Penny Jordan facts for kids

Penelope Halsall (born Penelope Jones; 24 November 1946 – 31 December 2011) was a very popular English writer. She wrote over 200 romance novels. Her books sold more than 70 million copies around the world. They were also translated into many different languages.

Penelope used several pen names for her books. She wrote historical romances as Caroline Courtney and Annie Groves. She also wrote modern romance stories as Penny Jordan. Sometimes, she used the names Melinda Wright and Lydia Hitchcock too.

About Penelope Halsall

Penelope Jones was born in Preston, Lancashire, England, on 24 November 1946. She was the oldest of three children. From a young age, Penelope loved to read. Her mother would often leave her in the children's section of the library.

Penelope started telling stories when she was just eight years old. She would make up bedtime stories for her younger sister. She enjoyed books by famous authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. She also loved plays by William Shakespeare.

When she was eleven, Penelope discovered romance novels. She quickly became a big fan of these stories. After finishing school, she worked as a typist in Manchester for fourteen years.

Penelope married Steve Halsall, who was an accountant. They did not have their own children. However, she had many godchildren, nieces, and nephews whom she loved very much. Penelope Halsall passed away in 2011.

Her Writing Career

Penelope began writing for fun in her early twenties. Her husband encouraged her to become a professional writer when she was 30. He even bought her a small electric typewriter. This was the machine she used to type her very first books.

She entered a writing competition, and even though she didn't win, an agent noticed her talent. In March 1979, Penelope published her first novel, Duchess in Disguise. She used the pen name Caroline Courtney for this book. She wrote 25 historical romance novels under this name until 1986.

Between 1981 and 1983, she also wrote a few other types of books. She wrote three fun adventure stories as Melinda Wright. She also wrote two mystery novels as Lydia Hitchcock.

In 1981, a big publisher called Mills & Boon accepted her first novel from them. This book was called Falcon's Prey, and she used the name Penny Jordan. She wrote 167 books for Mills & Boon (and Harlequin). These books sold nearly 70 million copies worldwide.

From 2003, Penelope started writing historical novels again. She used her mother's maiden name, Annie Groves, for these books. Penelope often found ideas for her stories from real-life events. She also used her own family history as inspiration. For example, her grandmother's story inspired her book Ellie Pride.

See also

In Spanish: Penelope Jones Halsall para niños