Georgette Heyer novels formed Sophia James's reading tastes as a teenager lying in the sun on her grandmother's porch overlooking a wild west-coast beach.

Her writing life, however, started in Bilbao, Spain. After having three wisdom teeth extracted she was given a pile of Mills and Boons--filled with strong painkillers she imagined that she could pen one, too.

Many drafts later she thinks she has the perfect job writing for Harlequin Historical as well as taking art tours to Europe with her husband who is a painter.

Three almost-grown-up children, lots of pets and house renovations that are never quite finished complete the equation.