Dana Stabenow Books In Order

Publication Order of Star Svensdotter Books

Publication Order of Kate Shugak Books

Publication Order of Liam Campbell Books

Publication Order of Coast Guard Books

Publication Order of Silk and Song Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Eye Of Isis Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

Dana Stabenow Biography:

There are many authors in the world today. Writing is something that many feel they are good at, while it may be proven otherwise. However, there are not many authors around now whose words can pull you in, grab your hand, and take you on their adventure with them. The one author that is able to do that now, however, is author Dana Stabenow. To learn of one of the best authors in the world today, take a look at the life, times, and works of Stabenow, and see what other books you may or may not have read yet.

Growing Up Dana

She was born as Dana Stabenow on March 27th, 1952. Unlike most kids, she was born on a 75 foot fishing tender in the Gulf of Alaska. She said to have battled seasickness, but always seemed to power through it. She said that when she wasn’t sick, she wrote short stories about normal kids who lived on the shore instead of the sea, and would make her mother read them. On her 12th birthday, in 1964, she said that she knew she was destined for greatness – all thanks to the great Alaska earthquake that hit that day.

Dana’s School And Work Life

Dana was a very good student throughout her school years, and she ended up graduating from the Seldovia high school in 1969. She said that she put herself through college. She worked as an egg grader while she attended school at the University of Alaska. She said that she not only worked as an egg grader, though. She also had jobs as a bookkeeper, and she also had a job working as an expediter for the Whitney-Fidalgo Seafood’s company in Anchorage, Alaska. She graduated in 1973 with a B.A degree in Journalism from her college.

After Graduation

Dana went on a four month backpacking trip through Europe with her college roommate. It was there that she said she met “English pubs, Irish men, and German beer”. Upon her arrival home, she was broke and looking for work. That’s when she got a job as a pipeline worker for the TransAlaska Pipeline. The job brought a lot of money for Dana, which she ended up spending on frequent trips to Hawaii. It wasn’t until her 30th birthday in 1982 that she began to seriously ponder about what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

Going Back To School

After a lot of thought, Dana went to UAA and got an MFA degree, where she graduated from in 1985. Upon graduating from UAA, Dana ended up publishing her first book in 1990. It was her goal to sell a book before she ended up blowing her money on other things. She published her book, Second Star, through Ace Science Fiction. Unfortunately, the book flopped and Dana felt her writing career wasn’t going to make it. It wasn’t until her publisher made a discovery of her mystery novel series that something amazing happened for Dana. It would change the entire way her life and career were heading, and end up being the big break she needed to make it as a writer.

The Journey To Her Contract

It wasn’t easy for Dana to achieve her writing career, much less a contract. Her publisher found one of her mystery books she had written, called the Kate Shugak series; A Cold Day For Murder. Her publisher pushed her to sign a three book contract to make the book a series. After some persuading, Dana signed the contract. In 1994, A Cold Day For Murder won the Edgar Award. Finally, after years of hard work, her career was taking off. The next two books in the series came within two years. Since then, Dana has written over dozen books in the last twenty one years.

Books Dana Wrote

Dana has written quite a number of books since 1992. She has written over twenty some books over the span of twenty years. Some of Dana’s best books include A Cold Day For Murder, A Cold Blooded Business, Blood Will Tell, Killing Grounds, Hunter’s Moon, and her latest hit, Bad Blood. Dana is currently working on another novel that will be released later this year or sometime next year. Dana also has an anthology series that she put out between 2002 and 2008. Dana’s latest mystery series, written from 1998 to 2000, helped push her career along after the Kate Shugak series.

Awards She Has Won

Dana has won several awards for her best-selling books. These include the Edgar awards in 1994, and an award for her newest Kate Shugak mystery book, the Nero award, in 2012. Dana has said that the Edgar award she received in 1994 really helped her career, and made her work harder as an author.

Recurring Characters

Dana hasn’t written very many books that have recurring characters. In fact, there are only three. These are from her mystery series and the one science fiction series that she has put out. These recurring characters are the Star Svendotter from the Sci-fi series she put out in 1990, Kate Shugak from her first mystery series that she wrote in the early 1990s, and Liam Campbell that she wrote from another mystery series in the late 1990s. These two are her best known characters, especially the Kate Shugak character. She also has a few recurring characters in her coast guard series. The most notable recurring character is Kate Shugak, who is involved in at least nineteen novels that Dana has written over the years.

Personal Life

Dana was raised by a single mother, whom she lived with on a fish tender boat. She still resides in Alaska, and continues to write her thriller/mystery novels, which are also set in home state of Alaska.

Dana Stabenow has lived a very full, rich life. She is one of the best and brightest mystery writers of our day, and continues to release jaw dropping novel after heart stopping novel. Many people look up to her as an inspiration when they go down the road of becoming a writer, and it isn’t without reason. To find out more about this amazing writer, you can visit her website. Make sure to pick up her books now and find out what the fuss is about Dana.

11 Responses to “Dana Stabenow”

1. Judy Webb: 3 months ago

   I just found your Kate Shugak series and am really enjoying it. Read three this week & started the Liam Campbell series today! Happy to have found your work and am looking forward to finishing the series. I’m retired so I can power read & forget about dusting! I’ve never had the opportunity to visit your beautiful state so this is a window of traveling through your words. I have a niece who went to college in Juneau & stayed!! She loves living there.

   Reply
2. Sandy Gomke: 7 months ago

   I must admit, I’m late arriving to this party. In researching my Alaska trip last year, I came across you and Kate Shugak. Don’t worry, I have no intention of asking you about ANWR, fishing or native history. And boy, I do know where Alaska is!
   🙂
   In the last year, I’ve listened to all the Kate Shugak and Liam Campbell books and enjoyed them very much. Following my trip, it was like reading the book after seeing the movie. They just added to my experience. Of course, I have to go back. There’s so much more to see!
   Yesterday, I finished the Collected Short Stories. Now I’m headed out to find the Silk and Song and Star Svensdotter trilogies. I like history, science fiction and your story telling so, I should be busy for a while.
   I am a big fan of the printed book but, I spend more time driving for work than I do sitting down. That’s where audiobooks come into the mix. Marguerite Gavin does a wonderful job reading your book.
   Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for being late. I’ll catch up.

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3. Susan Bahraini: 12 months ago

   I absolutely love the Kate Shugak series. I have every copy so far. Would love to see more stories in the series. I have retired and have plenty of time now for reading and have started re-reading some of the books. Looking forward to more stories.

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4. Dianne Shaw: 1 year ago

   I love your books! I had the honor of meeting you at a bookstore when my husband and I first visited Alaska. Especially love you Kate Shugak series. I hope you’ll continue that series.

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5. Angela Zira: 1 year ago

   In the last few months , I have listened to all the Kate Shugak and Liam Campbell books. You and Marguritte Gavin are perfection together. Please write more of both series. Liam needs to at least catch up with Kate

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   • Diane Blake: 1 year ago

     I have read all the Kate Shugak books and they have given me so much pleasure. I visited Alaska many years ago and loved it so all the books bring back many memories. Thank you Dana

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6. David Lake: 1 year ago

   More Liam Campbell novels please. Love Kate Shugak novels. Love both series’s.

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7. Lora E: 1 year ago

   Thank You Dana
   I’ve enjoyed your books since I discovered them on a trip to Alaska in ’98.
   Please don’t retire anytime soon

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8. Dennis Ozmun: 2 years ago

   I really enjoy your books. I have read all of them with the exception of the last one. I just received it from our library and will be reading it this week. My question is, will there be more Kate Shugak books, and if so when might we expect to see them. Thank you so much. God Bless and keep these good books coming.

   Thank you,

   Dennis Ozmun

   Reply
9. James A. Tanner: 2 years ago

   Thank you Ms. Stabenow. Love the Kate Shugak series.

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10. Sue Tice: 2 years ago

    Read her first book in the Kate Shugak series and was hooked. Read A Fatal Thaw right after that. Life took off in the business world for me and there was little time for reading for pleasure.
    Now retired, I look forward to reading the Shugak Series.

    Reply