fatedstates/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=fatedmates.net |language=en-US}}

• 2010 - Texas Library Association Lone Star Reading List for The Season
• 2010 (April) - Romantic Times Magazine Seal of Excellence for Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
• 2013 - Romance Writers of America, RITA Award for Best Historical Romance for A Rogue By Any Other Name[https://web.archive.org/web/20130725003123/http://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1108#RITAHIST RITA History]
• 2014 - Romance Writers of America, RITA Award for Best Historical Romance for No Good Duke Goes Unpunished[https://web.archive.org/web/20140730084030/http://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1341#RITAHIST RITA History]

MacLean has hit the New York Times Bestseller List and USA Today Bestseller List with all of her romance novels.{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/#/%22Sarah+maclean%22/since1851/allresults/1/allauthors/relevance/Arts;+Books/|title=NYTimes.com Search|website=query.nytimes.com}} She has received starred reviews for several titles from Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal.{{cite web|url=http://www.fictiondb.com/author/sarah-maclean~book-awards~64179.htm|title=Awards for Sarah MacLean|website=www.fictiondb.com}}

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• {{official website|http://www.sarahmaclean.net}}

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Category:21st-century American novelists

Category:American women novelists

Category:American writers of young adult literature

Category:American romantic fiction writers

Category:1978 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American women writers

Category:Smith College alumni

Category:Harvard University alumni

Category:American women romantic fiction writers

Category:RITA Award winners

Category:American women writers of young adult literature