Home of Marilu Mann - Ellora's Cave Author

The Official Bio

Marilu Mann brings the steaminess of the Louisiana bayous to her books and she doesn't stop there. Marilu's willing to travel to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin to heat up those northern nights and melt a little snow. She'll also circle the world to Wales, Ireland, Scotland and back just to bring you books that make you sweat.

Currently residing in Texas, Marilu is an avid armchair traveler. Her sexy shifters will set your blood to boiling in no time. Owned by one Diva Teen and various animals, Marilu keeps busy writing the novels her readers beg for.

Marilu is thrilled to be a part of the Ellora's Cave family and loves to hear from readers.

Read an excerpt from Changing Times and meet one very sexy shifter! Available 5/7/2008 from Ellora's Cave.

The Real Bio

Cai Smith and Stephanie Lynch met in 1975 at Indian Creek Girl Scout camp in Louisiana. They were both there to become instructors in the Red Cross canoeing course, but unfortunately everyone else was there for a basic canoeing course. So Cai and Stephanie were thrown together by the whims of fate, not to mention a buff, good looking teacher, to practice their strokes.

Through a series of mishaps - including overturned canoes, a lopsided race, and a Three Musketeers candy bar (no, we will NOT go there!) - they discovered that they were living only a few streets apart and would be attending the same high school. Thus was born a friendship that has lasted through marriage/divorce/childbirth/and various and sundry other natural disasters.

Cai and Stephanie kept in touch via phone and cards, but it wasn't until the advent of the Internet that they got serious about writing. Both have written all their lives, both have always wanted to be an author. One email series kicked off their first manuscript which they finished as a rough draft (VERY rough draft) in three and a half months. Stephanie attended the RWA National Conference in Denver in 2002, and had the opportunity to pitch that first novel to an editor who requested a full. Not bad for a first pitch,eh? Though it was rejected, they were started on a quest for publication.

Cai and Stephanie both belong to From the Heart Romance Writers, an online-only chapter of Romance Writers of America as well as the special interest online chapter, FF&P (Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal). With their first completed manuscript, both Cai & Stephanie applied for and were granted PRO status with Romance Writers of America.

Writing as Marilu Mann, they took the contest plunge in 2005. One manuscript placed in six contests and won two others. The winning manuscript was requested by two editors and two agents. This manuscript was bought by Brianna St. James at Ellora's Cave in October 2007. To see what they're up to now, visit their blog: Marilu Mann - Escape Into The Fantasy.