One of the publishing community's most prolific and eloquent literary voices, Catherine Lanigan is the author of over twenty books, including the wildly popular Romancing the Stone and the Jewel of the Nile, which preceded the blockbuster films of the same names.

In addition to the commercial success of her books, Catherine's work strikes a profound visceral chord with her readers. Many of them write her frequently, sharing deeply personal insights about their own lives and why the female characters in her books inspire them. Unlike the self-sacrificing heroines of most traditional contemporary fiction, Catherine's protagonists are self-empowering women, who, despite stunning obstacles, build an internal arsenal of wisdom, courage and dignity that enables them to finally be true to themselves. They embrace change with aplomb, grit and grace, woven though deep down they may be frightened stiff.

For Catherine, these are the characteristics of the "evolving woman," a new breed of heroine she's introduced to contemporary fiction. The "evolving woman" is someone who, given a certain set of circumstances, makes choices that enrich who she is inside and, as a result, the world around her. This passionate perspective comes from powerful experience. The trials and triumphs of her characters are engraved with her own initials. Unfulfilling marriages, the tragic birth and loss of a child, single parenthood, financial struggles, career disappointments, personal and professional betrayals, and her self-made rise as an author comprise the fertile soil of her own life from which Catherine creates her stories.

I would like to believe that if a woman whose life is in turmoil or chaos picks up one of my books, something in the book will help guide her through the turmoil," says Catherine. "I hope my books are a catalyst, a gentle yet firm push in the right directions."

Catherine Lanigan lives in Houston, Texas. Visit her website at www.clanigan.com.