Penny Halsall, née Penelope Jones better known by her pen name of Penny Jordan, was a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels. She started writing regency romances as Caroline Courtney, and wrote contemporary romances as Penny Jordan and historical romances as Annie Groves. She had also signed novels as Melinda Wright and Lydia Hitchcock. Her books have sold over 70 million copies worldwide and been translated into many languages. Widowed, she lived in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, surrounded by her pets until her death.