With than 35 million books in print and 26 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, Julie Garwood has earned a position among America s favorite fiction writers.Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick, says Ms Garwood She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school After the publications of two young adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985 Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.Ms Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.