I've been hooked on writing ever since my third grade teacher singled out my desert island story for praise in front of the class.  (Lots of palm trees and coconuts, plus a quirky monkey for comic relief...)  And my mother is fond of reminding me that she still has my first self-published effort, a personal picture book from around the same era titled, "When Mommy is Cold, I Have to Wear a Sweater."  Since then, I've dabbled in everything from poetry to playwriting to short stories to personal essays.  For a while, I even wrote copy for an online shoe company from time to time.  Sadly, free shoes were not part of the contract.  But my heart belongs to romance.

I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, both National and my local chapter.  I've served as newsletter editor and president, and was thrilled this year to receive the first-ever Lucy Award, given for consistent pursuit of a career in romance writing.  (And getting a contract four days after getting the award was icing on the cake!)  I can't say enough good things about RWA.  Not only has it been an amazing source of industry information and craft knowledge, but the friends and mentors I have met through RWA are ones I truly cherish. 

On a personal level, I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and children. 

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