Rita Gallagher was born in 1922. She was a Miss Michigan, and married to a U.S. Air Force pilot. She is the mother of the writer Rita Clay Estrada. They and others writers created the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A.).

From 1982 to 1986, she published three romance novels, and later was a writing instructor for romance novelists. She also published with her daughter the books: "Writing Romances" and "You Can Write a Romance".

Rita died February 1, 2004 in Houston at age 82.

Shadows Series

1. Shadows on the Wind, (1982)
2. Shadowed Destiny, (1985)

Novels

• Passion Star, (1986)

Non fiction

• Writing Romances (1997) (with Rita Clay Estrada)
• You Can Write a Romance (1999) (with Rita Clay Estrada)