Linda S. was born August 3, 1950 in Gadsden, Alabama, U.S.A.. She cut herteeth on Margaret Mitchell, Robert Ruark, "and anything else that fell intomy hands," she says. Whether she is reading them or writing them, bookshave long played a profound role in Linda's life. Linda wrote her first bookwhen she was 10 years old. "Needless to say, it was unpublishable," shesays. "It didn't even have a title. I didn't name them back then."

In the ensuing 21 years of writing for her own pleasure, following juniorcollege Linda worked in the transportation industry, where she met Gary F.Howington, her husband. "In the company I worked for, my title wassecretary to the terminal manager, but I actually did very littlesecretarial work," she says. "I worked in every phase of thetransportation business, but my main duties were payroll, insurance, and theefficiency and production reports." Writing production reports, however,soon grew tiresome for Linda.

As she continued to write fiction, concentrating on romantic stories. "Iget bored with politics and murder and mayhem," she says. She eventuallyworked up the courage to submit a manuscript for publication. "It made mesick literally, physically ill. It was like putting your naked baby into themailbox. And I lost 20 pounds waiting to hear from them. I couldn't eat."Linda needn't have worried Silhouette Books bought her manuscript, beginninga career that has (so far) lasted over 10 years and earned her many awardsand letters of praise from adoring fans. She has over 10 million books inprint around the world, and has written more than 25 titles. Linda haswritten for Silhouette Special Edition and continues to write for SilhouetteSensation, and is a New York Times bestselling author for Pocket Bookswriting historicals.

Linda Howard is a charter member of RWA, joining in 1981 shortly after itwas formed. She is one of the original members of her local RWA chapter, hasserved as treasurer, vice president, and president of that chapter, and hastwice been a RITA finalist. In addition to her wide public acclaim, Lindahas also been honored by both the critics and her peers many times. She haswon the B. Dalton Bestseller Award and the Romantic Times MagazineReviewers' Choice Award for Series and the W.I.S.H. Award for hero JoeMackenzie from her Silhouette Intimate Moments title, Mackenzie's Mission. Atie-in book, Mackenzie's Pleasure, reached number 61 on the USA Todaybestseller list. A Romance Writers of America RITA and Golden Choicefinalist, she is a frequent Waldenbooks bestselling author, often claimingthe number-one position.

Now, Linda has three grown step-children and three grandchildren. She livesin her native Alabama with her husband Gary and two golden retrievers, namedBit O'Honey and Sugar Baby. They live in in a big house that's very much ahome and not a showplace. "It's a house where the kids romp, the dogs romp,and you can sit on any piece of furniture. Her husband fishes BassMastertournament trail for a living, and she travels with him."