New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Heather Graham grew up in Dade County, Florida, and attended the University of South Florida at Tampa, majoring in theatre arts, and touring Europe and parts of Asia and Africa during her studies. After college, she acted in dinner theatres, modelled, waitressed and tended bar.

After the birth of her third child, she was determined to devote her efforts to her dream - writing - and sold her first book in 1982. Today, more than 100 books and two children later (for a total of five), she is at the top of her craft and delighted to be paid for doing something I love so much.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA, and since 1999 has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Party, with all revenues going directly to charity, this year, to the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric Aids Fund.

Today the author's success is reflected not just by reader response and the over 20 million copies of her books in print, but in many other ways. Heather has received numerous awards for her novels, including over 20 trade awards from magazines such as Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur, bestseller awards from B. Dalton, Waldenbooks and BookRak, and several People's Choice awards.

Heather has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The Today Show, Romantically Speaking, a TV talk show that aired nationwide on the Romance Classics cable channel, and CBS Sunday News. She has been quoted in People and USA TODAY, profiled in The Nation and been featured in Good Housekeeping magazine. Her books have been selections for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. She has been published across the world in more than 15 languages, and has published over 100 titles, plus anthologies and short stories.

Heather loves travel and anything that has to do with water, and is a certified scuba diver. Learning to scuba dive is still one of my proudest accomplishments, says Heather. I got the urge when I was signing up my son for dive lessons and went on to learn myself. The best part is that it gives me the chance to explore Florida in a whole new way.

Another new love is ballroom dance, the Arthur Murray way. This year will find her competing in her first pro-am competitions.

Married since high school graduation, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she counts her career as an incredible gift.