As a writer, I was a late bloomer. Eighteen years ago, I was in my early forties when I decided to write my first book. Crazy, right?

But you know what they say: ���Better late than never.���

In my case, better took a quantum leap into fabulous when Bantam bought that book and its sequel for its Loveswept series romance line. I was delighted (read: exuberant, bordering on rapturous). I learned a great deal from my experience with Bantam���thanks in particular to my editors Joy Abella and Beth De Guzman���and I owe them more than I can say.

Now let���s fast-forward a decade. Or two.

Those two books���which remain dear to my heart���are sadly, out of print. They were never available as e-books. To boot, these engaging stories, once critically acclaimed���For Love or Money won a Romantic Times Reviewer���s Choice Award���are now hideously dated. (I mean, who knew back in 1997 we���d all carry around cell phones one fine day?) Finally, in the past eighteen years I���ve grown as a writer, giving new meaning to the ever-wistful refrain, ���If I had it to do all over again ….���

Taking those factors into account, the decision to ���remix��� the two existing books as semi-sweet romances (a genre I personally invented for books that are sensual but not explicit)���and add a third to create the Golden State Hearts Trilogy���was a no-brainer.

Book one, the new and improved��For Love or Money, will launch on April 1st. (Making me an April Fool for romance.) Book two,��Hunter In Disguise, is slated for late July. And book three–featuring two middle-aged romantic leads and as yet untitled–will debut just in time for Christmas.

Meanwhile, I’m making like a Mixmaster (Mixmistress sounds sort of kinky) and having the time of my life!