Her Love Affair With Words

THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MORE THAN 210 BOOKS REFLECTS ON HER CAREER, THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK AND WHY SHE'LL NEVER DITCH HER TRUSTED TYPEWRITER FOR A COMPUTER

- LIZZ SCHUMER

Danielle Steel’s literary output is legendary, with new books coming out as reliably as the change of seasons. But she’s also a mother of nine, a dog lover and a design enthusiast who once thought she’d grow up to work in fashion and surrounds herself with art that incorporates her own beloved words. Her mantra: “Be silly. Be honest. Be kind.” And also, “Do no harm, but take no s---.”

“Being honest is crucial, and being kind is really important,” she tells People from her home in Paris, where she just finished her 212th book. “And just because you are being nice doesn’t mean people should walk all over you.” That balance is reflected in her work, which spans fiction, nonfiction, children’s books and even poetry and song lyrics.

“My readers know they can trust me. I may make the characters suffer, and bad things happen, but in the end they’re gonna be relatively okay,” explains Steel, who has sold over 1 billion books worldwide. “I try and give my reader hope that even if they’re going through a tough situation, they’re gonna come through it.”