Welcome to our New Faces column, where we are pleased to introduce some of the newest authors in the romance genre. This time we're visiting with Susan Gable, whose first book is The Baby Plan from Harlequin Superromance.

Susan, welcome to TRR! Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Northwestern New Jersey. I have a BA in Psychology and certification in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Douglass College, Rutgers University. I taught elementary school in NJ for 9 years, second and fourth grade. Then we moved to West Virginia, for just a year. After that, we moved to Erie, PA, a place we all just love. I set THE BABY PLAN in Erie. I'm married to my high school sweetheart, and we have one son. We also have an English Mastiff and a 125 gallon fish tank.

Are you coming to romance writing from another job?

As I said, I was an elementary teacher, but Pennsylvania made it very difficult to get my certification here. I taught for one year in a private school here in Pennsylvania and I've done some subbing, but now I'm lucky to be a stay-at-home writer/mom.

What led you to write romance?

I've been a voracious reader my whole life. In fact, I was voted Class Bookworm in high school. I've read widely across many different genres, but when I started writing, romance kept coming through, and I wisely decided to follow that instinct. I love romance because I believe in happily-ever-afters. Life is hard, and I don't want my entertainment to depress me. And like I said, I'm still married to my high school sweetheart, so I believe in love and Happy-Ever-After's.

Tell us about your road to publication.

>From the time I decided I was going to really "do this," focus on writing a romance and getting published (Jan. 2000), it took me about two years to get "The Call" and just about three to hold my baby in my hands. I've been fortunate to have wonderful teachers along the way, starting with Carolyn Greene who taught an on-line class. I also came across a yahoo group called Cataromance (website www.cataromance.com) which is an email group of writers, both pubbed and unpubbed, who are focusing on writing category romance. I learned a lot from them.

I have several critique partners who have held my hand and guided me along as I worked on my stories. I couldn't do it without them.

THE BABY PLAN was originally intended to be a Silhouette. But it was rejected. By that time, I'd done enough research to realize that my ideas and voice were better suited for Superromance, so I revised the book with Super in mind. I sent it off in April of 2001. In July of 2001, I met with Paula Eykelhof, the senior editor for Superromance, in New Orleans. I pitched an idea to her for another book, but let her know that a partial of THE BABY PLAN was in the house somewhere. She liked my new idea, but cautioned me that I could not submit anything new until they decided on the book they already had.

In August of 2001 I got a request for the full ms. I sent it off, and went back to work on the next book. In February of 2002, I got THE CALL from an editor at Super, saying they wanted to buy THE BABY PLAN. It was released in Dec. 2002.

What kind of research was involved for your first book?

I do most of my research on-line. I had to investigate the laws for surrogacy in PA. I also had to do some research about the schooling an architect goes through. Believe it or not, I had to check to see if a blood test is required to get married in PA. (It's not - the laws have been changed, and a blood test is no longer required.)

My second book, which involves a child who's had a heart transplant, required much more research. I found some parents who have tx (transplant) children, and they helped learn about the routines and stuff in caring for a tx child.

Tell us about your debut book.

What kind of man sends a "daddy resume" to a woman? A man with a baby plan.

After adoption fails, architect Jake Manning drafts a careful strategy for a baby of his own - minus a wife. Talented female mechanic Harley Emerson wants to be somebody - somebody else. Illegitimate, raised in a series of less-than-desirable foster homes after the death of her father, and wrongly convicted of a crime, she believes a college degree and a high-powered business job will bring her the social acceptance she craves. When Jake inadvertently gets her fired, tuition, a struggle normally, is impossible to pay.

Though she first resists his proposal to act as his surrogate - why bring another child into a world she's known as harsh and cruel? - his way with his twin toddler nieces persuades her to fulfill both their dreams by having his baby on her terms: a marriage of convenience and old-fashion conception.

But Jake and his family manage to steal Harley's heart. She realizes the sham marriage and big family is what she wants for real, but she's not sure she can be what Jake and their baby deserve. With her criminal record and mechanic's hands, she's not "real" wife and mother material. Or is she? Do dreams ever come true for someone like her? Or will Jake's baby plan shatter her heart forever?

As you can tell, Harley's a bit unusual when it comes to romance heroines.

Who are your influences as a writer?

Goodness, how many can I list? Actually, I try not to let anyone else's work influence me, but I certainly admire and enjoy lots of writers. Janet Evonovich, Nora Roberts, Patricia Cornwall, Piers Anthony, Robert Heinlein, Anne McAffery, Tolkien, Kristin Hannah, Elizabeth Lowell, Karen Marie Moning, Sandra Hill.....the list goes on and on.

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

Ummmmm....well, my husband and son are very, very supportive, but frankly, it's not that much of a big deal. (Unless I'm so buried in the writing that they're not getting food and clean clothes. Then they want that fixed.) My parents are also very supportive. I've been blessed. No one in my family turned their noses up or scoffed at my dream of becoming a published romance author.

Tell us about plans for future books.

My next book, THE MOMMY PLAN, will be released in August of 2003. This book was a 2002 Golden Heart Finalist in Long Contemporary (under the title Firefly Wishes). It did very well on the unpublished contest circuit. As I mentioned, this book revolves around a little girl who's had a heart transplant, her single dad, and a mom who lost her only child and donated his organs. It's all about the healing power of love, and the strength of the human heart. Readers can stop by my website, www.susangable.com, to read an excerpt from it.

How can readers get in touch with you?

Via my website, www.susangable.com. (Stop by for contests and more!) By e-mail, Susan@susangable.com, or by snailmail, PO Box 9313, Erie, PA 16505. If they want, they can send me a SASE and I'll send them a BABY PLAN bookmark.

Susan, thanks for joining us and best of luck! Readers, we have a review of The Baby Plan in our Category section.

January 26, 2003