Karen Young is the bestselling author of more than 30 novels and several novellas. She claims she might never have written the first one but for the fact that her husband's career kept them moving from one part of the country to the other and she had no chance to develop her own professional life. "Once I found a job," she says, "the next thing I knew, he'd come home and say, 'Pack up the kids. We're moving to-' Well, it adds up to about 25 different places over the years. I finally started to whine about it and he suggested that I find a career that wouldn't be affected when we moved."

"It was as if a light went on in my head," Karen says. "I told him I actually thought I could write a novel. I can't believe how uninformed I was then." The very next night he brought me a typewriter, set it in front of me and said, "Go for it." In three months, Karen had finished a manuscript…which she put in a drawer until-again-her husband urged her to send it to "somebody." It went to Silhouette Books, who responded six weeks later with the offer of a contract. That was 34 books ago.

Karen, who has been recognized by her peers with several awards, including the prestigious Rita from Romance Writers of America, is known for her sensitive portrayals of the many problems affecting the lives of contemporary women. She's written books dealing with teen pregnancy, infidelity, alcoholism, domestic abuse and child pornography. Over a period of time, she has evolved as an author, moving from traditional romances to longer, more sophisticated women's fiction to mystery/thrillers. Her book, Someone Knows, was nominated for a Rita as Best Single Title Romantic Suspense. But whatever the genre, Karen feels comfortable writing books that women want to read.

"I love my career as an author," she says. "It gives me great satisfaction knowing that somewhere a woman is reading a book I've written. Hopefully, I've touched her heart and her emotions or I've made her stop and think."

How long does it take to complete a book? "In a perfect world-that would be one without deadlines-I need at least nine months. I'm genuinely amazed at authors who turn out three or four books a year. And envious, I might add."

What did Karen do before her writing career? "I was a secretary. In Japan, where I lived for three years when my husband was in the Air Force, I worked for the base commander of a fighter/intelligence squadron. The cold war was a very real threat then and being at a military base that kept tabs on the Russians was very exciting. Next, I worked for the U. S. Navy at a shipyard where nuclear submarines were being built. At the time, my husband was in charge of the construction of a submarine. Later, when we moved to Slidell, LA (a suburb of New Orleans), I got a taste of politics as the liaison between the mayor's office and the city council. That was when I became a political junky, a passion that has not abated with the years. I've worked in law offices, too. Actually, I credit my work experience and my nomadic lifestyle as invaluable assets to me as a writer."

Karen is currently at work on her next project, a mystery series. She lives in a suburb of Houston, Texas with her dog Sophie.

"Karen Young is a writer who delivers intense, gripping and dark suspense...bound to keep you hooked." 
—Romantic Times

"Young skillfully mixes romance with edge-of-your-seat suspense." 
—Library Journal