Debra Lee Brown was born and raised in California, and drawn to the rugged Sierra Nevada mountain range like a fish to water, she was an accomplished outdoorswoman by the time she finished high school. After earning a degree in geology, she went to work for British Petroleum as an exploration geologist, working in Alaska on arctic drilling projects. She loved the adventure, the travel, and the thrill of discovering oil. She kept journals during her years as a geologist and always knew that someday she'd write about her experiences. Her life changed dramatically after she returned to school to earn her Master's Degree in Business Administration. She didn't return to geology or the oil industry, choosing instead to return to California and settle a stone's throw from her first love, the rugged mountains of the Sierra Nevada. There she met her husband James, a native of Scotland, and adopted their dog, Seamus, a 160 lb. mastiff. Both provide inspiration for her writing. Together, the threesome spends weekends camping, fishing, hiking, and skiing. Debra began to wrote in 1997 and, after winning the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award in 1998, published her first book to Harlequin in early 1999. Her ongoing romance with wild and remote locales began at an early age and is reflected in her books. It become a trademark of her writing, she loves nothing better than to strand her heroes and heroines in rugged, often dangerous settings, then let nature take its course! Debra invites you to write to her in care of Harlequin Readers Service, P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269.