Michelle Willingham http://www.michellewillingham.com

Michelle was born in Maryland , but after growing up in a military household, has traveled all over the world. She has lived in Thailand , Germany , England , Washington D.C. , and now she lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband, children, and suicidal guppies. Historical romances have always been her favorites, and Michelle started writing her first historical romance at the age of twelve. Twenty years later, she sold her first Irish medieval book to Harlequin Historicals. She works full-time as a history and English teacher for sixth graders. Michelle loves working with hormonally-charged little people who ask her fascinating questions related to the lesson like, “Your hair looks weird. Did you dye it?” Currently, she is working on more medieval books set in Ireland.  #

Anne Marie Winston http://www.annemariewinston.com

Anne Marie Winston's first novel, Best Kept Secrets, was published in 1992. She was the first Silhouette Desire Premier Author, and the book was the Runner-up to B. Dalton's Bestselling First Time Author in Short Contemporary. It also received Romantic Times Magazine's Certificate of Achievement for Best First Book. Since then, her writing career has been studded with awards and bestsellers, including #1 Waldenbooks Series Romance List bestsellers, #1 amazon.com Bestselling Silhouette Desires and many appearances on the USA TODAY extended bestseller list. The Pregnant Princess was the #1 bestseller on amazon.com's list of Bestselling Silhouette Desires for the twelve months following its publication. Lovers Reunion was a 2000 finalist for RWA's prestigious RITA award as well as a Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick. She has won Golden Leaf Awards from New Jersey Romance Writers for Billionaire Bachelors: Ryan, The Pregnant Princess, and her novella, The Maine Attraction. Island Baby, Chance at a Lifetime, and Unlikely Eden received Romantic Times Magazine Certificates of Achievement for Best Silhouette Desire while Carolina on My Mind received a Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Silhouette Desire. She also has been a final nominee for the Booksellers' Best Awards, the Janet Dailey Award, the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence, and the Holt Medallion. Anne Marie has served as Vice-President and Retreat Chair and sat on the Board of Directors for more than half a dozen terms. In 1991, she received WRW's Magic Crystal Award for outstanding service to the chapter. She has been a featured speaker at numerous RWA chapters and at their national conference in addition to many organizations outside the industry. A puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Anne Marie lives in southern Pennsylvania.   #

Laurin Wittig http://www.LaurinWittig.com

Laurin Wittig, award winning, over-educated author and recovering computer geek, loves exploring the world of medieval Scotland, delving into her Scottish roots, digging into the history she shunned in college and generally indulging her enthusiasm for learning about other cultures. Add to that her love of the romance genre and a passion for writing and voila, several novels have been born. Laurin has served WRW as critique group coordinator, membership chair, on the web site and program committees, as vice president, and as the WRWAnnounce loop manager. She headed up the ever popular retreat raffle for several years, has written articles for the newsletter and given workshops. Her latest release is Daring the Highlander (Berkley Sensation, May 2005).   #

Rebecca York http://www.rebeccayork.com

A New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly best-selling author, Rebecca York (aka Ruth Glick) has written over 100 books. She has authored or co-authored more than 45 romantic suspense novels, many with paranormal elements. Killing Moon, the first book in her werewolf trilogy, was a launch book for Berkley’s new Sensation Romance imprint in June 2003. Edge of the Moon and Witching Moon followed. Because her werewolf books proved so popular, a fourth book in the “trilogy,” Crimson Moon, was published in January 2005. For many years, Ruth has also written Harlequin Intrigue’s very popular 43 Light Street series, set in Baltimore. Ruth’s many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times: for Series Romantic Suspense and Series Romantic Mystery. Nowhere Man was the Romantic Times Best Intrigue of 1998, and the book was selected as one of their Reviewers’ “all-time favorite 200 romances.” Ruth’s Killing Moon won the 2003 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for best Paranormal, and Witching Moon won that award for 2004. Michael Dirda of WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD says, “Her books . . . deliver what they promise: excitement, mystery, romance.” Ruth has been on the WRW Board of Directors and was given the WRW Outstanding Achievement Award and the Magic Crystal Award for service to WRW.  #