Wolf, Joan 1951–

PERSONAL:

Born 1951, in Bronx, NY; married; husband's name Joseph; children: Jay, Pam. Education: Mercy College, B.A., Hunter College, M.A. Hobbies and other interests: Horses, the New York Yankees, the University of Connecticut men's and women's basketball teams.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Milford, CT.

CAREER:

Writer. Taught high school English in New York City for nine years. Cardinal Spellman High School, Bronx, NY, former English teacher.

MEMBER:

Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

A Kind of Honor, J. Curley and Associates (South Yarmouth, MA), 1980.

A London Season, J. Curley and Associates (South Yarmouth, MA), 1980.

A Difficult Truce, J. Curley and Associates (South Yarmouth, MA), 1981.

The American Duchess, J. Curley and Associates (South Yarmouth, MA), 1982.

The Counterfeit Marriage, J. Curley and Associates (South Yarmouth, MA), 1982.

Lord Richard's Daughter, J. Curley and Associates (South Yarmouth, MA), 1983.

The Divided Sphere, Floating Island Publications (Floating Island Station, CA), 1985.

The Rebel and the Rose, Signet (New York, NY), 1986.

The Road to Avalon, New American Library (New York, NY), 1988.

The Arrangement, Thorndike Press (Thorndike, ME), 1988.

Born of the Sun, New American Library (New York, NY), 1989.

The Edge of Light, New American Library (New York, NY), 1990.

Daughter of the Red Deer, Dutton (New York, NY), 1991.

The Horsemasters, Dutton (New York, NY), 1993.

The Reindeer Hunters, Dutton (New York, NY), 1994.

The Deception, Grand Central Publishing (New York, NY), 1996.

The Guardian, Wheeler Publications (Rockland, MA), 1997.

Golden Girl, Warner Books (New York, NY), 1999.

No Dark Place, HarperCollins Publishers (New York, NY), 1999.

The Poisoned Serpent, HarperCollins Publishers (New York, NY), 2000.

Royal Bride, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Silverbridge, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2002.

High Meadow, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2003.

That Summer, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Crossword, Cruzane Mountain Publishing, 2004.

White Horses, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

To the Castle, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

His Lordship's Desire, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

A Dangerous Masquerade, Silhouette Books, 2006.

Also author of His Lordship's Mistress, published with Married by Mistake, by Melinda McRae, Signet (New York, NY).

SIDELIGHTS:

Historical romance novelist Joan Wolf was born in the Bronx but has lived in Milford, Connecticut, for many years. Wolf taught creative writing to high school students before becoming a full-time writer. She noted in a statement posted at her home page that teaching sharpened her critical skills, and editing students' work aided her in improving her own writing.

In The Road to Avalon, set in England after the Roman occupation, Wolf presents her version of the King Arthur legend. Uther Pendragon is a Roman king; his wife Igraine is a Celtic princess, and their son Arthur, conceived while Igraine was still married to her first husband, has been raised in secret by Morgan, daughter of the magician Merlin. Although Morgan is Arthur's half-aunt, the two are in love with each other, though they cannot show that love in public. Arthur marries Celtic princess Gwynhwyfar, but keeps his secret relationship with Morgan. In Publishers Weekly, Sybil Steinberg praised Wolf's characterization, noting that the book "captures—and enriches—the tragic sweep of romance and idealism inherent in the Arthurian tale." In Kirkus Reviews, a reviewer noted that "Wolf interestingly paints Arthur as a Roman Briton, and imaginatively intuits the course of a number of ancient battles."

The Road to Avalon is the first book in a trilogy, which includes Born of the Sun and The Edge of Light. In Born of the Sun, Niniane, a British princess, and Ceawlin, the son of a Saxon king, are married in an attempt to form an alliance between their mutually hostile tribes. Trouble breaks out when in a duel the illegitimate Ceawlin accidentally kills his half-brother, the legitimate heir to their father's throne, and the lovers must flee for their lives. Eventually they return in triumph, amid conspiracy and conflict. In Booklist, Margaret Flanagan wrote that the book encompasses both "a grand adventure and a tender love story." "The plotting is excellent and the main characters and their love story appealing," reported Ann Mills in the Library Journal. "Born of the Sun [is] a clear, precise description of life among the Saxons and Celts," said Brian Jacomb in a review of The Edge of Light for the Washington Post Book World.

The Edge of Light is set the eighth century, a turbulent period in English history, when the country was a patchwork of warring kingdoms and factions, and Danish invaders pillaged the coasts. Jacomb wrote of this book: "Wolf's descriptions of a long-ago, mostly rural England are colorful, her portrait of what life was like in those days convincing."

Daughter of the Red Deer, set in prehistoric southern France, features a conflict between the Tribe of the Horse, whose drinking water supply has become fouled, killing their women, and the Tribe of the Red Deer. In order to replace the women who have died, the men of the Tribe of the Horse kidnap women from the Tribe of the Red Deer. This larger conflict is personified by the tormented love between Mar, a leading man in the Tribe of the Horse, who falls in love with Alin, a priestess from the Red Deer clan. In the School Library Journal, Carol Clark summed up the book as "fascinating reading." "A quick-moving, enchanting tale," wrote Denise Blank in Booklist, noting that the novel "holds a powerful modern message concerning the battle of the sexes." A Kirkus Reviews critic called the book "post-feminist prehistory … well researched and thought out."

The Reindeer Hunters, described by Louise Titchener in the Washington Post Book World as "a fine addition to the growing genre of prehistories," is set in southern France at the time when the last Ice Age ended and warming weather changed the migration patterns of the reindeer. The action centers on Nardo and Alane, favored son and daughter of two "horsemaster" tribes, who marry to cement an alliance of their tribes against the invading "horse-eater" tribes. Their tribes, though allied, are different—Alane's is patrilineal, focusing power on men, and Nardo's is matrilineal, passing down power through the maternal line. Their private cultural clashes about marriage and the proper place of men and women are a running theme through the novel. "Now this is what a prehistorical should be!" commented Pat Monaghan in Booklist. "With assured plotting, pacing and characterization," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "Wolf … again convincingly imagines prehistoric people and events."

No Dark Place and The Poisoned Serpent are set in the medieval era and share a hero in Hugh de Leon. The Poisoned Serpent "serves up history and intrigue in equal measure," wrote a Publishers Weekly critic, who called the novel "engaging." Ilene Cooper, in a review of the audio version of The Poisoned Serpent for Booklist, called it a "well-constructed, well-set, and very satisfying tale."

Royal Bride also won Wolf critical praise. Set in a small canton named Jura, a neighbor of Austria, the novel is a tale of romance and political intrigue. "Wolf is fast becoming a household name among Regency fans," said a Publishers Weekly reviewer, who found that the book balances "sympathetic insight with captivating political suspense." Noting the novel's "charming … intelligent heroine" and "politically astute hero," Kristin Ramsdell in the Library Journal called Royal Bride "a witty, fast-paced" tale.

In 2002, Wolf published her first contemporary novel, Silverbridge. This suspenseful story features several subplots and elements of the paranormal. The plot concerns actress Tracy Collins. Known for her comedic talents, Tracy decides to gamble on starring in a Regency drama with psychological overtones. The movie is to be filmed at Silverbridge, an estate owned by Harry Oliver. Oliver has grudgingly allowed the film crew to use his property in exchange for a huge rental fee, which he badly needs. Otherworldly occurrences suggest that someone is trying to keep the movie from being made, and Tracy finds herself attracted to Harry despite his boorish behavior. Cynthia Meidinger, writing for Best Reviews, called the story "well-crafted," and Harriet Klausner, in another Best Reviews assessment, described it as an "exciting" romance.

Wolf continued in the contemporary era with That Summer, a romance that involves a wealthy horse-racing family and a veterinarian, Anne Foster. Anne has known Liam Wellington, one of the farm's owners, since they were both children, but now they both feel romantic attraction to each other. There is a shadow on Liam's past, however. He is suspected of a murder, many years ago, that remains unsolved. "Readers will appreciate this warm contemporary romantic suspense due to an engaging cast," said Klausner in Best Reviews. Wolf also published High Meadow that year, another contemporary story featuring a horse-farm setting, and a plot that turns on a child's unknown parentage. Reviewing the novel for Booklist, Catherine Sias praised its "picturesque setting, well-developed and likable characters," and good plotting. The author's love of horses is also evident in White Horses, a historical romance that involves a secret shipment of gold being transported under the cover of the Cirque Equestre, a traveling exhibition featuring Lippizaner horses. It is an "action-packed tale" that is "unique, refreshing and exciting," Klausner stated in Best Reviews.

To the Castle is another historical, set in the medieval era. The main character, Nell, is a young woman who has spent ten years in a convent as her parents' way of thanking God for blessings they asked for and received. When their fortunes reverse, Nell's father withdraws her from the convent just before she is about to take her vows, and marries her off in a political alliance. Against a backdrop of civil war, the story relates Nell's marriage and her challenge to adapt to the world outside the cloister. It is "a fine medieval romance," said Klausner. Lynne Welch, reviewing for Booklist, called To the Castle "intricately plotted and vividly detailed."

His Lordship's Desire is set in the Regency era and tells the story of Alexander Devize, who returns to England from the Peninsular Wars expecting to marry his childhood sweetheart, Diana Sherwood. Diana has become a beautiful woman since Alexander left, but she is also bitterly angry with him for choosing to go to war rather than stay with her. Assessing the book for Best Reviews, Marilyn Rondeau found it slow-paced at times, but concluded that it was "extremely well done with excellent research."

Wolf was quoted as saying in Peggy J. Jaegly's Romantic Hearts: A Personal Reference for Romance Readers: "Character is the element of a novel that interests me most…. Romance is the genre where character reigns supreme. Action by itself and for itself I find surprisingly dull. It is the deeper motivations of the people who do the action that interest me."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Jaegly, Peggy J., Romantic Hearts: A Personal Reference for Romance Readers, 3rd edition, Scarecrow Press (Lanham, MD), 1997.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 1994, Pat Monaghan, review of The Reindeer Hunters, p. 240; October 1, 1999, Diana Tixier Herald, review of Golden Girl, p. 347; May 1, 2000, Ilene Cooper, review of The Poisoned Serpent, p. 1626; February 15, 2003, Catherine Sias, review of High Meadow, p. 1058; August 1, 2004, Lynne Welch, review of White Horses, p. 1910; September 1, 2005, Lynne Welch, review of To the Castle, p. 74.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 1988, review of The Road to Avalon, p. 858; September 1, 1991, review of Daughter of the Red Deer, p. 1117.

Library Journal, October 15, 1988, Beth Ann Mills, review of The Road to Avalon, p. 105; July, 1989, Beth Ann Mills, review of Born of the Sun, p. 111; June 15, 1990, Patricia Altner, review of The Edge of Light, p. 138; September 15, 1991, Beth Ann Mills, review of Daughter of the Red Deer, p. 115; April 1, 1993, Beth Ann Mills, review of The Horsemasters, p. 133; September 15, 1994, Mary Ellen Elsbernd, review of The Reindeer Hunters, p. 93; May 1, 2000, Barbara Hoffert, review of The Poisoned Serpent, p. 158; February 15, 2001, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Royal Bride, p. 155.

Publishers Weekly, May 9, 1986, review of The Rebel and the Rose, p. 251; June 10, 1988, Sybil Steinberg, review of The Road to Avalon, p. 70; June 16, 1989, Sybil Steinberg, review of Born of the Sun, p. 56; June 15, 1990, Sybil Steinberg, review of The Edge of Light, p. 56; January 25, 1991, Penny Kaganoff, review of Born of the Sun, p. 53; September 6, 1991, review of Daughter of the Red Deer, p. 96; March 15, 1993, review of The Horsemasters, p. 69; September 12, 1994, review of The Reindeer Hunters, p. 80; October 14, 1996, review of The Deception, p. 81; March 3, 1997, review of The Guardian, p. 71; September 15, 1997, review of The Arrangement, p. 73; September 13, 1999, review of Golden Girl, p. 79; April 17, 2000, review of The Poisoned Serpent, p. 55; January 13, 2001, review of Royal Bride, p. 56; January 20, 2003, review of High Meadow, p. 63.

School Library Journal, June, 1992, Carol Clark, review of Daughter of the Red Deer, p. 150; October, 2000, Claudia Moore, review of The Poisoned Serpent, p. 194.

Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 1990, review of The Road to Avalon, p. 138; December, 2000, John Charles and Joanne Morrison, review of No Dark Place, p. 320.

Washington Post Book World, September, 1990, Brian Jacomb, review of The Edge of Light, p. 9; January 22, 1995, Louise Titchener, review of The Reindeer Hunters, p. 11.

OTHER

Best Reviews,http://thebestreviews.com/ (April 15, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of Silverbridge; (June 20, 2002), Cynthia Meidinger, review of Silverbridge; (January 20, 2003), Harriet Klausner, review of High Meadow; (August 10, 2003), Harriet Klausner, review of That Summer; (August 19, 2003), Tammie Ard, review of That Summer; (August 11, 2004), Harriet Klausner, review of White Horses; (July 20, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of To the Castle; (February 21, 2007), Marilyn Rondeau, review of His Lordship's Desire.

Joan Wolf's Home Page,http://www.joanwolf.com (June 2, 2008).

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (June 3, 2008), review of His Lordship's Mistress.