The Parent Plan

It’s often said that good things come out of bad, and in Paula Detmer Riggs’ case, that’s certainly true. for it was being fired from her job as an executive recruiter that led her to the San Diego library for a little light reading...and a love of romance fiction was born. Paula has been nurturing that love for about twelve years now and has written over twenty-five romances. In recent years her books have won two Reviewers Choice awards and two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times. She has had the honour of reaching the finals for the Romance Writers of America Rita Award six times. Paula is a native of Southwestern Ohio where she attended Miami University, earning a degree in speech therapy and psychology. She credits her training as a speech therapist for the good ear that allows her to hear all the nuances of dialogue and her early years as the wife of a Naval officer for the varied life experiences she uses in her books. Over the years she has tackled a variety of jobs– recruiter, admissions officer in a computer school, salesman for a collection agency and a dormitory supervisor in a children's home in Brooklyn. All were valuable and sometimes intimidating experiences, more grist for her writer's imagination. Paula served as program chairperson for RWA/SD and has spoken there on many occasions. She has appeared at writers’ conferences all over the country including the national RWA conference two times, Emerald City in Seattle, Desert Rose in Scottsdale, The Write Magic in Oregon as well as Long Beach State, Irvine and the San Diego State University conferences numerous times. She has written for Silhouette, St. Martin’s and Ballantine. Her second single title will be released by North American Library next year. Her books have sold well over a million copies and have been acclaimed for their depth of emotion and controversial themes. Her essay, "Taboo or Not Taboo: That is the Question" is featured in North American Romance Writers, a compilation on writing romance for American University. Married for over 30 years to her college sweetheart, Carl, Paula has lived all over the country and is currently settled happily on the oldest plant nursery in Douglas County Oregon.