Dunaway, Michele 1965–

PERSONAL: Born July 14, 1965, in St. Louis, MO; daughter of Larry (a banker) and Louise (a secretary; later surname, Feager) Smith. Ethnicity: "White." Education: University of Missouri—St. Louis, B.S., 1987; Webster University, M.A., 1996. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Harlequin Enterprises, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Middle-school teacher in Fenton, MO, 1994–2000; high school teacher in Brentwood, MO, 2000–01; Pacific High School, Pacific, MO, English teacher, 2001–. Member of Labadie Chamber of Commerce.

MEMBER: National Council of Teachers of English, Journalism Education Association (co-chair of Middle/Junior High Commission, 1997–2000), Alpha Xi Delta.

WRITINGS:

ROMANCE NOVELS

A Little Office Romance, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2000.

Taming the Tabloid Heiress, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2001.

The Simply Scandalous Princess, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

Catching the Corporate Playboy, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2002.

Sweeping the Bride Away, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

The Playboy's Protegee, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

OTHER

(Editor and contributor) The Journalism Education Association's Middle/Junior High Curriculum Guide, 1999.

Contributor to periodicals, including Communications: Journalism Education Today and St. Louis Dispatch.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Contemporary romance novels for Harlequin Enterprises; research on brain-based learning and on the implementation of readers' and writers' workshops in the differentiated classroom.

SIDELIGHTS: Michele Dunaway told CA: "My primary motivation for writing is simply the love of writing. I love creating stories that have a happily ever-after ending. To me, there is no greater joy than creating a book that will leave a smile on someone's face. To touch someone's life through the written word is an honor and a joy.

"My greatest influences, besides two of my high school English teachers, are other writers. I love not only the classic writings of T.S. Eliot, Tennessee Williams, and Kate Chopin (other St. Louisans), but I enjoy Shakespeare, Emily and Charlotte Brontë, and of course Jane Austen. Romance writers who have influenced me include Sandra Marton, Marie Ferrarella, and Nora Roberts.

"My writing process varies. Unlike many authors, I don't necessarily 'journal' every day or even write every day. I do my greatest writing when I can sit down for hours on end.

"I'm inspired to write romance because I love the happy ending. To me, writing a book when everyone already knows the ending is a definite challenge.

"My writing continues to grow as I write more. I find myself tackling a variety of subjects and issues as I continue to write both fiction and nonfiction works."