Diana Duncan

I exist in the perpetual state of Confusion...but geographically, my home is in Portland, Oregon, a beautiful, friendly city. My long-suffering, patient-as-a-saint hubby and I have raised two daughters plus a teenage foster daughter and foster son. With a single fledgling left, we're moseying toward that empty nest. (If you don't count the "furry children," who seem to be multiplying.)

We started out with two mischievous cats, Ivy and Goblin, who are convinced I'm their human servant...here to gratify their every whim. A few years ago, I succumbed to a moment of temporary insanity and brought home a new "baby," Cyrus, who is the most adored ~ and spoiled ~ puppy on the planet! He was supposed to be my daughter's dog, but he adopted me. Now he's my best bud and faithful writing companion.

Our youngest family member is little Foofy (yeah, don't blame me, my daughter named her.) She's a tiny gray ball of fluff who was only a few weeks old when we discovered her abandoned in a parking lot. We intended to kitty-sit her for a few days and then find her a good home. That plan went AWOL the instant she snuggled into my lap and fell asleep purring.

My childhood was spent as an Air Force brat. We moved every few years and I was invariably "the new kid". This resulted in the ability to strike up a conversation with almost anyone, anytime, about anything. On occasion, I've been seen chatting with trees and telephone poles.

I've been writing since preschool, when I invented the riveting tale of "Perky The Kitten", which I dictated to my uncle and illustrated in orange crayon. It made the family's best-seller list. The addiction stuck, and I've been expressing my written opinion to newspaper editors and congresspeople ~ much to their chagrin ~ ever since. I've published free-lance magazine articles and poetry, but my heart will always be in romance.

During very rare spare moments, I relax by sewing, gardening, flower arranging and creative projects. I enjoy the challenge of decorating my home on a shoestring budget. My interior design obsession has caused my hubby to threaten to "block" the HGTV channel. My announcements of, "Hey, I have a great idea!" strike mortal fear into every member of the family. The sight of paint chips taped to the wall makes them whimper. Cowards.

Among my proudest achievements, I own a Championship Gold Medal in Olympic Dish Tossing. In this event, competitors must fit a month's worth of dirty dishes into a standard-sized dishwasher. Any items that don't get clean are disqualified. My current record stands undefeated.

Daily exercise is an important part of my routine. I jump to conclusions, wrestle my checkbook into submission and bench press prescription-strength chocolate bars. My favorite sport is shopping. If you don't think that's a sport, come to the mall with me sometime.

I love writing, and spend eight to ten hours a day pounding the keyboard. It's the best job I've ever had. Where else can you go to work in your jammies and hang out with hunky heroes?

I'd love it if you'd stop by and visit my website at: http://www.dianaduncan.com