What was the romance novel that got you hooked on the genre (or: What was the romance novel that inspired you to become a romance author?)

BJ: The first romance that I ever read was THE FLOWER AND THE FLAME by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was hooked. I read all her other books before I discovered romantic suspense. I loved the romance and the mystery. I knew that was what I wanted to write. I was delighted when Harlequin started its Intrigue line. It was like they’d been thinking of me. ☺ I sold the very first book I wrote to them, ODD MAN OUT.

Please share in your own words what it means to experience That Harlequin Feeling

BJ: That Harlequin Feeling is curling up with a new book on a rainy day and getting lost in another world. You know you’re going to get characters you can love, a trip to another place and that happy ending. It’s that adventure just waiting for you to turn the page. There is nothing more exciting that starting a good book. It’s That Harlequin Feeling.

What was the name of your first published novel, and tell us a bit about that experience?

BJ: When I sold my first novel, I was over the moon. It was something I had dreamed of for way too long. I was working at the newspaper as a reporter and editor and writing short stories for Woman’s World – that the editor kept telling me I had too much adventure in them. ☺

My first novel was Harlequin Intrigue ODD MAN OUT. It is set outside of West Yellowstone, Montana where I grew up. It’s filled with places I love and some adventures that I know only too well. ☺ It’s about a woman torn between two men, the love of her life and her best friend. Like all my heroines, Denver is strong and capable. Love only makes her stronger. It is still one of my favorite books.