Fern Michaels, who is originally known as Mary Ruth Kuczkir, grew up in Hasting, Pennsylvania. She was born on April 9, 1933. Michaels is an American author of romance and thriller novels, including nearly 50 bestselling books with more than 70 million copies in print. Her USA Today and New York Times bestselling books include Family Blessings, Pretty Woman, and Crown Jewel, and Take down. She writes the Texas quartet and the Captive series.