Author rachel spangler

About The author


Rachel Spangler never set out to be a New York Times-reviewed author. They were just so poor during seven years of college that they had to come up with creative forms of cheap entertainment. Their debut novel, Learning Curve, was born out of one such attempt. Since writing is more fun than a real job and so much cheaper than therapy, they continued to type away, leading to the publication of 24 sapphic romance novels. Now a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, an IPPY, Goldie, and Rainbow Award winner, and the 2018 Alice B. Reader recipient, Spangler plans to continue writing as long as anyone, anywhere, will keep reading.


Spangler currently holds the title of senior romance editor for the Bywater book in addition to taking on private editing clients, and they love having the opportunity to mentor young authors. 


Known to friends and colleagues as Rey, they live in Western New York with wife, Susan and son, Jackson. Their family spends the long winters curling and skiing. In the summer, they love to travel and watch their beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Regardless of the season, Rey always makes time for a good romance, whether reading it, writing it, or living it.

Rachel spangler family photo

The Family


In 2004, I married the woman of my dreams. Dr. Susan Spangler is an English professor, which comes in handy for proofreading all my work before I turn it in to my editors, and it’s a big job because I can’t use a comma properly to save my life. She is also my sounding board, my motivational coach, my biggest fan, and my best friend. You know the old maxium, “write what you know”? Maybe that’s why I write romance, because even after two decades together, I keep falling more in love with her every day.


In 2007 we welcomed our son, Jackson, to our lives, and everything has been a little more awesome ever since. Jackie is a Renaissance kid. He loves sports, and he has yet to find one he doesn’t excel at, though tennis is the primary passion right now. He also plays the violin and dabbles in the guitar and is an avid reader. 


While we currently live near the shores of Lake Erie in Western New York, our family loves to travel, and in addition to regular trips around the US and Canada, we also spent eight months in England, and we try to get back there as frequently as we can. We usually like to eat our away through any new place we visit, and we’re almost always up for a good road trip to a sporting event, or an outdoor adventure. In the long, snowy winters we all love to ski and curl. If you follow me on social media, you’re likely to see a lot of pictures of us out and about doing everything from hiking to paddle boarding to exploring new, wild, and wonderful new locales. 


I hope you connect online and follow us along the way.


Rachel Spangler drinking coffee out of queer mug

AWARDS

>Learning Curve - Goldie Award winner Debut Novel

>Trails Merge – Goldie Award winner Contemporary Romance

>LoveLife – Rainbow Award winner

>Heart of the Game – Lambda Literary Award Finalist

>Perfect Pairing – Goldie Award winner Contemporary Romance, Lambda Literary Award finalist

>Love All – IPPY – Silver Medalist

> Modern English - Goldie Award winner Contemporary Romance

>Plain English - Goldie Award winner Contemporary Romance

> Christmas Mouse - Goldie Award winner Contemporary Romance, and IPPY Silver Medalist

> Heartstrings - IPPY Silver Medalist

>Alice B. Reader Distinguished Career Award

>Illinois State University Steve and Sandy Adams Student Affairs Hall of Fame inductee, class of 2018


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