Kimberla Lawson Roby (born May 3, 1965 in Rockford, Illinois) is an American novelist. She is best known for her depiction of real-life social issues written in a fictional format.
Roby is best known for her Reverend Curtis Black series’, and it was only after the urging of readers that her sixth novel and second title in the series was written. This title, Too Much of a Good Thing, became her first New York Times bestselling novel.
In 1982, Kimberla graduated a year early as a junior from Auburn Senior High School’s Academy Program in Rockford Illinois. In 1987, she received an Associate Degree in Business from Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. In 1993, she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with academic distinction status from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, WI.
Born Kimberla Marie Lawson to Lucious “L.B.” Lawson and Arletha Tennin Stapleton, Roby held various jobs in Rockford, both in the corporate world and in city and state government. At the age of 30, she decided to write her first novel, Behind Closed Doors, which took her seven months to complete. She then attempted to find a literary agent and publisher.
In June 1996, with money her husband borrowed from his 401K account and a small loan from their credit union, she founded her company, Lenox Press and published Behind Closed Doors. First at independent African-American bookstores nationwide and ultimately at major chain bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks and Books-A-Million. Within her first two months of official sales, a literary agent agreed to represent her, and her second book was sold to Kensington Publishing in New York. Her first was then picked up by Black Classic Press in Baltimore, MD.
In 1998, Kimberla signed with a new literary agent, Elaine Koster of the Elaine Koster Literary Agency, who represented Kimberla until Elaine’s passing in August 2010. In addition to Kensington Publishing, Kimberla has also published books with HarperCollins Publishers (William Morrow and Avon Imprints), and she is currently published with Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group.
She continues to write novels and serve as a keynote speaker at many literary events.
Kimberla resides in Illinois with her husband, Will.