Danielle Steel Biography

(Writer)

Birthday: August 14, 1947 (Leo)

Born In: New York, New York, United States

Danielle Steel is an American novelist, counted amongst the bestselling authors of all time. With over 800 million copies sold, she is currently the best-selling author alive. A prolific writer, she has authored over 90 novels and every one of her books is a bestseller. Along with novels she has also published several children’s books, works of non-fiction and poetry. Her books have been translated into over 40 languages and sold in around 70 countries. Several of her works have also been adapted for television. In spite of her tremendous popularity and commercial success, critics have often accused her for writing “fluff”. Known to adopt a consistent, formulaic style of writing, she is especially popular among women readers. Danielle Steel loved writing from a young age and had started writing stories when she was just a child. After completing her education she worked for a public relations agency. There a client, impressed by her freelance articles, advised her to focus on writing and thus began her literary career. There was no looking back after the publication of her first novel, ‘Going Home’, and she soon established herself as a popular and much loved author. She is also the founder of The Nick Traina Foundation, named in honor of her late son.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel

Age: 77 Years, 77 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Claude-Eric Lazard, Danny Zugelder, John Traina, Thomas Perkins, William Toth

father: John Schulein-Steel

mother: Norma da Câmara Stone dos Reis

children: Beatrix Lazard Seidenberg, Maximilian John Traina, Nick Traina, Samantha Traina, Vanessa Danielle Traina, Victoria Lea Traina, Zara Alexandra Traina

Novelists New York University

Ancestry: German American, Portuguese American

U.S. State: New Yorkers

More Facts

education: New York University

  • 1

    What is Danielle Steel's most popular book?

    One of Danielle Steel's most popular books is "The Gift," which tells the story of a mother's love and sacrifice for her children.
  • 2

    How many books has Danielle Steel written?

    Danielle Steel has written over 180 books throughout her career, making her one of the most prolific authors in the world.
  • 3

    What genre does Danielle Steel primarily write in?

    Danielle Steel is best known for writing romance novels, although she has also written books in other genres such as fiction and self-help.
  • 4

    Has Danielle Steel ever had a book adapted into a movie?

    Yes, several of Danielle Steel's books have been adapted into movies, including "Safe Harbour" and "Palomino."
  • 5

    What is Danielle Steel's writing process like?

    Danielle Steel is known for her disciplined writing routine, often working long hours and completing multiple drafts of her novels before they are published.
Childhood & Early Life
She was born as Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel in New York City August 14, 1947, into a wealthy family. She was the only child of Norma da Câmara Stone dos Reis and John Schulein-Steel.
Her parents divorced when she was seven or eight years old and she was raised primarily in Paris and New York.
She developed a love for writing as a young girl. After graduating from the Lycée Français de New York in 1963, she studied literature design and fashion design first at Parsons School of Design and then at New York University.
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Career
Danielle Steel married young and soon became a mother. She took up a job at a public relations agency in New York called Supergirls shortly after the birth of her first daughter. It was while working there that she first got complimented on her writing. One of her clients was highly impressed by her freelance articles and suggested that she try her hand at writing.
She eventually moved to San Francisco and started working for Grey Advertising as a copywriter. Her debut novel, ‘Going Home’, was out in 1973. After its release she wrote several other novels, but none of them got selected for publication.
Finally her novel ‘Passion’s Promise’ was accepted for publication in 1977. The plot revolves around the life of a glamorous socialite who is also a social justice journalist, and is confused about her own identity.
In 1979, she published a romantic novel, ‘Season of Passion’, which follows the lives of Kate and Tom Harper and the way their relationship develops over a period of time. Initially the couple enjoys a beautiful relationship but when Tom becomes suicidal, Kate realizes that she needs to move on to a fresh start.
She soon developed into a prolific writer, churning out several novels within the same year. After a series of lesser-known novels in the early 1980s, she released ‘Full Circle’ in 1984 which not only became a bestseller but was also adapted into a television film later on.
As her popularity grew over the years, several of her works were adapted for television. These include 'Now and Forever' (1983), 'Crossings' (1986), 'Fine Things' (1990), 'Daddy' (1991), 'Danielle Steel's Heartbeat' (1993), 'A Perfect Stranger' (1994) and 'Family Album' (1994). The most successful of the adaptations was 'Jewels' in 1992, a miniseries which earned two Golden Globe nominations.
Along with writing novels she has also authored children’s fiction. She wrote a series of 10 illustrated books, known as ‘Max and Martha’ series which aims to help children deal with real-life problems such as a new sibling, loss of a loved one, changing schools, etc.
Some of the prolific author’s recent books are ‘A Gift of Hope’ (2012), ‘Until the End of Time’ (2013), ‘First Sight’ (2013), ‘Power Play’ (2014), ‘A Perfect Life’ (2014), and ‘Prodigal Son’ (2015).
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Major Works
Her novel ‘Kaleidoscope’ (1987) is one of her most popular bestselling books in which she explores the love and relationships between siblings. The story revolves around three sisters whose father kills their mother and commits suicide. The gripping novel was also adapted into an NBC television movie.
Her most popular non-fiction book is ‘His Bright Life’, in which she shares the story of the life and death of her son Nicholas Traina who had committed suicide in 1997. He suffered from bipolar disorder. The proceeds from this book were used to establish a foundation in her son’s name.
Awards & Achievements
In 2002, the French government made her an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for her contributions to world culture.
In May 2003 she became the recipient of the "Outstanding Achievement Award" for work with adolescents from Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco
She was awarded the "Distinguished Service in Mental Health Award” from New York Presbyterian Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Columbia University Medical School and Cornell Medical College, in May 2009.
Personal Life & Legacy
Danielle Steel might be famous for writing romance novels, but she herself has been quite unlucky in love. She has been married five times, and each of her marriage ended in divorce. She had six children from all of her marriages.
Facts About Danielle Steel

Steel has a collection of antique cars and enjoys driving them around her hometown in San Francisco.

Danielle Steel is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and has spoken openly about her own struggles with depression.
She has a unique ritual of eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day for lunch while working on her novels.
Danielle Steel is a dedicated philanthropist, supporting various causes such as education, homelessness, and the arts.

See the events in life of Danielle Steel in Chronological Order

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