History of Courtney Milan in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 18, 2026

Courtney Milan, real name Heidi Bond, is an American author known for her historical and contemporary romance novels. She initially published traditionally but has since transitioned to self-publishing her works.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1976: Birth of Courtney Milan

In 1976, Courtney Milan was born to her American father, Doug Bond, a chemistry professor, and her Chinese-American mother, Gloria.

2000: Graduation from Florida State University

In 2000, Courtney Milan received a bachelor's degree with a double major in mathematics and chemistry from Florida State University.

2006: Graduation from University of Michigan Law School

In 2006, Courtney Milan graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School, where she received the Henry Moore Bates scholarship.

2007: Clerking for Judge Alex Kozinski

In 2007, Courtney Milan clerked for Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

2007: Milan began working for Judge Kozinski

In 2007, Milan began working for Judge Kozinski, where Milan later alleged that during her time in his employ, Kozinski called her into his office three times to look at pornography and repeatedly asked if the images aroused her.

2008: Clerking for Judge Alex Kozinski

In 2008, Courtney Milan continued to clerk for Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and was allegedly subjected to inappropriate behavior.

2010: Publication of "Proof by Seduction"

In 2010, Courtney Milan's first book, "Proof by Seduction", was published by Harlequin and received a starred review in Publishers Weekly.

2011: Milan began self-publishing her novels

In 2011, Courtney Milan chose to self-publish her novels.

2013: Milan hired a full-time project manager

As of 2013, Courtney Milan had hired a full-time project manager to help get her books ready for release.

2014: Earning Close to $1 Million in Royalties

By 2014, Courtney Milan was producing about two novels per year and earning close to $1 million in royalties each year.

2015: The Brothers Sinister Listed Among NPR's "100 Swoon-Worthy Romances"

In 2015, Courtney Milan's series, "The Brothers Sinister", was listed among NPR's "100 Swoon-Worthy Romances".

2017: RITA Award for "Her Every Wish"

In 2017, Courtney Milan's novella, "Her Every Wish", was recognized with a RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America.

2017: Milan Shares Experiences with Kozinski

In late 2017, as the #MeToo movement gained traction, Courtney Milan shared details of her experiences working for Judge Kozinski with The Washington Post.

July 2019: Milan Receives Service Award from RWA

In July 2019, The Romance Writers of America Board gave Courtney Milan a Service Award for her efforts to increase diversity within the RWA.

August 2019: Milan Joins Twitter Conversation on Racism

In August 2019, Courtney Milan joined an ongoing Twitter conversation about racism and gatekeeping in the romance publishing industry, focusing on Sue Grimshaw and Kathryn Lynn Davis' book.

December 23, 2019: RWA Board Voted to Suspend Milan

On December 23, 2019, the RWA Board voted to suspend Courtney Milan for one year and ban her from all leadership positions for life, due to comments made about Kathryn Lynn Davis's book.

2019: RWA Board Suspends and Reinstates Milan

In 2019, the RWA board voted to suspend Courtney Milan for calling another author's book racist, but the board reinstated her days later. This controversy resulted in mass resignations and the cancellation of the 2020 RITA Award program.

2019: Plagiarism Allegations Against Cristiane Serruya

In early 2019, Courtney Milan blogged about multiple instances of sentences or paragraphs from her book, "The Duchess War", that appeared in Cristiane Serruya's novel "Royal Love". Other authors also found their work had been plagiarized.

2020: Co-organizer of Romancing the Runoff

In 2020, Milan was a co-organizer of Romancing the Runoff, a fundraising event during the 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia.

2020: Cancellation of 2020 RITA Award Program

In 2020, following the controversy surrounding Courtney Milan's suspension and reinstatement by the RWA board, the RITA Award program was canceled.

2020: RWA Reverses Sanctions Against Milan, Leading to Mass Resignations and RITA Awards Cancellation

In 2020, the RWA reversed the sanctions against Courtney Milan, which led to mass resignations from the board and the cancellation of the 2020 RITA Awards. Major publishers also spoke out and announced intentions to skip the 2020 RWA annual conference.