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Shirley Hailstock, the first and only African-American board member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), the largest genre writers organization in the world, went on to become their first African-American president (2002-2003). Shirley is a best-selling, award-winning author of seventeen novels and novellas. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and an MBA in Chemical Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ, Shirley's initial wish was to be the first female astronaut. During her undergraduate days she developed her love for romance novels and acting on a dare from a fellow romance reader, she wrote a short contemporary novel, Ice Maiden, in 1986. That novel became a semi-finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart Contest, sponsored by the 8,600+ member Romance Writers of America organization and inspired Shirley to pursue her wish to become a writer.

Born is Newberry, South Carolina, the second of six children, to Eugene and Hattie Johnson Hailstock, Shirley's family moved to Washington, DC when she was a toddler. They stayed in the District until she was ten years old. Seeking employment, her father relocated to Buffalo, New York in 1956 and began work in a steel mill. Six months later the family followed him and Shirley remained a resident of the city until 1972. After attending grammar schools PS#31 and PS#75, Clinton Junior High School (the old PS#87) and Buffalo East High School, she attended and graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC where she officially relocated. In 1975 she took a job with Johnson and Johnson and moved to New Jersey where she remains today.

Whispers of Love, Shirley's debut novel, was published in September 1994. The romantic suspense received critical acclaim from the Gothic Journal, Romantic Times Magazine, Affaire de Couer, Rendezvous and Booklist. Whispers of Love, winner of the HOLT Medallion, is in its 4th printing and was optioned for a television movie of the week. Clara's Promise, Shirley's first historical romance, won the Heart of the West Award. Additionally, Romantic Times presented Shirley with a Career Achievement Award and her novel, Legacy, received the Waldenbooks Award for Bestselling Multicultural Romance. Legacy was also listed as one of the 100 Greatest Romance Novels of the 20th Century and Affaire de Coeur Magazine's Readers Poll named Shirley Hailstock the Outstanding Achiever of the Year 2002. Shirley's books regularly appear on the Blackboard and the Library Journal Best Seller lists. The recipient of nearly every award for romance writing, her short story made it all the way to the finals of the Chicken Soup for the African-American Soul books. Shirley's seventeenth novel Love on Call, will be in bookstores in February 2004.

Shirley is a past president of the New Jersey Romance Writers, a chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is also an officer of Women Writers of Color. Shirley writes contemporary and historical romance and mainstream women's fiction. Her books have been published by Kensington, Black Entertainment Television, St. Martin's Press and Harlequin Enterprises.

Living in Central New Jersey, Shirley has been an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick campus and Novel Writing at Middlesex County College. She's also taught economics at an inner-city junior high school in Trenton, New Jersey. Shirley continues to teach writing to published and aspiring authors at various conference workshops across the country. Additional information and a full book list can be found on her Web site.