AJ Poland

Hi! I'm AJ Poland, a contemporary romance novelist from Southern Michigan. I guess you can say I'm a small-town midwestern woman with worldly dreams and a vast imagination to match. I truly hope you love the plots and characters I've weaved together in my creative brain and poured into the stories you read. A lot of time and effort has gone into my creative works, but considering writing is what I love to do most, I'm incredibly lucky that I get to do it for a living. That said, I know I couldn't do what I love without the amazing community of romance readers. That's you! I have you to thank for me being able to follow my dreams. Without you, my writing would just be words on paper. So, thank you...

A little bit about me... While literature and writing have always been my greatest passion, I have to admit that it took me too long to realize it was what I wanted to do for a living, that it's what made me most happy. You see, I was a corporate girl. Yes, you read that correctly. After completing my undergrad from Michigan State University, I jumped headfirst into healthcare administration. A few years in, I went back to school to receive my graduate degree in Strategy, Management, and Leadership, expecting that was the next step in this fast-paced, corporate world. It wasn't long after achieving that goal that I realized a career in the business side of healthcare was not what I wanted. I didn't even want to belong in the corporate world anymore. I wasn't happy, and I was determined not to spend the rest of my life in a career I wasn't happy with... no matter how much money I had forked out toward it. So, I created an exit plan. With the help of my husband, I put that plan into action. And that's the cliff notes version of how I got to where I am today.

A little bit about me... I am the oldest of three sisters. My husband and I have been together since the beginning of 2014, and we eloped in November 2019, the day before Thanksgiving, in Las Vegas. Sidenote: I poke fun at eloping in Las Vegas in book five of the Twists of Destiny Series, but it truly was the most amazing moment. Eloping was exactly what we wanted, and doing so in the vintage Little White Wedding Chapel (same one Elvis, Britney, and so many other celebs eloped at) was a whole different kind of romance meets nostalgia. Truthfully, I wouldn't change a thing about that day. Anyway, my husband and I don't have children, but we do have four dogs and a cat. That's a lot of fur, but we love every minute of being those silly pet parents. While we don't have kids, we do spend a lot of time with our three nieces. It's one of our favorite things to do.

Though a typical "day in the life" consists of me on my computer writing, I also love to read. I don't know if I could trust an author who doesn't. And, you've guessed it, romance is my go-to genre, but I also love mystery and fantasy, and not just fantasy romance. This might shock you, but I've read every Tolkien novel. The Hobbit is my favorite. I won't even watch the movie because I love the book so much. I also love to learn, and I take every opportunity to do so. Aside from that, I am a huge outdoorsy gal. I love sports, playing and watching them, and competitive and non-competitive physical activities. I like to run, but I prefer a good hike. I used to do bodybuilding, but an injury freaked me out, so I've scaled back to weight training, but not the crazy heavy lifting I used to partake in. I love to travel! My husband and I have been all around the world. I love learning about and experiencing new cultures, and a lot of what I've learned has helped me in character and destination development for my novels. Other than that, I enjoy simple things like spending time with family and friends, doing puzzles, taking baths, and meeting new people.

So, that's the basics... I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into AJ Poland and that you have fun escaping in one of my novels (or all of them).

Happy Reading!!

XOXO - AJ