SOARD, Lori 1969-

PERSONAL:

Born November 22, 1969, in Indianapolis, IN; father's name Ronald (in management); mother's name Gloria (a business owner); married Darren Scott Soard (in manufacturing), March 17, 1990; children: Caitlin, Hailey. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Indiana University, B.S., 1991; Warnborough University, Ph.D., 2002. Politics: Conservative. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Singing, gardening, travel.

ADDRESSES:

Home—P.O. Box 452, Greenfield, IN 46140. Agent—Linda Hyatt, Hyatt Literary Agency, 230 Ring Rd., Salt Point, NY 12487.

CAREER:

Freelance writer and copy editor, Greenfield, IN, 1996—. Institute of Children's Literature, instructor, 2001—.

MEMBER:

World Romance Writers (cofounder and chair), Romance Writers of America (past member of national board of directors; cofounder and president of From the Heart chapter), Success Sisters, Circle City Writers.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Eppie Award, best self-help book, EPIC, 2001, for Become a Romance Writer; Reader's Choice Awards, favorite novel and favorite author, Predators and Editors, both 2003, for Housebreaking a Husband.

WRITINGS:

Man of Means (romance fiction), HSWF, 1998.

(Editor and contributor) Writing for Literacy (anthology), WM Books, 1999.

Become a Romance Writer (nonfiction), Fabjob (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), 2001.

Picking Up Cowboys (romance fiction), Timeless, 2001.

Housebreaking a Husband (romance fiction), Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2003.

Work represented in anthologies, including Crumbs in the Keyboard, Echelon Press (Crowley, TX), 2002. Contributor of articles to periodicals, including Capper's, Cobblestone, Appleseeds, Faces, Executive Update, Outlook in Higher Education, and Writer's Corner.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Never a Gentle Master, an anthology, for Sierra Raconteur (Greenfield, IN); The Elixir, a romantic suspense novel; Lipstick Diaries, mainstream women's fiction; a contemporary romance series containing three books about three close friends; research on the American Revolution.

SIDELIGHTS:

Lori Soard told CA: "I can't imagine not writing. My mother says that, as a small child, I began telling her bedtime stories instead of the other way around. I've always written stories, and to be able to write for a living is something I thank God for every day of my life.

"I have had so many influences on my writing over the years that it is difficult to choose just a few. I can look back on my life and see that I was guided down the path toward becoming a writer. My first-grade teacher, Mrs. Young, encouraged my writing skills by having the class act out a play I wrote. My eighth-grade teacher, Mrs. Richardson, encouraged my creativity as well. Then there are countless authors who offered their advice and help along the way. In particular, Fern Michaels has been a mentor and dear friend, and Maggie Davis encourages me to strive to be my best. My longstanding critique and cheerleader group, the Success Sisters, keeps me plugging along. And of course, editors I've worked with have helped me hone my writing skills: Russell Davis, Laura Cifelli, Elisabeth Van Hoss, and Barbara Butcher, as well as my local newspaper editor David Hill.

"Inspiration tends to come from my everyday life. Music on the radio will sometimes give me a story idea. My children will say something funny, and I'll start a new book. It can strike at any moment.

"I hope that my writing has improved over the last several years. I believe that as creative people, authors have to strive continually to improve their craft. The book you write today should be better than the book you wrote yesterday, and the book you write tomorrow should be a step above that. If I ever allow myself to stop learning and grow stagnant, then I'm doing a disservice to my readers and to myself."