Our Published Authors
ARWA is proud to count many accomplished published authors among our membership. They provide tireless and invaluable support and insight. To learn more about our PAN members, visit their web sites or pick up one of their books at your local bookstore!
April Kihlstrom
Web Page: http://www.aprilkihlstrom.com
April Kihlstrom has over 30 published books, most of them Regencies published by Signet New American Library. She is known for her writing workshops including Book in a Week and now offers life coaching to fellow writers as well.
Emily McKay
Web Page: http://www.emilymckay.com
Emily McKay's Golden Heart finalist entry became her first published book, Baby Be Mine, a Harlequin Temptation release, January 2003. Visit Emily at www.emilymckay.com
Evelyn Palfrey
Evelyn Palfrey writes romances with 'marvelously mature' heroines--because love is just as sweet with a little gray at the temple. Visit Evelyn at www.evelynpalfrey.com
Farrah Rochon
Web Page: http://farrahrochon.com
A native of south Louisiana, Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University. She writes contemporary romance for Dorchester Publishing. Her Holmes Brothers series has garnered rave reviews, including the 2007 Best Book of the Year Award from Shades of Romance Magazine for her debut novel Deliver Me. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, surfing the Internet, and saving up for weekend jaunts to New York City. An admitted sports fanatic, she feeds her addiction to football by attending New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.
Jane Myers Perrine
Web Page: http://janemyersperrine.com
Award-winning writer Jane Myers Perrine teaches Spanish in a small town in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Her 1999 Golden Heart finalist book, The Mad Herringtons, was published by Avalon in 2002. Persy and the Prince was published in 2003, then Miss Prim in 2006. She has also published three books with Steeple Hill Love Inspired: The Path to Love (2005), Love's Healing Touch, (2005) and The Path to Love (2007).
Jan Hudson
Jan Hudson, winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA award as well as their Golden Heart award, is a native Texan who has always loved tall tales. After being a college psychology teacher for over a decade, she turned to writing romance novels and loves to write fast-paced stories laced with humor, fantasy and adventure, and with bold characters who reach beyond the mundane and celebrate life.
Julia London
Web Page: http://www.julialondon.com/
Julia London was raised on a ranch in the panhandle of Texas, where she had an enormous amount of time on her hands to daydream. One fateful day her parents uttered the word job, and a frightened Julia moved to Austin to study government at the University of Texas. After the years and years it took to finish school, Julia ended up in Washington, D.C. working for the White House. Sadly, life inside the Beltway did not exactly mesh with her propensity for daydreaming. Or with President Clinton, who fired her along with everyone else.
She stumbled back to Texas to be a public administrator, where she discovered that spending taxpayers’ money was easy if she thought of it as shopping, but for really big items like jails and bridges and indigent services. She finally got the bright idea to write down her daydreams, and began writing full time.
Julia is now the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of more than a dozen published novels, the recipient of a Romantic Times Achievement in Historical Fiction award, and a three-time RITA always-the-bridesmaid-never-the-bride finalist. Her books have been translated into a ten foreign languages and are published in more than a dozen foreign countries.
Julia lives in a private fantasy world in Austin with her husband and dogs.
Julie Kenner
Web Page: http://www.juliekenner.com
National bestselling author Julie Kenner's first book hit the stores in February of 2000, and she's been on the go ever since, with over twenty books to her credit. Her books have hit lists as varied as USA Today, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Locus Magazine. Julie is also a two time RITA finalist, the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, the winner of the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004 and best paranormal of 2005, and the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award for best mainstream book of 2005. She writes a range of stories including urban fantasy, paranormal romance, young adult novels, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom, was selected as a Booksense Summer Paperback Pick for 2005, was a Target Breakout Book, was a Barnes & Noble Number One SFF/Fantasy bestseller for seven weeks, and is in development as a feature film with Warner Brothers and 1492 Pictures. Julie lives in Georgetown with her husband, two daughters, and several cats.
Julie Ortolon
Web Page: http://www.ortolon.com
Julie Ortolon never dreamed she'd grow up to be a writer since she didn't even like to read. Being born with dyslexia probably had something to do with her aversion to the written word. She was, however, an avid daydreamer, spinning stories in her head as she worked as an artist and gallery owner. Discovering computers with spellcheck opened up a whole new world, allowing her to write her stories down.
Her first contemporary romance, published by Dell in March 2000, hit the USA Today list. She went on to write four contemporaries for St, Martin's Press, and currently writes for NAL's Signet Eclipse imprint. Her books have won a Bookseller's Best Award and RITA finals for Best Single Title Contemporary.
Julie's latest release is Unforgettable, from Signet Eclipse.
Kit Frazier
Web Page: http://www.kitfrazier.com
When Kit Frazier was invited to participate with the FBI's Evidence Recovery Unit and the Austin Police Department's Search and Rescue squad, she jumped at the chance. As the daughter of two Air Force police officers, it was only natural that she continue the family tradition of public service.
In her other life, Kit is a professional journalist and the two-time, first-place winner of the Writers' League of Texas and Merritt awards. She is a member of the Texas Press Association, and is certified in Search & Rescue.
She continues to participate in research and training with the FBI and Austin Police Department, which provides lots of opportunities for murder and mayhem, and of course, some really hot guys. Kit lives on Lake Travis just outside Austin, Texas.
Her first mystery, Scoop, A Cauley MacKinnon Novel, by Midnight Ink, hit the number one spot on the bestseller list in Austin. The second book in the series, Dead Copy, hit the shelves in May, 2007. For more information on Kit or Search and Rescue, visit www.KitFrazier.com. To read Kit's blog, visit kitfrazier.blogspot.com.
Laura Griffin
Web Page: http://www.lauragriffin.com
Laura Griffin is the award-winning author of the upcoming Tracers Series (UNTRACEABLE, UNSPEAKABLE, UNFORGIVABLE). She writes romantic suspense for Pocket Star Books, and her titles include: WHISPER OF WARNING, THREAD OF FEAR, ONE WRONG STEP, and ONE LAST BREATH. Laura started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. Her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, and her fiction work has garnered awards from writing competitions throughout the country. Laura currently lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book. Visit her website at www.lauragriffin.com.
Robyn DeHart
Web Page: http://www.RobynDeHart.com
A life-long lover of stories and adventure, it was either become a stuntwoman for the movies or live out those adventures from the safety of her PJ’s and computer. Robyn DeHart chose the latter and couldn’t be happier for doing so. Known for her unique plotlines and authentic characters, Robyn is a favorite among readers and reviewers. Publishers' Weekly claims her writing to be "comical and sexy" while the Chicago Tribune dubs her "wonderfully entertaining." A two-time Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice award nominee, Robyn has earned 4 star and 4 ½ star top pick reviews on all her books and Kathe Robin says, "Like Amanda Quick, DeHart [will] keep you up all night." A self-proclaimed movie junkie, Robyn knows more worthless entertainment trivia than anyone has a right to – in fact she’s the reigning champion of name-that-voice-over-on-that-commercial game, which incidentally she plays alone. She lives with her brainy husband and two very spoiled cats. The first book in her new Legend Hunters series, SEDUCE ME, will be out from Grand Central Publishing in August 2009. You can find her on-line at her website or her blog
Sherry Thomas
Web Page: http://www.sherrythomas.com
Sherry Thomas burst onto the romance scene with Private Arrangements, one of the most anticipated debut historical romances in recent history and a Publisher Weekly 2008 Best of the Year book. Lisa Kleypas calls her “the most powerfully original historical romance author working today.” Her books have received stellar reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, The Chicago Tribune, and Romantic Times, along with enthusiastic praises from many of the most highly trafficked romance review websites and blogs.
Her story is all the more interesting given that English is Sherry's second language--she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger's Sweet Savage Love with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys digging down to the emotional core of stories. And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find.
Tracy Wolff
Web Page: http://www.tracywolff.com
Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where — and sometimes who — she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story — something with a rainbow and a prince — and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she'd read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she'd found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from everlastings to paranormals to eroticas. Her first erotic story, No Apologies, was a February 2008 Spice Brief release and her first novel, The Turn for Home, will be a November 2008 Super Everlasting release. Check out her website at tracywolff.com and her blogs at sizzlingpens.blogspot.com and hqeverlastinglove.blogspot.com.
Next Meeting
SEPTEMBER MEETING-Lana R. Castle, M.A. Pathways to Published
September Meeting- Sept. 14th-- 7:00pm at Book People Pathways to Published — A talk by Lana R. Castle, M.A.Pages