E.R. Frank is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

, clinical social work

Social work

Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...

er and psychotherapist. She won the Teen People Book Club NEXT Award for her first novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

, 2002's Life Is Funny. Her 2003 novel America was made into a 2009 television movie

America (2009 film)

America is a 2009 Lifetime Television film starring Rosie O’Donnell, Ruby Dee and Philip Johnson. It was directed by Yves Simoneau and written by Joyce Eliason. The film is based on the young adult novel America by E.R...

 starring Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell

Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...

 and Philip Johnson

Philip Johnson (Actor)

Philip Johnson is an American actor from Detroit, Michigan. A 2009 honors graduate of Cass Technical High School, Johnson currently attends the University of Michigan. He played the title character in the 2009 Lifetime Television film America based on the book by E.R. Frank...

. She is also the grand-daughter of Gerold Frank

Gerold Frank

Gerold Frank was an American author and ghostwriter. He wrote a number of celebrity memoirs and was considered a pioneer of the "as told to" form of biography...

, an American best-selling biographer, ghostwriter

Ghostwriter

A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...

 and author of The Boston Strangler, 1966 and An American Death, 1972.

As a therapist, Frank specializes in adults and adolescents who have undergone trauma

Psychological trauma

Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...

.