B.J. Daniels:  As most of my readers know, I live in Montana so I write about what I know. We moved to Montana when I was five from Texas so I have southern roots especially when it comes to food. :) But Montana is home. A friend teases me that the love affairs in my book are really mine with Montana. So true.

HelenKay Dimon:  In my previous life, the one before writing, I practiced law full time.  Not just any law either. Divorce law.  Not the most obvious background for a romance author, but still helpful for developing characters.  While I don't use a lot of legal terms or lawyer heroes/heroines in my books, you will see a lot of what I learned about people in terms of how they act and what they believe as a result of their life experiences.

Paula Graves: This is such a hard question for me!  I don't think of myself as anything but utterly average.  I don't have an exciting job background to draw from; I've worked as a creative staffer in an advertising agency since I was twenty-two years old.  I don't have any interesting skills, unless you count knowing how to catch fish and being able to tame feral kittens.  But I do think maybe all that averageness has influenced the kind of stories I tell and the people who populate them.  My heroines are often ordinary women who find themselves suddenly thrust into frightening, dangerous situations.  I believe readers can identify with my heroines precisely because they're not superwomen ready to kick butt and take names when the action starts.  Over the course of the stories, circumstances force them to unearth strength and skills within themselves they never knew they had.  I enjoy taking that voyage of discovery with my heroines, and I hope my readers do, too.

Mallory Kane: I was a pharmacist for 24 years. I love adding a bit of medical knowledge--an interesting but obscure poison for instance, to my books. I also live in Mississippi, fairly close to New Orleans, my favorite city in the world. I love writing books set in the New Orleans area. Lucky me, I'm getting to do just that! I have a new series starting in May of 2010, about the descendents of an infamous Louisiana politician, Con Delancey. Watch for Lucas Delancey in May, then twin lawmen Ryker and Reilly Delancey in October and November. Next year, you'll get to meet more of the Delanceys, and find out more about the scandals and secrets handed down to them by their infamous patriarch.

Sylvie Kurtz: Intrigues are special because they have that perfect blend of romance and suspense.  My love for the genre started with Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney books.  The dark settings, that sense of mystery, and the anticipation of romance.  Small towns with dark woods, mountains, granite, and space make it easy to spin that air of intrigue, which is why I like using them.  Add to that a hunky hero and a strong heroine and personal stakes that will take them to the depths of fear and heights of love...and you have a perfect recipe!

Dana Marton: I'm in the middle of writing a six book mini series about European royalty, DEFENDING THE CROWN, so it comes in handy that I'm currently living in Europe. We spent part of last week in an 18th century castle and, believe me, I kept my eyes open! I could so see the grand balls and the carriages pulling up, etc. I love exploring other countries and cultures. I absolutely hate flying so getting anywhere is a major pain, but once I'm there, it's wonderful.

Julie Miller:  Well, I suppose it doesn’t hurt my writing career that in my other life, I’m an English teacher specializing in grammar and composition. It certainly makes the nuts-n-bolts of writing a lot easier—my editor often comments on how much she appreciates my “clean” manuscripts. And it helps to know the rules of writing, and how to adapt or break them successfully to create my own unique Julie Miller style.

Beyond those practicalities, my Intrigue “expertise” comes from three main areas. First, I’ve been reading the line since the first book (The Key by Rebecca Flanders) came out in 1984, so I really knew what an Intrigue was before I ever started writing one. Second, most of my books (including my upcoming Precinct book, Takedown, in April 2010) are set in Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding area—I’m a Midwestern girl at heart. I’ve lived in K.C.; I still have family in the area so I visit often. That rich knowledge helps my setting come across as authentic (I love dropping in real places and local references for fellow KC lovers), and in some books, the city itself almost becomes another character. Kansas City is unique in that it offers all the possibilities of a large, cosmopolitan city, such as ethnic neighborhoods, cultural centers, big industry and business, etc.--yet it definitely has that laid-back, Midwest hometown flavor, and lots of nearby possibilities for more rural settings if the story calls for it. And third, in my work as a trainer with Nebraska’s IMPROV program (using theatre/communication skills to educate teens and help them discuss the issues they face, and help them educate their peers), I’ve made friends with some experts in a variety of areas—undercover cops, DEA agents, trauma nurses, PTSD therapists and grief counselors, wealthy businessmen, teachers, teens, social workers, juvenile probation officers, firefighters and more. I’m always listening as they talk, picking up on the details of their mannerisms, priorities, carriage, etc., as well as their work. And they all love talking about what they do if I have a question to ask. It pays to network!

Angie Morgan: Hi everyone. My first Intrigue will be on shelves in September. I have to admit that my Texas roots definitely influence my writing. I've visited all the locations in Hill Country Hold Up. The manuscript I'm currently working on is also set in Texas, even visiting a lake I spent most of my weekends at while growing up. I think a little of that family humor shows up in all my writing. We used to joke that it must be time to "fix the boat" if we were headed toward the lake.

Kay Thomas: I grew up in Mississippi—ninety miles south of Memphis, in the heart of the Delta. B.B. King was born less than fifteen miles from my hometown. Today I call Dallas home and myself a “recovering” Southern belle.

I attended Vanderbilt and graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in Educational Psychology and an emphasis in English. Along the way to publication I’ve taught high school English and Psychology, worked in an advertising specialty agency, and had a very brief stint in a lingerie store.

I met my husband in Big D when we sat next to each other in a restaurant. Seven weeks later we were engaged and this year we’ll celebrate our twenty-second wedding anniversary. Moral: When in Texas look the guy over before you sit next to him—you may be eating dinner with him the rest of your life! Together we have a son, a daughter and a shockingly spoiled Boston Terrier named Jack.

I write “bulletproof” romantic thrillers for Intrigue. My latest release, BULLETPROOF BODYGUARD, is scheduled to hit store shelves April 13. My debut novel, BETTER THAN BULLETPROOF (January 2009) is a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Nominee for Best First Series Romance.

Rebecca York: I think a lot of me comes through in my writing, both for Intrigue and in my longer books. A fellow Intrigue author told me that my heroines are "so sweet." I laughed and told her that they're a kind of idealized version of myself. What I wish I could be. I'm lucky enough to have grown up and still live in the Washington DC area. It's a tremendous advantage for writing suspense because I can use DC as a setting for my books. Of course, I can't set every book around here. I travel frequently to research locations for books. Two weeks ago I was in Cumberland, Maryland, where I've set the Intrigue I'm writing now. It's scheduled for next January, and the working title is FUNHOUSE.

I also collect experiences that I can put in my books. I've flown in a two-person glider plane, gone down in a submarine, and ziplined through the Costa Rican rainforest. I've taken shooting lessons, visited the CIA, and gone to lectures at the Spy Museum. I love my job writing for Intrigue, and I make sure I keep my books fresh with new places and new experiences.