Harlequin Romance Authors

New Anthologies

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:01:00 +0000

A few more holiday goodies are coming your way in the form of anthologies from Mills and Boon! Check these out for fab stories by some of the Romance line's best-loved authors!

Her Christmas Wedding Wish
Judy Christenberry
Workaholic Richard’s life is transformed when he becomes guardian to his orphaned nephew.
Molly, the boy’s pretty nurse, already loves the child and wants to make his Christmas special. But then she meets broodingly handsome Richard under the mistletoe…

Christmas Gift: A Family
Barbara Hannay
Wealthy bachelor Hugh is stunned to discover he has a daughter! Hugh hardly knows Jo Berry, but he pleads with her to help him become the father that his motherless child deserves. Jo realises they could give each other the ultimate Christmas gift!

Christmas on the Children’s Ward
Carol Marinelli
Nurse Eden hopes for only two things this Christmas. She wishes that the orphaned little boy in her care can have a real Christmas. And she wants consultant Nick Watson to notice her. Would Nick make both dreams come true?

The Yuletide Engagement
Carole Mortimer
When devastatingly handsome tycoon Patrick offers to take Ellie to her company’s Christmas party, she warily accepts. But, Ellie has to ask herself, what does a man like Patrick want with an ordinary girl like her?

The Doctor’s Christmas Bride
Sarah Morgan
Bryony Hunter is looking for a man. Jack Rothwell is a committed bachelor, but when he realises Bryony is seriously looking for someone – by Christmas! – Jack decides to help out…in his own special way.

Snowbound Reunion
Barbara McMahon
Cath knows she’s right to spend Christmas alone, far away from the city and her husband, Jake. Only Jake isn’t about to let his wife go so easily. He has one Christmas to tell her his secrets – and to fulfil her wildest dreams!

November Releases!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Montana, Mistletoe, Marriage by Patricia Thayer Donna Alward

Snowbound Cowboy by Patricia Thayer

Lone wolf Boone Gifford has spent years standing on the outside. Now he's looking at Christmas—through the window of beautiful Amelia's home. The snow falls hard—the stranded family needs help. It's time for the cowboy to step inside.

A Bride for Rocking H Ranch by Donna Alward

Kelley is rancher, housekeeper, doting sister to Amelia, granddaughter and aunt—and the stress of preparing the perfect Christmas at Rocking H ranch is getting to her. But distraction soon arrives in the form of delectable chef Mack Dennison….

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Crowned: The Palace Nanny by Marion Lennox

Raising the heir to the throne is nanny Elsa Murdoch's dream job—she loves little Princess Zoe and protects her like a lioness.

Enter magnificent Prince Stefanos!

Stefanos throws everything up in the air, and Elsa is not pleased. Yet suddenly she's required to attend royal banquets by his side, ditching her nanny uniform for gowns and jewels.

Is Elsa being transformed from hired help to Her Royal Highness?

Read Excerpt

Christmas Angel for the Billionaire by Liz Fielding

Annie needs a break from being the "nation's angel." Her high-profile charity work means the media spotlight follows her every step. So leaving her aristocratic title behind her, Annie goes undercover…and meets brooding businessman George Saxon. They form an unlikely relationship—until George discovers Annie's been hiding her true self from him all along!

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The Magic of a Family Christmas by Susan Meier

With her little foster son Harry to care for, Christmas suddenly sparkles again for secretary Wendy Winston. The only fly in the ointment is Cullen Barrington. He's her boss, yet insists on playing the part of Scrooge!

When they are all stranded together in an ice storm, Wendy sets about showing them just how magical a family Christmas can be….

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Cowboy Daddy, Jingle-Bell Baby by Linda Goodnight

On a dusty Texas roadside Jenna Garwood has just gone into labor. Hardheaded rancher Dax comes to her rescue and delivers her baby daughter. Single dad Dax knows what it's like to raise a newborn alone, and won't turn his back on Jenna—so he offers her a housekeeping job.

But he's not prepared for the fireworks between them, or for Jenna's secret, which could shatter their hard-won trust….

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Under the Boss's Mistletoe by Jessica Hart

In high school, Jake Trevelyan was Cassie Grey's dream rebel. He surfed, rode a motorbike—now he's her new boss!

It's events planner Cassie's job to transform Jake's mansion into a snow-kissed wedding venue. Not to relive her old fantasy they're the ones getting married.

Posing as the happy couple for a publicity photo shoot, Cassie pinches herself as Jake leans in for a showstopping kiss…but it's just for the cameras, isn't it?

Read Excerpt

Foreign Releases - October

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:44:00 +0000

Pasión en la India (TRAMA: MAS QUE AMIGOS) por Nicola Marsh
Próxima parada: ¿una proposición de ensueño?

Decidida a olvidar la infidelidad de su difunto marido y recuperar la confianza en sí misma, Tamara Rayne se marchó a la India para hacer el viaje de su vida. El amor no estaba incluido en el itinerario, así que apenas se dio cuenta de que Ethan Brooks se subía al tren.

El inconformista empresario había deseado a Tamara desde que la conoció, pero nunca se había acercado a ella porque era la mujer de su socio. Ahora, bajo el brillante sol de la India, Ethan decidió que ya había esperado demasiado.

TRISH WYLIE / MYRNA MacKENZIE

SZMARAGDOWA WYSPA
LOS NA LOTERII

Trish Wylie - Szmaragdowa wyspa

Keelin przyjeżdża na irlandzką wyspę, by wyjaśnić ważne rodzinne sprawy. Dzięki poznanej prawdzie całkowicie zmienia zdanie na temat swojej matki. To jednak nie koniec niespodzianek. Tajemnice z przeszłości wyjawia jej mężczyzna, którego widywała w snach...

Myrna Mackenzie - Los na loterii

Beth podejmuje pracę jako asystentka zamożnego przedsiębiorcy. Między nią a szefem szybko pojawia się uczucie. Choć on jest bogaty, a ona biedna, to wzajemna fascynacja jest silniejsza. Takiego mezaliansu nie akceptuje jednak rodzina milionera...

O bebé da noiva por Liz Fielding

Toda a gente falava da noiva! Sylvie Smith estava a organizar um casamento espectacular numa casa solarenga, porém, acabou por interpretar o papel de noiva… uma noiva grávida de cinco meses! Talvez todas as raparigas sonhassem com um casamento sem precisarem de pensar nas despesas, mas Sylvie não. Longbourne Court fora o lar dos seus antepassados, contudo, acabava de descobrir que o novo proprietário era Tom MacFarlane, o homem que, embora não soubesse, era o pai do seu bebé. Agora Tom estava diante dela, a olhar para a sua barriga enorme...

Ett litet mirakel av Barbara McMahon

Livet handlar om att göra val, men ibland väljer livet åt oss.

Anna är karriärkvinnan som jobbat hårt och klättrat högt. Utåt sett verkar hon både lyckad och lycklig, men Anna bär på en stor sorg: hon kan inte få barn. Eller, det är åtminstone vad hon tror … För snart visar det sig att illamåendet hon drabbats av inte beror på ett virus, som hon först trodde, utan på ett mirakel. Men trots lyckan ställs tillvaron helt på ända, inte minst eftersom pappan till barnet är Tanner Forsythe, mannen som krossade hennes hjärta – och tillika hennes nye chef …

I din kyss av Jessica Hart

I nöd … och lust.

Det som bara skulle ha varit ett affärsmässigt äktenskap förvandlas när Mallorys nyblivne make ärver ett fallfärdigt slott i Skottland. Han bestämmer sig för att flytta dit och restaurera den gamla byggnaden – och han förväntar sig att Mallory ska följa med …

När Angus byter ut finkostymen mot ett par slitna jeans, kavlar upp ärmarna och skrider till verket förvandlas den självupptagne mannen och blir i Mallorys ögon helt oemotståndlig. Till sin stora fasa inser hon att hon är på väg att bryta deras överenskommelse och falla … för sin egen man!

NELLA SUITE DEL CAPO di ALWARD DONNA

Nessun uomo, per quanto affascinante, potrebbe distogliere Mariella dal lavoro. Neanche il suo nuovo, irresistibile capo, con quei modi da consumato playboy e quel sorriso da infarto!

Il Grand Hotel Fiori Cascade è diventato come una seconda casa per Mariella Ross. L'incarico di direttrice le ha regalato grandi soddisfazioni, permettendole di gettarsi alle spalle i dispiaceri del passato. Per questo non ha alcuna intenzione di permettere al nuovo, arrogante manager di rovinare tutto ciò che ha costruito con tanta fatica! Irritante quanto irresistibile, il magnate degli hotel Luca Fiori sembra deciso a fare breccia nel cuore della sua dipendente con atteggiamenti da esperto seduttore. Be', tanto peggio per lui: Mariella non cadrà nella sua trappola né tanto meno accetterà un romantico invito nella sua suite da mille e una notte.

Mariée à un milliardaire, Shirley Jump

Lorsqu'elle fait la connaissance de Kane Lennox, venu assister au mariage de sa soeur, Susannah Wilson est séduite : attentionné, drôle et terriblement sexy, celui-ci a tout de l'homme idéal. Mais, curieusement, au fil de leurs rendez-vous, il se montre réticent à lui parler de lui, de sa vie à New York, de ses projets... Comme s'il avait l'intention de la tenir à distance et de disparaître de son existence après ce bref intermède amoureux...

L'héritier des Rinucci, Lucy Gordon

Venue spécialement jusqu'à Naples pour rencontrer Ruggiero Rinucci, l'ancien amant de sa cousine aujourd'hui disparue, Polly ne peut s'empêcher de ressentir une légère appréhension... et pour cause ! La nouvelle qu'elle s'apprête à lui annoncer va nécessairement bouleverser son existence de play-boy insouciant : il est le père de Matthew, un petit garçon de deux ans...

Mais, loin de se désintéresser de l'enfant, comme elle l'attendait, Ruggiero déclare vouloir n'en vouloir s'occuper de l'enfant et l'embaucher, elle, comme baby-sitter à plein temps. Un projet que la jeune femme a de bonnes raisons de ne pouvoir accepter...

Prince malgré lui, Barbara Mcmahon

Quand le prince Marique confie à Clarissa la délicate mission de convaincre son petit-fils Jean Antoine Leblanc, unique héritier du trône exilé aux Etats-Unis, de lui succéder, la jeune femme ne doute pas de son succès. Mais lorsqu'elle rencontre enfin le prince Jean Antoine - qui se fait désormais appeler Jake White - celui-ci lui annonce tout de suite qu'il n'a pas la moindre intention de gouverner.

D'abord agacée par ce refus, Clarissa découvre très vite que sous ses manières rudes et désagréables, Jean Antoine est en réalité terriblement séduisant dont elle ne tarde pas à tomber amoureuse. Hélas, Jake s'obstine à refuser de la suivre, et Clarissa, désemparée, sent la panique la gagner : si elle ne trouve pas un argument décisif, elle échouera dans sa mission et perdra du même coup l'homme qu'elle aime.

Μια Στενή Συνεργασία - Jennie Adams

Ο Γκρέι Μπάρλοου κατάλαβε από την πρώτη στιγμή ότι η Σοφία Γκέιμπλ ήταν ιδιαίτερη περίπτωση. Με τα ζωηρόχρωμα ρούχα της, τον κεφάτο χαρακτήρα της, το χιούμορ και τη ζωντάνια της, ήταν ακριβώς το αντίθετο από τον εργασιομανή Γκρέι. Ίσως είχε κάνει μεγάλο λάθος που την είχε προσλάβει…

Η Σοφία είχε αρκετό άγχος για την πρώτη της δουλειά ως προσωρινή γραμματέας και οικονόμος· το μόνο που της έλειπε ήταν να ερωτευτεί τον εργοδότη της! Όμως αυτός ο άντρας είχε μια ξεχωριστή γοητεία που την τραβούσε σαν μαγνήτης.

Ίσως αυτό που χρειαζόταν για να χαλαρώσει ο βλοσυρός, επιφυλακτικός Γκρέι ήταν ακριβώς μια γυναίκα σαν κι εκείνη!

EIN BABY ZU WEIHNACHTEN von: KATE HARDY

Jodie verbringt heiß verliebte, romantische Weihnachtstage mit Sam. Der attraktive Arzt ist ihr absoluter Traummann – mit ihm will sie eine Familie gründen! Ihr Glück scheint perfekt, bis Sam ihr gesteht: Ihren Wunsch nach einem Baby kann er nicht erfüllen …

DREI WORTE NUR ZUM FEST DER LIEBE von: LYNNE GRAHAM

Will Rocco Volpe sie nur heiraten, weil er der Vater ihres Kindes ist?, fragt Amber sich verzweifelt, als ihr der charismatische Bankier kurz vor Weihnachten einen spontanen Antrag macht. Denn noch immer wartet sie vergeblich auf Worte der Liebe …

HOCHZEIT UNTER DEM MISTELZWEIG von: JESSICA HART

„Komm unter den Mistelzweig!“ So überraschend leidenschaftlich küsst Sophies bester Freund Bram sie plötzlich, dass er die köstlichsten Gefühle in ihr erweckt. Wird etwa doch noch ihre heimliche Sehnsucht wahr: eine Traumhochzeit am Fest der Liebe?

AMBA 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:09:00 +0000

Each year the Association of Mills and Boon Authors get together for a posh lunch in London. Editors and other guests from Mills and Boon also attend and it's quite the event. This year Romance author Fiona Harper attended and has been gracious enough to give us a full account!

Every year I look forward to the Association of Mills & Boon Authors lunch. It’s a chance to get out of my writing uniform (tracksuit bottoms and old T-shirts, or possibly pyjamas), dress up and meet other people who love doing the same thing I do – writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon.

This year we met up at Tutton’s restaurant in Covent Garden. Since I was a bit early, I wandered round the shops for a bit (how much for a cup of coffee!?) and then made my way to my destination. I found fellow authors Kate Hardy, Caroline Anderson, Michelle Styles and Josie Metcalfe drinking coffee and chatting outside and joined them. It was a great way to start the day, sitting in the warm sunshine of a September afternoon, watching the people bustle around one of London’s top tourist spots, and discussing heroes and plots and generally having a good old gossip.

This year we had some extra guests for the event. Documentary film-maker Julie Mogan has been working on a programme about Mills & Boon for well over a year now and she and her camera operator and sound technician were busy filming snippets of the action. It was rather disconcerting to be screeching greetings to friends I hadn’t seen in ages, only to discover a fluffy boom microphone above my head. I do hope I didn’t say anything too daft. But, well, it was me, so I probably did.

Here’s some of the ‘Modern Heat’ girls: Heidi Rice, Kate Hardy and new signing Lucy King.

I foolishly also agreed to do a ‘vox pop’ for the film crew while we were all greeting each other and chatting before lunch was ready. Just tell us the name of your latest book, the name of your hero and what the book’s about, they told me. Now I know how people on those blooper shows feel. Honestly, how could I forget the title of my own book? My only prayer is that my bit will be totally unuseable, or that everybody else was much more eloquent and breezy than I was, and I won’t have to watch myself on TV sometime next summer with a cushion over my face. (I’ll be watching with a cushion over my face, I mean. They didn’t film me with a cushion over my face, although I’m wishing now they had…)

After that trauma, I was pleased to go downstairs into the vaulted dining rooms in Tutton’s cellar for lunch. I have to say, the food was gorgeous! The starter was gravadlax with potato salad and a honey and grain mustard dressing. The main course was a delicious chicken breast in a lovely sauce with Greek salad, and the pudding was strawberry and vanilla crème brulée. Sigh. My tummy was very happy after all that lovely food.

After dinner Guy Hallowes, M&B’s Managing Director, who is retiring, gave a short speech and received a small gift from AMBA for speaking. We also had reports from Claire Sommerville giving us the heads-up on all that’s been happening in the marketing department and Tim Cooper telling us about Mills & Boon’s progress in the digital arena. Apparently, Mills & Boons are the best selling eBooks in the UK!

It all wound up with the Mills & Boon champagne toast to the authors...all in all a lovely day to put on a bit of glamour!

October Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:20:00 +0000

The Frenchman's Plain-Jane Project by Myrna Mackenzie

Etienne Gavard is top dog in the business of saving companies, but this latest acquisition has him stumped. With hundreds of livelihoods on the line, he calls in help from an unconventional source….

Meg Leighton has spent her life feeling invisible. She makes the coffee, not important business decisions. She can't believe her seriously sexy boss now needs her expertise!

They strike a deal: she'll tell him everything she knows and he'll inject a little French chic into her wardrobe—and a little confidence into her life…?

Read Excerpt

Betrothed: To the People's Prince by Marion Lennox

Nikos Andreadis is the prince of people's hearts, but the crown of Argyros now belongs to Princess Athena, so he puts his kingdom first and brings the reluctant royal back from America.

Seeing beautiful Athena again brings back memories of their forbidden affair that Nikos thought he'd buried. But more shocking is the secret Athena's been carrying…

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The Gree k's Long-Lost Son by Rebecca Winters

Self-made millionaire Theo Pantheras has pulled himself up by the bootstraps, so he can have anything his heart desires. There is just one thing he wants: his long-lost son.

Theo is no longer from the wrong side of the tracks and isn't the wild boy Stella Athas fell in love with six years ago, but seeing him again rocks her ordered world.

Stella wants Theo to know he broke her heart, but first there's a little someone he has to meet…

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The Bridesmaid's Baby by Barbara Hannay

Getting noticed by the gorgeous best man is every bridesmaid's dream. Especially if he's her old crush. Lucy McKenty knows she should be wary of Will Carruthers. All she wants is to finally settle down and have a family—and that's a far cry from this globe-trotting wanderer's life plan….

Caught up in the swirl of confetti and romance, Lucy finds herself in Will's arms. Discovering she's pregnant thrills her—but is Will going to stay to meet his baby?

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A Princess for Christmas by Shirley Jump

Bulldozing his way into sleepy Harborside, Jake laughs in the face of the local opposition, but is stopped in his tracks by fiery Italian Mariabella Santaro.

To protect the community that has treated her like a daughter and kept her secret, Mariabella will have to help Jake fall in love with the place—fast. For in Mariabella's stocking there aren't candy canes and chocolates—there's a diamond tiara and a plane ticket to the palace!

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His Housekeeper Bride by Melissa James

Australian tycoon Mark Hannaford closed himself off from the world after losing his wife…until Sylvie Browning waltzed into his home. He hired the gutsy gal to bring order to his life. Instead she brought chaos and laughter.

Read Excerpt

Special Treats!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0000

The holiday season is just around the corner, and that means some special releases from Harlequin and Mills and Boon. They've started showing up already, so we thought we'd pique your interest with a bit of what's coming up:

Happy Birthday Harlequin! Part of their celebrations includes their Vintage Collection. What fun!

Kiss Your Elbow

by Alan Handley

In the theater, reality and make-believe blend so intimately that Tim Briscoe was convinced that he was playing the role of detective when he stumbled upon the lifeless form of Nellie Brant. But the corpse was real, even though everything and everybody else seemed fictitious.There was the elusive man who wore dark glasses, the actress who chose sudden death as the background for an audition, the ex–silent-film star who stooged on quiz shows for his daily bottle, and Maggie, who loved him but didn't believe in the effect of too many Scotches.This backstage mystery was written by a man who knew the theatrical world inside out. The characters and scenes are as authentic as Variety, as real as a closing notice. Available HERE.

In keeping with the vintage look, check out The Christmas Treasury of Romance coming from Mills and Boon!

SPECIAL RELEASES October 2009

Mills & Boon Christmas Treasury of Romance

Spend Christmas with a millionaire magnate, fall in love with a Regency rake, or become the wife of a billionaire… Just some of the wonderfully romantic short stories in this collection, chosen especially for you by the expert editors at Mills & Boon. And with exciting extras, you can find out all about the authors you love! Featuring: Lucy Monroe, Heidi Rice, Liz Fielding, Julia James and many, many more…

Get it HERE.

Check out Romance's RITA award winning author Jessica Hart, along with superstars Betty Neels and Debbie Macomber in Sleigh Bells and Wedding Rings!

SPECIAL RELEASES October 2009

The special gift of love at Christmas

The Silver Thaw - Betty Neels

Pretty nurse Amelia Crosbie had never met a more infuriating man than Gideon van der Tolck! As the Christmas season drew nearer, the handsome doctor seemed determined to make someone his bride – but surely it couldn’t be Amelia?

The Christmas Basket - Debbie Macomber

Former sweethearts Noelle and Thom can have a second chance at love – if only they can close the bitter rift between their families with the spirit of forgiveness.

Mistletoe Marriage - Jessica Hart

A wedding could be the answer to all Sophie’s problems. But Sophie’s feelings for her convenient fiancé can’t be hidden. Her deepest wish is that they should say “I do” – for real!

Three classic Christmas romances!

A few Romance authors have some Silhouette re-issues coming up - your favourite authors such as Lucy Gordon, Cara Colter, Myrna McKenzie... if you go to their Special Releases page, you can see what's up for grabs!

And stay tuned - beginning in October, there are lots of holiday stories coming your way from Romance!

Foreign Releases - September

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Lluvia en el corazón por Donna Alward

Un trabajo de ensueño... ¡y un impresionante jefe italiano!

Mariella Ross había logrado construirse una nueva vida en el hotel Fiori Cascade y no iba a permitir que la horrible actitud de su nuevo jefe interrumpiera su duro trabajo… aunque el encanto y la sonrisa de Luca Fiori le hicieran sentir mariposas en el estómago.

Luca empezó a mostrarle un aspecto de la vida que Mari casi había olvidado. Superar su oscuro pasado no sería fácil, pero con Luca a su lado comenzó a pensar que todo era posible.

MARION LENNOX ALLY BLAKE

ODZYSKANA NARZECZONA ZAMEK W CHMURACHN

Marion Lennox - Odzyskana narzeczona

Shanni traci właśnie swą galerię sztuki, toteż zgadza się zaopiekować dzieckiem swego przyszywanego kuzyna Pierce’a. Tymczasem w jego domu czeka na nią aż pięcioro dzieci! Czy Pierce jest kompletnie nieodpowiedzialny? A może to wyjątkowo szlachetny i dobry człowiek?

Ally Blake – Zamek w chmurachBrooke dowiaduje się, że jej niedawno zmarły mąż, sławny sportowiec, przepuścił cały ich majątek. Brooke zostaje sama z dwójką dzieci. Były agent jej męża, Danny, proponuje im, by tymczasowo zamieszkali w jego rezydencji. Okazuje się, że Danny kocha Brooke od lat...

Uma razão para viver (Minissérie:Segredos por desvendar) - Jackie Braun

Só tinham estado casados um dia… mas toda a vida se tinham amado…

Claire Mayfield conhecera Ethan Seaver muito nova e ingénua. O seu apaixonado romance acabara em Las Vegas num casamento apressado que devia ser o início de uma vida em conjunto.

Todavia os segredos e as mentiras não demoraram a afastá-los e, anos depois, o casamento de ambos era somente uma lembrança. Pelo menos, era o que devia ser, mas Claire nunca esquecera Ethan. Por isso decidiu ir à procura do seu marido e tentar mudar as suas vidas para sempre…

En underbar gåva av Barbara McMahon

Annalise blir chockad när hon inser att hon är gravid, men fylls också av en himlastormande glädje. Hon vet ingenting om barn, men med Dominic vid sin sida ska det säkert gå bra, det är hon övertygad om. Dessvärre reagerar han inte på det sätt hon hoppats …

Dominic har en hemlighet som gör att barn inte ingår i hans framtidsplaner. Och samtidigt som han längtar efter att dela sin älskade frus babylycka, fruktar han att historien nu är på väg att upprepas. Ska han kunna lägga det förgångna bakom sig och satsa på kärleken – och en liten familj på tre …?

Förtrollad sommar av Barbara Hannay

Plötsligt bröts sommarmorgonens stillhet av ett kallt, metalliskt klick. Nell kände Jacobs hjärta dunka mot hennes. I skuggan under träden stod hennes pappa, röd i ansiktet av raseri. Han lyfte ett gevär och siktade …

En sommarromans i tonåren resulterar i ett litet barn som Nells föräldrar tvingar henne att adoptera bort. Tjugo år senare träffas Nell och Jacob på nytt när de får veta att de blivit morföräldrar till en liten pojke som behöver dem. Kan ett barn väcka kärlek till liv på nytt?

LA STAGIONE DEI FIORI D'ARANCIO di MEIER SUSAN

Sognate ancora due scarpette di cristallo che vi regalino la storia più romantica della vostra vita? Con un AMORE DA FAVOLA anche un paio di eleganti décolleté possono bastare, purché siate disposte ad abbandonare ogni timore e a lasciarvi andare alle emozioni più profonde.

Dopo l'ennesimo "incidente" con un'assistente pronta a tutto pur di trascinarlo all'altare, l'affascinante e facoltoso Jeb Worthington ha deciso di non fidarsi più delle donne, soprattutto se belle e sensuali come Sophie Penazzi, la sua nuova collaboratrice. Tuttavia, c'è qualcosa in lei che la rende diversa da tutte le ragazze che ha conosciuto in passato. Sarà la dolcezza del suo sguardo o la soavità della sua voce, ma la presenza di Sophie sembra capace di illuminare la vita di Jeb in un modo che lui non aveva mai creduto possibile.

Une nouvelle vie pour Julia, Caroline Anderson

Epuisée par le rythme que lui impose Max, son mari, un bourreau de travail dont elle est la plus proche collaboratrice, Julia lui annonce un jour que cette existence ne lui convient plus. Hélas, Max réagit mal, et lui laisse entendre à la jeune femme qu'il favorisera toujours sa carrière et ne souhaite faire aucune concession. Devant tant d'incompréhension, Julia, bouleversée, quitte le domicile conjugal... avant de découvrir, quelques jours plus tard, qu'elle est enceinte...

Lucy Gordon: Kalitkába zárva

A csinos Holly szabadságát tölti Olaszországban, és jóhiszeműen vállalja, hogy eljuttat egy csomagot Londonba. Kisvártatva rádöbben, hogy nyomában a rendőrség. Matteo Falluci bíró a segítségére siet, de cserébe azt kéri, hogy Holly költözzön oda fényűző villájába, és gondoskodjon anyátlan kislányáról, Lizáról. Hollynak nincs sok választási lehetősége, elfogadja az ajánlatot, és beköltözik az „aranykalitkába”. Hamar hangot talál Lizával, de nyomasztja Matteo hideg távolságtartása, annál is inkább, mivel ő napról napra jobban vonzódik a férfihoz. Ám Holly nem olyan lány, aki egykönnyen feladja…

WAGNIS DER LIEBE von: JESSICA HART

Ein alleinerziehender Vater? Nie wieder! Das hat Perdita sich nach einer schmerzlichen Trennung fest geschworen. Nur kannte sie da Edward Merrick noch nicht. Wider Willen muss sie sich eingestehen, dass der attraktive Vater von drei Kindern sie wie magisch anzieht. Trotzdem zeigt sie ihm nach einem ersten zärtlichen Kuss die kalte Schulter – hin- und hergerissen zwischen ihrer Sehnsucht nach einer neuen Liebe und der Angst, erneut verlassen zu werden. Bis sie schließlich erkennt: Manchmal muss man etwas wagen, um dem Glück eine Chance zu geben …

September Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Keeping Her Baby's Secret by Raye Morgan

"You can count on me. You don't have to be alone."

Diana Collins can't believe she's hearing these words from her former secret crush, Cameron Van Kirk. Popular, gorgeous and from the richest family in town, he was always out of her league.

Now Cameron's back after ten years, and he's telling Diana—who is pregnant and alone—that he wants to help her.His duty is to his family dynasty. Hers is to her baby, whose secret she's keeping. What's Diana to do?

Read Excerpt

Claimed: Secret Royal Son by Marion Lennox

For just one night, sensible Lily McLachlan had thrown caution to the wind and fallen into Prince Alexandros's arms.

A year later, Alex wants to claim his secret royal son, and Lily's hand. Lily is faced with becoming Alex's convenient bride when all she really wants is her prince's heart….

Read Excerpt

Expecting Miracle Twins by Barbara Hannay

After agreeing to be a surrogate mother for her best friends, Mattie Carey can't wait to give them the biggest gift of all. She's put aside her dreams of finding Mr. Right and has set her mind on her new role.

Moving to Sydney, the last person Mattie expects to meet is her perfect man. Jake Devlin, her temporary flatmate, is cheeky, charming, intriguing… But it's so not the right time for Mattie to fall in love….

Read Excerpt

Memo: The Billionaire's Proposal by Melissa McClone

· Remember why you turned him down all those years ago: because infamous playboys like Drake Llewelyn are trouble with a capital T!

· He plays to win. You can't afford to take a gamble on love and lose, no matter how much he says he's changed.

· So arm yourself against his movie-star looks, devastating charm, intoxicating smile…

Oh, no! This is going to be so much harder than I thought!

Read Excerpt

A Trip with the Tycoon by Nicola Marsh

Determined to forget her husband's infidelity and bring her confident, fiery self back, Tamara Rayne is in India on a trip of a lifetime. Love isn't on her itinerary, so she hardly notices when blast from her past Ethan Brooks boards her train….

The maverick entrepreneur has wanted Tamara ever since he met her. Under the shimmer of the Indian sun, Ethan decides he's waited long enough….

Read Excerpt

Invitation to the Boss's Ball by Fiona Harper

Alice's plain-Jane world is turned upside down when she's hired to organize tycoon Cameron Hunter's company ball.

She's shocked by an invitation on her doormat, and the next thing she knows, she's dancing in her oh-so-delicious boss's arms in a stunning dress!

Alice knows that on Monday morning everything will go back to normal. But for now, she's going to enjoy every second….

Read excerpt

Foreign Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:18:00 +0000

El jardinero y la princesa (Miniserie: HEREDEROS ITALIANOS)

Por Rebecca Winters

Ambos buscaban el amor verdadero

La princesa Regina Vittorio se marcharía pronto de su adorado reino de Castelmare para convertirse en la reina de otro país. Gina había dedicado su vida a los deberes propios de su cargo, pero a medida que el día de su boda se iba acercando, sólo deseaba pasar un momento más con el hombre al que verdaderamente amaba.

El jardinero real Dizo Fornese había sido testigo de cómo la princesa Regina se transformaba en una belleza, igual que las rosas que él cuidaba en palacio. Sabía que ella era intocable, pero aún le quedaba una oportunidad de arriesgarlo todo y reclamar a su princesa.

BARBARA McMAHON NICOLA MARSH

DRUGA MIŁOŚĆ CENNY SPADEK

Barbara McMahon: DRUGA MIŁOŚĆ

Laura, właścicielka znanej galerii, szykuje wystawę prac zmarłego narzeczonego. Nie ceniła Jordana jako artysty, zawiódł ją również jako partner, ale wierzy, że w ten sposób ostatecznie pożegna się z przeszłością. Właśnie wtedy wkracza w jej życie bliźniaczy brat Jordana, Jed...

Nicola Marsh: CENNY SPADEK

Życie Rileya jest podporządkowane karierze zawodowej, nie ma w nim miejsca na rodzinę. Może dlatego opieka nad narzeczoną i dzieckiem brata wydaje mu się początkowo jedynie uciążliwym obowiązkiem. Jednak im więcej czasu im poświęca, tym bardziej docenia rodzinne więzy...

A noiva do aristocrata por Michelle Douglas

De mãe solteira a senhora de uma mansão!

Lorde Simon Morton-Blake, um bonito aristocrata inglês, não queria ter uma relação séria com ninguém na Austrália, sobretudo com uma mãe solteira como Kate Petherbridge. Porém, Simon não podia negar a atracção que sentia por Kate, uma mulher cheia de vida, nem dizer-lhe que não, por isso ofereceu-lhe a sua casa para ficar.

Em contacto com a alegre família de Kate, as posturas rígidas de Simon foram-se suavizando a pouco e pouco. Simon nunca fizera parte de uma família feliz, no entanto começava a aperceber-se de que, afinal, havia uma família que o receberia de braços abertos.

SOGNI A LUME DI CANDELA di HARPER FIONA
http://www.ilpartnerperfetto.com/

Tre amiche, tre dolci storie romantiche
e un unico lieto fine:
le nozze con l'uomo perfetto.

Grace Marlowe non si è mai sentita tanto imbarazzata. Qualcuno, a sua insaputa, l'ha iscritta al sito www.ilpartnerperfetto.com e ora ha un appuntamento al buio con uno sconosciuto!

L'imbarazzo, però, dura lo spazio di un attimo. Noah Frost, l'uomo selezionato come suo compagno ideale, è infatti alto, bellissimo e con uno sguardo seducente capace di sciogliere anche il cuore più gelido. Persino la sua compagnia è elettrizzante, e la serata penosa e sgradevole che Grace aveva immaginato sta per trasformarsi nell'evento più romantico di tutta la sua vita!

Lucy Gordon: Kalitkába zárva

WITTE ROZEN / EEN ZAAK VAN GELUK
ALLY BLAKE, SHIRLEY JUMP

Witte rozen

Siena lééft voor haar werk - voor een vaste relatie voelt ze niets. Wanneer ze voor een belangrijk sollicitatiegesprek terugkeert naar haar geboorteplaats, ontmoet ze daar de o zo serieuze huisvader James en zijn zoontje Kane. James is duidelijk gecharmeerd van haar, en zij voelt zich ook tot hém aangetrokken. Maar kan ze voor deze lieve zorgzame man haar vrijheid en carrière opgeven?

Een zaak van geluk

Omdat ze zelf niet bepaald een gelukkige jeugd heeft gehad, besluit Carolyn mee te doen aan een prohject voor kansarme kinderen. Tot haar schrik staat haar jeugdzonde, met wie ze jaren geleden een huwelijk van vier dagen heeft gehad, ineens in levenden lijve voor haar. Hij is net als zij advocaat en deelnemer aan het project. Het weerzien is des te schokkender omdat het waar blijkt te zijn wat ze zeggen: oude liefde roest niet!

Free Online Read!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:28:00 +0000

Great news! In September, Nicola Marsh has a release titled A Trip With The Tycoon. Now you can read a free "prequel" to that story at Eharlequin - Nicola's Online Read One Indian Summer!

There is a new chapter every week - the first chapter is up now! Here's a teaser:

Once upon a time in Goa, a lovely maid dreamed of finding romance and adventure, just like in her beloved Bollywood films…

Khushi longs to escape the boredom of her life as a hotel housekeeper, but she learned long ago never to believe in dreams. So when she stumbles—literally!—upon a handsome Australian tourist with flashing eyes and a way with words, she knows the sparks between them can come to nothing.

With one week left in his yearlong tour of India, Harrison Rayne is not looking for romance. But he can’t deny the special connection he feels to the beautiful Khushi, and soon he knows they are meant to be together forever! Can he convince her that love at first sight happens in real life, too?

Don't miss this great read - go HERE to read chapter one!

Great news and a new home

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:12:00 +0000

First of all, congratulations to Romance author Marion Lennox. Marion also writes Medicals, and her book His Island Bride took the R*by Award for Sweet Short at the Romance Writers of Australia conference this past weekend.

Next, you'll see on the right sidebar a place where it says to visit our eharlequin blog - that's because your favourite authors are now blogging several times a week at eharlequin.com! You can click on that link to get there or just click here, and there's the option to subscribe in as well. It's a lot of fun and today you get to see a very different side of Romance author Fiona Harper!

Join us for blogs on our newest releases, day to day fun and definitely lots of surprises.

And come back here for up to date news on what's happening at Harlequin Romance!

August Author Post: Behind the Scenes of Bachelor Dad On Her Doorstep

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Please welcome Michelle Douglas!

The initial spark for a story can come from anywhere – from daydreams (from night-time dreams too, for that matter), a news story, overheard snatches of conversation, a picture, a song. The inspiration for Bachelor Dad On Her Doorstep came from a setting: the Australian Blue Mountains where I spent a week on a writers’ retreat.

Actually now I think about it, it wasn’t really inspiration – I didn’t have a sudden vision or a revelation that brought the book to life for me, and the story certainly didn’t arrive fully formed. It’s just... I enjoyed my week in the mountains so much that I was determined to set my next book there. It’s hard to map the genesis of a book, but I’ll try and give you some idea of the process involved for this particular story.

Would you like the true version or the pretty one?

Hmm... I was afraid you’d say that. Well, for what it’s worth, the as true as I can make it version of how I came to write this book...

Bachelor Dad On Her Doorstep is a coming-home story because the town where I stayed – Katoomba – reminded me of the town where I grew up. Now, sure, this area is a tourist hotspot, but there’s not an overabundance of jobs. From what I could see there were a lot of disaffected youth in the town. This impression led to... What if I was one of these disaffected youth? What would I do? What if I left then returned years later, what would I see? Ooh, minor light bulb moment – What if I made my heroine a former disaffected youth of the area?

I stayed in Katoomba but my favourite place in the mountains is Leura – seriously cute, plus it has one of my all-time favourite bookshops. So I based my fictitious town of Clara Falls on Leura (hey, I wanted to write about the gorgeous town rather than the gritty one). And as it’s a coming-home story, the reason I gave for my heroine coming home is to run her mother’s (wait for it...) bookshop. (Yes I know this is not a huge leap, but remember... you’re getting the real story, not the pretty one).

Okay, that’s the heroine taken care of. Now for the hero. Well if this is a coming-home story he has to be someone from her past. I love characters who have a history. So, I set about giving them plenty of history. Yep, oodles of history – angsty, heartbreaky history. Hmm, this is a romance too though, don’t forget to give them points of connection. Umm... (brain ticking over and over). I know! There are lots of gorgeous art galleries in these mountains, probably as a result of all those gorgeous views. So I made my heroine and hero, each in their own way, artists.
Suddenly my story had the exact flavour I wanted for it – scenes came rushing into my head, brain synapses fired and I knew I was ready to write. I know I’ve made the process sound more ordered and organic than it really was (not to mention speedy); and honesty impels me to add that it wasn’t always an easy book to write. But I love my characters and this book will always remind me of the magical week I spent in the mountains.

READ AN EXCERPT:

‘This place was never the same after you left.’

Mrs Lavender's voice hauled Jaz back. She gave a short laugh. 'I can believe that.'
Those dark eyes, shrewd with age, surveyed her closely. 'You did the right thing, you know. Leaving.'

No, she hadn't. What she'd done had led directly to her mother's death. She'd left and she'd sworn to never come back. It had broken her mother's heart. She'd hold herself responsible for that till the day she died. And she'd hold Connor responsible too. If he'd believed in Jaz, like he'd always sworn he would, Jaz would never have had to leave.

She would never have had to stay away.

Stop it!

She shook herself. She hadn't returned to Clara Falls for vengeance. Do unto others…that had been Frieda's creed. She would do Frieda Harper proud. She'd save the bookshop, then she'd sell it to someone other than Gordon Sears, then she'd leave, and this time she would never come back.

'You always were a good girl, Jaz. And smart.'

It hadn't been smart to believe Connor's promises.

She shook off the thought and pulled her mind back, to find Mrs Lavender smiling at her broadly. 'How long are you staying?'

'Twelve months.' She'd had to give herself a time limit—it was the only thing that would keep her sane. She figured it'd take a full twelve months to see the bookshop safe again.

'Well, I think it's time you took yourself off and got to work, dear.' Mrs Lavender pointed across the road. 'I think you'll find there's a lot to do.'

Jaz followed the direction of Mrs Lavender's hand, and that was when she saw and understood the reason behind the tradesman's van parked out the front of the bookshop. The muscles in her shoulders, her back, her stomach, all tightened. The minor repairs on the building were supposed to have been finished last week. The receptionist for the building firm Richard had hired had promised faithfully.

A pulse pounded behind her eyes. 'Frieda's Fiction Fair'—the sign on the bookshop's awning—was being replaced. With…

'Jaz's Joint'!

She shot to her feet. Her lip curled. Her nose curled. Inside her boots, even her toes curled. She'd requested that the sign be freshened up. Not… Not… She fought the instinct to bolt across the road and topple the sign-writer and his ladder to the ground.

'I'll be seeing you then, shall I, Jazmin?'

With an effort, she unclenched her teeth. 'Absolutely, Mrs Lavender.'

She forced herself to take three deep breaths, and only then did she step off the kerb of the island. She would sort this out like the adult she was, not the teenager she had been.

She made her way across the road and tried not to notice how firm her offending tradesman's butt looked in form-fitting jeans or how the power of those long, long legs were barely disguised by soft worn denim. In fact, in some places the denim was so worn…

The teenager she'd once been wouldn't have noticed. That girl had only had eyes for Connor. But the woman she was now…

Stop ogling!

She stopped by the ladder and glanced up. Then took an involuntary step backwards at the sudden clench of familiarity. The sign-writer's blond-tipped hair…

It fell in the exact same waves as—

Her heart lodged in her throat, leaving an abyss in her chest. Get a grip. Don't lose it now. The familiarity had to be a trick of the light.

Ha! More like a trick of the mind. Planted there by memories she'd done her best to bury.

She swallowed and her heart settled—sort of—in her chest again. 'Excuse me,' she managed to force out of an uncooperative throat, 'but I'd like to know who gave you the authority to change that sign.'

The sign-writer stilled, laid his brush down on the top of the ladder and wiped his hands across that denim-encased butt with agonising slowness. Jaz couldn't help wondering how it would feel to follow that action with her own hands. Gooseflesh broke out on her arms.

Slowly, oh-so-slowly, the sign-writer turned around…and Jaz froze.

'Hello, Jaz.'

The familiarity, the sudden sense of rightness at seeing him here like this, reached right inside her chest to twist her heart until she couldn't breathe.

No!

He took one step down the ladder. 'You're looking…well.'

He didn't smile. His gaze travelled over her face, down the long line of her body and back again and, although half of his face was in shadow, she could see that she left him unmoved.

Connor Reed!

She sucked in a breath, took another involuntary step back. It took every ounce of strength she could marshal to not turn around and run.

Do something. Say something, she ordered.

Her heart pounded in her throat. Sharp breaths stung her lungs. Connor Reed. She'd known they'd run into each other eventually, but not here. Not at the bookshop.
Not on her first day.

Stop staring. Don't you dare run!

'I…um…' She had to clear her throat. She didn't run. 'I'd appreciate it if you'd stop working on that.' She pointed to the sign and, by some freak or miracle or because some deity was smiling down on her, her hand didn't shake. It gave her the confidence to lift her chin and throw her shoulders back again.

He glanced at the sign, then back at her, a frown in his eyes. 'You don't like it?'

'I loathe it. But I'd prefer not to discuss it on the street.'

Oh, dear Lord. She had to set some ground rules. Fast. Ground rule number one was that Connor Reed stay as far away from her as humanly possible.

Ground rule number two—don't look him directly in the eye.

August Releases!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:17:00 +0000

This month we have some great releases in store!

Cattle Baron: Nanny Needed by Margaret Way

It's a media scandal! Flame-haired beauty Amber Wyatt has gate-crashed her ex-fiancé's glamorous society wedding! Groomsman Cal McFarlane knows she's trouble, but when Amber loses her job, the rugged cattle rancher comes to the rescue. He needs a nanny, and if it makes his baby nephew happy, he's willing to play with fire….

Read Excerpt

Hired: Cinderella Chef by Myrna Mackenzie

Darcy Parrish had learned the hard way how to take care of herself. After the accident that had shattered her spine, she made a new life as chef at Patrick Judson's estate. The position was temporary, but her movie-star-gorgeous boss seemed to have other ideas.

Darcy's sassy charms soon had Patrick hooked. He wanted to get closer to this beautiful and gifted woman who created masterpieces with her hands. The biggest obstacle was Darcy herself….

Read Excerpt

Greek Boss, Dream Proposal by Barbara McMahon

On board his luxury yacht, Nikos Konstantinos isn't looking for love. But sharing the breathtaking beauty of the idyllic Greek islands with his pretty new chef is driving him crazy!

Independent, free-spirited Sara Andropolous knows Nikos is a Mediterranean dream, but he's her boss, and she won't risk her business. And there's another, secret reason why Nikos is the most unsuitable man she could fall for….

Read Excerpt

Miss Maple and the Playboy by Cara Colter

Primary-school teacher Beth Maple is cautious and conventional. Until stand-in dad Ben Anderson appears at the school gates. Beth is besotted!

With his confident swagger and good looks, Ben is dangerously out of her league. Yet being around him makes her feel truly alive….

Read Excerpt

Boardroom Baby Surprise by Jackie Braun

When pregnant Morgan Stevens arrives at wealthy businessman Bryan Caliborn's office looking for her baby's father, two things become apparent: she's mistaken him for his late brother and she's in labor—in the boardroom!

Now Morgan's a single mom, and she's bowled over by the take-charge tycoon's support. But surely the once-burned bachelor is just doing it out of duty….

Read Excerpt

Bachelor Dad on Her Doorstep by Michelle Douglas

Back in her hometown for the first time in years, Jaz Harper is determined to face old flame Connor Reed with dignity. She won't be hurt again. But Jaz hasn't reckoned on Connor having become even more irresistibly handsome—or a bachelor dad.

As Connor's daughter bonds with Jaz, Connor realizes Jaz's warm nature is slowly melting away the hardened demeanor he's built up over the years….

Read Excerpt

Foreign Releases: July

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:15:00 +0000

Bebé milagro por Liz Fielding

Estaba embarazada de un bebé extraordinario

Grace McAllister pensó que llevar en su vientre un hijo para su hermana sería un acto desinteresado, aunque secretamente deseaba que aquel bebé fuera suyo y que hubiera sido concebido apasionadamente con el único hombre al que había amado. Pero eso era algo imposible.

Josh Kingsley, incapaz de compartir la magia de todo aquello, no podía soportar ver cómo el bebé crecía en el vientre de Grace. Deseaba que la niña y ella fueran suyas para poderlas cuidar. Entonces la tragedia golpeó a la familia y Josh se apresuró a proteger a Grace y a la pequeña Posie, esperando que formaran parte de su vida.

A noiva do chefe por Ally Blake

Precisava de alguém que revitalizasse o seu negócio, porém, não imaginava que ela também lhe devolveria a vida…

Quando Veronica Bing apareceu com as suas calças justas e as suas botas altas e lhe disse que era a pessoa ideal para o emprego, Mitch Hanover não teve outro remédio senão dar-lhe razão.

Veronica sabia por experiência própria que ter uma relação com alguém com quem trabalhava não era boa ideia e era evidente que o bonito Mitch podia ser muito perigoso. Era verdade que ele também se sentia atraído por ela e que os seus beijos a derretiam, contudo, Veronica sabia que, depois de perder a sua mulher, Mitch jurara não voltar a apaixonar-se… a menos que ela conseguisse fazê-lo mudar de ideias.

AL BALLO CON IL CAPO di HART JESSICA

Sarà vero che in amore gli opposti si attraggono? Miranda non ne è affatto convinta, ma una serata molto speciale sta per farle cambiare idea

Miranda Fairchild è una ragazza semplice e con i piedi per terra, e non riesce proprio a concepire lo stile di vita sfarzoso e superficiale di Rafe Knighton, l'affascinante milionario che l'ha assunta per aiutarlo a organizzare un ballo da sogno. Spendere una cifra astronomica per una festa è già un'assurdità, ma allestire un gran gala al solo scopo di trovare una moglie è pura follia! Poco importa: la professionalità viene sempre al primo posto e Miranda dovrà fare buon viso a cattivo gioco e assecondare ogni desiderio del suo cliente. Anche se questo significa indossare uno scintillante abito da sera e ballare un romantico lento, stretta tra le braccia di Rafe.

Play-boy ou papa?, Susan Meier

Afin de renflouer au plus vite les caisses de sa société, Audra accepte un poste de nounou à plein temps chez Dominic Manelli, un riche héritier devenu tuteur de son neveu orphelin. Hélas, elle ne tarde pas à déchanter car son employeur semble davantage prêt à la séduire qu'à assumer pleinement son rôle de « père ». Contrainte de conserver ce poste coûte que coûte, Audra s'efforce d'éviter tout échange autre que strictement professionnel avec Dominic, ce qui ne fait que susciter davantage encore la curiosité de ce dernier à son égard...

NACHT IN VENETIE / GEBOREN VOOR HET GELUK
LUCY GORDON, BARBARA HANNAY

Nacht in Venetië

Op een regenachtige avond staat de Engelse Ruth Denver voor een prachtig oud huis aan in Venetië, palazzo Bagnelli. Ze is op zoek naar haar vakantieliefde Gino, die haar heeft verteld dat hij afstamt van de beroemde Bagnelli's. Tot haar teleurstelling is hij daar niet. Gelukkig vangt Pietro, de knappe beheerder van het palazzo haar op. Tijdens de viering van het carnaval worden ze verliefd op elkaar. Maar is Pietro wel wie hij zegt te zijn?

Geboren voor het geluk

Nells droom komt uit als ze plotseling de zorg krijgt voor een piepklein baby'tje. En ze staat niet alleen voor de opvoeding van de kleine Sam, want plotseling verschijnt haar oude vlam Jacob ten tonele. Hij biedt Nell en het kleintje onderdak aan in zijn prachtige huis te midden van de ongerepte natuur van Australië. Zal daar hun liefde een nieuwe kans krijgen?

MANCHMAL WERDEN WUNDER WAHRvon: JACKIE BRAUN

Wie ein Häufchen Elend steht Lauren am Straßenrand. Ihre Schwangerschaft, auf die sie so lange vergeblich gehofft hatte, verursacht ihr momentan nur Übelkeit, und der Streit mit ihrem Ehemann, der absolut keine Kinder will, tut unendlich weh. Retter in der Not ist Gavin O’Donnell. Wie ein Ritter in schimmernder Rüstung eilt ihr der sportliche Immobilientycoon zu Hilfe. In Gavins Landhaus findet sie Zuflucht und endlich auch Liebe – für sich und das ungeborene Kind. Rührend kümmert sich Gavin um ihr Wohlergehen. Doch Laurens Mann stört die romantische Idylle …

RWA National Conference, Washington DC

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Last week, hundreds of authors, yet-to-be-published writers and industry professionals took Washington DC by storm when they attended the Romance Writers of America national conference. Seriously- Tuesday and Wednesday the Marriott staff had this glazed, shell-shocked look at the volume of enthusiastic women (and a few men) that had taken their hotel hostage.

It was my first National Conference and boy am I hooked now. What a fabulous time. A lot of that time was spent with fellow Romance authors.
I met Fiona Harper in 2007 at the Association of Mills and Boon Author day, and we were both arriving on the Tuesday so we planned to meet for dinner. What a great idea - from that moment on Fiona and I met for several meals, down time - even sightseeing at the end of the trip.

Over the course of the next few days, I met several Romance authors I had before only known in cyberspace - Shirley Jump, Teresa Carpenter, Susan Meier, and debut author Barbara Wallace. On Wednesday, we all joined our Senior Editor Kim Young and met up with Editorial Director Karin Stoecker, Sharon Kendrick and Lynn Rae Harris for a trip to the Washington Post.

We had a guided tour, and got to sit in on their story conference where the editors of each section meet to finalize what will run on the front page etc. of the following day's edition. I expected a longer, more detailed meeting, but these people are fast, efficient and thorough. One story was swapped out in favour of another...and carry on. Here we all are in the foyer, photo taken courtesy of Sharon Kendrick - who cracked me up every time I met up with her. From left to right: Presents author Lynn Rae Harris, me, Shirley Jump, Barb Wallace, Kim Young, Teresa Carpenter, Susan Meier, Fiona Harper.

Shirley, Fiona and I had dinner together one evening as well, at a cute Thai place with gorgeous summer rolls and soup. Shirley is the QUEEN of shoes, by the way. Pop by her blog for her version of conference....and to Fiona's as well. Fiona had a brand new camera that took wonderful pictures.

One of the nice things was spending time with Kim and Joanne Grant, another UK editor. On Wednesday, several of the UK authors met for a trip to the Smithsonian. Put a group of Romance authors in the same room as the Hope Diamond - AND all those lovely gemstones and we all were finding lovely accessory pieces for our Rita and Harlequin Party ensembles. From there we saw the collection of inaugural gowns of the First Ladies. The lighting made pictures difficult, but lookie here - Fi got a great picture of Mary Todd Lincoln's.

What is Nationals without the famed Harlequin Party? Shirley posted a picture of the two of us by the 60th Birthday screen...and we danced...and danced...and danced... What a fantastic time. I forgot to be self-conscious and totally got my groove on!

Kim and Joanne looked fresh and lovely the next morning when they gave their workshop on "Don't Let The Plot Get In The Way of Your Story". I attended and had several lightbulbs about my own writing that will hopefully strengthen future stories. I didn't get a pic in the workshop, but here are Kim and Jo at the Bookseller's Best Awards ceremony. Congrats to Romance's Myrna MacKenzie for winning the Traditional Category!

On Saturday, I was honoured to fill in for our own Jessica Hart, who was nominated for a Rita for her 50th Romance, Last Minute Proposal. Oh, the glam dresses! The shoes! The list of best selling authors in attendance (I tried not to stare, I promise). There was a lovely reception afterwards.

And then it was over, and Fiona and I kicked back for some sightseeing. We took a trolley tour and had a fabulous time. We explored the Lincoln Memorial, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Memorials, as well as the Capitol, and had a hotdog and lemonade before crossing the Potomac to Arlington. At this point, we had to say goodbye - Fi had a flight to catch and I explored Arlington Cemetery solo. Here is a pic of Fiona and I at the Capitol. As you can see, after several days of "business casual" I went for comfort and sneakers for sight seeing. My feet thanked me.

I came home so tired but with so many great memories of a fantastic first conference!

July Author Post...Sicily with Carol Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Greetings from sunny California where I write from my mountain top house overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

It’s July and I’m celebrating the release of my 30-something Harlequin/Silhouette romance – THE SICILIAN’S BRIDE, while Harlequin is celebrating their 60th birthday.

When my family and I went to Sicily on vacation a few years ago, I was seduced, not by a dashing Sicilian winemaker as happened in my book, but by the colorful history, the cosmopolitan cities, the gorgeous scenery, the art and the archeology. And the food! I can’t forget to mention the delicious arancini, the pasta and the famous drink made from the lemons growing everywhere - limoncello. Sicily is Asia, Europe and Europe all combined on one enchanting island. I knew I had to set a book there.

Isabel Morrison, an American from California, has inherited a vineyard from an uncle she never knew. As an orphan, she’s touched to think a relative cared enough to remember her in his will. She takes Italian lessons and learns what she can about growing wine grapes and heads for Sicily. After a broken love affair, Isabel is eager to make a new start. But there’s a man standing in her way. He’s Dario Montessori, the former owner of the land, who’s determined to get it back. But Dario doesn’t know how stubborn and how intriguing the heiress can be. As he reluctantly helps her tend her vineyards, and get to know his extended family, he falls in love with her along the way. Reluctantly!

Here’s a brief excerpt from THE SICILIAN’S BRIDE:

Isabel Morrison was lost. She’d been driving around on dirt roads for hours looking for the Monte Verde Vineyards. There were no signs at all out here in the country. The small rented Fiat was no equipped with GPS or air conditioning and she was sweltering in the September heat. She’d known it would be hot in Sicily, but not this hot…….

Just when she thought she’d have to turn around and go back to the little town of Villarmosa and get more directions, she spotted a man picking grapes. Exactly the kind of man she would hire to work in her fields….The man in sight was tall, strong and muscular and obviously used to hard work. She was so excited she slammed on the brakes and skidded to an abrupt halt.

He was shirtless and his jeans rode low on his hips. Very sensible in this kind of weather. Very sexy too. She swallowed hard and tried to tear her eyes from his broad chest covered with a light dusting of dark hair, but couldn’t. Perspiration broke out on her forehead. She couldn’t seem to take a deep breath. Maybe this was her property. Maybe he worked for her already and she’d be making wine this fall with his help. No, she couldn’t get that lucky.

“Ciao, signore,” she called. “Per favore, dove e la Villa Monteverde?”

Carol's book is available in stores July 14 and online at eharlequin now.

July Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0000

The Cowboy's Baby by Patricia Thayer

Kira lit up Trace McKane's life when she said, "I do"— but when no baby McKanes came, they lost sight of their precious bond.

Now Trace is sleeping in the bunkhouse. But when their name reaches the top of the adoption list, he returns to stand firm and strong by his brave, beautiful wife's side. Kira is touched by how far Trace will go to make her dreams come true. Looking up at her husband as if for the first time, she realizes she has all the family she needs.

It's then that she's given a miracle….

Read Excerpt

The Brooding Frenchman's Proposal by Rebecca Winters

Since Laura arrived at his family's château, Raoul Laroche hasn't taken his eyes off the golden-haired beauty. But he thinks she's just another gold digger, out to snare the Laroche family fortune.

The minute she steps off the boat, breathes the balmy sea air and feels the warm sun on her back, Laura Aldridge knows this trip to France is a brand-new beginning. Though that's before she catches the gaze of a brooding Frenchman….

Read Excerpt

The Sicilian's Bride by Carol Grace

Inheriting a Sicilian vineyard and tumbledown farmhouse is Isabel Morrison's chance to start again. A graduate of the school of hard knocks, she's determined to stand on her own two feet.

Local vintner Dario Montessori wants Isabel's land. It once belonged to his family and he blames himself for losing it. He'll do anything to claim his vineyard—and only a stubborn redhead stands in his way….

Read Excerpt

His L.A. Cinderella by Trish Wylie

Cassidy Malone describes herself as a plain, slightly plump schoolteacher—totally unsuitable for Hollywood life. Unfortunately she is now at the beck and call of top movie mogul and old flame Will Ryan.

Once upon a time she signed a contract, in a whirlwind of youth and confidence. Now, as they write the script they never finished, Will's devilish smile and lethal charm make her yearn for the safety of the classroom!

Read Excerpt

Dating the Rebel Tycoon by Ally Blake

As a gawky teenager, Rosie knew she never stood a chance with heartthrob Cameron Kelly. She had pigtails and glasses, and washed dishes by night to help support her and her mother, while Cameron came from one of the richest and most revered families in Brisbane.

Years later they meet again, and Rosie finds herself on a date with the devastatingly attractive billionaire! There's something different about him—he's darker, more intense, dangerous. But she's determined to ignore his three-dates-only rule and get to the heart of the rebel tycoon….

Read Excerpt

Always the Bridesmaid by Nina Harrington

Amy Edler is a baker, not a wedding planner! But along with making her best friend's wedding cake, Amy finds herself planning the wedding—with only her friend's disapproving big brother for help!

Gorgeous entrepreneur Jared Shaw hasn't made his millions letting other people run the show. So, although he's normally allergic to weddings, he has rolled up his sleeves and is helping sweet and sexy Amy with every last detail!

And his last job is to buy the bridesmaid the perfect gift….

Read Excerpt

June Foreign Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:21:00 +0000

La novia del aristócrata - Michelle Douglas

¡De mamá trabajadora a señora de una mansión!

Lord Simon Morton-Blake, un guapo aristócrata inglés, no quería tener una relación seria con nadie en Australia, y menos aún con una madre soltera como Kate Petherbridge. Pero Simon no pudo negar la atracción que sentía por Kate, una mujer llena de vida, ni decirle que no cuando le ofreció su casa para alojarse.

PAMIĘTAJ O MNIE NAJPIĘKNIEJSZA MUZYKA

Jennie Adams: PAMIĘTAJ O MNIE

Zach szybko wyrzuca nową sekretarkę, która zamiast pracować, próbuje go uwieść. Wzywa na rozmowę szefową agencji, Lily, by wyjaśnić, dlaczego poleciła mu tak nieodpowiedzialną osobę. Zgadza się puścić sprawę w niepamięć pod warunkiem, że to właśnie Lily obejmie zwolnioną posadę...

Jackie Braun: NAJPIĘKNIEJSZA MUZYKA

Przez lata Reese i Duncan rozumieli się bez słów, teraz niemal z sobą nie rozmawiają. Są w trakcie rozwodu, ale właśnie otrzymują wiadomość, że ich starania o adopcję zakończyły się sukcesem. W tej sytuacji postanawiają odłożyć decyzję o rozstaniu...

En contacto con la alegre familia de Kate, los rígidos modales de Simon se fueron suavizando poco a poco. Simon nunca había formado parte de una familia feliz, pero comenzaba a darse cuenta de que ya había una dispuesta para él.

Casamento negociado - Jessica Hart

Estava a infringir as regras do jogo ao apaixonar-se pelo seu próprio marido…

Mallory McIver prometera ao seu marido um casamento sem nenhum tipo de implicação emocional, uma espécie de negócio.

Então, Torr anunciou que partia para a Escócia para restaurar o velho castelo que herdara. E esperava que Mallory o acompanhasse…

Mallory casara-se com um executivo sofisticado e citadino, mas ali, no campo, Torr transformou-se num homem forte, habilidoso e muito atraente que estava a provocar-lhe sentimentos proibidos.

PRIMA NOTTE CON IL PRINCIPE di WINTERS REBECCA

LA FAMIGLIA REALE DEI SAVOY

Un vero principe è disposto a tutto, per difendere il suo regno.
Ma non a rinunciare al vero amore.

L'annuncio delle nozze tra l'erede al trono Luca Vittorio V e Alexandra Grigory ha creato grande scompiglio nel regno. La stampa ha già preso d'assalto la capitale e i sudditi non vedono l'ora di festeggiare la nuova, splendida coppia reale. In pochi, però, conoscono la verità: il loro sarà soltanto un matrimonio di convenienza.

Alexandra non riesce ancora a credere di aver accettato l'assurda proposta del principe Luca. A preoccuparla, però, non sono tanto le nuove responsabilità di regina, quanto la prima notte di nozze che dovrà trascorrere al castello in compagnia di un uomo assolutamente irresistibile!

La princesse des sables, Barbara Mcmahon

Prise dans une violente tempête de sable en plein désert, Lisa est secourue par un inconnu qui la conduit jusqu'à une somptueuse oasis. Elle apprend alors que son sauveur n'est autre que le tout-puissant cheikh Touareg Al Shaldor, qui règne en maître sur toute la région... Troublée par l'attitude tantôt empressée tantôt distante de son hôte, la jeune femme comprend bientôt avec effroi que celui-ci n'aurait qu'un mot à dire pour la retenir prisonnière dans son refuge...

Το Κυνήγι του Έρωτα - Fiona Harper

Πρώτο ραντεβού: στην πλατεία ΤραφάλγκαρΌταν μια φίλη της την προκάλεσε να ζήσει πιο συναρπαστικά, απαντώντας «ναι» σε ό,τι της πρότειναν για μία εβδομάδα, η Φερν δεν φανταζόταν ότι θα κατέληγε να πάρει μέρος σ' ένα κυνήγι θησαυρού στο Λονδίνο, συντροφιά με τον παιδικό της φίλο.

Πρώτος χορός: στο Κόβεντ ΓκάρντενΟ ριψοκίνδυνος Τζος δεν έμενε στο ίδιο μέρος, ή με την ίδια γυναίκα, για πολύ. Όμως η όμορφη συμπαίκτριά του τον έβαζε σε πειρασμό να παραβεί αυτό τον κανόνα…

Πρώτο φιλί: στην Εθνική ΠινακοθήκηΟ Τζος συνειδητοποίησε ότι αυτό που έψαχνε, ο πιο πολύτιμος θησαυρός απ' όλους, ήταν η ίδια η Φερν. Πώς θα την έπειθε να του πει «ναι» στην τελευταία και πιο σημαντική πρόταση απ' όλες: να γίνει γυναίκα του...

Special Releases: An Italian Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

One of the very neat things is writing and reading special projects. This summer, two Romance authors join Kate Hewitt in an anthology entitled AN ITALIAN SUMMER. Here are Jackie Braun and Rebecca Winters to tell you a bit about their stories!

Rebecca: My inclusion in this June anthology is a new novella called THE LUCCHESI BRIDE. It's the story of a darling redhead named Catherine Dalton who finds out her birthfather Mario Conti is alive and living in Italy. She's a western girl from the US and flies over to Italy to meet him. In the process she encounters the hero Alessandro Luchessi who is a business friend of her father's... and it's love at first sight for both of them.

Alessandro has a teenaged son who isn't too thrilled to discover his father has a love interest after all these years. And to add to the mix, Mario's daughter through another marriage is insanely jealous of her American half sister who has won Alessandro's heart. To make things even tougher, Catherine is feeling guilty to have left her stepfather (since her mother's passing). She loves him and doesn't want him to feel betrayed because she has gone to meet her birthfather. Lots and Lots and lots of angst!

Jackie: A VENETIAN AFFAIR originally appeared in Destination: Marriage, an anthology out last June that featured, as the main title implies, destination weddings. I had a ball writing this story, and I still have a bit of a crush on Maxwell Kinnick, the story's flirtatious, confirmed bachelor. I paired him with Dayle Alexander. She's his business partner and seemingly the only woman alive immune to his considerable charm. Dayle has good reason to be immune. She made the mistake of falling for one Lothario. She's vowed never to do so again, which is why it makes sense to accept the proposal of her long-time, uber-reliable beau. So what if she doesn't experience sparks when they're together? She had those once and only wound up burned.

When work takes Max to Venice and Dayle tags along to scout out wedding locations, the long-simmering attraction they've both denied can no longer be ignored. But is it more than attraction? And just what is Max hiding behind all of that charm? When Dayle learns the answers, she's left with an even bigger question: Venice is the perfect location for her wedding, but who is her perfect groom?

Don't they sound like LOVELY stories? You can find the book for sale at Mills and Boon, and at amazon.

Can This Manuscript be Saved? Susan Meier

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Good morning…afternoon…or evening!

I’m Susan Meier. I’ve written over forty books for Harlequin and Silhouette but most of you know me as a workshop speaker…especially an online speaker. CAN THIS MANUSCRIPT BE SAVED is my most popular workshop.

I think there are two reasons for that. First, the material for this class came from my own blood, sweat and tears as I learned how to write AFTER I got published. I’m not exactly proud of that (LOL!!!) but because I did learn all this stuff by working with editors YOU get the benefit of editorial noodle whipping without having to submit bad manuscripts and taking the lashing!

Second, I think all of us have a manuscript somewhere that’s “broken” and we don’t know how to fix it!

So here is the very, very, very condensed version of CAN THIS MANUSCRIPT BE SAVED.

There are seven common reasons books get rejected:

1. Doesn’t fit our line/Isn’t right for the publisher to which it was submitted
2. Not enough emotion (too much emotion/romance if it’s going mainstream or single title)
3. Pacing off/bad
4. Tone wrong
5. Bad characters (FOR A MULTIPLICITY OF REASONS)
6. No conflict/weak conflict
7. Weak story

Unfortunately, those are only symptoms of what’s wrong with your book. Think of going to the doctor. You go in. You say, I have a fever, body aches and I’m throwing up. He doesn’t say, “Oh! You have fever, body-aches and puke disease.” He says, “You have a virus.”

That’s one of the most important things about figuring out what’s wrong with your book. Most of us deal in symptoms and forget the disease. So what does a book “disease” look like?

Well, we write on 3 levels…Story, Scene and Word. You tell a story using scenes and you create scenes with words. Those are the main entry points to fixing (or writing) a book. So if something is wrong with your book, it’s either a story problem, a scene problem or a word problem.

Let’s take them one at a time.

Your story is your premise, (forgiveness is hard, opposites attract, boss falls in love with his secretary, older man falls in love with younger woman, hero and heroine must catch a killer) coupled with your characters’ goals, motivations and conflicts. (i.e.: The hero and heroine must find a killer, but she’s already been charged with the murder and he’s the DA prosecuting her.)

If you’re getting rejections saying, “I wasn’t wowed by this story.” Or “It was okay.” Or…shudder… “It didn’t make sense.” “I didn’t believe the hero would behave that way.” “Hero (or heroine’s) motivation was off.” “The main characters goals weren’t compelling.” You have a story problem.

To fix a story problem, you don’t jump into the manuscript and start changing things willy nilly! You first create a story summary which includes your story’s premise coupled with your characters’ goals motivations and conflicts. You change this SUMMARY first. Then when you jump into the book you have a plan for what the NEW VERSION should look like. This summary will keep you on track but also show you what can stay the same. And sometimes, knowing what NOT TO CHANGE is every bit as important as knowing what to change!

How about scenes? Well, the purpose of a scene is to illustrate a journey step. Journey steps are the steps it takes to take hero and heroine from chapter one – the introduction of terrible trouble, the day/moment everything changed, the inciting incident – to the satisfying conclusion.

Poorly written scenes, scenes in the wrong order and scenes without purpose can cause poor pacing.

Jack Bickham and Dwight Swain give us a magic formula for plotting – which is combining story with scenes. That formula is action/reaction/decision. For every action there is a reaction (consequence) which usually results in somebody making a decision…which results in that person taking action (or getting someone else to take action) which results in a consequence…which results in a decision…and on and on.

To check to see if you’re following an action, reaction, decision formula, you can create a story board to “see” your scenes. Write your chapter numbers across the top of poster board (or spreadsheet in Excel). Print the journey step and number of pages used for the scene on a Post-it and paste it to the poster board under the appropriate chapter. When you’ve done this for an entire book, scenes without a journey step (or scenes with weak journey steps) will become obvious!

Scenes without journey steps aren’t necessary! If you’ve got a lot of them, that might be why your book is “slow”. But there’s another trick to writing scenes that lots of us don’t know. Come closer…it’s kind of a secret…Not every scene has to be the same length! Scenes with “lesser” journey steps can sometimes be a page, or a paragraph or even a sentence. And some “lesser-journey-step” scenes can be combined!

On the flip side…you don’t want to shortchange the scenes that should be your most powerful. Those scenes might be the scenes where you want to “spend” the most pages!

I believe the skill of discerning if a journey step should be illustrated as a sentence or a fifteen-page scene is the master skill of the greats among us!

Now there are other reasons scenes “go bad”. You could have picked a poor way to illustrate your journey steps. You could have simply written the scene poorly. In those cases, you don’t need to “rewrite” an entire book…simply fix those scenes!

Studying your storyboard will show you everything you need to know about your scenes!

And finally…Words.

Think this through. Words are your primary tool for creating scenes, characters and tone. If an editor tells you that your character isn’t likeable…it might be because his or her actions make him unlikeable. But…could it be the words you’ve chosen to describe him make him unlikeable? More to the point…could it be the words you’ve chosen to use as his “reactions” to the events around him that make him unlikeable? Have your words turned your character into something/someone you didn’t intend?

Follow me on this one! It takes some thought.

“Reaction” phrases are an important part of the “word” problem of characterization. Not only can character reactions create a “tone” for your book that you might not want, but also characters are “known” by what they do…how they react. Your characters are only as good as the words you put in their mouths and minds and the words you use to describe them!

So if you sit down tomorrow and read your problem manuscript and discover that you’ve inadvertently created a character you didn’t intend by the words you chose, how can you fix this?

First, create a List of 20 for more creative character reactions, movements and traits.

What do I mean by that? Well, if your character is always reacting in a dark and somber way and your rejection said the book was too depressing. Put a question at the top of a piece of notebook paper that says…WHAT ARE TWENTY DIFFERENT WAYS THIS GUY CAN REACT THAT WILL MAKE HIM BEHAVE AS A STRONG AND DETERMINED PERSON RATHER THAN A DEPRESSING WEIRDO? (Have fun with your question! It has to inspire you!)

Then work to figure out twenty reaction phrases. If he sighs every time he learns bad news, you might replace those sighs with more action-oriented, expressive reactions. For instance, his eyes could glint with anger or glaze over with rage. Or he could make a fist, grit his teeth, snap his toothpick in two.

Once you have twenty good reaction phrases, you can begin to plug those in everywhere he sighs or has any other type of reaction that makes the book (and him) depressing! You’ll not only strengthen his character, you’ll improve the book’s tone.

So if you’ve gotten a rejection that said the tone of your book wasn’t good…go back and take a look at how your characters are reacting!

So what have we said here?

Create a story summary BEFORE you try to fix a book wherein the editor has criticized goals, motivations and conflicts! Then use that summary to guide you on fixing your book.

Create a story board to evaluate scenes, if an editor has said your book is slow, pacing is off, or (God forbid) boring!

Use a list of twenty to create better reaction phrases to fix books with rejections that pertained to characters.

And that’s the quick and dirty version of CAN THIS MANUSCRIPT BE SAVED!

I'll be happy to answer any questions!

susan meier
MAID IN MONTANA, 6/09 Harlequin Romance

June Author Post - Donna Alward

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0000

This month marks the release of my sixth book with Harlequin Romance, Hired: The Italian's Bride. I loved writing it, I was thrilled when it was accepted and when I received my author copies and read it (I always read them in book form, because somehow they read differently in print), I fell in love with Mari and Luca all over again.

Mariella Ross is beautiful, efficient, and a bit reserved. It's not much wonder - she's got a dark past that makes her wary of most people. But she loves her job - working at a high class hotel in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. She does a fantastic job of catering to others' needs without having to get too personally involved with anyone.

But when the hotel changes hands and becomes the Fiori Cascade, it comes complete with new owner, Luca Fiori. Italian, young, energetic and oh-so-sexy, Luca is determined to break Mari out of her shell.

Along the way, Mari somehow regains her confidence and Luca realizes what he really wants out of life, and it was a wonderful thing, seeing them fall in love. I'll admit, there is a pivotal scene where Mari just GETS it, and writing it I shed a few tears even as I felt really proud of her.

Ok, so I know it sounds silly to talk about her like she is a real person, but as I'm writing, my characters DO become real and most of the time they end up guiding me through the book, telling me what they want most, what they are afraid of, and hopefully in the end, gathering the strength to go after it.

Here's a small excerpt:

“I can’t sleep with you Luca.” It came out on a rush of breath.

A smile teased his mouth. “Perhaps a kiss.”

He was close enough now that she had to tip her chin up to meet his eyes. It was a struggle to keep them open as his fingertips moved through her hair. “Kiss.”

“Surely you’ve kissed before?”

Mari’s insides trembled. She had, but not for a very long time. Not without utter fear.

“A time or two.”

His face was so close his breath warmed her cheeks. Her fingers tightened around the edges of his jacket. Surely, if she could make it through a first kiss, it would all be fine. “Kiss me, Mariella.”

Their gazes held for a second. He was waiting for her, she realized. He understood she’d been hurt and he was letting her make the first move. It was unexpected. She was used to him bossing her around. Now he was giving her the power and it made him even more difficult to resist.

She leaned into his hand, tilted up her face, and with her heart in her throat, touched her lips to his.

For a split second she let them rest there, testing. Their eyes were open, and the connection between them was so strong it rocked her core. His lips were warm, soft, waiting. She let go of the jacket and rested a hand against his heart and she felt the thunder beneath her palm.
The simple movement changed everything. Her breath came out in a rush as Luca’s hand commanded her head, tilting it gently to the side and he opened his lips. Her lashes fluttered shut. The kiss was deliberate but soft, easing into the passion slowly, building the fire with teasing nips.

For the first time since leaving her old life behind, she threw caution to the wind, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling him closer.

The moment she did it, everything changed. His hand swept from beneath her hair and dragged her close. His tongue swept into her mouth and she wilted against him. The jacket fell from her shoulders to the floor of the terrace and his hands warmed her skin as they roamed over the bare flesh of her arms.

Glory.

Hired: The Italian's Bride is out in stores on June 9 and available online from booksellers including eharlequin and Mills and Boon.

June Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Outback Heiress, Surprise Proposal by Margaret Way

Francesca Forsyth is happy with mud on her boots, working the land. But when she inherits half of her grandfather's empire, Francesca must come out of her shell and become a high-flying businesswoman, professional and smart!

Handsome Bryn Macallan, the joint heir, watches this country girl take the reins with more than a little interest….

Read Excerpt

Honeymoon with the Boss by Jessica Hart

Top tycoon Tom Maddison is used to calling the shots—until his convenient marriage falls through. But rather than waste his honeymoon, he'll take his boardroom to the beach and bring his oh-so-sensible secretary, Imogen, on a tropical business trip!

Imogen's always fancied Tom, but knows he sees her as superefficient…not sexy! Yet on idyllic Coconut Island the white sand and inviting turquoise lagoons are weaving their magic….

Read Excerpt

His Princess in the Making by Melissa James

When Lia Costa discovers overnight that she's a princess and is betrothed to a royal duke, it turns her world upside down! Because regal duty means she can never tell her best friend, Toby, how she really feels….

Firefighter Toby Winder has always secretly loved Lia. But, watching her swap her apartment for a palace, he realizes he must now compete with an entire kingdom for her attention!

Read Excerpt

Dream Date with the Millionaire by Melissa McClone

Dani Bennett isn't looking for a man, but her new job requires her to sign up to blinddatebrides.com. The last thing Dani expects is to be paired with a devastatingly attractive millionaire! Her poor background and blonde-bombshell looks mean she expects Bryce Delaney to take one look and judge her—like all other men.

But Bryce isn't just any man….

Read Excerpt

Maid in Montana by Susan Meier

For single mom Sophie Penazzi, accepting a housekeeping job at handsome Jeb Worthington's ranch is a fresh start for her and six-month-old Brady.

More comfortable with a baby on her hip, dough on her apron and flour in her hair, Sophie knows she is nothing like the glamorous women who inhabit Jeb's world.

Her welcome from the taciturn rancher is far from warm…but that doesn't stop Sophie wishing she could be more than a maid in Montana!

Read Excerpt

Hired: The Italian's Bride by Donna Alward

Mariella Ross has built a new life for herself at the Fiori Cascade hotel, and she isn't going to allow the new owner's devil-may-care attitude to disrupt her hard work! Even if Luca Fiori's laid-back charm and infectious smile are giving her butterflies….

Luca's showing Mari a side of life she's almost forgotten. Overcoming her dark past won't be easy, but with Luca by her side, Mari's beginning to feel that anything might be possible….

Read Excerpt

Foreign Releases for May

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:46:00 +0000

ROMANZE IM SPANISCHEN SCHLOSSvon: REBECCA WINTERS

Glück im Unglück: Bei einem Unfall nahe Toledo wird die hübsche Reiseleiterin Jillian von einem attraktiven Mann gerettet! Don Remi de Vargas lädt sie ein, bis zu ihrer Genesung sein Gast zu sein. In seinem malerischen Schloss La Mancha, umgeben von silbernen Olivenhainen, zeigt der adlige Spanier ihr, wie bezaubernd er sie findet. Aber ist Jillian, die nach einer Enttäuschung nichts mehr von der Liebe wissen wollte, für eine neue Romanze bereit? Zwischen Sehnsucht und Zweifel hin- und hergerissen, fragt sie sich: Darf ich auf mein Herz hören?

ALBUM RODZINNY PLAŻA DLA DWOJGA

Raye Morgan: ALBUM RODZINNYUtrata pracy spędza Callie sen z powiek. Na szczęście Grant, jeden z byłych szefów, proponuje jej nową posadę. Wkrótce składa jej kolejną propozycję, tym razem prywatną i bardzo szokującą...

Ally Blake: PLAŻA DLA DWOJGAMaggie, znana malarka, ucieka z dużego miasta i zamieszkuje w domku przy plaży. Wynajmuje do prac remontowych sąsiada, Toma. Nie wie, że Tom jest sławnym i bogatym architektem, który, tak jak ona, postanowił porzucić wielkomiejskie życie...

A luz do amor por Trish Wylie

De entre todas as cidades do mundo, escolheu Paris para se declarar…
Ronan O’Keefe tinha tudo o que o dinheiro podia comprar, todavia, teria renunciado a tudo para conservar o que estava a perder: lentamente, o milionário playboy estava a ficar cego.Sozinha em Nova Iorque, Kerry Doyle começou a ter dúvidas sobre se devia fazer aquela viagem à volta do mundo, porém, quando conheceu Ronan, decidiu fazê-la... com ele.Ao chegar a Paris, Ronan apercebeu-se de que não queria deixar escapar a bela e divertida Kerry. Talvez o seu segredo o ensombrasse, no entanto, Kerry enchera a sua vida de luz.

Bröllopsklockor av Jessica Hart

Hon älskar sitt nya jobb – och sin chef …
Lucy hade alltid trott att hon kunde klara vad som helst, men det var innan hon mötte sin nye chef. För det är inte helt lätt att fokusera på jobbet med den karismatiske företagsmagnaten Guy Dangerfield i närheten. Trots det är hon fast besluten att visa att hon har det som krävs. Fast det är inte lätt – Lucy hade ju aldrig räknat med att falla …

Under bar himmel av Barbara Hannay

Solnedgång i den australiska vildmarkenfetstil
Ännu en dag är till ända för boskapsuppfödaren Mark Winchester. Det hade kunnat vara en helt ordinär arbetsdag – men de senaste veckorna, sedan han träffade Sophie Felsham på ett bröllop i London, har allting känts lite upp och ner.

En regnig morgon i Londonfetstil
Sophie samlar mod inför det svåraste beslut hon någonsin tagit, packar sin resväska och beger sig mot flygplatsen. Hon har något viktigt att berätta för Mark, mannen hon sex veckor tidigare tillbringade en het natt tillsammans med …

Le secret d'une amoureuse, Melissa James

Julie est bien décidée à ne jamais revoir Matthew McLachlan. Non seulement il lui a menti, mais il s'est bien moqué d'elle en prétendant l'aimer. Aussi est-elle stupéfaite quand, quelque temps plus tard, il tente de la reconquérir en employant les grands moyens : un enlèvement en bonne et due forme...

Une épouse parfaite, Karen Rose Smith

A la mort de son père, Clay apprend avec effarement qu'il ne pourra hériter ses biens que s'il se marie dans les plus brefs délais. C'est donc contraint et forcé qu'il jette son dévolu sur Gina, une douce et délicate jeune femme employée par son père, avec l'espoir de pouvoir mettre fin rapidement à cette union de convenance...

Amor de oficina (TRAMA: CENICIENTA) por Jennie Adams

Su jefe tenía unos planes muy especiales para ella ¿En qué estaría yo pensando? Como si un vestido nuevo y un par de zapatos prestados, cargados de esperanzas y sueños, fuera a ser suficiente para que el guapo de mi jefe se fijara en mí. Después de todo, hace tres años que apenas ni me ve. ¿Por qué iba a fijarse ahora?

Pero la noche pasada, cuando Jarrod me llevó a casa después de esa fiesta, todo pareció distinto, y por un momento de locura pensé que me iba a besar. Bueno... el lunes otra vez a la oficina y todo volverá a la normalidad...

UN CLIENTE SPECIALE di ALWARD DONNA

Accoccolarsi davanti al camino è uno dei piaceri più grandi per Maggie Taylor. Finora, però, neanche quel fuoco scoppiettante è riuscito a scaldare il suo cuore solitario.

Maggie non potrebbe chiedere di più dalla vita: la sua esistenza scorre tranquilla, e la gestione di quel piccolo Bed & Breakfast sulle montagne canadesi la rende una donna realizzata, almeno sul piano professionale. Avere un uomo accanto a sé è l'ultimo dei suoi desideri e i batticuori dell'amore sono ormai solo un lontano ricordo. Finché, un giorno, un misterioso cliente fa il suo ingresso in hotel. Nate Griffith è l'uomo più bello che Maggie abbia mai visto, le sue labbra sembrano promettere un mondo di incantevoli delizie. Qualcosa di quello sguardo tenebroso, però, la spinge a difendersi con ogni mezzo dal suo irresistibile fascino.

More Fantastic News

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:40:00 +0000

In keeping with awards season...we at the blog want to congratulate this year's Ruby Finalists! The Rubies are handed out at the annual RWAus Conference and award excellence in romantic fiction from Down Under.

Romance Writers of Australia has announced the finalists in the 2009 Romantic Book of the Year. This year a record 144 books were entered in 4 categories.

This year's Harlequin Romance nominees for Romantic Book(s) of the Year are:

SHORT SWEET CATEGORY:
Claire Baxter - The Single Dad's Patchwork Family
Melissa James - A Mother in a Million
Marion Lennox - His Island Bride (Medicals)

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are Babies Romantic?

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Alward) — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Please welcome Harlequin Romance author Nicola Marsh with this week's Author Post!

This month, Harlequin Romance presents 6 fabulous ‘baby’ books, under their ‘Baby On Board’ miniseries. Which got me thinking…are babies romantic?

Considering I’ve had 2 of them since selling in 2003, and have had to handle sleepless nights, teething, viruses, croup, tantrums, etc…I’d probably say no.

My ‘babies’ are gorgeous and lovable and I squish them a hundred times a day but as a reader, when I pick up a book to escape, I want passion and glamour and high stakes and romance, loads of romance, without a baby’s cry interrupting the hero and heroine at a delicate moment.

So imagine my panic when I saw a big baby on the cover of 8th book, ‘INHERITED: BABY’.

Yes, the baby was gorgeous but how could readers be attracted to that story? Wouldn’t the memory of all those pooey nappies and sleepless nights for many readers drive them away?

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

Now I have another baby book out this month, THE BILLIONAIRE’S BABY.
Not a baby in sight on the cover, just a handsome man for my lovely hero Blane (the first hero of mine in 17 books to make me cry while writing) and his heroine, Camryn.

Their embrace is romantic. His protective hand over her bulging tummy is romantic.

The fact they love each other enough to have a baby is romantic.

Is that the appeal of baby books?

The ‘aww’ factor of an alpha hero being vulnerable to his child?

The love of a mother for her baby?

What do you think?