Be Careful What You Wish For: A Profile Of Bestselling Author F.R. Black

The expression ‘Third time’s a charm’ couldn’t be more apt to the career of bestselling adult fantasy romance author F.R. Black, who is finally getting what she wished for after her earlier dreams of success turned out to be nightmares.

Within the space of a few short years, American author F.R. Black has amassed a worldwide audience of adoring fans for her gripping adult fantasy romance series, Fairy Godmother Inc.

The premise of the thrilling and spicy novels – that Fairy Godmother Inc., an interdimensional company that maintains the universe’s balance “through true love’s kiss”, gives five women the chance to compete against each other to win the heart of a prince charming – has resonated with female readers young and old. 

And with seven bestselling books under her belt, and an eighth and concluding novel in the series coming soon, those on the outside might imagine that Black is leading a life just as charmed as those found in fairytales. 

But, in reality, the author and mother of two has had to overcome many challenges to get to where she is today. 

Most notably, there have been two crushing blows on her journey to success, all the more painful because she had initially believed her deepest wishes had been fulfilled … only for them to quickly turn into nightmares.

Surprisingly, as a child – growing up in Montrose County, Colorado, where she still lives today – becoming an author was the furthest thing from Black’s mind. 

Though she wasn’t formally diagnosed until much later, she battled ADHD from a young age and found it challenging to sit still with a book.

While Black was able to continue her education to degree level, studying business, she aspired to become a catwalk model just like her mother had been, as she explains.

“When I was child, I despised reading. Books just didn’t interest me as, because of my ADHD, they felt like too much work,” she says.

“My mind was always on the go and I wanted to be outside, not stuck indoors reading boring words. 

“I wanted more than anything to one day be an international model. My mom had been a model, as had one of my cousins, and I saw it as a natural career path, following in the family line.

“After finishing high school, I signed with a well-known Denver modelling agency, the owner of which had worked with mom during her modelling days. 

“I started with local work, doing trade events for clients such as Budweiser, but then I got the opportunity to work in China and I thought that this would be my ticket to the big time.”

F.R. Black originally wanted to be an international model but thought again after discovering an ugly side to the industry.

In 2008, and still in her early twenties, the author boarded the plane for China, where she would be living for the next six months, full of excitement.

But from the moment she arrived, things began to go wrong, and would only get worse from there.

“I hadn’t been told who was picking me up at the airport and when I got through customs, a handsome man came up to me saying I should go with him,” Black continues.

“Things didn’t seem quite right but as I didn’t know for sure who my contact was supposed to be, and he kept insisting he was here to collect me, I trusted him.

“I was just about to put my bags in his car when, still feeling uneasy, I told the man to wait a moment and ran back into the airport.

“I’m so thankful I did because back inside I spotted a group of Asian men in designer glasses who confirmed they were there to collect me. I dread to think what might have happened if I hadn’t checked.

“Living in a different country was novel at first but I soon found the work to be very stressful and full of unreasonable pressures, such as not to eat. I was skinny yet I will still marched out in front of the other models and ordered to be thinner.

“I’d just got married and wasn’t financially in any position to walk away from the job so I tried my best to comply, though I was barely being paid enough to afford to eat in any case.

“Essentially, rather than thriving and enjoying the experience, I found myself simply trying to survive. 

“The environment continued to become more controlling and eventually I ultimately made the difficult decision to leave. I was so traumatised by my experiences that I actually kissed the ground when I got back.”

F.R. Black has amassed fans around the world for her bestselling Fairy Godmother Inc. series of adult fantasy romance novels, but she has had to overcome significant challenges to get there. Here she is pictured with her husband, Josh, and children, Asa and Scarlett.

Disillusioned with what she’d believed to be her dream career, Black set herself up as a composite photographer, having learned the trade from observing other photographers while working as a model.

Between projects, she found herself writing, initially as a form of journaling her thoughts and feeling but which soon developed into creative territories.

“With my ADHD, it was initially a challenge to get into writing but I found it therapeutic so I kept at it,” says Black.

“I’d finally woken up to books during my teens, devouring romance novels by authors such as Julia Quinn and Johanna Lindsey, and my journalling began to include ideas for stories, characters, and settings.

“It took me a long time to learn how to translate the millions of ideas shooting around my mind into something tangible on paper, but with willpower and dedication I was able to focus and refine my writing over time.

“For all the challenges that have come with ADHD, there are superpowers that have been a godsend to me as an author: creativity and hyperfocus.

“Once I’d fallen in love with writing, I was committed to mastering it and I literally have not gone one single day without writing since the age of 23.”

Combining her passions for writing and the romance genre, Black released her first novel in the Fairy Godmother Inc. series, Heir of the Beast, online in 2019, amassing tens of thousands of followers within a few short months.

Approached by a publishing company interested in bringing the series to wider attention, she thought – just as she had done so before with modelling – that fame and fortune were about to come calling.

But again, sadly, her second wish – to be able to become an author full-time author – did not pan out quite as she expected.

“The books were selling well and I was the bestselling fantasy author on their roster but, frankly, I wasn’t getting a great return,” she says.

“It was very disheartening and had me wondering why I couldn’t seem to get anywhere in life.”

Lose yourself in F.R. Black’s enchanting worlds where romance blooms amidst the mystical. With each novel, she proves herself a master storyteller, blending fantasy and passion into stories that resonate long after the final page.

But still believing in her books, Black was able to take back ownership and, earlier this year, took the plunge and published them independently.

While self-publishing doesn’t work for everyone, the author’s titles have gone from strength to strength, becoming Amazon smash hits.

Now aged 39, and having learned from her past, F.R. Black’s third and final wish – that she has a second chance to become a full-time author – seems to be coming true … and without any unpleasant twists.

“I just wish for everything to go right this time and, touch wood, that seems to be the case,” she says.

“Readers have told me how cinematic the Fairy Godmother Inc. books are and so a call from Netflix or Apple Studios would be nice, but I’m keeping my feet firmly on the ground.

“If that comes, amazing, but just to be able to write full time is an honour and a dream come true. I couldn’t ask for more.

“One of the big things for me as a writer is to be able to give my readers an entertaining form of escapism, something that’s a world away from the stresses of everyday life and with the promise of a happy ever after.

“It’s not been easy but, all being well, I’ve finally found my own fairytale ending!”

F.R. Black’s Fairy Godmother Inc. series – comprising Heir of the Beast, The Elven Crown, The Crystal Commander, The Prince of the Deep, The Master of Metal, Palace of Frost, and Siren Prisoner – is available on Amazon in paperback and eBook formats. You can follow F.R. Black on Facebook , TikTok , and Instagram