Kristin Harmel got her first break as a writer at 16, covering sports for the St. Petersburg Times. Since then she’s written four novels for women and two for teens. Look for her latest title After available in February 2010.

How do you describe your work?
I write fiction that is funny, insightful, and – hopefully – inspiring.

What three adjectives best describe you? Hmm . . . Happy, outgoing, little!

Cats, dogs, birds … describe your pets? I don’t have any pets of my own now because I travel so often; it wouldn’t be fair of me to leave a cat or dog for long intervals! But my mom, who lives 25 minutes away, has a 9-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Duke, who I consider my dog too! He has the sweetest personality in the world. I grew up with a Dalmatian named Dr. Spots, who died when I was 20, and two cats, Kitty and Tiger, who lived until just a few years ago. Kitty made it to the age of 19!! I really, really love animals and look forward to the day when my schedule allows me to be a better mom to pets!

Favorite season? Spring. It’s a wonderful season in Florida, where I live – not too hot, not too cold, not too much rain. But it’s also such a lovely time to visit some of my favorite cities, such as Paris, Boston and New York. Those perfect, crisp springs mornings where the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming make me so happy.

Name a city you’d love to visit. Why? Paris is always my top choice; I always feel so alive and inspired when I’m there. Among cities I’ve never been to, perhaps I’d like to visit Sydney or Melbourne (Australia). I’ve always wanted to visit that part of the world.

What’s the best thing about being single? The best thing about being single is the fact that I haven’t settled for the wrong person yet. Seriously, I think it’s very important that single women learn to appreciate and love being alone so that they’re looking for someone who COMPLIMENTS their life, not someone to COMPLETE it. I’m very proud to say that I’m happy all by myself – but I’m also open to love. I’m ready when the right person comes along, I think, but I’m also in no rush to find someone.

Describe your ideal Girls’ Night Out. In Orlando, I love getting a big group of girlfriends together and having a glass of wine at Luma, a restaurant we all really like in the area. It has a lovely bar, a great wine list and a cluster of sidewalk tables that are great for people-watching. In Los Angeles, where I spend a lot of time, I love getting my girlfriends Courtney Spanjers, Amy Tangerine, Robin Gage and Gillian Zucker together for a perfect cocktail at Katsuya, where my super-adorable friend Ryan Moore tends bar and has named a drink after me!

Kristin & Ryan

What’s the nicest thing a friend (or friends) have done for you? I have so many wonderful friends who have done so many sweet things; it’s nearly impossible to choose. Truly, I am so lucky; I think I have the absolute best friends in the world. My grandfather died recently, which just broke my heart (I was very close to him), and several of my friends really stepped forward to support me in ways that meant a lot. It’s just those sorts of little things – knowing that my friends care – that mean the most.

What do you do for “Kristin Time”? I have two kinds of “Kristin Time”:

1) I get up early, brew a big pot of coffee and write for hours, which makes me SO happy if I’m on a creative streak and;

2) If I’m just looking for a lazy night alone, I love making myself a little wine-tasting board – aged parmesan cheese, olives, sliced fresh baguette, dark chocolate – and settling down on my big, comfy couch to watch a chick flick (or some Sex and the City or True Blood reruns) with a glass of Little Black Dress Wine cabernet sauvignon, my favorite wine.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Be yourself. It was one of the things my mother used to stress all the time when I was a kid, feeling the pressures of conformity. She always used to tell me to stay true to me, even when doing so didn’t necessarily make me “cool.” I’ll always be grateful for that, because although I’m far from perfect, I like being me! Thanks, Mom!

What quality do you admire most in a man? True kindness. Not the kind that makes someone popular with a group, but the kind that extends to every level of his thinking. The type of kindness that makes someone thoughtful and genuinely nice, even when no one else is looking.

What quality do you admire most in a woman? At the risk of sounding repetitive, I think I’d also say genuine kindness. I think you can just tell – regardless of gender – when someone has a truly kind spirit.

Who are your real life heroes? My mom, who I think is the strongest person I know. My grandpa, who was always larger than life and who simply exuded warmth and love in everything he did (even when he was jokingly insulting me or someone else he cared about!). Martin Luther King Jr., and others who stand up for what is right, even when that’s not the easy choice.

What is your guilty pleasure? Eating dark chocolate with sea salt from World Market (thanks, Megan Crane, for getting me hooked on that!) while drinking red wine and watching Love Actually or Notting Hill for the thousandth time. Or taking the afternoon off work to go to Disney World.

What is your biggest fear? I’m terrified of cockroaches (ew….), and revolving doors freak me out a little (although I still use them!). On a more serious level, I’d say I fear dying before I’ve had the chance to do some of the things I’d love to do in life – like get married to someone I truly love, and have kids.

If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be?

Am I allowed to cross a few old relationships off the list? Pretty please?

Other than your own talents, what talent would you most like to have?

I would love to be able to sing without scaring or offending people.

What is your motto? Or what words do you live by?

“Be yourself.” – simple and powerful advice from my mom.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” — Mother Teresa

Italian For Beginners is available in www.single-woman.tv’s online store