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Dear Reader,

Harlequin books have been part of my life since my senior year of high school. I was sitting in English class and our teacher, Mrs. Cooper, told us we'd be studying different types of writing. One of my classmates arrived with a brown paper grocery sack filled with Harlequin Romance novels that belonged to her mother. The books were passed out to each of us to read. A writing assignment would follow.

I had no idea what to expect, since I'd never read a Harlequin romance. But the exotic setting—the Canary Islands—and the relationship between the hero and heroine swept me away. I turned in my assignment, but I wanted to read more. The stories transported me far away from my studies. I could lose myself in the pages, where I could fall in love and know a happy ending was guaranteed. Talk about the perfect escape!

After graduation, I remember sitting on my futon in my apartment in Tempe, Arizona. I had just finished a Harlequin Romance novel. I imagined my name on the cover. I wondered if I could write one myself, if I had what it takes to make a reader's heart go "awww," the way mine did when I read the books. I decided to take the plunge.

I quickly learned that it's easier to read a romance than to write one for publication. But I persevered, and was thrilled when, in 1999, my first romance was published by Silhouette Yours Truly. Now my name is on the cover of Harlequin Romance novels, just as I had dreamed.

So here's to dreams coming true…the promise of Harlequin Romance! While The Billionaire's Proposal is very different from that first romance I read all those years ago, the exotic locations and that promise of a happy ending are the same. I hope you enjoy reading about Chaney and Drake as they tumble heart-first into a relationship neither wanted, and find their dreams come true!

Happy sixtieth birthday, Harlequin!

Melissa