Patricia McLinn http://www.PatriciaMcLinn.com

Patricia McLinn has been a member of WRW since 1988, and sold her first book the following year. Since then, her books have won the New Jersey Golden Leaf and the Rising Star awards, as well as finaling in the RITA, Maggie, HOLT, Readers Choice, More Than Magic, Booksellers Best and WriteTouch. Patricia is also the recipient of RWA's Veritas Award. She is a frequent guest speaker on writing for groups from Phoenix to Chicago and Honolulu to Washington.   #

Bette McNicholas

With a background in politics and real estate, Bette is a published author of fiction. She co-authored An Obsession with Honor (Warner Books) a historical romance set in the Washington, D. C. area, with Andrea Kent. Romantic Times called the novel, "The kind of love story you want to read again and again." Her first romantic suspense, Farragut Square will be published by The Wild Rose Press in July of 2008 and is currently being sold as an e-pub. Farragut Square took first place in 2007 in the Central Ohio Fiction Writers Ignite the Flame Contest. The reviewer by The Long And The Short Of It says: “I especially like the pace of the story. It’s a very measured continuous beat. Events unfold, the reader is kept moving forward. There is a lot of conversation which I don’t normally care for, but again—it works very well. The ending is a surprising one. You’ll need to read this book to find out.” Bette has also sold a Civil War novel, Memory’s Edge, to The Wild Rose Press, publishing date to be announced soon and has recently completed a novel about a woman who was abandoned by her mother and abused by her father, with Joyce McClay and Lee Scofield. She attended Bryant College in Providence, Rhode Island, worked as an assistant to a U.S. Senator, an executive in radio and later as a real estate executive with expertise in financing, law and marketing. She brings knowledge of these diverse fields to her work as an author. She is a charter member of WRW, an active member of Romance Writers of America, its Published Authors Network, PASIC, and the Desert Rose Chapter in Phoenix, Arizona. For Washington Romance Writers, she served on the Board of Directors for two years, and was the Published Author Liaison. She was the PAN Liaison for Desert Rose for over two years and put together the first all-day workshops held in November to give the published authors an opportunity to hone their speaking skills and to share their knowledge with other writers and help make the public aware of what Desert Rose has to offer. She also planned the first Librarian/Bookseller Appreciation Luncheon and has worked on different means to help published authors to get their books on the shelves of bookstores and libraries. Elizabeth is married, has three adult children, three grandsons and two granddaughters. Besides writing, she enjoys reading history books, biographies and novels, knitting, and cooking Italian food. She also plays duplicate bridge.   #

Michelle Monkou http://www.michellemonkou.com

Michelle Monkou credits her love for writing to the vast number of hours spent reading. As a child, her head was always in a book, even at the dinner table. In 2002, Michelle published with the Arabesque imprint under BET Books adding to the list of contemporary romances. She is a long time member of WRW and has served in numerous positions in support and love for the organization. She attributes her knowledge of the business and craft to the various workshops and friendships created from WRW.  #

Mary Alice Monroe http://www.maryalicemonroe.com

Mary Alice Monroe is a New York Times, USA Today bestselling author of eight novels. Awards include The Holt Medallion, The Maggie, The Write Touch, and three RITA finalists. Her books have received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Mary Alice has been a member of WRW for nearly 20 years and is proud of winning the WRW Magic Crystal for service to the chapter. Mary Alice now lives with her husband, a psychiatrist, on Isle of Palms, South Carolina.   #

Janet Mullany http://www.janetmullany.com

Janet Mullany came to the Washington DC area from England via Kansas and Colorado, and has worked as an archaeologist, radio announcer, arts administrator, and editor/proofreader for a small press. Her first book, Dedication, an erotic historical cunningly disguised as a Signet Regency, was published in September 2005. In 2007 her Regency chicklit, The Rules of Gentility was published, and she made her debut as Jane Lockwood with Forbidden Shores, an erotic historical. Janet gives a workshop on servants and, with author Pam Rosenthal, a workshop on how to write hot historicals.   #

Sophia Nash http://www.sophianash.com

Sophia Nash's first three Regency romances won six national awards, including a RITA award, Romantic Times Award for Best Regency Romance, a spot on Booklist's "Top Ten Romances of the Year," RRA's Best Debut Romance of the Year, and more. Her first single title Historical from Avon/Harper Collins will hit the shelves the summer of 2007. Raised in America and France, Sophia began her writing career as a television producer for CBS, and also held stints as a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO before pursuing her long-held dream of writing fiction. She has held several posts within the Washington Romance Writers organization, including WRW Retreat Chair and Programs Chair. Readers may learn more about her national award-winning novels via her website: http://www.sophianash.com.  #