Although Danielle Steel was born in New York, she spent her formative years living in Paris. She decided to make the journey back to New York after she had finished her education.

One of her first jobs in New York was for the pioneering PR firm, Supergirls Ltd. She was involved in creating PR campaigns and hosting parties for clients.

Her first novel was published in 1973. During a spell working in advertising, Danielle started publishing poems in women's magazines.

Her first best seller, 'The Promise', was published in 1978. Since then she has written at a furious pace, and has enjoyed huge success,with 57 bestsellers.

Especially popular with women, she has a loyal following of fans who enjoy the accessibility of her novels, and are hooked by their epic and romantic quality. Often set in exotic locations, the reader follows the protagonists on their voyage of self-discovery. Her stories have also proved popular material for film and television adaptation.

She has continued to write poetry, releasing a collection, 'Love: Poems By Danielle Steel', in 1984. She often uses one of her poems as an introduction to a novel.

She has also written a series of books for children, 'Max and Martha', and has published non-fiction books including 'Having A Baby' and numerous articles in magazines.

She continues to write at an incredible pace and her popularity worldwide continues unabated.

Credit: thebiographychannel.co.uk