I tried, really I did. But how could the dreary assignment on the chalkboard begin to lure me from the dreamy Disney fairytale characters dancing through my head? Cinderella and Prince Charming, Snow White and Prince Charming, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Ch . . .

Well, you get the picture :

In middle school, I "graduated" from romance a la Disney to grownup romances by the likes of Victoria Holt, Anya Seton, and Daphne DuMaurier. Someday, I promised myself, as I thumbed through my dogeared copy of Forever Amber for the upteenth time, I would write an historical romance novel of my very own.

That dream has weathered a Master's Degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Education, not to mention a four-year stint as a research & evaluation consultant. In 1994, I packed up my graduate school texts, purchased a small pink paperback entitled How to Write a Romance and Get It Published, and joined the Romance Writers of America I've never looked back.

As an author of historical romance, I get to spin fairytales of my very own making-life-affirming stories in which the hero and heroine find not only their soul mate but also their souls in the bargain. Romance fiction is also a fabulous forum for marrying my passion for British history with my other passion: animals.

In my May 2002 Scottish historical, My Lord Jack the hero, Jack Campbell is an animal lover through and through. An outcast living on the fringe of his close-knit village community in the Scottish Border Country, he is inexorably drawn to befriend-and heal-creatures in need, including a hawk with a damaged wing, a one-eyed cat, and a feisty French lassie who frequently needs saving, especially from herself.

In my September 2002 single-title release, Tempting, my heroine Christine finally breaks through the hero, Simon's, self-protective, icy exterior by giving him… a dog. And her cat, Puss, just "happens" to resemble a certain feisty, tiger-striped tabby of my own. Go figure. :

But then when you're a writer, it's pretty much impossible to keep your passions, your values, and yes, your hopes and dreams, from escaping on to the printed page.

In my "other life," I serve as a volunteer project director with The Prevent a Litter Coalition (PaLC), Inc. In 1996, I founded PaLC's Pet Overpopulation STAMP OUT Project, a national grassroots effort which, I'm thrilled to report, has not only achieved its goal but exceeded it. In September 2002, the U.S. Postal Service will issue not one but TWO U.S. commemorative postage stamps with a "Neuter/Spay" theme. The stamps, which bear the adorable, furry faces of former shelter pets, will go on sale this September 2002 in post offices across the country.

In addition to reminding pet owners to spay/neuter their furry, four-legged family members, the stamps will include practical, hands-on information for finding spay/neuter resources in your local community: a website, searchable by zip code, and toll-free, bilingual telephone number (www.pets911.com and 1-888-pets-911) printed on the stamp margin! Hosted by Pets911, both the telephone line and website link to a one of a kind national directory of spay/neuter resources-and adoption and lost & found information, too!

Ah well, I could go on and on-obviously-but I'll stop! : Suffice it to say that I hope you'll visit me frequently-I've loads of plans for the site, including posting the cover for Tempting, which is truly gorgeous.

And, if you haven't already, please pay a pit stop to my main page and take a moment to signup for my upcoming online newsletter-rarely more than one message a month (promise!) but a great way to keep posted on my upcoming signings and other event information. Who knows, but I may just be visiting a bookstore in your neighborhood in the near future. In the meantime…

Here's wishing you fairytale dreams and a never ending supply of fabulous romance fiction...

Bio obtained from author website, with permission.

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