Kate Collins is the author of the best-selling Flower Shop Mysteries. Her books have made the Barnes & Noble mass market mystery best-sellers’ lists, the Independent Booksellers’ best-seller’s lists, as well as booksellers’ lists in Australia and England. All of the books are available in hardback, large print editions both in the U.S. and in the UK.An Indiana native, Kate graduated from Purdue University with a master's degree in education. She taught elementary school for six years, but after the birth of her first child, gave up her teaching career to pursue a long-time dream of putting her stories to paper. After writing short humorous stories for children’s magazines and working part-time as a legal secretary, she sold her first historical romance novel in 1995. Since then she has published seven historical romantic suspenses and eight mysteries. Kate is currently working on the ninth book in the Flower Shop series, with a release date of February, 2010.When not growing roots at her computer, Kate loves to grow flowers and vegetables in her garden. Other passions include yoga, exploring the Greek Isles, decorating, power walking, spending time with family and friends, sampling great wines and dark chocolate, and enjoying every moment of life. The author lives with her husband in Northwest Indiana and Key West, Florida.