Though she was born in Chicago, Illinois, Marilyn Shank has lived in Independence, Missouri since she was a young girl. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and speaks German fluently. Before succumbing to her passion for writing, Marilyn worked as a legal secretary, an office manager, and was the founder and owner of Word Power, a small editing-services business. Marilyn is the author of several romance novels and also teaches writing workshops in public schools and libraries. When she’s not writing, Marilyn enjoys reading, amateur radio operation, and traveling the world with her husband.