Winner of over 15 national awards, including the RWA Hall of Fame and the RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, Jennifer Greene weaves real issues, warm characters common-life humor, and page-turning romance and suspense into her stories. Jennifer sold her first book in 1980, and since then has sold over 85 books in the contemporary romance genre. She won her first professional writing award from RWA, a “Silver Medallion” in 1984, followed by over 20 nominations and awards—including achieving RWA’s HALL OF FAME status, and the most coveted Nora Roberts LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. Jennifer has regularly been on a variety of bestseller lists, and has written for Harlequin, Avon, Berkley and Dell. Her books have sold all over the world in over 20 languages. She also accumulated a number of pseudonyms—most recognizably JENNIFER GREENE, but also JEANNE GRANT and JESSICA MASSEY. She was born in Michigan, started writing stories in 7th grade, and graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in English and Psychology. The University honored her with their “Lantern Night Award”, a tradition developed to honor fifty outstanding women graduates each year. Exploring issues and concerns for women today is what first motivated her to write, and she has long been an enthusiastic and active supporter of women’s fiction, which she believes is an unbeatable way to reach out and support other women. Jennifer lives in Michigan, just a short distance from Lake Michigan, with her husband Lar. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. (1)romance aka Jeanne Grant

Marie Rydzynski-Ferrarella aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York. Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress. Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today. After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says. In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.

Mary Lynn Baxter was born on 28 July 1943 in Lufkin, Texas, USA, where she bred, home of the cowboy - hero of the Western romance, which is one of the most popular of the category's sub-genres. She would be the first to say that it's her background that gives her a unique feel for romance writing. Since she was a young girl, books and reading have been an important part of her life. Only after she read all the "goodies" in her public library did her mother encourage her to buy Harlequin romances, then 35 cents each. Wow! Those reading years laid the background for her decision to major in Library Science at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, and become a school librarian. After eight years of working in various school systems, she felt a need to do something different. What she wanted was to open a bookstore. With the help of her husband, Leonard, and her mother, Mary Lynn did just that. For over 20 years she sold books, and loved every minute of it. Then Mary Lynn decided she needed a new challenge. Following an intense amount of pushing and prodding from her husband she took the plunge and tried her hand at writing. After months of agonising and chewing her nails, she finally mailed All our Tomorrows to Silhouette books in February 1981. One year later it was published as a Silhouette Special Edition. Now, over 40 books later, she's still writing. Mary Lynn can't think of anything else she'd rather do with her time and energy. She surfaces from her writing, she's a voracious reader. But this petite dynamo is always happy to tumble out of her world of fiction into her local fitness center for a bracing workout. She's also dedicated to her volunteer work... and still manages to fit in plenty of quality time with her family at their home in Lufkin, Texas.