Carolyn Nichols

Carolyn Nichols (July 29, 1939 – October 21, 2017) was an American editor, publishing executive, and author, primarily known for her work in the romance genre. One of the key editors of the boom in American romance fiction in the early 1980s, Nichols was responsible for the creation of the Second Chance at Love line for Berkley-Jove in 1980, as well as the Loveswept line for Bantam in 1982.

Early life Carolyn Ione McKnight was born in Monroe, Louisiana, on July 29, 1939. She was raised in the Washington, D.C., area and graduated from Wilson High School in 1957 before attending George Washington University. She was married to Dr. Rodney W. Nichols, with whom she had a son. The marriage ended in divorce.

Career Nichols served as a writer and producer for WETA in Washington in the 1960s before turning her attention to writing fiction. Between 1974 and 1979, she wrote Regency and gothic romances under the pen names Iona Charles and Carolyn McKnight.

In 1978, Nichols joined Berkley-Jove as an editor. Shortly after her arrival, Nichols suggested the creation of a new line of romance novels to compete with the Harlequin Presents line. Her suggestion went nowhere until 1980, when Vivian Stephens launched the Candlelight Ecstasy line at Dell, which brought an increased sensuality to romance that proved enormously popular with American readers. Nichols revisited her earlier concept and developed Second Chance at Love, which focused on older main characters who had been divorced or windowed and were now getting their second chance.

Nichols immediately began creating a new line for Bantam, which she called Loveswept. The line launched in May 1983, and the line lasted more than 900 volumes, coming to an end in 1999. Loveswept was resurrected as an ebook line by Random House in 2011.

After departing Bantam, Nichols went on to Ballantine and then New American Library, from where she retired in 2001as Vice President and Executive Director, Editorial.

Carolyn Nichols died October 21, 2017, at her home in Portland, Oregon.