Small was born Bertrice Williams in Manhattan on December 9, 1937. Her parents were David Williams and the former Doris Steen. Both worked in the business side of television broadcasting. She attended St. Mary's, a school for girls run by Anglican nuns, in Peekskill, N.Y. She later entered Western College for Women in Ohio but dropped out and transferred to a Katherine Gibbs secretarial school, after which she worked as a secretary in advertising agencies.[2]
She was married for 49 years to George Small, who died in 2012. They had a son, Thomas, and 4 grandchildren. She had lived on eastern Long Island for 30 years.[2]
She is survived by her son Thomas, and her four grandchildren; Chandler, Cora, Sophia, and Evan.
Writing career
From 1978[2] on, Small authored over 50 novels, including in the historical romance, fantasy romance and erotic contemporary genres.[1] Her novels include The Kadin, and the series The O'Malley Saga and Skye's Legacy.
A New York Times bestselling author, Small also appeared on other best-seller lists including Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times.[1] She was the recipient of numerous awards including Best Historical Romance, Outstanding Historical Romance Series, Career Achievement for Historical Fantasy and several Reviewers Choice awards from Romantic Times. She had a "Silver Pen" from Affaire de Coeur, and an Honorable Mention from The West Coast Review of Books. In 2004 Bertrice Small was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Romantic Times magazine for her contributions to the genre.
