Francine Rivers received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books won numerous awards. In 1986, she became a born-again Christian and started writing Christian fiction. Her book, Redeeming Love, is a retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush. Her Christian novels have won numerous awards including four Rita Awards, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, she was inducted into the Romance Writers' of America Hall of Fame.… She is the author of Lineage of Grace series, Mark of the Lion series, and Sons of Encouragement series. In 2014 her title, Bridge to Haven, made The New York Times Best Seller List