New Jersey Romance Writers
Put your heart in a book
Meet our Authors
Cris Anson
After the death of my husband of 22 years, it took three years to come out of my grief and feel alive and open to new experiences, new relationships. I'm now calling myself a senior citizen who isn't too old to dream about, or experience, romance. And I've gone back with zest to my writing. The fourth erotic romance in my Dance series (Dance of the Rogue, bad-boy Rolf's story) will be released through Ellora's Cave in late 2009. Also available are a romantic suspense (First to Die) and contemporary romance (Second Best) with their Cerridwen Press imprint, featuring estranged male twins.
Website: http://www.crisanson.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/crisanson
Shobhan Bantwal
Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing "Bollywood in a Book," commercial fiction about India, women's issues & socio-political topics, with romantic and cultural elements. Her articles and stories have appeared in The Writer, India Abroad, Little India, Desi Journal, New Woman, and India Currents. Her short fiction has won honors/awards in contests by Writer's Digest, New York Stories, and New Woman magazines. Her debut book, The Dowry Bride, won the 2008 Golden Leaf Award.
Website: http://www.shobhanbantwal.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShobhanBantwal
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shobhanbantwal
Heidi Betts
Soon after joining Romance Writers of America, national bestselling author Heidi Betts's writing began to garner attention, including placing in the esteemed Golden Heart competition three years in a row. The recipient of numerous awards and stellar reviews, Heidi's books combine believable characters with compelling plotlines, and are consistently described as "delightful," "sizzling," and "wonderfully witty."
For news, fun, and information about upcoming books, visit Heidi online at HeidiBetts.com.
Website: http://www.heidibetts.com
Blog: http://www.heidibetts.com/wipsandchains/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Heidi-Betts/658412777
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/heidibetts
Other: http://www.heidibetts.com/MustLoveYarn/
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Reece Brett
Reece Brett lives in southern New Jersey with her own romantic hero, her husband. They have raised a blended family of six children. Reece Brett has been writing since she could hold a crayon. Black Lyon Publishing published Reece's romantic suspense, Stranger to Love. Reece has written four children's books entitled, The Adventures of Buck the Buckle Up Dog. (www.buckthebuckleupdog.org.) To promote her love of writing, Reece conducts writers' workshops for Glasstown Arts District, Rowan University, Cumberland County College and area libraries and high schools.
Website: http://www.reecebrett.com
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Blog: http://reecebrett.com/blog1/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/JudiBrett
Terri Brisbin
Terri Brisbin has been writing romance fiction since 1995 and has had more than 20 historical and paranormal romance novels, novellas and short stories published since 1998. When not living the glamorous life of a romance author in the southern NJ suburbs, Terri spends her time being a married mom of three as well as a dental hygienist of hundreds. Active in several RWA local chapters, Terri currently serves on the Board of Directors of Romance Writers of America.
A three-time RWA RITA® finalist, Terri will have more sexy, emotional romances released through 2011 from Harlequin Historical Romances and Kensington BRAVA.
Website: http://www.terribrisbin.com
Blog: http://www.accessromance.com/blog
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/terribrisbin
Other: http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/
Other: http://www.terribrisbin.com/news/
Christine Bush
Christine Bush is the author of 8 books of romance and mystery with Avalon Books. She's also a playwright, columnist, and is a frequent workshop presenter. In her day life, she's a marriage and family therapist in private practice, and teaches college part time. Christine is a past president of NJRW. She loves to hear from readers, fellow writers, is available to speak to groups on many topics.
Website: http://www.christinebush.com
Blog: http://avalonauthors.blogspot.com
Christine Clemetson
Growing up in a small beach town in New Jersey, Christine wouldn't have been caught on her beach towel without a good book. Through all this, she caught the fire of creativity and discovered she had her own story to tell. Not just one, but many! While earning her degree in Literature/Language from Richard Stockton State College, and developing her career as a technical writer, Christine kept writing and learning the craft of putting together a good story. Her debut novel, A Daughter's Promise came out from the Wild Rose Press in January 2009.
Website: http://www.christineclemetson.com
Blog: http://www.christineclemetson.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?drop&ref=mb#/group.php?gid849458624
Jan Coffey
(Also writing as May McGoldrick and Nicole Cody)
Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick are storytellers with a checkered past.
From the submarine shipyards of Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, and the clubs of Rodeo Drive, to the forges of Pennsylvania and the electronics manufacturers of Massachusetts, these two have spent their lives gathering material for their novels. Nikoo, a manufacturing engineer, and Jim, who has a Ph.D. in sixteenth-century British literature, wrote their first full-length novel, a historical romance, in 1994. Since then, Jim and Nikoo have written twenty-six novels and a work of nonfiction, and they are presently focusing their imaginations on producing romantic suspense thrillers with a decidedly technological slant.
The "Jan Coffey" pseudonym, one of several they have used, is actually a play on their own names: Jan is an acronym for "Jim and Nikoo," and Coffey is Nikoo's maiden name.
These prolific and popular authors have been the recipients of numerous awards for their work. They now reside in Watertown, Connecticut.
Website: http://www.JanCoffey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jan.Coffey
Other: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=737943992
Lisa Dale
Lisa Dale writes contemporary women's fiction/romance. Her first novels, Simple Wishes and It Happened One Night, were published by Grand Central Publishing in 2009 to excellent reviews. She worked briefly at a New York literary agency before earning her MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. A former assistant editor of an award-winning literary magazine and a nominee for Best New American Voices and the Pushcart Prize, her writing appears in many national literary magazines.
Website: http://www.lisadalebooks.com
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Blog: http://www.lisadaleblog.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Lisa_Dale/808100689
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K.M. Daughters
Sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare were born and raised in New Jersey, the only children of Katherine and Michael Lynch. Their penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents — Kay's and Mickey's Daughters. Kathie and her family still reside in their hometown and Pat's family lives in the Chicago suburbs. Their careers as authors began in January 2008 when offered contracts on two books from The Wild Rose Press.
Website: http://www.kmdaughters.com
Blog: http://www.whiterosesinbloom.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1117718078
MySpace: http://myspace.com/kmdaughters
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Anna DePalo
Anna DePalo is a former intellectual property attorney who graduated from Harvard and earned graduate degrees in politics and law before launching her writing career. Her books have hit the Borders Group bestseller list and Nielsen BookScan's list of Top 100 bestselling romances. She has won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best First Series Romance and the Book Buyer's Best award for Series Short Contemporary, and has been a finalist for the Golden Quill and Golden Leaf. Her books have been published in over twenty countries. She lives with her husband, son and daughter in New York City.
Website: http://www.annadepalo.com
Blog: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/silhouette-desire-author-blog
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/annadepalo
Judi Fennell
Judi Fennell has had her nose in a book and her head in some celestial realm all her life, including those early years when her mom would exhort her to "get outside!" instead of watching Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie. So she did-into Dad's hammock with her Nancy Drew books.
These days she's more likely to have her nose in her laptop at her favorite bookstore, but she's still reading.
A three-time finalist in online contests, Judi loves reader feedback about her Mer series. Check out http://www.JudiFennell.com for contests and the chance to "dive in" to her stories.
Website: http://www.JudiFennell.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JudiFennell
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/judifennell
M. Flagg
Named a Distinguished Music Educator at the 2009 Yale Music Symposium, Mickey Flagg brings the joy of music to hundreds of urban students every day. She's a choir accompanist on Sundays and a music teacher always. Besides being published in the field of Music Ed, Retribution! is her debut paranormal romance novel. Book 2 in the series, Consequences, is also under contract with The Wild Rose Press. Two romantic short stories will also be published this year. Living in northern NJ, Mickey enjoys a quiet home with a spectacular view of the forest as inspiration for authoring her stories.
Website: http://www.mflagg-author.com/
Blog: http://www.Mflagg.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MickeyFlagg
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Tina Gabrielle
Tina Gabrielle is a former engineer and attorney whose love of romance novels helped her get through years of academia. She often picked up a romance and let her fantasies of knights in shining armor and lords and ladies carry her away. After multi-publishing for a law journal, she has finally fulfilled her dream of writing fiction. Her first book, LADY OF SCANDAL, is a Regency-set historical scheduled for release by Kensington Books in September 2009.
Tina lives in New Jersey. She loves to hear from readers.
Website: http://www.tinagabrielle.com
Shirley Hailstock
Shirley Hailstock began her writing life as a lover of reading. She likes nothing better than to get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see. As an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories.
A past president of Romance Writers of America, Shirley began her writing career on a dare. Taking a year to complete her first manuscript, the writing bug had bit her and she discovered telling stories of love and adventure was what she wanted to do
Website: http://www.geocities.com/shailstock
Nancy Herkness
Award-winning author Nancy Herkness's two contemporary romances, A Bridge to Love and Shower of Stars, were published by Berkley Sensation. Her current release, Music of the Night, is her first romantic suspense novel. Nancy graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature and creative writing. A native of West Virginia, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and two teenagers. Having recently been bitten by the knitting bug, she contributes regularly to Romancing the Yarn, a blog of "authors in search of one perfect yarn."
Website: http://www.NancyHerkness.com
Blog: http://fromthegarret.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nancyherkness
Other: http://romancingtheyarn.blogspot.com/
Lisa Verge Higgins
Lisa Verge Higgins was studying for a Ph.D. in chemistry when she sold her first novel. She never did complete that degree, but she did write eleven more critically acclaimed contemporary and historical romances that were published worldwide and translated into fifteen languages. Along the way she became a RITA finalist for The Faery Bride, a “beauty and the beast” tale set in ancient Ireland. The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship, her next novel and first foray into mainstream women's fiction, will hit the shelves in January 2011.
Website: http://www.lisavergehiggins.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisavergehiggins
Mary Kennedy
Mary Kennedy is a licensed psychologist in private practice and the author of forty novels, including The Talk Radio Mysteries (Penguin, January, 2010). Her books have made the Book Scan, Barnes and Noble and PW best seller lists. She won an award and grant for artistic excellence in literary fiction from the National Foundation for the Arts for Confessions of an Almost Movie Star.
Mary reviews crime fiction for the Examiner and pop culture books for Book Page. She is a popular workshop presenter and has spoken in over 100 venues.
Website: http://www.marykennedy.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marykennedy
Other: http://bit.ly/3Nldpd
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April Kihlstrom
April Kihlstrom is the author of 31 books, most of them Signet Regencies. She also gives workshops, teaches online classes and offers life coaching for writers. She has long been a champion of Book in a Week.
Website: http://www.aprilkihlstrom.com
Blog: http://www.aprilkihlstrom.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/april.kihlstrom
Kathy Kulig
Kathy writes paranormal, contemporary, and erotic romance for Ellora's Cave publishing. She has had two novels, two novellas, and a number of short stories published, in addition to more than three dozen nonfiction articles in newspapers, magazines, and online. Besides her career in writing, Kathy is a cytotechnologist and has worked as a research scientist, medical technologist, dive master and stringer for a newspaper. When not writing or dreaming up her next story, Kathy enjoys traveling, relaxing by the beach with a book, mountain biking, movies and dinners out. She lives with her husband in a 100-year-old Victorian house in Pennsylvania.
Website: http://www.kathykulig.com
Blog: http://www.dangerzoneauthors.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kathy.kulig
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kathykulig
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Cara Marsi AKA (Carolyn Matkowsky)
I credit my love of romance to the romantic comedies I watched on late night TV while growing up. I began writing love stories in my head as a teen.
After years in the corporate world, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming an author. I joined Romance Writers of America and honed my craft. After ten years of hard work, I sold my first book, to Avalon Books. Since then I've sold a romantic suspense, written under the name Cara Marsi, to The Wild Rose Press, and a short story to New Love Stories Magazine.
Website: http://www.caramarsi.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people-index/Carolyn Matkowsky
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Penelope Marzec
Penelope Marzec started reading romances at a young age, even though her mother told her they would ruin her mind. And they did — she became hopelessly hooked on happy endings. A member of the New Jersey Romance Writers, FHL, and EPIC, she has won the EPPIE award twice for inspirational fiction and has been a finalist as well. Her paranormal, Irons In The Fire, was a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award.
Website: http://www.penelopemarzec.com
Blog: http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/happywriter
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Keri Mikulski
Keri Mikulski is the young adult author of Head Games (Razorbill/Penguin, January 6th, 2011), Pretty Tough Books 4 - 6 (Razorbill/Penguin, 2011-2012), Screwball (Blitz, 2008), and its sequel Change Up (Blitz, 2009). Keri earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University, a master’s degree in teaching from The College of New Jersey, and is beginning coursework towards a MA/MFA degree in creative writing at Wilkes University. A three-sport athlete in high school and two-sport athlete in college, Keri worked as a personal trainer, lifeguard, registered nurse, middle school teacher, and high school coach. Her over thirty articles were sold to Current Health 1 and 2, Highlights for Children, Golfer Girl, Fastpitch Forever, Softball Youth, LiveStrong, and many other publications. Keri teaches writing at Rowan University and Stockton College. She lives at the Jersey Shore with her husband and daughter.
Website: http://www.kerimikulski.com/
Blog: http://www.kerimikulski.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kerimikulski
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kerimikulski
Other: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kerimikulski
Other: http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=KeriM
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Melina Morel
Born in New Jersey, I've lived there all my life, with four years away at college in the New York metro area. Since childhood I've enjoyed reading and history has been a life-long passion. Trips to Europe have given me the chance to visit the home countries of so many favorite historical characters.
Writing paranormals came as a challenge, but one I grew to love. Creating a paranormal world is a lot of fun and always exciting. When not writing, I enjoy going to the movies, museums, traveling, visiting the shore, and finding great Italian restaurants. I love to listen to music while I drive or type and I'm as likely to turn to country or rock as I am to classical music.
Website: http://www.melinamorel.com
Kimberly Nee
Kim blames Kathleen Woodiwiss for getting her hooked on historical romance. Not long after reading The Flame and the Flower, Kim sat down to write her own historical romance and that was all it took.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Kim shares her house with her husband and their two children. She likes crossword and Sudoku puzzles, knitting, and is an avid fan of the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and the New York Rangers, as well as a diehard fan of Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones.
Website: http://www.kimberlynee.com
Blog: http://www.kimberlynee.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kim-Holk-Nee/1446761564
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kimberlynee
Sandy Nicks
Sandy Nicks grew up in northern NJ, but spent childhood summers in Seaside Heights. She currently resides close to the Jersey shore with her family and many spoiled pets, but says it won't be close enough until she has an office with a beautiful view of the ocean.
She wrote Falling for Autumn with the belief that love and a sense of humor go hand-in-hand. Falling for Autumn is Book 1 in the Sisters for All Seasons Trilogy.
She's been a member of RWA and NJRW for 16 years.
Website: http://www.sandynicks.com
Blog: http://www.sandynicks.com/blog
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sandynicks
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Linda J Parisi
Linda J. Parisi found her calling when as a scientist, she discovered romance. Her idea of the perfect hero is a cross between Frank Langella's Dracula and his Zorro; tall, dark, handsome, and untamable. Her heroines will never give up or give in, so the sparks continue to fly through her books until her characters reach their happy ending. The road might not be easy but the fun is in the travel. She's been a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America since 1993 and is now a member of Liberty States Fiction Writers. During the day she's a research scientist and project manager for a diagnostic technologies company. But at night? At night, she gets to play with vampires.
Website: http://www.lindajparisi.com
Carly Phillips
New York Times bestselling novelist Carly Phillips started her writing career with Harlequin Temptation in 1999. Twenty-five published books later, Carly still works hard to deliver the sexy fun reads her audience enjoys.
In 2002 Carly's book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa for her Reading with Ripa Bookclub on Live! With Regis and Kelly. The Bachelor went on to become the first romance selected by a nationally televised bookclub. Carly lives in Purchase, New York, with her husband, two daughters and two soft-coated wheaten terriers.
Website: http://www.carlyphillips.com
Blog: http://www.plotmonkeys.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=751680958&ref=profile
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/carlyphillips
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M. Kate Quinn
M. Kate Quinn has been writing stories all her life. She has an old Macy's box in her attic filled with writings from childhood produced on her portable Olivetti Underwood typewriter.
She writes a monthly column, Boomer Humor, for her neighborhood newspaper. Her first novel, Summer Iris, will be available spring 2010 from The Wild Rose Press.
She and her husband live in South Jersey and have a combined total of six grown children, one granddaughter and another on the way. Also, they are the proud parents of a ridiculously spoiled, amazingly handsome cat named Sammy.
Website: http://www.mkatequinn.com
Blog: http://mkatequinn.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marykateschweiger
Jennifer Shirk
Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy, which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.
She writes sweet romantic comedies and won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her book, The Role of a Lifetime.
She's also a board member for Straight Ahead Ministries, an organization involved in helping spread the gospel and aiding medical and pharmacy students in Russia. She resides in a beach resort in NJ, and when she's not involved in all the above, she's taking care of her most treasured possessions: her husband, daughter, and four hermit crabs.
Website: http://www.jennifershirk.com
Blog: http://www.jennifershirk.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifershirk
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jennyshirk
Other: http://www.passionatecritters.org/
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Karen Rose Smith
Karen Rose Smith was born in Pennsylvania in the Susquehanna Valley. As a teenager, music became as important to her as reading. The Beatles were her favorite group. She and her cousin took their first sojourn into writing by collaborating on a script for the MONKEES television program. They sent that script to every concert venue where the group appeared that summer!
In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband-to-be. They both started married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home decorating business. She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing romance fiction. Now she writes full-time. Her first romance was published in 1992; her 70th novel will be published in 2010 with Silhouette Special Edition. A winner of New Jersey's Golden Leaf Award in Short Contemporary Romance, Colorado Romance Writers Award Of Excellence for short contemporary, as well as the Phoenix Desert Rose Chapter's Golden Quill for Traditional Romance, she has also been honored with Cataromance.com's award for Best Special Edition. Her romances have made both the USA TODAY list and the Waldenbooks Bestseller list for Series Romance.
Married to her college sweetheart , believing in the power of love and commitment, she envisions herself writing relationship novels for a long time to come!
Website: http://www.karenrosesmith.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Karen-Rose-Smith/113599841764?ref=ts
Jennifer Wagner
A former elementary school teacher and photographer, Silhouette author Jennifer Wagner has always been a writer at heart. Married to a "Renaissance Man" who is as talented with a saw as he is with a spatula, she lives in NJ with their wacky dog, Doodle, who was supposed to be a fancy Chocolate Lab/Poodle mix and, well...isn't, along with batches of foster puppies using her furniture for teething rings.
Website: http://www.jenniferwagner.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/jenniferwagnerwriter?ref=profile
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Diane Whiteside
By day, Diane Whiteside builds and designs computer systems for the federal government. By night, she escapes into a world of alpha males and the unique women who turn their lives upside down. Diane is thrilled and grateful readers enjoy these escapades as much as she does. She invites fans to visit her website at http://www.dianewhiteside.com
Website: http://www.dianewhiteside.com
Join Us
Interested in joining the New Jersey Romance Writers? Pre-published or published writers of any genre from any geographic area are invited to join NJRW. We welcome individuals with a serious interest in improving their writing skills or marketability, meeting other writers and editors, or becoming part of our impressive networking system.
Our Next Meeting
Topic: Writing the Perfect Pitch with Faye Hughes
When: September 18, 2010
Where: The Woodbridge Hilton, 120 Wood Avenue, Iselin, NJ 08830
Schedule: 9:00 a.m. – Board Mtg
10:30 a.m. – General Mtg
Faye Hughes walks you through writing the perfect pitch.