A Thank You to All the Authors Who Helped Make Me

Since it’s almost thanksgiving, I thought I would take this moment to thank some of the authors that have made me the writer I am today (if I tried to thank them all, we would be here until next thanksgiving). These authors I have learned from, I have been encouraged by, and they have offered me the opportunity to grow into the author I am today.

Margo Maguire has probably had the biggest impact on me as a writer. She was the first romance author I ever read. I found her book by accident, on the end cap of a walden books (yes, I am that old). A historical romance about the illegitimate child of the king road tripping to court and finding love with the man escorting her. Instantly I was hooked. This started not only my love affair with romance novels, and specifically the historical romances novels, but after reading her book I realized not only that I wanted to be a romance writer, but I already was one. 

All of my stories up to that point had strong romance elements, but before reading her book I didn’t see that connection. I just thought I was writing books, trying to figure out my genre, and they just all happened to have romance. After reading her book I couldn’t deny the truth. Instead I embraced it. I started to create the stories I had wanted to tell all along, even if I didn’t know it back then. And its something I have continued to do, with all twenty seven of my published books (and many many yet to be published books).

Thank you Margo Maguire, for showing me not only a whole new way of writing, but the types of stories that I would be passionate to write for the rest of my life. Without you my characters wouldn’t get the happy endings they deserve, and I would still probably be searching for the genre I wanted to write. Whether it be mystery, paranormal, historical, or something else entirely.

Just like Margo Maguire, Joely Sue Burkhart changed my writing direction by showing me a whole different kind of story. When I first started writing romance I wrote much cleaner tales. They might have been a little steamy, especially for the era, but would be downright clean by today's standards. That is until I stumbled upon Joely Sue Burkhart in a romance writers yahoo group. She was talking about writing a book that would eventually become Hurt Me So Good, the second book in her Connaghers series. She made the first book sound so appealing I had to check it out. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked up Dear Sir, I’m Yours, but it's safe to say my life has never been the same since. Her book was the first BDSM book I ever read, and started me on a journey into the deep steam and smut I love today.

Thank you Joely Sue Burkhart for opening my eyes to the stories I love to tell. Without you, my heroes would use far less rope, and my heroines would end up with far fewer bruises, and they would all be lesser for it.

I met Lexi Blake, who at the time was writing as Sophie Oak, at a conference many years ago. She was the speaker of the luncheon I was attending and by coincidence she ended up seated at my table. I was just a baby author then, with three or four books to my name and still trying to figure everything out. But she took the time to talk to me, to give me some good advice on how to conquer the industry, and made me feel like a valued part of the community, even though I was just getting started. This is a lesson I have always tried to pass on, offering whatever help and support I can to other authors, and to pass on the care and respect she showed me.

Without her advice on how to create a series, I would be a very different author today. My Frostbite Fall Christmas Ball series (which will be discounted during part of the month of December) is inspired by her advice and her Bliss, CO series. I even set my series in Colorado as a nod to her great writing and amazing series.

Thank you Lexi Blake for being so kind to a new author and giving me the encouragement to continue to chase this crazy dream we all have to put words on the page. Without you, there might be far fewer books in the world with my name on them.

These are just some of the authors that have made me into the writer I am today. Author’s whose words and stories have changed my life drastically. And though I doubt they will ever truly know the impact on me, I wanted to offer my thanks this November. Whether writing damsels in distress, smutty BDSM masters or kooky towns full of menage romances, they have all changed the direction of my life for the better and I thank them for every romantic, smutty, uplifting word.