(born Mary Ruth Kuczkir; April 9, 1933) is an American writer of romance and thriller novels. Her books include Family Blessings, Pretty Woman, and Crown Jewel, as well as the Texas quartet and the Captive series.

Although her first manuscript did not sell, the second did. Since then, Michaels has sold over 150 best-selling books, 110 million copies in print along with 153 New York Times best sellers of them New York Times bestsellers. She has been quoted as saying that she loves breathing life into her characters. She has said she loves writing books about women who prevail under difficult circumstances, which she feels reflect her struggle for success early in her career. For her efforts, she has been inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame.