April's Winner!

The winner of Claire Baxter's book THE SINGLE DAD'S PATCHWORK FAMILY is Soraya Nicholas!

Congratulations Soraya! If you can e-mail us back with your mailing address, your prize will be on its way!

And come back tomorrow when we roll out the May releases!

April Reviews

Firstly....you have approximately 48 hours to send in your e-mail to be entered to win Claire's book! To win your copy of The Single Dad's Patchwork Family, send your e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject of CLAIRE!

And if you haven't picked up April's books yet, perhaps this will convince you:

The Single Dad's Patchwork Family by Claire Baxter: This whole book captivated me from start to finish, the story was prolific with descriptive scenery, so much so that I could almost imagine myself being there with them. Kudos to Ms. Baxter for penning yet another fantastic romantic story where the characters seem like family and the readers’ imagination takes flight into fantasy. (Cataromance, 4.5 stars)

The Bride's Baby by Liz Fielding: "Liz Fielding begins A Bride for All Seasons with The Bride's Baby.This story has everything-sparkling dialogue, multifacetedcharacterizations, sizzling chemistry and a powerful emotional core. A keeper." Romantic Times, 4.5 stars TOP PICK."

Expecting a Miracle by Jackie Braun: "Jackie Braun’s Expecting a Miracle (4.5) is packed with emotion and humor, and all of the characterizations are rich and detailed. A keeper." Romantic Times

Wedding Bells at Wandering Creek Ranch by Patricia Thayer: "If you like romance, fiction and happy endings and want a story about love transforming power into a community, Patricia Thayer's Wedding Bells at Wandering Creek Ranch is a great reading choice!" (Merrimon Book Reviews)

Sweetheart Lost and Found by Shirley Jump: "Four stars: "...Shirley Jump begins The Wedding Planners with Sweetheart Lost and Found (4). It's smart, funny and quite moving at times, and the characters have a lot of depth."

The Loner's Guarded Heart by Michelle Douglas: "...a story of two hearts discovering one another and falling in love as they share more and more of themselves and their vulnerabilities with one another. The Loner's Guarded Heart mixes humor and emotion to bring readers a non-stop great romance read." (Merrimon Book Reviews)

April Good News

There are so many things going on this month we're combining some of them all in one post! Hold on to your hats, get out your tootie horns and pop some champagne as we get ready to celebrate the authors of Harlequin Romance!

This past weekend Romantic Times Magazine hosted their annual convention in Pittsburgh. What a showing for our Romance authors!

Trish Wylie won Best Harlequin Romance with Rescued: Mother-To-Be. Way to go, Trish!

Natasha Oakley won Best Harlequin Presents with The Tycoon's Princess Bride. This was part of the Niroli Continuity and we're so very proud of Natasha!

Linda Goodnight won Best Love Inspired with The Heart of Grace.

It just goes to show that the trademark core of emotionalism in Romance is a powerful thing no matter what line you also write for! Congratulations ladies!

And a big cheer for Liz Fielding, who won a Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter. If you've read Liz's books, you already know she has a specialness about her that is all her own. And a sneaky ability to make you cry, and then laugh in the next heartbeat. Congratulations, Liz.

And what would spring be without the RWA RITA finalists being announced! The Tycoon's Princess Bride (Natasha Oakley) is also up for a RITA in the Short Contemporary category...is this book magical or what!

Carrying on....

Jennie Adams's book To Love and To Cherish was a Blue Ribbon Favourite for the month of March at Romance Junkies, as chosen by their reviewers. Congrats, Jennie!

And, finally, the finalists of the National Reader's Choice Awards have been notified. In the Traditional category we have:

Natasha Oakley - Crowned: An Ordinary Girl

Barbara McMahon - The Boss's Little Miracle

Lucy Gordon - The Mediterranean Rebel's Bride

What a brilliant showing...and this is only the beginning! Congratulations to you all.

One last note...if you haven't already, please enter to win a copy of Claire Baxter's book THE SINGLE DAD'S PATCHWORK FAMILY! Just drop an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject CLAIRE to enter. There's only one week left!

April Foreign Releases

My apologies for the blip in posting...an out of town trip came up, so without waiting any longer, here are some of the foreign releases for this month!

Matrimonio In Agenda - Jessica Hart

Harmony
Jolly Romance
April 2008

UN CAPO PER MARITO: quando il lavoro chiama... il cuore risponde!

Lucy West è appena ritornata a Londra dopo un periodo trascorso all'estero e deve trovarsi un nuovo lavoro. I cambiamenti non l'hanno mai spaventata ed è pronta ad affrontare qualunque impresa. Qualunque, tranne il carismatico e irresistibile milionario Guy Dungerfield. Cugino del suo precedente capo, le propone di fargli da assistente personale e Lu­cy sa che accettare metterà a rischio il suo cuore.

Guy non ha mai avuto una segretaria così carina. Il suo sorriso è contagioso ed è facile parlare con lei. Quando, in una particolare circostanza, Lucy lascia credere che siano anche fidanzati, lui è ben felice di approfittare della situazione. Anzi, vuole trasformare la finzione nella più romantica delle realtà.

Un mariage d'honneur de Linda GOODNIGHT

Horizon 15 avril 2008

Lorsqu’elle apprend que son père a perdu le ranch familial au poker, Kara Taylor entre dans une colère noire. Non seulement parce que, ce faisant, son père vient de priver Lane, son fils de cinq ans, de son héritage, mais aussi et surtout parce que le nouveau propriétaire du ranch n’est autre que Ty Murdock. Ty, qui ne tarde pas à lui proposer de l’épouser, pour que l’honneur soit sauf et que Lane ne soit pas lésé. Mais Kara ne peut se résoudre à cette solution : comment pourrait-elle se marier et faire de nouveau confiance à celui qu’elle croyait être l’homme de sa vie, avant qu’il ne la quitte subitement six ans plus tôt, sans la moindre explication ?

El amor más hermoso por Trish Wylie

Harlequin España Jazmín
23 de Abril 2008

El amor más hermoso

Había vuelto para recuperar el amor que nunca debería haber dejado escapar…

En el momento más duro de su vida, Kane Healey entendió que si se amaba a alguien había que dejarlo libre y decidió enfrentarse al futuro solo.

Siendo muy joven, Rhiannon descubrió que estaba embarazada, pero Kane se había ido sin saber que había dejado atrás un magnífico milagro…

Ahora tenían la oportunidad de enmendar los errores del pasado. ¿Aprovecharía Kane el baile de San Valentín para declararse a la mujer que siempre había amado?

SERCE ZE ZŁOTA WYSPA SZCZĘŚCIA

LIZ FIELDING MYRNA MacKENZIE

31.03.2008r.

Myrna Mackenzie: WYSPA SZCZĘŚCIADalsza praca Anny - opieka nad wspaniałą, pustą rezydencją - staje pod znakiem zapytania, gdy po latach nieobecności pojawia się pan domu. Donavan szuka tutaj ucieczki od wielkomiejskiego gwaru i bolesnych wspomnień. Pragnie samotności, ale Anna wie lepiej, czego mu potrzeba...

Liz Fielding: SERCE ZE ZŁOTAMłodzi kochankowie, Fleur i Matt, ukrywają swój romans w tajemnicy, bo ich skłócone rodziny nigdy nie zaaprobowałyby tego związku. Zawierają potajemnie małżeństwo, ale wkrótce się rozstają. Matt pojawia się w życiu Fleur ponownie dopiero po sześciu latach, by walczyć o prawo do opieki nad ich synem...

Queres casar comigo? por Jennie Adams

Harlequin Portugal Bianca

23 de Abril 2008

Aviso: Estou apaixonada pelo chefe!

Quando Lily Kellaway aceitou ser a secretária de Zach Swift esperava deparar-se com um chefe exigente e arrogante… mas Zach era bonito e generoso. Desde o acidente, Lily não quisera trabalhar em escritórios devido à sua memória fraca, mas com Zach tudo era diferente. E então ele pediu-lhe que o acompanhasse numa viagem de negócios!

Já lhe era difícil esconder os seus sentimentos das nove às cinco… Zach não demoraria a perceber que ela não era tão perfeita como ele parecia acreditar.

Spotlight in Six - Claire Baxter

Welcome to April's Spotlight In Six! This month we have Claire Baxter with us! Claire's current release is The Single Dad's Patchwork Family.

Welcome Claire!

Where do you find new and fresh ideas?

They pop into my head when I’m least expecting them! Actually, I think they’re already in there – it’s the only explanation for those ideas that you wake up with.

But sometimes they need a little prompting, so I have an Ideas Box filled with newspaper and magazine clippings and other items which some instinct has told me to drop in even though I have no clue why. When I go through the box some of the bits and pieces will trigger ideas for my story and I know that’s why I included them in the first place. I think the subconscious is amazing.


Writers often use photos of celebrities as “casting”. Do you do this, and who has inspired some of your characters?

No, I don’t. When I have an idea for a book, I get a clear image of each main character in my head. In fact, they never look like celebrities. They’re just…themselves.

Once, though, I had a book half-written and was browsing the internet when I came across a photo of my hero. He was the spitting image of the guy I’d pictured, right down to the clothes!

I printed the photo and pinned it up on my board but only because it was weird to think the man I’d imagined did exist in real life. He was a model, I think.


What are your favourite and least favourite parts of writing a novel? Is there a particular section that you struggle with?

I love starting a new story (does every writer say that?). It’s true that there’s nothing more exciting.

I don’t enjoy the middle. I have to struggle through it, a page or two at a time. It’s not so much that the middle sags, more that I do. But once I near the three-quarter mark, all my enthusiasm comes back again.


When you are not writing, what do you do? How do you pamper yourself?

I read. I love reading It’s always been my favourite occupation. I also love to swim and in the warmer months, if I’m not at my computer, you’ll probably find me in the pool. Once I’ve done my laps, I like to float on one of those inflatable recliners with a book (yes, reading again).


Imagine you’re stranded…where are you and who are you with?

Hmm, I was going to say “anywhere with my husband”, but then I got this vivid image of being locked in a book shop - yes, I could imagine this happening because I lose all track of time when I’m book browsing. In this fantasy, I know the staff will be back to unlock the next morning so I’m not too worried, and the best thing is, I have nothing to do but read and read and read.

Who am I with? Well, if there has to be someone else there, it needs to be someone who loves to read too so they won’t disturb me, but they also need to know how to make coffee. I know! My husband.


Finally, Claire, please tell us what’s up and coming for you in the months ahead!

‘The Single Dad’s Patchwork Family’ is out now (April) in the USA and UK, or on-line. Chase, the single dad of the title, has moved to a secluded location to raise his daughter and he plans a simple life. He meets a single mom, Regan, who is not looking for distractions either. They form a special bond which breaks down their isolation then leads to love and a blended family.

Later in the year – December – ‘Pregnant: Father Wanted’ will be released. This one is set in Italy and I had a really good time writing it. It’s the story of Lyssa, an Australian travel writer, and Ric, an Italian soccer player.


Thanks for having me! It’s been fun.

Claire is giving away a signed copy of The Single Dad's Patchwork Family to one lucky blog reader! Send an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject line of CLAIRE and we'll draw at the end of the month!

A Special Occasion!

The only thing more exciting than a wedding, would be marking a major milestone like, say, publishing your 50th Harlequin Romance! So what happens when both of these happen at the same time?

What happens is you get the gorgeous pleasure of a Liz Fielding novel, and Liz here herself to celebrate it being her 50th book!

The Bride's Baby is the first book in a miniseries called A Bride For All Seasons. Liz is the Spring Bride. Fiona Harper is Summer, Trish Wylie is Fall, and Shirley Jump winds it all up with her Winter Bride.

Please join the Romance authors in celebrating with Liz! And here she is to tell us more....

THE BRIDE’S BABY, my 50th Harlequin Romance is published this month as the first book in a four-part mini series, A Bride for All Seasons. The heroine, Sylvie Duchamp Smith, is an events planner, but she knows that a wedding is a never-to-be-repeated occasion that has to be perfect and it’s her attention to detail, her determination to deliver the perfect day that has made her the top of every A-list bride’s wish-list. Now, in the cause of The Pink Ribbon Club, a charity founded by her mother, she’s been asked to show the world what her own fantasy day would be like at a Wedding Fayre to be held in her ancestral home, Longbourne Court..

There are countless reasons why she wouldn’t want to go back there. As for fantasy weddings, well, ever since a high-profile wedding she’d been organising had ended in professional disaster when the bride had eloped at the last minute with one of her assistants, she has been doing her best to avoid them. Or think about the jilted groom, billionaire Tom McFarlane, who’d summoned her to his office to go through her account line by line. These days she has baby clothes rather than wedding gowns on her mind.

She’s going to have to do it this one last time, however. Too many people are relying on her to raise the Pink Ribbon Club profile, put their business under the spotlight. It’s just a pity she hadn’t thought to ask the name of the new owner of Longbourne Court…

For excerpts, background, and details of this four-book mini series, go to http://abrideforallseasons.blogspot.com/ and http://www.lizfielding.com/

Congrats Liz! Here's to 50 more!

April Releases

April...the beginning of spring, and there's a whole lot of "new" in this month's lineup! Here's what's in store:



Wedding Bells at Wandering Creek Ranch by Patricia Thayer

P.I. Jack Sullivan, black-eyed and dark-hearted, is at Wandering Creek Ranch on official business—business that doesn't include falling for the striking blonde who tries to throw him off her land.…

Willow Kingsley's ranch in the Hollywood Hills is her sanctuary. She'll fight the gorgeous stranger and protect her own. What she doesn't realize is that Jack's on her side, and when she's in his arms he'll do everything in his power to keep her safe.…

Read Excerpt



The Bride's Baby by Liz Fielding FIRST BOOK IN A BRIDE FOR ALL SEASONS SERIES

The wedding of the season!

Events manager Sylvie Smith is organizing a glittering fund-raising event: a wedding show in a stately home. She has even been roped into pretending to be a bride…a bride who's five months pregnant!

The bride everyone is talking about!

It should be every girl's dream to design a wedding with no expense spared, but it's not Sylvie's. Longbourne Court was her ancestral home, and she's just discovered that the new owner is Tom McFarlane—her baby's secret father. Now Tom's standing in front of her, looking at her bump.…

Read Excerpt



Sweetheart Lost and Found by Shirley Jump FIRST BOOK IN THE WEDDING PLANNERS SERIES

As the Wedding Belles' florist, Callie is surrounded by blushing brides. If only she still believed in love. Callie made a mistake many years ago. She let a good man go, and now keeps her heart safe. But what's she going to do now that the good man is back?

Jared Townsend knows he should have fought harder for Callie in the past. Now he's determined to bring her out of her shell and find the beautiful, vivacious woman he once knew. Can he show her how to laugh again, feel again…even love again?

Read Excerpt



Expecting a Miracle by Jackie Braun

When Lauren Seville unexpectedly finds herself pregnant, it's the end of life as she knows it…and the beginning of everything she's dreamed of.

But when she finds the perfect place for her soon-to-be family of two, she is blindsided by her anything-but-maternal attraction to her sexy new landlord.

From the minute Lauren moves into the cottage on his estate, she arouses Gavin O'Donnell's fiercest protective instincts. And as her delivery date nears, the independent mother-to-be awakens something else in the real-estate tycoon: his yearning to be a daddy.

Read Excerpt



The Single Dad's Patchwork Family by Claire Baxter

Chase Mattner has come to tranquil, secluded Leo Bay to raise his daughter. In their house by the ocean, he plans a simple life.

Regan Jantz isn't looking for distractions, either. With a tuna farm to run and two young sons to bring up alone, she's got her hands full.

But as single parents, Regan and Chase form a special bond. For so long their lives have been like jigsaws without the final pieces. Could a proposal from this gorgeous single dad make them whole again?

Read Excerpt




The Loner's Guarded Heart by Michelle Douglas

Josie was touched that her brothers had arranged a holiday for her—she certainly needed one. Only, the location isn't the lively resort she'd expected, but a rustic cabin in a beautiful but isolated Australian idyll.…

Her only neighbor for miles is the taciturn, if incredibly attractive, Kent Black. Following a family tragedy, Kent cut himself off from the world. Josie can't help but be intrigued by this solitary man, and with her bubbly, warm personality, she's determined to pick away at the iron padlock around his heart.

Read Excerpt