Sherrilyn McQueen

Groundbreaking – and with more than 70 million books sold – Sherrilyn McQueen announced as Guest of Honour at Fantasy Festival 2026!

Sherrilyn McQueen (b. 1965 in Georgia, USA) was a trailblazer in paranormal romance – and thereby romantasy – long before anyone knew what it truly was back in the dark 2000s!

More than 70 million books sold

We are proud to present Sherrilyn McQueen – also known under the pseudonyms Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kinley MacGregor – who has written more than 80 books! Her works have been translated into numerous languages and have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide.

Sherrilyn has fan clubs in several countries and an incredibly dedicated fan base known as the Paladins. In fact, she has so many fans that this year she’s hosting a New Year’s cruise filled with fan events!

Dark-Hunters and sexy assassins in space!

Sherrilyn is best known for her Dark-Hunter series (with more than 30 titles). The universe consists of several interconnected series and spans everything from steamy adult romance to young adult stories about teens facing hardship and growth.

Dark-Hunter is set in our world, where vampires, demons, and gods see humans as cattle or toys. Our only protection comes from the Dark-Hunters, who—with bloody precision, sexy sarcasm, and perfect attitude—try to keep it all from falling apart. Did we mention the Greek gods? They play a major role too!

Sherrilyn Kenyon is also the author of The League (sexy assassins in space), the romantasy series Myths & Outlaws (shapeshifting unicorns, dragons, and outlaws), and the young adult sci-fi series Nevermore (aliens and an oppressed human race on the verge of rebellion). Under the name Kinley MacGregor, she has written the historical romance series Brotherhood of the Sword (medieval England with war, broad-shouldered men, and passionate women).

Several of her books have been adapted into graphic novels and manga, and her young adult series Chronicles of Nick (ordinary teen becomes a Dark-Hunter and faces impossible choices) is currently in development for television.

An escape from reality

Sherrilyn’s life story is remarkable. Her father left the family, leaving her to grow up surrounded by abuse, chaos, and poverty. She wrote to escape the real world and began winning essay competitions at an early age.

She knew she wanted to be an author, but the road was anything but easy.

In addition to being dyslexic, Sherrilyn is partially paralyzed in one hand, which made her college years even more challenging. She was rejected from every writing course she applied for and faced rejection after rejection no matter what she wrote.

In the 1980s, she tried to sell Dark-Hunter as a comic to companies like Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse without success. When her brother—her greatest supporter—passed away, her desire to write disappeared for three years.

Corrupt lawyers – and back in business!

She began writing again after marrying her college sweetheart. They had no money, lived for a time in their car with their children, and when her writing equipment later broke down, her mother bought her a computer on installment—because her husband said it was a waste of money. Then success came.

But a disastrous divorce involving corrupt lawyers and judges, and even an accusation of poisoning, extinguished her creativity and created a gap in her career.

Now she’s back and more productive than ever!