Welcome to New Faces, where you can meet just-published romance authors and find out about their books. This time we're visiting with Anna DeStefano, whose first release is The Unknown Daughter from Harlequin Superromance, October, 2004.

Anna, welcome to TRR! Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in the south--lived most of my life in Savannah, Georgia, and have been in the Atlanta area since 1986, when I moved there to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. That's right, I'm a geeky girl at heart. I love math and science, but my first and greatest love has always been the written word. I grew up reading the classics, and I've been hooked on well-written stories of all kinds ever since.

Are you coming to romance writing from another job?

I was actually a Senior Technical Writer when a friend asked if I'd ever considered writing fiction. Of course, I'd dreamed of it all my life, and just that little nudge started my grand adventure into publishing. Five years later, I still freelance as a tech writer, but I've been able to leave behind my day job (writing computer software manuals, of all things). I couldn't feel more blessed to be doing this for a living now.

What led you to write romance?

Wonderful storytelling. I'm an eclectic reader--I love classic literature, but I'm also a science fiction and fantasy fan, and I read philosophy and mainstream thrillers. And I love Authurian legend--Mary Stewart in particular. But what grabbed me as I started reading romance as a young woman was the emotion and passion the authors pour into these stories. The images are painted so boldly in romance, the characters are so real, but also a little larger than life. And I particularly love Superromances, where we get to write about real-world situations and family issues. These are womens' stories about what touches our hearts. What could be better than that?

Tell us about your road to publication.

I first started writing with an eye toward publication about five years ago. I can't say enough about the ladies in my local RWA chapter, Georgia Romance Writers, and my friends in the industry who helped me find my legs, figure out where to focus my energies, how to decide which lines were right for me. Without these women, I wouldn't be published now.

At the time that I sold my first book in January, I'd completed three manuscripts, all submitted to Harlequin Superromance--I'd realized pretty early on that Super was the best place for me in category romance. I'd received requests for the fulls of the first two, and even revised one of them, but ultimately they weren't right for the line. But the third, originally titled Forever Ago, won the 2002 Maggie Award of Excellence and the 2003 Golden Heart (I believe strongly in using the contest circuit to help your work find its way onto acquiring editors' desks), and in January, 2004 (after yet another round of revisions), I sold the third manuscript. The title was later changed to The Unknown Daughter.

What kind of research was involved for your first book?

The book is set in a small Georgia town, so I feel like I've been researching the setting and characters all my life. There's a medical slant to the heroine's character, so her condition took a bit of research, all of which I was able to do over the Internet. And there's a romantic suspense thread through the story, too, based on the workings of a small town sheriff's department. Again, more Internet research. I just love the Net!!!

Tell us about your debut book.

The Unknown Daughter is at its heart a story about a single mom trying to do what's best for her child. Of course, because I had to find some way to get you to stick with me for three hundred or so pages, there's a whole lot more to the story. The heroine's life-threatening illness sends her back to the small town she ran from as a teen, hoping to find the father she never knew, who could be a potential living donor. She's also hiding a secret daughter, and of course crosses path with the sixteen-year-old's father (the local sheriff) who doesn't know the child exists. Toss in a threat to the heroine's life when someone doesn't want her to find the information she's looking for, and The Unknown Daughter is a fast-paced, emotion-driven story about small town families, owning up to the mistakes of your past, and taking a chance on love again, no matter the risk.

Who are your influences as a writer?

I thrive off strong emotion when I read and write. Some of my contemporary favorites are Deb Dixon, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (her Dream a Little Dream is the book I was reading when I decided to do this for a living), and Linda Howard. I'm currently in awe of Christine Feehan, too. I love the worlds she creates.

What does your family think of having a published romance author in their midst?

My mom shared her love of reading with me from the womb, I think, so she's thrilled to have an author in the family. And my husband and son couldn't be more supportive or excited. Friends, even acquaintances, very often stop and stare when they learn what I've chosen to make a living at--I've never before been so aware of what a rare breed writers are. This last year has been so full of changes, and so much fun!

Tell us about plans for future books.

I'll have a daily read, The Sheriff's Wife, running on eharlequin.com from October 11th through November 5th--the sheriff in this story is a character you meet briefly in The Unknown Daughter, so it was fun to get to write his story. Check out eharlequin throughout the month to read a new chapter every day.

I'll also be doing an eharlequin chat on the 28th, and I've just completed an article, Learn to Rewrite, for their Learn to Write channel.

Look for my second Superromance, A Family For Daniel, in June of 2003. And I'm currently in negotiations for my next couple of Supers. Check out my website for all the up-to-date information.

How can readers get in touch with you?

Visit my website, www.annawrites.com, for more information about my stories and speaking engagements, to read my latest journal entry, or to sign up for one of my contests (I give away a "funky" purse every quarter). You can also send me email at anna@annawrites. com or snail mail at P.O. Box 602, Snellville, GA 30078. I'd love to hear from you!

Anna, thank you for joining us, and best of luck with your future releases!