Emma Darcy

Wendy Brennan
Born(1940-11-28)28 November 1940
Dorrigo, New South Wales, Australia
Died12 December 2020(2020-12-12) (aged 80)
Forresters Beach, New South Wales, Australia
OccupationNovelist
Writing career
Pen nameEmma Darcy
Period1983–2013
GenresRomance novels, suspense
Frank Brennan
Born1936
Died1995(1995-00-00) (aged 58–59)
OccupationNovelist
Writing career
Pen nameEmma Darcy
Period1983–1995
GenreRomance novels

Emma Darcy is the pseudonym used by the Australian husband–wife writing team of Wendy Brennan (28 November 1940 – 12 December 2020, in Dorrigo, New South Wales, Australia) and Frank Brennan (1936 – 1995). They wrote, in collaboration, over 45 romance novels. After Frank's death, Wendy continued writing, for a total of 106 romance novels.

According to Wendy's obituary in the Sydney Herald, "she was Australia’s bestselling romantic novelist"; she was inducted into the Romance Writers of Australia Hall of Fame in 2014.

Personal life

Wendy Brennan was the daughter of a schoolteacher and a dressmaker who had three other children, one of whom was Miranda Lee. She was educated at St Joseph's College, Gosford; the University of Sydney, where she received an honours degree in Latin; and Sydney Teachers' College. She taught English and French at high school level, before turning to computer programming—apparently making her "the first woman computer programmer in the southern hemisphere."

Frank Brennan was a pharmacist and businessman. They married in 1964. After having three sons, Wendy stopped paid work to care for them. They lived on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

Wendy Brennan died at Forresters Beach, survived by her sister, Miranda Lee (also a romance writer); her 3 three sons; and 5 grandchildren.

Writing career

Voracious readers, Frank and Wendy decided to write their own novels under the pseudonym Emma Darcy. They sent their first three attempts to Jacqui Bianchi, a major editor at Mills and Boon, whom they "loved working with." Their first novel, rewritten at Bianchi's insistence, appeared in print in 1983.

Between 1983 and 2001 they sold 60 million books, averaging six new books per year. After Frank's death in 1995, Brennan's writing was supported by Marilyn Callaghan (acting as "project manager and sounding board") and by cowriting with Miranda Lee (still under the name Emma Darcy).

Ultimately, Darcy authored 106 category romances, all published by Harlequin Mills & Boon. Her romance novels sold "between 500,000 and two million copies" each, for a total of "over 71 million copies worldwide, regularly appearing in the bestseller lists in both the UK and US."

In 2002, Darcy's first crime novel Who Killed Angelique? (Pan MacMillan), won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Novel. Her second, Who Killed Bianca (2003; Pan MacMillan), was a finalist for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel.

Emma Darcy Award Contest

For the 10th anniversary of the Emma Darcy pseudonym and their first publications, the Brennans, in association with the Romance Writers of Australia, created the "Emma Darcy Award Contest" in 1993 to support unpublished authors to finish their manuscripts. The prize was A$2,000 and a guarantee that the manuscript would be read by an acquiring editor from Mills & Boon. The Contest ran until 2004.

Winners:

Bibliography as Emma Darcy

Single Novels

  • Tangle of Torment (1983)
  • Twisting Shadows (1983)
  • A World Apart (1984)
  • Fantasy (1985)
  • Don't Play Games (1985)
  • Song of a Wren (1985)
  • Point of Impact (1985)
  • The Impossible Woman (1985)
  • Man in the Park (1986)
  • Woman of Honour (1986)
  • Blind Date (1986)
  • Don't Ask Me Now (1986)
  • The Wrong Mirror (1986)
  • The Unpredictable Man (1986)
  • One That Got Away (1987)
  • Strike at the Heart (1987)
  • Positive Approach (1987)
  • Mistress of Pillatoro (1987)
  • Whirlpool of Passion (1987)
  • Always Love (1988)
  • The Falcon's Mistress (1988)
  • A Priceless Love (1988)
  • Aloha Bride (1988)
  • The Ultimate Choice (1989)
  • The Power and the Passion (1989)
  • Pattern of Deceit (1989)
  • The Colour of Desire (1990)
  • Too Strong to Deny (1990)
  • One-woman Crusade (1990)
  • Bride of Diamonds (1990)
  • To Tame a Wild Heart (1992)
  • Breaking Point (1992)
  • High Risk (1992)
  • The Wedding (1992)
  • The Seduction of Keira (1992)
  • The Velvet Tiger (1992)
  • An Impossible Dream (1993)
  • The Upstairs Lover (1993)
  • A Very Stylish Affair (1993)
  • The Last Grand Passion (1993)
  • The Sheikh's Revenge (1993)
  • A Wedding to Remember (1994)
  • In Need of a Wife (1994)
  • Burning with Passion (1995)
  • The Fatherhood Affair (1995)
  • The Father of Her Child (1996)
  • Jack's Baby (1996)
  • Last Stop Marriage (1996)
  • Craving Jamie (1997)
  • The Secrets Within (1997)
  • Marriage Meltdown (1997)
  • Merry Christmas (1997)
  • The Sheikh's Seduction (1998)
  • The Marriage Decider (1999)
  • A Marriage Betrayed (1999)
  • Bride of His Choice (1999)
  • Mistress to a Tycoon (2001)
  • The Sweetest Revenge (2001)
  • The Hot-blooded Groom (2001)
  • Claiming His Mistress (2001)
  • A Spanish Marriage (2004)
  • His Bought Mistress (2004)
  • The Billionaire's Scandalous Marriage (2007)
  • Filling All the Holes (2007)
  • Three's Never a Crowd (2008)
  • The Master Player (2009)
  • The Billionaire's Housekeeper Mistress (2010)
  • Hidden Mistress, Public Wife (2011)
  • The Costarella Conquest (2011)
  • An Offer She Can't Refuse (2012)
  • The Incorrigible Playboy (2012)
  • His Most Exquisite Conquest (2013)

James Family Series

  1. Ride the Storm (1991)
  2. Dark Heritage (1992)
  3. The Shining of Love (1994)
  4. The Bedroom Surrender (2003)

Kings of the Outback Series

  1. The Cattle King's Mistress (2000)
  2. The Playboy King's Wife (2000)
  3. The Pleasure King's Bride (2000)
  • Kings of the Outback (omnibus) (2004)

Who Killed...? Series

  1. Who Killed Angelique? (2001)
  2. Who Killed Bianca? (2002)
  3. Who Killed Camilla? (2003)

Kings of Australia Series

  1. The Arranged Marriage (2002)
  2. The Bridal Bargain (2002)
  3. The Honeymoon Contract (2002)
  • Kings of Australia (omnibus) (2005)

The Outback Knights

  1. The Outback Marriage Ransom (2004)
  2. The Outback Wedding Takeover (2004)
  3. The Outback Bridal Rescue (2004)

A Year Down Under Series Multi-Author

  • Heart of the Outback (1993)
  • No Risks, No Prizes (1993)

Pages & Privileges Series Multi-Author

  • Climax of Passion (1995)

From Here to Paternity Series Multi-Author

  • Mischief and Marriage (1996)

This Time, Forever Series Multi-Author

  • Their Wedding Day (1996)

Scandals! Series Multi-Author

  • Seducing the Enemy (1997)

Man Talk Series Multi-Author

  • Fatherhood Fever! (1998)

Nanny Wanted Series Multi-Author

  • Inherited, One Nanny (1998)

Australians Series Multi-Author

1. Outback Heat (1998)
13. The Marriage Risk (2000)
26. The Blind-Date Bride (2003)

Expecting! Series Multi-Author

  • Having Leo's Child (1999)

Passion Series Multi-Author

  • The Secret Mistress (1999)
  • The Billionaire Bridegroom (2003)

In Love With Her Boss Series Multi-Author

  • His Boardroom Mistress (2003)
  • The Playboy Boss's Chosen Bride (2006)

Mistress to a Millionaire Series Multi-Author

  • The Bedroom Surrender (2003)
  • His Bought Mistress (2004)

The Ramirez Bride Series Multi-Author

1. The Ramirez Bride (2005)

Italian Husbands Series Multi-Author

  • The Italian's Stolen Bride (2005)

Latin Lovers Series Multi-Author

  • The Secret Baby Revenge (2006)

Desert Brides Series Multi-Author

  • Traded to the Sheikh (2006)

Ruthless! Series Multi-Author

  • The Playboy Boss's Chosen Bride (2006)
  • The Billionaire's Captive Bride (2007)
  • The Billionaire's Scandalous Marriage (2007)
  • Bought For Revenge, Bedded For Pleasure (2008)
  • Ruthlessly Bedded By the Italian Billionaire (2008)
  • Ruthless Billionaire, Forbidden Baby (2009)

Collections

  • The Emma Darcy Duet (1993)
  • The Collection (Seasonal Products) (1998)
  • Conveniently Yours (1999)
  • Seduced (2002)
  • Red-hot Passion (2003)
  • The Bedroom Surrender / Mistress to a Millionaire (2003)
  • Man in the Park / Point of Impact (2004)
  • Power and the Passion / Burning with Passion (2004)
  • Mistress to a Tycoon / Jack's Baby (2005)
  • Jack's Baby / Craving Jamie (2005)
  • Hot-blooded affairs: containing The Marriage Risk and The Hot-Blooded Groom (2008)
  • Outback Grooms (2008)
  • Secret Mistress / Marriage Betrayed (2008)

Omnibus in collaboration

Nonfiction

  • The Secrets of Successful Romance Writing (1995)

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Remembering Emma Darcy". Harlequin Ever After. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Ripley, Amy (27 January 2021). "Brennan, Wendy (1940-2020)". Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Ripley, Amy (27 January 2021). "Mills & Boon Author Sold 71 Million Copies Worldwide". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "See interview No More Virgins". Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2006.
  5. ↑ "See jas review of books". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2006.
  6. 1 2 McAlpine, Rachel (2000). Nine Winning Habits of Successful Authors. Wellington, New Zealand: CC Press. p. 104. ISBN 0-473-06556-8.
  7. ↑ See Australian Crime Fiction Database
  8. ↑ See Romance Writers of Australia inc Archived 4 July 2003 at the Wayback Machine