Welcome to our New Faces column, where you can meet some of the newest romance authors and read about their books! This time we're visiting with Marianne Stillings, whose first book is the contemporary romance The Damsel in this Dress from Avon.

Marianne, welcome to TRR! Tell us about yourself.

Thank you, Cathy, for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself to your readers. Originally, I'm from Santa Barbara, California. If anybody remembers Marianne Hummel from Harding Elementary, La Cumbre Junior High, or SBHS, that was me in my previous life, before moving to the Pacific Northwest, getting married, and having a couple of kids. Aside from writing, I make quilts, sew, knit, and crochet, as well as garden (weather permitting). I've thrown pots on a wheel, sculpted, drawn, painted in watercolor and oils, and designed glass and tile mosaics. Always busy with the hands. Both my parents came from long lines of artisans and craftsmen, and all that creative energy must have overloaded my genes, because I've been like this all my life, always creating something, always on the lookout for new ways to express myself artistically.

Are you coming to romance writing from another job?

I went to work right out of high school and have, at various times and in no particular order, worked as a lumber yard clerk, department store window dresser, Ding-Dong cupcake free-sample giver-outer, long distance telephone operator, waitress, documentation equipment operator (that's a typist), solar energy company secretary, ophthalmic assistant, inventory taker at a Five & Dime, fabric store clerk, computer operator, systems analyst, and dry cleaning/laundry wrapper. I've been lucky enough to visit Paris and Amsterdam, and am an avid reader whose goal it has been since childhood to know everything there is to know (I've barely made a dent, but I'm working on it). For the past twenty years, I've worked for Boeing, primarily as a tech writer, and will be keeping the day job for the foreseeable future.

What led you to write romance?

At first, the only romance I'd read was years ago when I'd come across a couple of Kathleen Woodiwiss books. I loved her historicals, even though I had a hard time identifying with very young victim/heroines vs heroes twice their age. Mary Stewart always hit the spot with her fabulous romantic suspense stories, but, in my twenties, romance fell out of favor with me (in more ways than one), and I stopped reading them completely. I didn't know any other romance readers, and was soundly criticized by those in my life at the time, for my obvious lack of taste and intelligence. The clinch covers didn't help. I was embarrassed to be seen with one and avoided romance like the plague, having been convinced I would be "dumbed down" if I continued to read them. I'm ashamed to admit I let that happen, but there it is.

Then, in 1996, my husband (of all people), bought me a romance anthology for Christmas. I ignored it for months. Then, one day, desperate for something new to read, I opened it. To my shock, I loved it. No ripped bodices, no throbbing members, no luscious orbs, no helpless teenaged brides. I went to the UBS and bought as many anthologies as I could carry and read them all, looking for other authors I might like. I found many. The Internet became available about that time, and I discovered The Romance Reader, and then All About Romance. At last - people who read romance novels and understood my growing obsession. I blossomed into a romance reader again, have been one ever since, and will be one ever more. After a while, I thought I'd try my own hand at writing one. Oh, the horror. My first effort was and will remain, under the bed, snug among the dust bunnies - a painful lesson in humility, and a reminder to be ever humble.

Tell us about your road to publication.

The road to publication is, for most, not at all what we thought it would be, and I include myself as one who was enthusiastically ignorant. I was convinced I could write a good romance on my first try. I was, after all, a professional tech writer. What could be so different? I wrote. It stunk. I wrote again. It stunk, but it was longer and I'd learned a few things, so I considered this a modest success. I set that poor puppy aside, and began again. I read book after book on How To Write Dialogue, How To Plot, Characters Are Your Friends, Revising Is Your Very Best Friend, Humor Is A Funny Thing, How To Make Money And Quit Your Day Job By Writing Romance. Through all the words and illusions, I learned many things, the most important of which is Writing Is Hard Work And You Have To Practice It Day After Day To Get Good Enough To Get Published And If You Don't Love Doing It, You're Sunk.

That third manuscript, I submitted to the Golden Heart (by now, I was an RWA member), and it scored in the top 25% but did not final. Okay, I was 75% not-so-stinky, but I'd been writing a couple of years by now, and I became depressed. Where was my instant success? Where was the big money? Where was the you-can-quit-you-day-job? Hmm. Reality is a very hard rock to sit on.

Life intruded. Job. Kids. Family obligations. Health and well-being. I submitted that third manuscript to editors and it was rejected by all. I considered my options. I had a full time job, a career. Why did I need to put myself in a position of being hurt and rejected if I didn't have to? Sending out my manuscript was like throwing myself under a spotlight and asking whoever passed by to beat me up. So I quit writing for a year.

But, writers write. That's how you know you are one. You can have fifty degrees, and a hundred professional certificates that say you are a writer, and all the potential in the world, but if you don't write, you're not a writer. I have no degrees, no certificates, a modest amount of potential I think, but I sit at my computer every day and hammer it out, and that's what makes me, and anyone else who does that, a writer.

So, after a year, I wrote again because it hurt my fingers not to. I changed my sub-genre from historical to contemporary, tuned up my new voice, and wrote THE DAMSEL IN THIS DRESS. It was my fourth manuscript. I didn't send it anywhere. Instead, I shopped for an agent and was lucky enough to be offered representation by one of the best. She believes in me and my work, sent my manuscript out, and sold it. I'm not just a writer anymore. I'm an author. It's narrow line, and one somebody else (publishers) draw, but once you've crossed over it, you're on your way. Not done? Not there? Nope. Getting the contract is just the beginning.

What kind of research was involved for your first book?

THE DAMSEL IN THIS DRESS is takes place in a small town. I took a few vacation days from work and went to a small town up on the Olympic Peninsula, and stayed there a couple of days so I could pattern my fictional town after it. I got street maps and local government brochures, tourist information, and went to the local historical museum. The real Port Townsend, Washington became my fictional Port Henry, and in my heart, it always will be.

The story involves a stalker. I read three books on stalking and stalking behaviors, two books on victim behaviors, and two other books by former FBI profiler John Douglas on crimes and criminals.

My hero is a cop, a detective. I researched how they speak, their mind-set, family life, what kinds of weapons they prefer, and how law enforcement works in the part of the country in which the story takes place.

The story involves two brothers. I have no brothers, no male cousins, no men in my background at all, so I watched movies and TV shows, and read books to see how men interact with each other when women aren't around.

Those are just the big ticket items. I also researched writer's conferences, hotels, security personnel, Chihuahuas, birthstones, electronic voice altering equipment, and anything else I needed to know about, whether I ended up using the information or not. Even a seemingly straight-forward story requires some amount of research, but I wanted to be sure that whatever went into my book was as correct as I could possibly make it. Even so, I'm sure I missed a thing or two here or there. When you create a whole world in your head, you have to put everything down on paper that the reader needs to know in order for that world to make sense.

Tell us about your debut book.

I got the idea for DAMSEL on long drive home from work one day. I used to review books, and I had just posted a review that was not an easy one to write. It made me think . . . What If? What If a woman who writes reviews meets face-to-face with somebody whose book she panned and What If that author was a man and What If they were immediately attracted to each other and What If they fell in love? I let one What If lead to the next. But it wasn't enough. I wanted it to be a romantic suspense, so, What If something was going on in the heroine's life that would keep the hero involved with her?

The basic premise of the story is sort of "Cape Fear" meets "Foul Play" with a touch of Neil Simon. Betsy Tremaine is a small town literary critic who pans a book written by hunky big city cop J. Soldier McKennitt, a hot shot Seattle detective-turned-author. They loathe each other when they meet at a conference, but very soon, Betsy discovers she's been targeted for murder. When their number one suspect turns up face down, Betsy and Soldier are thrown together as they solve the puzzle, stop a killer, and fall in love. It's more of a romantic mystery than suspense, and there's an emphasis on humor.

Who are your influences as a writer?

When it comes to writers, Linda Howard, first and foremost. I've always loved her sexy heroes and her suspense. And LaVyrle Spencer, for her eloquence and honesty. Beyond that, there are so many good writers in the genre now, it would be hard to settle on just a few. Beyond writers, however there are concepts, emotions, and a certain amount of heart. What most influences me most is the fact I'm writing for you. I'm not writing to get stuff off my chest or admonish a faction of society or send a message. I'm writing because you had a tough day and maybe you need something to smooth out the bumps, maybe make you smile, give you a bit of a break. I'm writing to entertain you and maybe make a bad day better, or a good day great. The desire to do a really good job is what influences me more than anything I can think of.

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

Oh, the stories I could tell! When it comes right down to it, everyone has been incredibly supportive and complimentary. The day my book came out, my husband drove around to every book store in the area to see if they had it on the shelves, and then he drove around again a week later to count how many they had left. The first day, my mother-in-law bought five copies and my husband's aunt also bought five. If my own mom were alive, I'm sure she would have bought every copy she saw. Dear friends near and far, fabulous co-workers, and wonderful chapter members have been enthusiastic and happy for me. I'm very lucky to be surrounded by so many incredible people.

Tell us about plans for future books.

I'm just finishing up the last book I sold to Avon, which completes the Port Henry trilogy. Book #1, THE DAMSEL IN THIS DRESS, offers Betsy and Soldier's story; #2, MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIE (May 2005) is about Evie and Max and a treasure hunt that turns deadly; #3, CLAIRE AND PRESENT DANGER (Spring 2006) offers Claire and Taylor's story (who were secondary characters in DAMSEL). After that, I have three more books in the planning stages, which I've already talked with my editor about. The first involves a character from MIDNIGHT, with two more books to complete a trilogy there. After that, who knows? As long as I get to keep writing, and as long as readers enjoy my stories, I know what I'll be doing for the rest of my life.

How can readers get in touch with you?

I would love to hear from readers! Please email me at DamselTales@aol.com, or write c/o 12932 SE Kent-Kangley Rd, PMB #295, Kent, WA 98031.

For book release information, recipes, contest info, and more, please check out my website at www.MarianneStillings.com.

Marianne, thank you for joingin us, and best of luck with your future releases! Readers, we have a review of The Damsel in this Dress in our Contemporary section.