Welcome to New Faces, where you'll meet brand-new authors in the romance arena! We're pleased to introduce Malia Martin, whose medieval romance HER NORMAN CONQUEROR is a historical with a twist. Malia talks about her background and getting that first book published.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Hawaii, but now live in California. I graduated with a degree in English and married my college sweetheart nearly ten years ago.

What led you to try your hand at writing romance?

Six years ago, I was pregnant with my first child, and a friend gave me a romance to read as I had many long hours to fill lolling about on the couch with my feet up. I had never read a romance before- I had not been enlightened! I LOVED them, and became quite an addict. I'd get a bit ansy when my "to read" pile dwindled to three or four.

I always knew I wanted to write, I just didn't know what. I used to write little short stories, just for myself. And my personal journal is basically fiction because I always wanted to make my life more exciting than it really was :) Anyway, when I started reading romance, I found what I wanted to write. Wonderful stories with happy endings and strong women.

Tell us about getting HER NORMAN CONQUEROR published.

I wrote a short contemporary first, since I took a day seminar at the local community college and the teacher said they were an easier market to get into. I sent that out, and started on an historical- because that was where my heart was. Both those books were soundly rejected by everyone.

The third book I wrote was Her Norman Conqueror. I knew it would sell. I could feel it as I wrote it. When I finished, I sent it to an agent- she loved it- and three months later she sold it to Avon. Basically, it took me five years to sell. In that five years, I have had three children whom I mother full time- well, besides the writing which I get done after they all go to sleep.

Who do you read when you're not writing?

I read anything and everything. And I adore movies. Of romance writers, I love Laura Kinsale, Susan Wiggs, Jill Barnett, Julia Quinn, Penelope Williamson, Christina Dodd, Barbara Samuels, Anne Stuart, Maggie Osborne...and the list goes on and on! I also like reading Nelson DeMille, any of the classics, Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell and I try new authors constantly. I just read the Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood and loved it.

How does the family cope with having a romance author in their midst?

My family is thrilled to have a writer in the family- I still have younger brothers and sisters in college, and they are always asking me to critique their papers. They are my fan club, and have made sure our entire home town knows about my book.

My most ardent fan, though, is my husband. He supports me completely, and helps me out by keeping up my web page, setting up my mailing lists, reading my rough drafts and giving me guilt free writing time by taking the children to the park for hours on end. He is the most wonderful man in the world.

What's next for Malia Martin, Romance Author?

At the moment I'm trying to get through second book syndrome and make my deadline of September 30th. It is another historical set during the Regency period. I'll probably go back to a medieval for my third book, though, because I'm already missing that time period. Actually, I've had a book nagging at me for about four years which would be set during Elizabethan times. That may come next- who knows. I follow wherever my muse pulls.

Good luck, Malia!

Don't miss TRR's review of Her Norman Conqueror.

August 14, 1998