I need to update my bio. I’ve been putting this off for years now. You know, the little bio I have on my “Author” page? I wrote it late one night when I was putting together my very first basic website, when I was an unpublished author with no actual books to mention–let alone any awards or honors or other nifty bragging points. And I was a frazzled mom with a toddler and a tiny infant. Between caring for them and writing, not much else got done. So I let my bio reflect that.

While I still like this bio because it sounds very “me”, it’s getting pretty out of date.

Tessa Dare is a part-time librarian, full-time mommy and swing-shift writer living in Southern California.

Tessa lived a rather nomadic childhood in the Midwest. As a girl, she discovered that no matter how many times she moved, two kinds of friends traveled with her: the friends in books, and the friends in her head. She still converses with both sets daily.

Tessa writes fresh and flirty historical romance, a blog, and the stray magazine article. To the chagrin of her family, Tessa does not write grocery lists, Christmas cards, or timely checks to utility companies. She shares a tiny bungalow with her husband, their two children, a dog, and many dust bunnies.

Tessa enjoys a good book, a good laugh, a good long walk in the woods, a good movie, a good meal, a glass of good wine, and the company of good people.

Tessa is represented by Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary Agency.

Tessa did not expect to enjoy writing about herself in third person, but what do you know? Tessa does.

Looking at this now, I realize I actually have edited it twice. Once to remove mention of our cat, who died a few years ago now. *sniff* And again to mention my wonderful agent, once I got one.

Fluffy and insubstantial as this bio may be, it has become increasingly inaccurate.

Technically, I am still a part-time librarian, but it’s more like part-part-part-time. Right now, I work one evening a week at my local library. When certain budget cuts take effect, even that may cease to be the case.

As for “full-time mommy” – I have had my darelings in some form of childcare or preschool, part-time or full-time, on again/off again, since I sold, so I could find time to work and meet my deadlines. However, I never feel like I stop being a mom, since my day is usually broken up with classroom volunteering, gymnastics classes, grocery shopping, laundry… I used “mommy” at the time because that’s what they called me. Now the darelings are a little older, and I’m just “mom” most of the time.

And for the most part, I’m no longer a “swing-shift writer”. I’ve arranged my schedule so that I can do most of my writing during the day (See points A and B above.) So probably that whole first sentence needs to go.

Other things have changed, too. While we still live in Southern California and in the same tiny bungalow, I pay a lovely pair of ladies to come in every other week and corral the dust bunnies. I do make the occasional grocery list. Mr. Dare now pays our utility bills online. And to the utter amazement of about two dozen people, last year I actually sent some Christmas cards.

I still enjoy the good books, movies, meals, wine, and people! And I still have my wonderful agent, thank goodness.

I’ve resisted changing this for years now because, even though about half of this bio remains unchanged, I feel like I need to just scrap it and start over. The result should probably sound…sigh…more professional. I should probably mention some of the books I’ve published. I should probably give myself a teensy bit more credit for household management. Teensy.

Any suggestions? Any author bios you particularly find entertaining or enlightening? What kinds of things do you want to know about an author, when you visit her website?