Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of 36 novels, including three YA novels, that have been translated into 24 languages. Her latest novel is LAST NIGHT.

Rice’s books often center on love, family, nature and the sea. THE BEAUTIFUL LOST deals with teen depression, something Rice experienced herself.  She is an advocate for mental health awareness, a participant in McLean Hospital's Deconstructing Stigma: A Change in Thought Can Change a Life.

Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television, including CRAZY IN LOVE for TNT, BLUE MOON for CBS, FOLLOW THE STARS HOME and SILVER BELLS for Hallmark Hall of Fame, and BEACH GIRLS for a miniseries on Lifetime. Rice contributed a monologue to "Motherhood Out Loud," a play that premiered at Hartford Stage Company and was performed Off-Broadway and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

In 2002, Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree. Her papers are located in the college's Special Collections Library. A profile of Rice appeared in Connecticut College Magazine, Fall 2014.

She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from St. Joseph College in West Hartford, Connecticut.

In June 2014, she received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement as a literary artist. Christopher Plummer, actor, and Tim Prentice, sculptor, were also celebrated, and Rice was thrilled to share the moment with them.

Rice, an avid environmentalist, is honored to be a creative affiliate of the Safina Center.