 About
Karen
- Author of eight romance novels
- Mother of three children
- Wife of a retired Air
Force Master Sergeant
- Designer of web
applications
- Former President of local
Romance Writers of America Chapter
- Current
member of the RWA National board
- Deacon at Mountain View
Presbyterian Church
- Member of Wyrd Sisters
Critique Group
Born and raised in Jackson, Michigan, I've always loved to read. When I decided at age 12
that I wanted to be a writer, my first stories reflected my interest in science fiction
(though somehow they always managed a romance as well). I devoured all of Robert
Heinlein's books for teens and lived for Star Trek, Lost in Space, Time Tunnel, and the
Invaders.
As I went through school, I contributed to a creative writing booklet in junior high school
and worked on the newspaper staff in high school, acting as editor during my senior year.
Following graduation from Parkside High School in 1974, I attended the local junior
college in pursuit of a journalism degree.
 However, before I completed my degree, I fell in love and married. My husband, John Fox,
joined the Air Force soon after we married and we spent the next twenty years living in
various places around the U.S. and in Europe, such as Tacoma, WA; Charleston, SC; Mons,
Belgium; Colorado Springs, CO and Biloxi, MS.
The photo shows me and my husband, John. You can tell by the hair on his face that
this was taken after he retired from the Air Force. We married in 1976 and have been
together ever since. No wonder I like romance. <g>
During these years I discovered romance, which replaced SF as my favorite reading
material. I loved to read how these amazing take-charge women survived their adventures
and earned the love of the one man perfectly suited for them. My stories reflected this
new interest, though I never lost my appreciation for the world of science fiction.
When futuristic romances arrived on the market, it was the best of both worlds. There I
found the adventure of visiting new worlds and cultures while still sharing in the
emotional journey made by the hero and heroine. I was sold. I continued writing as we
moved from place to place, though the pace slowed as I raised my three children and
managed to pick up four cats and a dog.
 This photo is of my two youngest children--Kent and Torie. My oldest son, Jonathan, is out of school and living on his own.
Torie is currently attending a university in France as a college exchange
student for one semester. She normally attends Colorado State
University and majors in French. She plans to become a high school
French teacher, which means she's braver than I am. <g> Kent is still
in high school and sings in church choir. He recently received his
driver's license. Remember, you were warned! <g>
It wasn't until I reached Colorado Springs and learned about a local Romance Writers of America chapter that I went from
writing for fun to writing as a career. I joined the chapter and learned the business. I
became part of a critique group, the
Wyrd Sisters, and grew as a
writer. After five years, four completed books, and a move to Biloxi, I finally sold my
first book to Leisure Love Spell.
My first book, Sword of MacLeod, made the Ingram's Bestseller List as did my
second book, Somewhere My Love. In fact, I was thrilled when I learned that Somewhere
My Love was a RITA finalist in 1998 for Best Paranormal. This book was also a
finalist in Affaire de Coeur's Reader Awards, The Award of Excellence from Colorado
Romance Writers, and FF&P's PRISM Award. After losing my editor, I had a brief dry
spell until I sold a book of my heart--a contemporary fantasy entitled Prince of
Charming --to Berkley/Jove. Since then, I sold three more contemporary fantasies
to Berkley/Jove and wrote two books in series done with some
of my Wyrd Sisters. My second contemporary fantasy, Buttercup Baby,
was a 2002 winner of the Booksellers' Best Award.
I'm currently a member of Pikes Peak Romance Writers in
Colorado Springs, CO, and the Published Authors Special Interest Chapter (PASIC).
Now that my husband has retired from the Air Force, we're making our home near the Rocky
Mountains in Colorado Springs, CO. When not at home writing or ferrying children to their
various activities, I work as a Technical Project Assistant for The MITRE Corporation designing web-based applications.
I love writing books with that little twist from the ordinary. I hope you enjoy reading
them as well. I love to hear from my readers so send me an email at karen@karenafox.com.
Happy Reading!
Karen
Some photos of my writing life |
