The 2020 Board
President
Shelly Chalmers
Shelly Chalmers’ favorite first book was Cinderella, so once she could form letters, naturally she turned to romance where everyone “loved” each other—though mostly because she didn’t yet know how to spell “like.” In 2008 she joined RWA® to meet other romance writers because she had no local chapter, but instead found her tribe. She was thrilled to be a 2014 Golden Heart® finalist in the paranormal category and continues to write romances that all include a touch of magic, a sense of humor, and a dab of geek. She makes her home in Western Canada where when not writing, she DIYs everything, hunts teapots and unusual treasure, and wrangles a husband, two daughters, and two nutty cats.
www.scchalmers.com
Vice President, Growth
Laura Trentham
An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.
She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. Then He Kissed Me, a Cottonbloom novel, was named as one of Amazon’s best romances of 2016. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.
http://www.lauratrentham.com/
Vice President, Programs
Christy Hovland
Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale—an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dog around.
Secretary
Jaycee Jarvis
Jaycee Jarvis has been an avid romance reader since devouring all the Sweet Dreams books her middle school library had to offer. Also a fantasy fan from an early age, she often wished those wondrous stories had just a bit more kissing. Now she writes stories with a romantic heart set against a magical backdrop, creating the kind of book she most likes to read.
When not lost in worlds of her own creation, she resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three children and a menagerie of pets. Jaycee is a Golden Heart® finalist and author of the Hands of Destin series. The first book in that series, Taxing Courtship, released in June 2018.
www.jayceejarvis.com
Treasurer
Susannah Erwin
An eager lover of storytelling in any and all forms, Susannah has a bachelor's degree in film and an MBA in entertainment management. Her employers included major film studios. She lives in Silicon Valley with her husband and one very spoiled but utterly delightful cat. Her first novel, Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife won the 2017 Golden Heart® for Contemporary Romance: Short and was published by Harlequin Desire. Susannah’s chapter “Grounded” won the fourth round of the 2015 Avon FanLit competition and can be found in the novella A Duke to Remember. Her short story “The Santa Shack Up” is available in the anthology Holiday Ever After, published by LARA RWA. She’s hard at work on writing more novels for Harlequin.