Biography

In April 2004, Cassandra King’s first novel, MAKING WAVES IN ZION, (originally published in 1995 by River City Press), was reissued by Hyperion of New York under the title MAKING WAVES. Hyperion released her second novel, THE SUNDAY WIFE, in 2002. In addition to an essay in "Callaloo," a journal of African-American studies; short stories in various quarterlies and the collection ALABAMA BOUND: The Stories of a State; the story "Fig Picking," included in the collection BELLE'S LETTERS, was reprinted in STORIES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, by Milkweed Press of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2002. A short story, "My Life is a Country Song," is included in the second volume of STORIES FROM THE BLUE MOON CAFÉ, released in 2004 by New American Library, and an article, "The Making of a Preacher’s Wife", which will appear in a collection about women and spirituality, scheduled for release by the University of Alabama press in 2005.

THE SUNDAY WIFE was a Book Sense choice; a Literary Guild and Book-of-the-Month Club selection; a People Magazine Page-Turner of the Week; Books-a-Million President’s Pick for 2002; Utah’s Salt Lake Libraries Reader’s Choice Award nominee; and South Carolina’s State Readers’ Circle selection. Now in trade paperback, THE SUNDAY WIFE was the Nestle Corporation’s choice in a campaign to promote reading groups. King’s third novel, THE SAME SWEET GIRLS, released in January 2005, was the national number one Book Sense Selection for February as well as a Book-of-the-Month Club and Literary Guild selection, and is currently on the SEBA bestsellers list. She is at work on a fourth novel, tentatively titled QUEEN OF BROKEN HEARTS.

Cassandra King has taught writing on the college level; conducted corporate writing seminars; worked as a human-interest reporter for a Pelham, Alabama, weekly paper; and published an article on her second-favorite pastime, cooking, in "Cooking Light" magazine. A native of L.A. (Lower Alabama), she lives in the Low Country of South Carolina with her husband, novelist Pat Conroy.

Most recent publications:
"Lady Jane," short story, Thema literary journal, 1994
"Lady Jane," reprinted, Alabama Bound, anthology, 1995
Making Waves in Zion, novel, River City Press, 1995
"Fig Picking," short story, Belles Letters anthology, 1998
"Teacher’s Pet," article, "Cooking Light" magazine, 1999
"A Courtroom in Maycomb," article, Callaloo literary journal, 2000
The Sunday Wife, novel, Hyperion, 2002
"Fig Picking," reprinted, Stories From Where We Live, Milkweed Press, 2002
"My Life is a Country Song," Stories from the Blue Moon Café, 2004
"Circle of Friends," Life Magazine, 2004
The Same Sweet Girls, novel, Hyperion, January 2005