Born in in Leeds, England, Barbara Taylor Bradford published her first novel in 1979, A Woman of Substance, which went on to sell more than 30 million copies. Since then, she has written more than two dozen bestselling books, including Playing the Game, Breaking the Rules, and The Ravenscar Dynasty. In 2007, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for her contributions to literature. She lives in New York City.