Thomas, Jodi

PERSONAL: Born in TX; married; husband's name Tom; children: two. Education: Attended Texas Tech University. Hobbies and other interests: Traveling with her husband.

ADDRESSES: Home—Amarillo, TX. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Mira Books, P.O. Box 5190, Buffalo, NY 14240-5190. E-mail—jodi@jodithomas.com.

CAREER: High school home economics teacher, 1973–88; West Texas State A&M University, Canyon, writer-in-residence, 2002–; freelance writer.

MEMBER: Romance Writers of the Texas Panhandle(founder and lifetime member).

AWARDS, HONORS: Reviewers' Choice, Romantic Times, 1988, and National Press Women's Novel of the Year, for Beneath the Texas Sky; first prize, Panhandle Professional Writers and Oklahoma Writers Federation, c. 1990, for Northern Star; RITA Award for best historical fiction of the year, Romance Writers of America, 1991, for The Tender Texan, 1994, for To Tame a Texan's Heart; Holt Medallion Award, Virginia Romance Writers, 1998, for Two Texas Hearts; Career Achievement Award for Western Historical Fiction, Romantic Times, 1998; Distinguished Alumni Award, Texas Tech University, 2002.

WRITINGS:

FICTION

The Widows of Wichita County, Mira Books (Buffalo, NY), 2003.

Finding Mary Blaine, Mira Books (Buffalo, NY), 2004.

How to Lasso a Cowboy (short stories), Jove (New York, NY), 2004.

The Secrets of Rosa Lee, Mira Books (Buffalo, NY), 2005.

Contributor to numerous short-story collections, including Sweet Hearts, Diamond/Charter Books (New York, NY), 1993; A Country Christmas, Signet (New York, NY), 1993; Loving Hearts, Diamond/Charter Books, 1993; and Stardust, Avon (New York, NY), 1994.

HISTORICAL NOVELS

Beneath the Texas Sky, Diamond/Charter Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Northern Star, Diamond/Charter Books (New York, NY), 1990.

The Tender Texan, Diamond/Charter Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Prairie Song, Diamond/Charter Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Cherish the Dream, Diamond/Charter Books (New York, NY), 1993.

The Texan and the Lady, Diamond/Charter Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Forever in Texas, Jove (New York, NY), 1995.

Texas Love Song, Jove (New York, NY), 1996.

Two Texas Hearts, Jove (New York, NY), 1997.

"TEXAN TOUCH" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

The Texan's Touch, Jove (New York, NY), 1998.

To Kiss a Texan, Jove (New York, NY), 1999.

To Wed in Texas, Jove (New York, NY), 2000.

Twilight in Texas, Jove (New York, NY), 2001.

The Texan's Dream, Jove (New York, NY), 2001.

"WIFE LOTTERY" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

The Texan's Wager, Jove (New York, NY), 2002.

When a Texan Gambles, Jove (New York, NY), 2003.

A Texan's Luck, Jove (New York, NY), 2004.

The Texan's Reward, Berkley (New York, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: A former high school home economics teacher, Jodi Thomas is the author of multiple works of fiction. The winner of two RITA awards from the Romance Writers of America, Thomas has received considerable praise for her romance works, many of which are set in the Old West era in Texas. The "Texan Touch" novels, for example, are set in Texas after the U.S. Civil War. In each novel in this series, Thomas tells the story of one of the McLain brothers and their loves. For example, To Kiss a Texan features Wes McLain, who rescues a young woman named Allie who has been raised by Indians; To Wed in Texas is about the Reverend Daniel McLain, a widower who begins to fall in love with his dead wife's relative, Karlee, after she comes to his home to help with his children. While critics have sometimes commented that these books do not have overly original plots, they have praised Thomas for doing a fine job with her material. For example, Booklist contributor Melanie Duncan observed that the author uses several familiar plot devices in To Kiss a Texan, but still "breathes new and compelling life into them." A Publishers Weekly writer called To Wed in Texas "formulaic" but "entertaining."

Thomas's "Wife Lottery" series follows the adventures of three women who mistakenly believe they have murdered a man who tried to rape them. Making a deal with a corrupt sheriff, they agree to be sold into a "wife lottery" to various men in exchange for not being sent to prison. Each book in the series then tells the story of what happens next to each of these women. A number of critics had high praise for these books, with a Publishers Weekly contributor lauding the "crisp prose, sprightly dialogue and homespun characters" in The Texan's Wager. Another Publishers Weekly reviewer appreciated the "fast-paced adventure" and "romantic dynamics" of A Texan's Luck.

Although she primarily writes historical romance novels, Thomas has also written mainstream fiction. "Her novels reflect Texas, from its rich history to the modern-day streets of Austin," noted Janda Raker in the Writer. In her mainstream novel The Secrets of Rosa Lee, Thomas tells the story of the Altman mansion in a town in Texas. Long abandoned, the mansion faces two fates: either demolition by a company searching for oil reservoirs on its grounds, or restoration to its days of glory when it was built by Henry Altman, the town's founder. While the townsfolk are split on what they would like to happen, there is someone who is blackmailing town committee members to make sure the mansion is torn down, not in the name of progress but to guarantee that old secrets remain hidden. For their part, the committee members think that the answers they are seeking may be in the house, where something may have been left by its last resident, Rosa Lee, the reclusive spinster daughter of Altman. In addition to the story of the mansion, Thomas also thickens the plot with three separate romances. "The committee turns the tale into an interesting look at progress vs. heritage as they go through the stages of group dynamics with the perpetrator causing trust issues between the members," wrote Harriet Klausner on her book review Web site. As a Publishers Weekly contributor commented, "As usual, the author's historical twists are convincing, and her romances involve appealingly warm but wounded characters."

Thomas told CA: "I think I always daydreamed and I loved to read, but English was my worst subject. It took me a long while to learn that writing is far more than spelling. I once sent my editor at Berkley two pages of commas with a note that said, 'This book will be two pages longer when you figure out where these all go.'

"What surprises me most about writing is how hard it is. I really think most 'want-to-be' writers have the talent, they just don't have the time or the drive. I was a mother of two small children with a full-time job when I started. I carved my writing time out between ten and midnight, then ate at my desk the next day to proofread

"I want to take the reader on an adventure. I hope when they finish, they smile at all the fun they had along the way. I also hope they come to a better understanding of people. I try very hard to make my characters come alive."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 1994, Denise Perry Donavan, review of To Tame a Texan's Heart, p. 655; April15, 1999, Melanie Duncan, review of To Kiss a Texan, p. 1518; October 15, 2001, John Charles, review of The Texan's Dream, p. 387; September15, 2002, Shelley Mosley, review of The Texan's Wager, p. 218; October 15, 2003, Shelley Mosley, review of When a Texan Gambles, p. 398.

Publishers Weekly, March 29, 1999, review of To Kiss a Texan, p. 101; December 6, 1999, review of To Wed in Texas, p. 59; October 14, 2002, review of The Texan's Wager, p. 70; July 26, 2004, review of Finding Mary Blaine, p. 43; July 27, 2005, review of The Secrets of Rosa Lee, p.47.

Writer, March, 2005, Janda Raker, interview with Thomas, p. 66.

ONLINE

All about Romance, http://www.likesbooks.com/ (May18, 1999), Blythe Barnhill, review of To Kiss a Texan; (March 17, 2001) Marianne Stallings, review of Twilight in Texas; (December 8, 2001) Liz Zink, review of The Texan's Dream;(November 23, 2002) Liz Zink, review of The Texan's Wager; (November 10, 2003) Rachel Potter, review of When a Texan Gambles; (November12, 2003) Donna Newman, review of The Widows of Wichita County.

Authors Den, http://www.authorsden.com/ (September 27, 2004), "Jodi Thomas."

Berkley Jove Web site, http://bekleyjoveauthors.com/ (September 26, 2004), "Jodi Thomas."

Best Reviews, http://thebestreviews.com/ (October 24, 2001), Kathy Boswell, review of The Texan's Dream; (December 20, 2001) Marilyn Heyman, review of The Texan's Dream; (October 1, 2002), Rashmi Srinivas, review of The Texan's Wager; (October 10, 2002) Harriet Klausner, review of The Texan's Wager; (July 13, 2003) Harriet Klausner, review of The Widows of Wichita County; (October 7, 2003) review of When a Texan Gambles; (October 29, 2003) Delia Larkins, review of When a Texan Gambles; (May 8, 2004) Harriet Klausner, review of How to Lasso a Cowboy; (May 12, 2004) Suzanne Tucker, review of How to Lasso a Cowboy; (August 9, 2004) Harriet Klausner, review of Finding Mary Blaine.

Harriet Klausner Web site, http://harrietklausner.wwwi.com/ (November 15, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of The Secrets of Rosa Lee.

Historical Romance Writers Online, http://www.historicalromancewriters.com/ (September 26, 2005), "Meet Jodi Thomas."

Jodi Thomas Home Page, http://www.jodithomas.com (September 26, 2005).

Romance Reader, http://www.theromancereader.com/ (June 22, 1998), Jean Mason, review of The Texan's Touch; (April 3, 1999) Jean Mason, review of To Kiss a Texan; (January 10, 2000) Judith Flavell, review of To Wed in Texas; (April 6, 2001) Nancy J. Silberstein, review of Twilight in Texas; (December 9, 2001) Shirley Lyons, review of The Texan's Dream; Jean Mason, review of The Widows of Wichita County; (November 29,2002) Jean Mason, review of The Texan's Wager; (August 14, 2003) Jean Mason, review of The Widows of Wichita County; (November 2, 2003) Cathy Sova, review of When a Texan Gambles.

Under the Covers, http://www.silcom.com/ (July 17, 1999), Anne Bulin, review of To Kiss a Texan; (November 22, 1999) Harriet Klausner, review of To Wed in Texas.