The Writing Playground

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Kira, Danniele, Kimberly, and Alexandra are the four youngest members of our local RWA chapter. Since we’re always together (usually stirring up something), we are collectively referred to as “The Children” by our beloved Mavens: Linda Howard, Beverly Barton, and Linda Winstead Jones. Marilyn, bless her heart, got stuck with the unenviable position of keeping us in line (but what else did she expect, hanging out with a motley crew like us all the time? Somebody had to be the grownup, so we elected her while she was out of the room.).

What better place to send The Children than to our own playground where our Monitor can keep an eye on us?

The Problem Child - Kimberly Lang	On her own, Kimberly can be a handful. Team her up with her partner in crime (Ahem, that’s *you*, Kira), and there’s always something stirred up on the Playground. Although she really needs to learn to count to ten before opening her mouth (or firing off that email), she always has the very best of intentions and everyone’s best interests at heart. Her “No Excuses” approach to writing borders on Tough Love, but sometimes it’s just what the others need to hear. Problematic but perky, the writers on the playground keep her around because she keeps life from getting boring.
The Instigator - Kira Sinclair	Kira might look sweet and innocent but looks can be deceiving. Trouble is never far behind her big mouth, which more times than not spells doom for the other children. As wielder of the whip, she takes delight in prodding the others into action - often pushing them into directions they had no intention of taking. And while her heart is usually in the right place, that doesn’t make cleaning up the messes any easier. But her push-you-out-of-the-nest mentality has led to several of the other children finishing manuscripts and attaining pro status so we suppose we’ll keep her around.
The Angel - Danniele Worsham	As an "Angel" child, Danniele always follows the rules and tries to help everyone play nicely together. She's terrified the Playground Monitor will so much as look at her in disapproval. She only gets into mischief when goaded by Kimberly or Kira and fairly certain she won't get caught. Though she may appear angelic on the outside, inside she's a contradiction of intense passions and naughty humor itching to throw away the halo. Her desire to help has translated into published nonfiction articles. She's also published in short stories and working on adding contemporary romance to the list. She continues to write as she pushes herself to be perfect in all things, despite knowing just how impossible that is.
The Smarty Pants - Alexandra Frost	Whether masterminding the technical aspects of Kira's schemes or muttering sarcastic or inappropriate comments that make Danniele blush, Alexandra is always up to the task. A geek to the core, she can conquer any website, master any MS office glitch and google personal and private information on anyone who might step foot on the playground. Her methodical, yet quirky attitudes to life help her keep the other children practical about their writing careers, although she needs the occasional motivation of Kira's whip or Marilyn's whistle to keep her on task. Of course, when she and Kimberly get in a room together, it's pretty hard to stay on task.
The Playground Monitor - Marilyn Puett	Marilyn only thought her nest was empty after her two sons left for college, careers and marriage. Now she’s in charge of keeping this crew in line, but it’s a job she enjoys since her “charges” are also fellow writers and good friends. She wears many hats in life – writer, reviewer, proof-reader, researcher and public relations – and every hat has its own rewards and benefits. In 2006, she added two new hats to her collection: "published writer" when she sold a series of short stories to several magazines and "grandmother" when her son and daughter-in-law had a baby girl in June 2006. Her favorite hat? Her special playground cap along with the whistle, of course.

Kimberly Lang	Kimberly Lang hid romance novels behind her textbooks starting in junior high, and even a master’s program in English couldn’t break the obsession with dashing heroes and Happily Ever After. A ballet dancer turned English teacher, Kimberly married an electrical engineer and turned her life into an ongoing episode of “When Dilbert Met Frasier.” She and her Darling Geek live in beautiful North Alabama with their one Amazing Child—who, unfortunately, shows an aptitude to sports.
Kira Sinclair	Kira Sinclair is excited to join the Harlequin Blaze line with her debut book - Whispers in the Dark (August 2008). She credits RWA for introducing her to a world of wonderfully supportive writers. Juggling a full time job, a phenomenal husband and two adorable children isn't easy but always worth the effort.
Danniele Worsham	In addition to being a mom and running her resume writing business-Business Advantage Writing Services, Danniele Worsham works hard to improve her craft as a writer. She’s currently submitting her second contemporary romance manuscript and writing her third. Calling Huntsville, AL, home, she has published nonfiction articles online for Long Ridge Writers Group. Several of her short stories have appeared in True Romance and True Experience magazines. She's an occasional contributor to her local RWA chapter's monthly newsletter, the Heart Monitor from Heart of Dixie.
Alexandra Frost	Alexandra has been devouring books since she learned to read at age three. An old portable typewriter got her started writing in her room at eight and she's been writing ever since. Her practical nature led her to pursue a master's degree and a career that would pay the bills, but the writing bug continued to bite. She started working ferociously in her spare time to become a published author and has become an active member of her local RWA chapter. With four completed manuscripts under her belt and another on her flash drive itching to be completed, she's well on her way to the million words that can unlock the door to her publishing dreams. Alexandra is working on her real-life "happily ever after" with her boyfriend of six years and their animal collection of two cats, a terrier and a beagle. She has been a member of RWA and Heart of Dixie for only three short years, but looks forward to many future years of learning, friendship and romantic fiction.
Marilyn Puett	Marilyn has spent a lifetime reading, though not always willingly. After college, she swore off the stuff. In her early twenties, she tried her hand at writing and unless a letter to the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine counts, she had her first article published in her husband’s government agency’s professional journal. It was a humorous look at the life of a government auditor. She quickly envisioned a career as the next Erma Bombeck, a journey that was sidetracked by carpools, Little League, track practice and life in general. A six-year stint in the corporate world found her writing again, but this time it was reports and procedures. <yawn> When she retired in 1996, she returned to her favorite job: wife and mother. Fast forward a few years and through a bizarre act of serendipity, Marilyn discovered romance novels. Being an internet junkie, she soon discovered websites devoted to the genre and eventually found her way to her local chapter of Romance Writers of America. She’s published online in non-fiction and also works as a book reviewer for a website focused on romance. Married for thirty-plus years to her own tall, dark, and handsome hero, she has two grown sons and two cats who let her and her husband share the house with them. RWA has opened a whole new world to her and introduced her to not only the healing power of love, but the remarkably sharing world of romance writers as well.