I'm a romance novelist and my first book was published in May 2001. I love reading, a great joy that was passed on to me by both of my parents. My love of writing came a bit later. I never stop reading, though lately it has been more for research than pleasure. Many people have influenced me during my life. I wish I could remember them all, but the most important ones are here. My parents-who shared their love of reading. My grandfather-who taught me that the burden of knowledge was a light one to carry. My teachers-who allowed me the freedom of choosing my own books to do reports on and didn't complain because they had extra reading to do. The many librarians I've known over the years-who took the time to help me find that "special" book or in most cases, books. Thank you again for all you've done.