Writer Heather Graham grew up in Dade County, Florida. She attended the University of South Florida at Tampa, majoring in theatre arts, which allowed her to tour part of Asia, Africa and Europe as part of her studies. After college, she performed in dinner theatres, modeled, and worked as a waitress and a bartender. After she had her third child, she decided to write full time. Graham's first book was When Next We Love, but One Rode West was her first book to reach the New York Times bestseller list. She has received several awards, which include over twenty trade awards from Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur, bestseller awards from B. Dalton's, Walden Books, and Book Rak, and several… Review's Choice and People's Choice awards.