Emma Augusta Sharkey, widely recognized by her literary pseudonym Mrs. E. Burke Collins, was a highly successful nineteenth-century American novelist, journalist, and story-teller. Born Emma Augusta Browne in New York, she established herself as a prominent and prolific figure in the popular fiction market of her era. She was notable not only for her immense productivity but also for her remarkable financial independence, becoming one of a select group of female writers of her generation who earned an annual income exceeding $6,000 from their literary output. Like some of her contemporaries, she chose to publish under a married name, navigating the literary marketplace of the late 1800s with great commercial savvy.
Sharkey's career was defined by her contributions to the dime novel genre and the periodical press, where she published thousands of sketches and poems alongside her longer fiction. By 1894, her bibliography boasted nearly one hundred novels. Her sensational and romantic narratives resonated deeply with the reading public; her novel A Gilded God achieved spectacular commercial success, selling 72,000 copies within just a week of its publication. Other popular titles included A Fearful Inheritance, Lancaster's Love, and Sold for Gold. Outside of her demanding writing schedule, Sharkey pursued an active lifestyle, with hobbies that included horseback riding, bicycling, boating, and driving.
