I’ve always loved history; there’s something very romantic in thinking about the past. Perhaps it’s because my mom would drag us to antique shops when we were children and I’d tiptoe around piles of ancient objects, feeling as if I was peeking into someone’s private life. Being that we lived in the Midwestern U.S., these antique shops would be full of Victorian Era leftovers, about the earliest date we have. It’s not only in antique shops where you can find Victorian fingerprints. Just about every Midwestern city has ornate Victorian homes in their downtown area. So you can definitely say I’ve been surrounded by the 1800s for most of my life. When I decided to become a writer, there were many time periods I could have picked. I loved the Medieval era for their Knights in Shining Armor. And of course there is the Colonial era here in America with its stark attractiveness; an era I feel is rather under-developed in the romance world. There is also the lovely delicateness of the Regency time period, one of the most popular of the romance genres. But for me, it has always been about the Victorian era. Some find the décor gaudy,…

Writing about the publishing process sounded like a good idea until I realized I could write, well, a book. The process and the emotions I’ve experienced so far have been more than overwhelming and so to make it somewhat easier, I decided to write a simple timeline of my journey into the publishing world. So sit back, grab a bag of popcorn, and enjoy The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of getting published. Summer of 2008— I get word from the Golden Acorn writing contest that my most recent manuscript, To Tame His Heart, has come in first place in the historical category and has been requested by Hilary Sares at Kensington. Although I’ve finaled before, this is the first time I’ve gotten first place and a request! Could this be my big break? September— Months have gone by and no word from Kensington. I’m just about to give up when I get a call. Its Hilary Sares, she wants to buy my book! Attempt not to hyperventilate and immediately start emailing agents. Go with Helen Breitwieser from Cornerstone Literary because she seems the most excited about my book and my future career. Helen changes my book title from…