A true diamond in the rough, self-made man Flint McKade was one of the wealthiest men in the world and one of the hottest bachelors in Texas. So when his beloved Diamondback Ranch was sabotaged, Flint had a long list of suspects to choose from. His new veterinarian, Lora Leigh Whittaker, seemed to have an agenda, but he couldn't imagine the gorgeous blonde was out to get him. Then she was attacked, and Flint appointed himself her personal bodyguard. Standing beside her day and night, the chemistry that had been there from day one became unbearable. As a billionaire he was used to getting what he wanted. And he wanted her safe, in his arms...and in his bed.
Rita Herron wrote her first mystery novel when she was 12 years old, but she grew up in a small Southern town (in a low-income family) and didn't think "real" people became writers. So it wasn't until her midlife crisis years later that she actually pursued publication.
Before she put pen to paper, she taught kindergarten for 10 years. Finger painting, puppet shows, and storytelling with imaginative five-year-olds made her yearn to do more with her creative edge, and she began by writing children's stories. Using a variety of props, she performed stories for kids at bookstores, libraries, and schools.
When summer came, she was bombarded with three bored kids of her own (and a house full of pets). In a desperate attempt to keep her own children occupied and maintain her sanity, she searched for a book on summer activities for kids. The bookstores were lacking, so she wrote it herself! Her summer project turned into her first book, entitled Surviving Summers with Kids: Fun Filled Activities for All.
Once Rita read her first romance novel, she was hooked. So she told her family she was leaving the finger painting, the puppets, and the minivan behind, to write adult fiction. Since then she has sold 12 books, and recently won the Maggie Award for her 1999 Harlequin Intrigue title, Her Eyewitness.
Rita loves to hear from fans — you can contact her at rbherron@bellsouth.com, or check updates on titles at www.suspense.net/rita-herron.
