Monday, November 24, 2008

Foreign Release Fun!






We've got scads of releases around the globe this month, but one of the cool things to happen is when someone actually gets to see them on the shelf. Claire Baxter sent me this photo a while ago, courtesy of author Trish Morey who saw it in Crete!

Now for more of our foreign releases this month:


In Germany:

WIE EINE ROSE IN DER WÜSTE von: LIZ FIELDING
Erscheinungstag:Freitag, 21. November 2008
Bestellnummer:0851080180
erscheint in: JULIA EXKLUSIV BAND 0180

Dieser Plan geht auf: Indem er die bekannte Journalistin Rose entführt, lenkt Prinz Hassan al Rashid das Interesse der Weltöffentlichkeit auf sein Emirat und verhindert so einen Umsturz. Ungeplant war, dass Roses Schönheit in ihm einen Aufruhr ganz anderer Art auslöst …


In France:

Une baby-sitter de rêve Rebecca Winters
Novembre 2008 - N° 2191

Quand son frère disparaît avec son épouse dans un accident de la route, Julie est dévastée. Mais elle ne se sent pas le droit de laisser libre cours à son chagrin car Nicky, son neveu de 5 mois devenu orphelin, a cruellement besoin d’une nouvelle maman. En tant que plus proche parente de l’enfant, c’est Julie qui est désignée pour s’occuper de lui. Mais à peine a-t-elle le temps de prendre la mesure du rôle pour le moins délicat qu’on vient de lui confier qu’elle reçoit la visite du richissime Massimo di Rocche, l’oncle de l’enfant. Celui-ci, un macho arrogant et autoritaire, tient à assurer lui-même l’éducation de Nicky et compte bien l’emmener en Italie…

In Italy:

UN SOGNO SOTTO L'ALBERO di JUMP SHIRLEY
Jessica non sa mai resistere a una richiesta di aiuto. Soprattutto se espressa da un uomo con due incantevoli occhi blu.
Non sarà un Natale facile, per Jessica Patterson. Ed è strano per lei sentirsi così poco contagiata dall'atmosfera gioiosa delle feste. Quando un attraente sconosciuto entra nel suo negozio di giocattoli, però, in cerca più di un miracolo che di un regalo, il suo cuore si rianima. Christopher C.J. Hamilton è un papà single che ha appena scoperto quanto sia difficile il mestiere di padre. Forse Jessica potrebbe dargli qualche consiglio? In fondo lei ci sa fare con i bambini, visto che sono i suoi clienti abituali. Quello di cui ha bisogno C.J. è di far trascorrere alla figlia un Natale indimenticabile. Come il sorriso di Jessica.


In Poland:

ALLY BLAKE - NAJWIĘKSZE WYZWANIE

Seria: Imperium rodzinne

Pobyt w Australii okazuje się dla Jodi na tyle przełomowy, że chętnie rozpoczęłaby tu nowe życie. Jest tylko jeden mały problem - by szybko uzyskać pozwolenie na stały pobyt, Jodi powinna poślubić Australijczyka i wytrwać w małżeństwie przynajmniej dwa lata. Zakłada zatem stronę internetową, na której zamieszcza ofertę matrymonialną. Po kilku nieudanych randkach poznaje wreszcie przystojnego i miłego ranczera, lecz on szuka partnerki na całe życie. Mimo to bez namysłu przyjmuje ofertę Jodi...


From Spain:
Cuando llega la pasión por Melissa McClone

Quizá no fuera su ideal de hombre, pero ninguno de los dos podía negar la química que existía entre ambos

La diseñadora de vestidos de novia Serena James no se conformaría con nada que no fuera perfecto y eso incluía al hombre con el que algún día se casaría. Kane Wiley no cumplía ninguno de los requisitos… salvo que era increíblemente guapo.Donde más cómodo se sentía Kane era en el cielo. Para el piloto, la libertad era no comprometerse con nadie. Pero un día, mientras llevaba a Serena a una convención, se vio obligado a hacer un aterrizaje de emergencia.Estaban juntos, solos y pasaría algún tiempo antes de que alguien respondiera a su llamada de socorro…

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Spotlight in Six - Melissa McClone

This month we welcome Melissa McClone to the hotseat with her Spotlight in Six!


Where do you find new and fresh ideas?

I find ideas everywhere. Sometimes I hear a song on the radio or I'm watching a movie or show and think "what if..." Magazines, newspapers, books, even eavesdropping provide tons of fodder for book ideas, too.

The idea for my November release, Rescued By the Magic of Christmas, came from two places all related to the same news story. Three climbers went missing on Mount Hood (about an hour and a half from where I live) in December of 1996. I wanted to know more and ended up on a Pacific Northwest Climbing forum. Mountain rescuers who had been part of the search up to that point were posting. One or two had been on the mountain that day.

I thought a man like of these guys (volunteer, dedicated, using skills/talent to help others) would make a great romance hero. The only problem I thought I'd have would be finding the right story. A day or so later, I was watching the rescue mission on a cable news channel when the idea for the book hit me. I grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled out a one page synopsis.

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

I use pictures for "inspiration" all the time. I'm very visual, and though my characters are never that particular person, I need a marker so to speak. Some of my past Harlequin romance heroes have been inspired by Eddie Cibrian, Eric Close, Gabriel Aubry.

For my mountain rescue hero, Jake Porter, I didn't use a celebrity for inspiration, but pictures of actual mountain rescuers. Esquire Magazine provided eleventh hour help with this style spread featuring members of Portland Mountain Rescue. Some of the guys pictured helped me with my research, too!

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

I'll start with my least favorite part...the blank page. I'm what you'd call a rewriter. I much prefer revising to the actual writing part. The other part I've struggled with in the past has been chapters four and five. I seem to hit a big bump after writing the first three chapters for some reason.

My favorite part is writing the end (i.e. the resolution.) I love bringing two characters together so that they can live their happily ever after! And of course, the actual writing of "THE END" is always nice, too.

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

When I'm not writing, I'm taking care of my family. I have three children (ages 10, 8 and 5), three cats and a dog so I keep pretty busy aside from writing.

To pamper myself, I read and I climb. I discovered climbing while researching my November book and fell in love with the sport in spite of my fear of heights. It's the one thing I've found to quiet the voices in my head and allow me to get away from everything whether its for a few hours at the rock gym or a couple of days outside somewhere. The perfect pampering for a writer-mom!

Imagine you're stranded - where are you and who are you with?

Hmmm...I've written two stranded romance novels, and I much prefer the tropical setting in my Silhouette Romance, The Wedding Adventure to the snowy forest in my Harlequin Romance, SOS Marry Me. It's warmer and much easier to find food!

So I'm imagining my husband and I on a sunny island somewhere with the scents of salt water, cocoa butter and rum in the air. But since I hike and climb, there's a better chance I'd actually end up in stranded in a snowy forest with one of my climbing partners!

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

As I mentioned above, Rescued by the Magic of Christmas hits the shelves this month. Blind Date with the Millionaire will be out in June 2009. The book is the third in a trilogy called Blinddatebrides.com with Jennie Adams (book 1 out in April 2009) and Fiona Harper (book 2 out in May 2009.)
Melissa also has an online read going on at the Mills and Boon website! Click here to read her short story, HUSBAND MATERIAL!

Saturday, November 01, 2008

November Releases


Some really great releases this month! Take a look....



All his life, rich and powerful Jeremy Fulton had needed no one. Now he was going blind—and he had to reveal his secret to the woman he'd once overlooked: the shy and poor Eden Byars. Accepting her temporary help would be hard— and acting on their unexpected attraction unforgivable. Jeremy claimed he had nothing to offer a woman. But Eden wouldn't give up on the man she'd loved from afar for so long. Could she find a way to bring light to this proud millionaire's heart? It would take a miracle….


Miranda Grenville is a survivor—a rare beauty who's fiercely independent. While trekking in a remote island paradise, Manda is caught up in an earthquake. Stuck deep underground in an ancient temple, she finds she's not alone. Sexy adventurer Nick Jago is trapped with her. Now Manda is forced to depend on someone. She knows she shouldn't trust him, but something deep inside of her is falling for this rebel….





Carly Bishop hasn't celebrated Christmas for six years—not since icy Mount Hood claimed her fiancé's life and left her a widow before she was a bride. But this year, handsome Jake Porter is determined she'll enjoy herself. Jake is a mountain rescuer, big-hearted and courageous, but Carly is too scared of loving him in case she loses him. In a whirl of festive fun, sleigh rides and snowball fights, Christmas starts to weave its magic. Though it's Jake who is melting Carly's heart.


Sally Finch has come to Sydney for a fresh start—not to flirt with her new boss, brooding Logan Black, no matter how tempting….

Logan is trying to ignore the fun and laughter Sally brings to the office. Yet when he's roped into attending a charity ball, it's bubbly Sally who helps him brush up on his dance steps! She's waltzed into his life, and Logan knows he should walk away but he can't. It takes two to tango—who will make the first move?


With the dreaded holidays nearing, the last thing widowed businessman Dawson Burke needed was a personal shopper who wanted to get personal. What part of “I want to be left alone” didn't Eve Hawley understand? She just seemed intent on getting him into the Christmas spirit….

Eve could see Dawson had stopped wishing on the future, and he didn't know how lucky he was to be surrounded by loving family. But once she'd helped him find the joy he'd been missing, Eve couldn't help wishing Dawson would give her the best Christmas present of all—by proposing to her.


Three wishes this Christmas…

1. A new life in the country:

It has taken all of Louise Thornton's courage to start again. This will be a different life, one away from the paparazzi— and her cheating celebrity husband!

2. Someone to help decorate the Christmas tree:

Louise is determined to make this Christmas perfect for her son. But it's not until she meets meltingly attractive Ben Oliver that she starts to sparkle again.

3. A proposal under the mistletoe?

Single dad Ben puts his daughter first. But when he catches Louise under the mistletoe, Ben realizes only he can make Louise's wishes come true….