Dr. Seuss was my first love. When my mom left me in the children’s section of the library I’d find Horton and the Cat. My mom hated the good doctor and refused to checkout his books. He was my secret, guilty pleasure. Eventually, I read about Narnia, Oz and Green Gables. When my mom grew too sick to visit the library, a friend brought her a stash of romances which she kept in a big box beside her bed. Weekly, this good friend replenished the box. My mom didn’t know I read her books; it was like the Seuss affair, only sexier. Reading became my escape from a horrific and scary situation. Immersed in a story, I didn’t have to think about the life and death drama taking place on the other side of my bedroom wall. Books were my hallucinogenic drug of choice. In college, I studied literature and fell in love with Elliot, Willa and too many others to mention. (This had no similarity to my dating life.) I’m no longer a child living with a grieving father and a dying mother, nor am I the co-ed in search of something or someone real, nonfictional. I’m an adult blessed with an abundance of love. I love my Heavenly Father and His son, my husband and family, my dog, my friends, my neighbors, my writing group, the birds outside my window. Because I’m a writer, I also love my characters. I adore their pluck, courage and mettle. I admire the way they face and overcome hardships. But, as in any romance, I sometimes I get angry with them and think that they are too stupid to live. At those times, I have to remind myself that they live only in my imagination, unless I share. Writing for me is all about sharing—giving back to the world that has so generously shared with me—because I learned a long time ago that the world is full of life and death dramas. Sometimes we need a story to help us escape. And we need as much love as we can find. That’s why I write romance.

Leigh Morgan is a native of Wisconsin, a graduate of Marquette University Law School, a fifth degree black-belt in Okinawan Shorin Ryu karate, and a writer of fiction, both contemporary and historical, with strong romantic elements. Leigh writes about things she knows and loves about life including: family ties, living by a personal code, and loving with a loyal and fierce heart. Leigh's characters are quirky, witty and wise, although they seem to get themselves in trouble quite a lot on their way to a happy ending. Leigh is an avid traveler and lover of all things Celtic, Scottish in particular, so many of her stories have ties to Scotland; some in fact and some in myth and legend. Leigh is pleased to announce the recent release of DEFENDING DESTINY, Book 3 of The Warrior Chronicles.

Thing is, I make up stories. Yes, I know, my mother always said to tell the truth. But, I have an excuse. Characters whisper their stories in my ear, what else can I do but write them down and share? For the record, my mom listens to my stories, so I guess she's forgiven me for telling a tale or two. Carol's won numerous awards, published in short stories and novels. Carol's a wife, proud mom and ecstatic grandmother. She lives in the sunny South with her husband who patiently awaits his time away from her writing. Carol has an amazing son, who is a remarkable writer, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and is blessed with two awesome grandchildren. She loves a great story that makes her think about the problems life throws at us and how we react. She believes in happy endings and thinks they happen with commitment, understanding, forgiveness, love, laughter, giving, sacrifice, and being unafraid to expose one's inner self. Humor is a big part of her daily routine, because if she can't laugh at herself, then she has a boring day. Yes, she laughs a lot! Carol is a member of Southeastern Writers, Romance Writer's of America, and Georgia Romance Writers.

Have you ever wanted something so much you were afraid to even try? That was me ten years ago. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a novelist. I even started dozens of stories, over the years. But life kept getting in the way. A seriously ill child who required years of therapy; a rising mortgage that led to a full-time job; six children, my own chronic illness… the writing took a back seat. As the years passed, the fear grew. If I didn't put my stories out there in the market, I wouldn't risk making a fool of myself. I could keep the dream alive if I never put it to the test. Then my mother died. That great lady had waited her whole life to read a novel of mine, and now it would never happen. So I faced my fear and changed it—told everyone I knew I was writing a novel. Now I'd make a fool of myself for certain if I didn't finish. My first book came out to excellent reviews in December 2014, and the rest is history. Many books, lots of positive reviews, and a few awards later, I feel foolish for not starting earlier. I write historical fiction with a large helping of romance, a splash of Regency, and a twist of suspense. I then try to figure out how to slot the story into a genre category. I'm mad keen on history, enjoy what happens to people in the crucible of a passionate relationship, and love to use a good mystery and some real danger as mechanisms to torture my characters. Dip your toe into my world with one of my lunch-time reads collections or a novella, or dive into a novel. And let me know what you think.

E. Ayers is a true believer in love at first sight because it happened to her, she thinks everyone should find that special someone. When it happens, it's magical. Writing about that love is what she enjoys doing and when she's not spending time with her two dogs and waiting on his royal highness (the cat), she's busy writing. The official matchmaker for all the characters who wander through her brain, she likes finding just the right ones to create a story. She writes a slice-of-life novel, the romantic slice in two characters lives. In today's world, most people have careers and responsibilities. Figuring out how to blend two separate lives into one can be a huge dilemma. No one is perfect. She brings that into what she writes. The fantasy of a handsome hunk who will sweep the damsel off her feet and carry her off to a castle in the clouds is still there, but that castle is probably a condo. And that damsel isn't going to be persuaded by a few smooth lines.

Jill James didn't start out wanting to be a writer. Along the way, she wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer, president of the United States, and an astronaut. Life happened and she discovered she could be all those things; in the pages of her books. Her debut novel, Tempting Adam, came out February 2011 from The Wild Rose Press. In October of 2011 she decided to start self-publishing. Jill writes contemporary and paranormal romance with a dash of urban fantasy from time to time. Find out what Jill is doing next by getting Jill James News at: http://eepurl.com/hvtn-/