Karen Quinones Miller

Born and raised in Harlem, Karen dropped out of school at the age of 13. At age 22, Karen joined the Navy, and after spending five years in the military, Karen married, had a child, and divorced -- all within a two-year period.

She moved to Philadelphia at age 29, and enrolled at Temple University three years later. Karen graduated magna cum laude from Temple with a B.A. in journalism, confirming her belief that the only thing she missed by skipping high school was the senior prom. After graduation she became a newspaper reporter, and worked for the Associated Press, The Norfolk Virginian Pilot, and lastly for The Philadelphia Inquirer where she worked nine years. She also worked as a correspondent for People Magazine.

Karen wrote Satin Doll in 1999, and after many unsuccessful attempts at finding a publisher, she decided to publish it herself. With the support of her brother, Joe Quinones, and her daughter, Camille, she started with an initial printing of 3,000 copies -- most of which were housed in her living room -- and ultimately sold 28,000 copies in eight months. Satin Doll wound up on the Essence Bestseller’s List for two months, and publishing rights were sold to Simon & Schuster (via auction) for six figures.

Karen went on to write four other Essence Bestselling novels for Simon & Schuster, I’m Telling, Using What You Got, and Ida B.(which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction.) and Satin Nights. She's just completed a new novel, Passin', which will be published by Warner Books in Feb. 2008
In 2005, shortly after signing a contract with Warner Books to write Satin Nights, Karen was diagnosed with a brain tumor and subsequently underwent brain surgery. She has since received a clean bill of health and has resumed a writing career.

Miller, who is included in the book Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired African-American Women In Literature, often gives publishing and self-publishing seminars in her home and Philadelphia, and is the CEO of Oshun Publishing Company. In early 2006 she released a new book, by “Miss T.” entitled The Guide To Becoming The Sensuous Black Woman (And Drive Your Man Wild In and Out of Bed!), under Oshun Publishing.