America reads Danielle Steel. And so does the rest of the world. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print, and every one of her books is a number one bestseller. In short, Danielle Steel is the most popular author writing today.

From an education in New York and Europe to a professional background in public relations and advertising, Ms. Steel moved on quickly to her literary career and has been hard at work writing ever since. Often, she works on five books and several movies at a time--researching one storyline, writing another, and editing the third. Still, she often spends two to three years researching and developing a single project. In the heat of a first draft, it is not uncommon for her to spend 18 to 20 hours a day glued to her 1946 Olympia manual typewriter.

Ms. Steel maintains a high interest in the welfare and well-being of children. She has raised nine of her own. And they keep her busy, as she juggles writing and family. Ms. Steel leads a quiet family life and spends most of her time writing.