Mills & Boon novels were Julia James’ first “grown up” books she read as a teenager, and she's been reading them ever since. She adores the Mediterranean and the English countryside in all its seasons, and is fascinated by all things historical, from castles to cottages. In between writing she enjoys walking, gardening, needlework and baking “extremely gooey chocolate cakes” and trying to stay fit! Julia lives in England with her family.When Emmy Grayson came across her mother's copy of A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E.Woodiwiss, she snuck it into her room and promptly fell in love withromance. Over 20 years later, HarlequinPresents made her dream come true by offering her a contract for her firstbook. When she isn't writing, she's chasing her kids, attempting to garden, orcarving out a little time on her front porch with her own romance hero.