Julia Quinn

Julia Quinn (born Julie Cotler) states that she chose her pseudonym so that her books could be found on shelves next to the romance writer Amanda Quick. Quinn grew up mainly in New England, but she did spend some time in California after her parents divorced. She graduated from Harvard with an Art History degree. After graduation, she was unsure what direction to take, so she decided to go to medical school. During the two years of preparation for med school, she began writing to alleviate the pressure and boredom of studying science. Two weeks before being accepted to medical school, two of her Regency romances were sold. She postponed her schooling and wrote two more novels. She eventually did attend Yale medical school but shortly discovered she loved writing more than dissections. She then devoted herself to full-time writing.

Her books are full of humor and witty dialogue. Her heroines are often imbued with feminist qualities not typical of their historical settings. She has garnered many accolades for her work.