Hi! When someone asks "About me" I'm never quite sure what to say or write. Sure, I could tell you I was born in Oklahoma. I could tell you I married the boy next door (actually he lived on the next block). I could tell you all about my two sons (who are now in college) and how proud I am of them, and how much I love them.

But those are just dry, heard-it-before facts. They don't really give any insight into exactly who I am. So, what do I say? What can I tell you about the real Cynthia Scott, Romance Author?

Hmmm, how about if I tell you how I came to be Cynthia Scott, Romance Author? 

First, like most of you, I love to read. I started reading romances (among other genres) when I was about 12 years old. I loved the happy endings and the fantasy that there is a Mr. Right out there for everyone. I read the books for fun, for escape, and in college, to shift gears from science and math. Yep, I'm a math and science girl. Being creative as a career was never an option, only a hobby.

My foray into writing began with a desire not to let go of a story. When I saw a movie or watched a TV show I liked, I would often jot down future episode ideas or sequels, just to linger with that story and those characters. Those stories were musings for my own amusement, nothing more.

Then, one of two life-altering incidents occurred. One year, during college exams, I took a break from chemistry and calculus and read a romance. It was one of those disappointing books. You know the kind I mean, the one that didn't end the way I expected or wanted, and left me completely dissatisfied. I thought to myself, as many others have done, "I can writer better than that."  So, in my egotistical state, I decided to give it a try.

Wow, did my ego take a serious hit! Almost immediately, I discovered writing a romance novel wasn't quite so easy as I thought. In fact, the process of plotting, bringing characters to life and physically putting the words on the page was quite difficult. It took forever for me to finish one book, and I wasn't completely sure any of it made sense. I remember thinking that maybe that disappointing book wasn't so disappointing after all, and I gained a new respect for authors.

I floundered down this path for several years. I managed to complete a couple of more books, but really didn't feel confident about my work. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to the bone about my stories. I couldn't stop thinking about them. Everywhere I went, everything I did, my thoughts were full of "what happens next". But would anyone else be excited about them?

Then, in 1996, the second life-altering incident occurred. I signed up with America Online and discovered an online romance writers group. That led me to Romance Writers of America, and to my first meeting at a local RWA chapter. The experience was completely thrilling and completely overwhelming. My mind spun. How did I not know this network existed? It was perfect: published and unpublished authors, resources, workshops, networking, etc., etc., etc. It was a wonderful new world.

After that first meeting, I knew what I had to do, I had to get serious about my writing and about getting published. I networked. I attend countless workshops, and I studied  both the craft of writing and business of submitting manuscripts. I wrote a few more books and tried my luck at submitting them. All of them were rejected. I didn't make my first sale until 2000, four years after that first RWA meeting.

That first sale, though, was completely worth the wait. I cheered. I cried. I called everyone I knew. I forgot my name, I whirled through emotions like a roller coaster ride. The memory of that day will forever be etched in my mind: a day of pure joy, panic, exultation and exhaustion.

I've been writing ever since. I've had to take breaks for life interruptions and family concerns, but I'm still at my keyboard, creating more stories. I am a writer. I have and will work at other jobs, but no matter what else I do, I will always feel, act and live as a writer. It is my passion and it is my joy. There's a saying among writers. I don't know who first coined it, but it the perfect expression of my feelings.

 "A bad day writing is better than a great day doing anything else."

That says it all. Thanks for listening. Enjoy.

 Cynthia