OFFICIAL
Joni Rodgers is a critically acclaimed novelist, #1 NYT bestselling ghostwriter, and EGOT collaborator who’s worked with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners. She specializes in compelling memoirs, message-driven nonfiction, and book/screenplay adaptations. Joni is known industry-wide for her top-drawer talent, dedication to deadline, and holistic collaborative style. Cover credit is negotiable. Confidentiality is sacred. Craft skills are ironclad.
"Joni Rodgers lives, loves, and writes without a safety net."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"Engaging honesty and a steady supply of wisecracks ."
NEW YORK TIMES
"This talented author brings pen and ink people to flesh and blood fulfillment."
SOUTHERN LIVING
BACKSTORY
I grew up performing in a family folk/ bluegrass/ gospel band, majored in theater at Viterbo University, and spent my 20s busking and working as a voiceover artist. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1994, I used the chemo downtime to write my first two novels: Crazy for Trying (MacAdam-Cage 1996) and Sugarland (Bertelsmann 1999). I followed up with my first bestseller: Bald in the Land of Big Hair (HarperCollins 2001), a memoir about being a young mom/writer with blood cancer. The success of BLBH sparked a syndicated newspaper column, a deal for my next novel, and invitations to participate in high-profile book projects as a ghostwriter, story whisperer, and dialogue doctor.
Fast forward 20+ years and 30+ books. I’ve written three more novels of my own and collaborated on a long string of bestselling books and an Oscar-nominated screenplay. I live and work at my home on the beach in Washington State.
PRAISE FOR RECENT PROJECTS:
Kirkus STARRED review for Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton (Dey Street 2023): “Tender and triumphant…furiously candid…a master class in owning your story.”
Pop Sugar on I’m No Philosopher, but I Got Thoughts by Kristin Chenoweth (HarperCollins 2023): “A new perspective on faith, rage, and what it means to heal.”
Blue Ink Reviews on Rascal on the Run by Howard Tate Scott (HTS 2022): “Southern wit, family drama, and courtroom hijinks… Fans of Southern historical fiction are sure to love this insightful, unforgettable debut.”
Kirkus STARRED review for This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon (Little Brown 2021): “A vital book for these times…puts 2020 in context and gives it the language to sing a quietly outraged song.”
PAST CLIENTS INCLUDE:
· CNN anchor Don Lemon
· Style icon/entrepreneur/activist Paris Hilton
· Broadway icon Kristin Chenoweth
· Activist/advocate Elizabeth Smart
· Activist/entrepreneur Ndaba Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela
· Explorer/activist Vanessa O’Brien
· Broadway, film, and TV star Rue McClanahan
· Pop star Justin Bieber
· Broadway, film, and TV star Swoosie Kurtz
· Choreographer/activist Mayte Garcia
· Junk Gypsy design empire cofounders Amie and Jolie Sikes
· Film and TV star Cybill Shepherd
· Daytime television star Don Diamont
· Director/screenwriter Jan Eliasberg
· Defense attorney Katherine Scardino
· Pop diva Taylor Dayne
· Rapper/entrepreneur Spectacular Smith
· Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
REPRESENTATION
Cindi Davis-Andress at Pastorini-Bosby Talent
713.266.4488