About Brenda Harlen

Brenda’s first love was reading.

According to her mother, she fell in love with books even before she could read and was always content when she had a book in her hands. It didn’t surprise anyone when she decided that she wanted to be a writer, but she was encouraged to pursue “a real job” first.

So she did—she became a lawyer. Two years of practicing law taught her a lot about the world—and reinforced her determination to become a writer. Because in fiction, she could promise a happy ending!

Thankfully, she had already met and married a wonderful man to inspire her fictional heroes. And when she was on maternity leave after the birth of their first son, he encouraged her to take a romance writing course at the local community college. It was while enrolled in this class that she completed her first (still unpublished) manuscript.

Three more manuscripts and another baby followed. And then, in June 2002, she finally got the call from Susan Litman—an editorial assistant and contest judge—offering to buy the manuscript she’d submitted to RWA’s Golden Heart® contest as “From This Moment.” This story was re-titled McIver’s Mission and released by Silhouette Intimate Moments in May 2003.

Since then, she has written fifty more titles for Harlequin. Her recent titles include: Double Duty for the Cowboy (“Match Made in Haven” Book 5—May 2019), Claiming the Cowboy’s Heart (“Match Made in Haven” Book 4—February 2019), and Bring Me a Maverick for Christmas! (Montana Mavericks: The Mavericks Lonelyhearts Ranch—December 2018). More titles in the “Match Made in Haven” series are coming, including One Night with the Cowboy (Book 6—August 2019).