Groom in Training »

Growing up in Michigan, award-winning novelist Gail Gaymer Martin loved to read and write her own stories. On her report card, her third-grade teacher wrote, "Gail is a good writer," but it took years before Gail began to think about writing as a second career. Instead Gail received her bachelor's degree from Wayne State University in Detroit and taught high school English and public speaking in Madison Heights, Michigan. After receiving a master's degree and taking post-master's classes, she became a licensed counselor. When she retired from public education in 1995, she became an adjunct instructor of English and public speaking for Davenport University in Warren, Michigan.

Gail began her career writing church programs and skits for children and adults published by Christian publishers. Using her counseling expertise, she wrote hundreds of parenting and teen articles for national magazines, as well as Sunday school materials and short stories. In 1997, Gail decided to follow her childhood dream and write fiction. She sold her first novel in 1998 to Barbour Publishing and another in 1999. The same year she sold her first novel to Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Besides romance, Gail writes romantic suspense and women's fiction. Today she has signed forty-four fiction contracts with nearly three million books in print. She is a columnist for the Spirit-Led Writer e-zine and is the author of Writing the Christian Romance.

Gail's books have been awarded a National Readers' Choice Award, two Booksellers' Best awards, two HOLT Medallions, a Winter Rose, the ACFW 2002 Book of the Year for Short Inspirational, and the 2002 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award. She has sixteen book award finals to her credit. Two Barbour anthologies, which include Gail's novellas, ranked on the Christian Booksellers Association bestseller list in 2000 and 2001. Gail was also honored with the Heartsong Readers' 2008 Favorite Author of the Year award.

Gail is a cofounder of the 2,000-member American Christian Fiction Writers and serves on the advisory board. She is a member of three chapters of the Romance Writers of America: Great Detroit, Mid-Michigan and Faith Hope & Love. She is a member of the Advanced Speakers and Writers Association and a promotional group, Christian Authors Network.

A popular keynote speaker and workshop presenter, Gail speaks at libraries and writers' conferences across the U.S. and abroad. She is a keynote speaker at churches, as well as women's business and civic groups.

Gail loves to travel and has wonderful memories of her recent trips to Greece and Turkey as well as the British Isles where she has family. Her husband, Bob, also has family in Germany and Italy, and they enjoy traveling there. Gail is very active in her church, especially in the music program. She is a soloist, choir member and sings on the praise team, as well as plays handbells and hand chimes. Gail is a member of a renowned chorale in the Detroit area, the Detroit Lutheran Singers, and performs three to four series of concerts each year.

Gail lives in Michigan with her husband, Bob. She is the stepmother to two adult children: Dave, and daughter Brenda, who died of ovarian cancer in 2006. Visit Gail's Web site at gailmartin.com as well as her blog, Writing Fiction Right, at writingright-martin.blogspot.com for comprehensive lessons on writing fiction of all genres.

A widow with a sad past, Steph Wright finds comfort in her faith and her adorable Border collie, Fred. When scampering Fred becomes friendly with the neighbor's pedigreed Bouvier, Steph meets the very handsome Nick Davis. With a broken engagement and a busy job, Nick isn't open to love and romance. Especially when Steph needs an escort to a wedding, and Nick agrees to be her not-really-date. But through dog walks, long talks and a shared love of the Lord, Steph realizes there's some unexpected groom-in-training going on, too!