His, Hers And...Theirs?/Ranch at River's End: (You, Me & the Kids)

His, Hers andTheirs? by Judy Duarte Eva Galindo's dream of being a mother was about to come true- twice over. She was expecting twins! Meeting single father Dan Walker seemed like the sweetest twist of fate. She offered to help out the gorgeous rancher- by being temporary mummy to his own adorable twins. Suddenly becoming guardian of his orphaned niece and nephew was a tall order for any man. But Dan couldn't think of a better stand-in nanny than Eva. Only, now he didn't want her to leave. Ranch At River's End by Brenda Mott First day as the hospital receptionist and Darci Taylor faints. But a bump on the head hasn't clouded her vision- she can see E.R. doctor Jordan Drake could be addictive. Tall, dark, handsome, great hands, andoh no, not going there. She has to ignore Dr. Drake's bewitching bedside manner and sexy cowboy boots. Darci needs this job!

About the Author :
Judy always loved reading romances, but never thought of herself as a writer."English was my least favorite subject in school, but I was always a storyteller," she admits. "Growing up, I was the kid in the neighborhood who decided what roles we would play and the pretend situation were in."As a single mom with four children, Judy returned to school and graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in social ecology. The new direction helped her confidence grow, and when a hero she could believe in came into her real life, she was even more inspired. Determined to do something about her love of writing, Judy joined Romance Writers of America and met her two critique partners. The trio have worked together and encouraged each other ever since.Judy likes to take ordinary characters and put them in emotionally compelling situations that make them grow. "It takes some of the stubborn and hurting characters a while to learn there is always a way out," Judy maintains, "but when they realize their options, there's no stopping them."Her unpublished stories won not only the coveted Emily and Orange Rose Awards, but also earned her the status of a double Golden Heart finalist in 2001. Her first book, Cowboy Courage, sold to the Silhouette Special Edition line, where she seems to have found her niche. "I credit a large part of my success to my critique partners, Crystal Green and Sheri WhiteFeather, who also write for Silhouette," she says.On those days when a stubborn hero and a headstrong heroine claim her undivided attention, she and her family are thankful for fast food, pizza delivery, and video games. When she's not at the keyboard or in a Walter-Mitty-type world, she enjoys traveling, romantic evenings with her personal hero, and playing board games with her kids.Write to Judy at P.O. Box 498, San Luis Rey, CA 92068. Though Brenda Mott grew up in a suburb of Denver in an apartment complex, she's always had a great love of the outdoors and horses. Having family members on the eastern plains of Colorado who owned farmland and had access to horses allowed her to finally learn to ride at the age of 14. She soon became interested in junior rodeo and received her first horse - a beautiful palomino quarter horse mare that she named Starfire - at the age of 16. Mott trained the mare herself for rodeo events such as barrel racing and pole bending, and she went on to compete in rodeos and gymkhanas for a number of years. As an adult she moved to the country and has lived on a small farm or ranch (for the most part) ever since. In the early '80s Mott combined her love of horses and writing, and she began penning nonfiction articles for Horse & Rider magazine and its sister publications. She also wrote numerous short stories in the horror genre under a pseudonym and had a few of them published in pulp magazines. A short time later she tried her hand at writing romance fiction. After working hard on over a dozen manuscripts and receiving enough rejection slips to wallpaper a house, she finally got "The Call" from Paula Eykelhof, then Senior Editor for the Harlequin Superromance line. (Ms. Eykelhof has since been promoted.) "I was stunned. I'd waited 15 years to get that call. I still pinch myself, ecstatic that my dream has finally come true." A Colorado native, Mott left her home state in the spring of 2002 due to the rising cost of land there and because of the massive development going on in Colorado. "I hate the growth. I know it's inevitable, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." She relocated her family to eastern Tennessee where they made their home on 10 acres deep in the woods. "Our land rests on the bank of a river, completely surrounded by mountains. Very secluded and peaceful, not to mention breathtakingly beautiful. The perfect place for a writer to work!" Mott is married to her longtime friend and high school flame, David, and together they own five horses, two goats, eight cats and a dozen dogs. "There is no animal shelter in our county. Sadly enough, people often dump unwanted dogs and puppies off on the back roads near our home. We take them in and either find them good homes or keep them. I get attached very easily. With my two children grown and out of the house, now living in other states, I'm suffering deeply from empty nest, and it helps to know that these animals need me, though it breaks my heart to see an animal abused or mistreated. It also makes me furious beyond words. I wish more people would spay and neuter and realize that an animal is a lifetime commitment." Mott often includes horses and other animals in her stories and generally uses a rural setting. "Write what you know is basically the main rule I live by."