A Man With a Past
When an unexpected inheritance sends J.D. Carver to the Star Lake Lodge to claim his half, he's expecting trouble. Being greeted with open arms by the whole Lawrence gang—feisty Aunt Sophie and calm Uncle Ben, clearly off-limits Dru and her young son, Tate—just convinces him they're working an angle, and he's determined to uncover it. But a tiny part of him longs for the home-and-hearth life they have.
A Woman With a Reputation
Dru's finally beaten her bad-girl reputation, and though the Lodge may not be exciting, she's fiercely protective of her quiet home. Hard-eyed J.D.'s ability to push all her buttons just proves how wrong he is for her. So why does her son hero-worship the guy? And why does her heart clench when he gets that "nose pressed against the candy shop window" look on his face?
Susan Andersen grew up in a house filled with testosterone and things haven't changed. Still in the minority in her own home, she's surrounded by her high-school sweetheart, her son and all-male pets.
According to Andersen, who grew up in Seattle, having two older brothers was a mixed blessing. "When anybody messed with me, my brothers were always quick with an offer to beat them up. That was sorta nice, although I personally believe it had more to do with the fact that guys just like to fight than with any towering concern for my welfare. You might think that's cynical, but guess who the target was if no one else was around and they were tired of fighting each other? I must've spent half my childhood locked in the bathroom, screaming, 'Dad's gonna get you when he gets home.' I know, nobody likes a stoolie. But it was either that or have my block knocked off on a regular basis, and trust me, Daddy was the best deterrent going."
Andersen started writing books later in life. "I wrote bits and pieces all my life, but I never really felt as if I had the life experience to string an entire book together until I turned 30," she said. When her son was young, a friend suggested series romances to Andersen and from that point on, she was hooked. She never intended to be a writer. "I actually wanted to be a dental assistant. I went to college to learn the craft, only to discover that as employers, I didn't like 99% of the dentists I worked for," Andersen admits.
Given her early training in dealing with men, she was a natural at the dynamics and pitfalls of the male/female experience. Susan's first novel, Shadow Dance, hit shelves in 1989. She reached bestseller lists with her book Baby, I'm Yours, which went on to be named one of Romance Writers of America's Top 10 Favourite Books of 1998 and also won the Romantic Times magazine Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Contemporary Romance of 1998. Susan has gone on to have her books appear repeatedly on the New York Times extended list and be selected three years in a row as one of the 10 novels named Amazon.com Editor's Choice in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Today she continues to write stories where the guy gets the girl, as long as he's willing to bend a little.
Her fast-paced story lines, wry humour and edgy writing style have consistently placed her books on both the mass market charts and on bestseller lists including the New York Times extended, USA TODAY, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband.
