Royal LaurenLAUREN ROYAL decided to become a writer at the age of eight, after winning a "Why My Mother is the Greatest" essay contest and having her entry published in a major newspaper. Seeing her words in print was a thrill! But everyone told her it's too har for novelists to get published, so after college she spent fourteen years as the CEO of her own jewelry store chain before writing her first book. A mistake? Maybe...but her first heroine, Amethyst, was a jeweler, so at least she took advantage of that wise old saying, "Write what you know." And she learned a good lesson: Don't let other people tell you what you can or can't do! Lauren writes humorous historical romance mostly set in England and Scotland in the 17th and 19th centuries (Restoration and Regency periods). She's been oh-so-lucky to see her books hit bestseller lists all over the world, including the New York Times and USA Today lists, making her second career a real dream come true. She lives in Southern California with her family and a constantly shedding cat, and she still thinks her mother is the greatest! Read More Read Less