Muna Shehadi

Far from being born pen-in-hand like so many writers, Muna Shehadi (see below for pronunciation guide) didn’t start until her 30s when being a stay-at-home mom proved rewarding, but brain-numbingly dull.  She published her first novel, a romance, with Harlequin in 2001 as Isabel Sharpe, and went on (and on and on) to publish over forty more.  In the mid-aughts, Muna also found time to write three fiction titles for Avon/HarperCollins.

In 2019, she began writing fiction under her own (maiden) name for Headline Publishing, a UK division of Hachette.  Her Fortune’s Daughters trilogy was translated into ten languages and landed on the bestseller list in Holland.  The First Wife is Muna’s latest release from Headline, and she is working on another trilogy, tentatively set for publication beginning in 2025.

Muna was born in Princeton, NJ, has lived in Boston, Orlando, Norfolk, Milwaukee, and now, with much happiness, Maine, the state closest to her heart thanks to her grandfather’s purchase of property Downeast in the 1950s.  She has a BA from Yale and a Masters in Music (vocal performance) from Boston University.  She is mom to kids, stepmom to one and wife to a wonderful man who reads everything she writes.

How to pronounce Muna:  Not Moon-a!  The “u” is like the vowel sound in “put” or “book” unless you are from the south, in which case talk like a Yankee just this once. Shehadi is much easier.  Shuh-HA-dee.