Rachel Spangler avoided getting a real job by staying in school for way too long, and she loved (almost) every minute of it. She holds degrees in politics and government, women’s studies, and English, as well as a master’s degree in college student personnel administration from Illinois State University. Throughout her college experience, she was actively involved with PFLAG, PRIDE, FMLA, and Safe Schools, all of which influenced various aspects of her first novel, Learning Curve.

Rachel and her partner, Susan, are raising their young son in western New York, where during the winter they make the most of the lake effect snow on local ski slopes, a hobby that inspired her second novel, Trails Merge. In the summer, they love to travel and watch their beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Regardless of the season, she always makes time for a good romance, whether she’s reading it, writing it, or living it.