While working to become published, Welsh joined the Romance Writers of America. Because of her own difficulties in reading, Welsh was interested in working on literacy projects. In 1996, she chaired the RWA's Readers for Life Literacy book signing. The same year, she received the RWA regional Service award for her work on literacy issues.
Welsh's first novel, For the Sake of Her Child, was published in 1998 by Harlequin's Steeple Hill imprint in their Love Inspired line of category romances. She has been nominated four times for Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards.
