Who is Michaila Callan?

On January 6, 1993, I received a phone call from Catherine Carpenter at Meteor Publishing.

In the late fall of 1992, I had entered my manuscript "The Point Of No Return" in the North Texas RWA Great Expectations contest and had won first place. Catherine was the final round judge and had written a note on my entry that she would like to see the entire manuscript. I sent it.

Six, yes, six days later she bought it. Not only that, she scheduled it for August of that year. I chose the name Michaila (though probably should've spelled it Michaela to avoid confusion) because it was just as unpronounceable as Mica! Kidding! I chose it because it bore a similarity to my own name and was a name I'd always loved. The Callan was an acronym of my children's names: CAsey, HoLLy, MegAN. Mothers. What can you do!!!

(Interestingly enough, if not for an in-house snafu, PLAYING LOVE'S ODDS more than likely would've been a Harlequin Superromance. That story's a long one involving my meeting with a Harlequin editor who, in October 1992, judged the manuscript as number one in the Golden Triangle Writers Guild contest. I quickly filed the experience under the heading of "Spilled Milk" and went on with my career. But the lesson was my first in the unpredictable world of publishing.)

We beginning authors are paranoid about our first review from Romantic Times. I often times think we fret more over the ratings than do our readers! But the reception put a smile on my face. "When a vulnerable chemical company employee is witness to shady dealings, she and the private eye trying to save her neck find themselves PLAYING LOVE'S ODDS (4). With impressive talent, newcomer Michaila Callan creates characters and a story line sure to stimulate your interest and keep you longing for more."

Unfortunately, PLAYING LOVE'S ODDS, the title under which the book was released as a Meteor Kismet, had a very limited engagement. If any. I was number 167 out of 168 books. (Want to know who was 168?! Check it out!) Meteor had decided to go from four books to six that summer of 1993. I was one of August's two add-ons . . . and Michaila Callan was never heard from again - until now!

And, ta-da! Michaila Callan is finally back!

Late in 1998, Kensington Publishing announced a new line of category romances, Zebra Bouquet. I was writing for Harlequin by this time, but since I had started out writing longer stories, I had a couple that didn't fit the tone or the word length of Temptation. I submitted one in early September and two weeks later was offered a two-book contract! (Thank you Karen and Karen!!)

My first book from Bouquet was out in October 1999. LOVE ME TENDER, by Michaila Callan is the story of Eden Karr and Jace Morgan. This story will always be one of my own personal favorites and I'm so glad to have found a home at Kensington for this special couple. The link above will take you to an excerpt. I'd love to hear what you think!

My second Bouquet was out inJuly of 2000. You can get a sneak peek here at LOVE IN BLOOM, the story of Carson Brandt and Eva Channing, reunited lovers with a seventeen year old secret.

After these two? Who knows what's in store for Michaila Callan!