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!

Foreign Releases - March

A melhor união por Donna Alward

Harlequin Portugal 12 de Março 2008

Ambos resolveriam os seus problemas com aquele casamento temporário…
Alexis Grayson sabia muito bem como cuidar de si, pois fizera-o durante toda a vida. E continuaria a fazê-lo, embora estivesse grávida e sozinha. No entanto, o muito bonito cowboy Connor Madsen parecia estar empenhado em cuidar dela e, em troca, Alexis ajudá-lo-ia… Precisava de uma esposa temporária e ela precisava de um lugar onde viver até o bebé nascer.Contudo, assim que Alexis começou a conhecer bem aquele homem corajoso e honrado, perguntou-se se não teria cometido o maior erro da sua vida. Porque aquela esposa por conveniência queria agora um casamento a sério.

A Razão de Sua Vida - Natasha Oakley

Harlequin Brasil

O Casamento do ano!

Eloise Lawton tinha finalmente encontrado uma verdadeira família. Mas agora, ela tem de enfrentar os costumes da alta sociedade e apenas uma pessoa desse meio inspirava confiança: Jeremy Norland, um homem totalmente lindo e arrasador. À medida que segredos do passado são revelados, Eloise percebe que se ela se apaixonar por Jeremy, poderá perder tudo pelo que tanto lutou para encontrar. Será que Eloise terá coragem para arriscar suas conquistas e se entregar a um grande amor?

Dulce corazón - Rebecca Winters

26 de Marzo 2008

La coraza de aquel duque tan frío estaba a punto de romperse...

El duque Lance Malbois era un duro militar con una cicatriz que le atravesaba la cara y le llegaba hasta el corazón. Pero lo que más deseaba en el mundo era tener a un bebé entre sus brazos y que lo llamara “papá”.

Andrea Fallon era una viuda embarazada y sola, pero estaba empeñada en darle a su bebé el padre y la familia que ella nunca tuvo.

¿Sería un matrimonio de conveniencia la solución perfecta?

La baby-sitter amoureuse de Barbara MCMAHON

Horizon (France) 15 mars 2008

En acceptant d’accompagner son cousin Max à Al Qu’arim, dans le golfe persique, Melissa était loin de se douter que son destin allait basculer. Une fois sur place, elle découvre en effet avec émerveillement le somptueux palais du cheikh Surim Al-Thani, un ami de Max, et se sent bientôt incapable de repartir pour les Etats-Unis, où son travail d’assistante maternelle l’attend. Non seulement parce que les trois neveux de Surim, qui viennent de perdre leurs parents, se sont pris d’affection pour elle et ne veulent plus la quitter, mais aussi parce que, bien malgré elle, elle se sent comme hypnotisée par le charme magnétique du ténébreux cheikh…

Contratto di Nozze - Susan Fox

Jolly Romance (Italy)

March 2008

Mescolare affari e sentimenti non è mai una buona idea.

Fay Sheridan è sempre stata una donna forte e piena di risorse, ma ora che è rimasta da sola alla guida dell'azienda di famiglia, deve affrontare difficoltà che non si aspettava. Come essere costretta a uscire appena prima di una tempesta con i fiocchi. Per fortuna il suo affascinante vicino Chase Rafferty, l'amore apparentemente mai corrisposto della sua gioventù, è pronto a soccorrerla quando cade da cavallo. Chase la porta a casa e si occupa di lei, dimostrandosi disposto a tutto pur di farle tornare il sorriso. Anche a sposarla, per consolidare un legame d'affari che potrebbe tornare utile a entrambi. Quando sente la proposta, Fay è titubante. Vista l'attrazione reciproca, saprebbe dominarsi se la loro intimità crescesse? Non le resta che...

DU BRINGST DAS EIS ZUM SCHMELZEN - TERESA SOUTHWICK

BIANCA (Germany)

Erscheint am: 26.03.08

"Helfen Sie meinem Kind. Bitte!" Nur zögernd gibt die Sprachtherapeutin Mary Jane dem Drängen des reichen Geschäftsmannes Gavin Spencer nach: Seit dem tragischen Unfalltod ihres Sohnes arbeitet sie nicht mehr mit kleinen Kindern. Aber schon am ersten Tag in Gavins Haus ahnt sie, dass sie richtig entscheiden hat. Der kleine Sean berührt ihr Herz - und sein Vater weckt Träume von Liebe in ihr. Doch obwohl Gavin ihre Besuche offenbar von Mal zu Mal sehnlicher erwartet, weist er sie zurück! Wie kann sie den Eispanzer durchdringen, den er um sein Herz gelegt hat?"

Barfotabröllop av Jessica Hart

(Sweden)

Höga klackar och hög lön … eller barfota och beundrad?

Alice Gunning har ett perfekt liv. Hon älskar sitt jobb, sin flotta innerstadslägenhet och tanken på att hon snart ska förlova sig. Men på bara en dag förändras allt: Pojkvännen lämnar henne, hon får sparken – och hon vinner på lotteri!

En biljett till en paradisö är vad Alice behöver för att komma bort och tänka. Och nu har hon råd att unna sig det. Döm om hennes förvåning när hon på den lilla soldränkta tropiska ön springer rakt på en gammal kärlek, Will Paxman.

För karriärkvinnan Alice är en vild romans på en tropisk ö helt otänkbar, hon måste ju snart tillbaka till verkligheten igen. Men Will gör allt han kan för att övertyga henne om att drömmen kan vara för evigt …

Don't forget...this is your last chance to enter to win a copy of Jennie Adams's TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH...just send your e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject line JENNIE to be entered! The winner will be drawn April 1st!

Spotlight in Six with Jennie Adams

This month we have Jennie Adams with us from Down Under! Jennie has a copy of her current release, To Love and To Cherish, up for grabs so read on to find out how to enter!

Welcome, Jennie!

Where do you find new and fresh ideas?

I think if you are in love with life and enthralled with people and the human condition and are cursed/blessed with an overactive imagination, the ideas are always going to be there. Frankly, it’s a relief to have an outlet, LOL. Where the ideas come from? That’s hard to answer. A little bit from that pondering, from wanting answers to universal questions about love, friendship, relationship, commitment, heroism and a whole lot of other stuff. A little from playing the ‘what if’ game about things I see or notice or worry or care about. And a lot from characters who circumvent any conscious thought process of mine and somehow manage to come alive to address some of those things I’ve wondered about, in their own unique way.


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

I tend to divide the use of celebrity pictures between physical description, mood, and emotion. I used two different actresses for ‘The Boss’s Unconventional Assistant’, my August 08 release. A picture of Scarlett Johansson in evening wear became the inspiration for the glamorous side of Sophia Gable, but the emotion between the hero and heroine came from a beautiful movie still of a man and a woman holding each other in a kitchen. My hero description is nothing like the picture I clipped of Jude Law, but Jude’s expression encapsulates several key things about my hero’s character and emotional position.

It’s magical when you take pictures at the start of the creative process and later discover all their hidden meaning. This happened for me with my hero inspiration in my March release, ‘To Love and To Cherish’. After looking through a lot of pictures, I chose one of Keanu Reeves for my hero Jack. The picture is sensual and guarded. Keanu is in the process of pulling a dark fitted T-shirt up to take it off and his eyes are full of secrets. I had no idea when I chose the picture that it would end up representing something quite heart-wrenching about my hero.


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

Novel writing is like bungee jumping. The big leap, the sick stomach, the soaring sensation as though you could own the whole world, over and over until it finally stops and you get off and feel sick, then line up to do it all over again. I love the start of a new story when everything is fresh and the ideas are flowing. I hate it when a new story idea won’t come together and the hero and heroine won’t ‘talk’ to me. I particularly hate it when I take that problem to stream of consciousness interviewing and my hero tells me I’m the problem, and I should loosen up! But the joys of the work far outweigh the tough bits. I wouldn’t change what I do for anything.


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


Well, first there’s ‘speed pampering’ for those times when there just isn’t time. Good quality facial products feel brilliant on your skin at the end of a long, tiring day. I’d say chocolate, but there are days when I think that’s more like medication. There’s a reason there’s a whole range of greeting cards and other stuff that says ‘Hand over the chocolate and nobody will get hurt’. LOL. And I love to be swept away by a great romance story, be it in film or written form, or to listen to romantic music. If you have a favourite movie or book or song, please tell me. I’d love to hear!


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


I’m trapped in a lift with three talkative experts who can answer all my current research questions. I think three hours should do it. And maybe when we’re all rescued, it could be by a team of Special Armed Services men who (unbeknown to us during my research talks), are here to defuse the bomb stuck to the top of the lift, save the building, the city and the country. I did mention that overactive imagination of mine, didn’t I?


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

In the month of March ‘To Love and To Cherish’ is out as a Harlequin Romance in the USA. Check it out at http://www.eharlequin.com/ in print and ebook formats or buy from the amazons. The third and final Gable Sister book, Sophia’s story, hits the shelves as ‘The Boss’s Unconventional Assistant’ in August 08 in the USA and UK. I’ve recently handed in a boss/secretary story, and I’m working on a new book and in talks with my editor about other upcoming projects. 2008 is looking to be an exciting year.

Love and hugs to you all, and please feel welcome to visit me at my website at http://www.jennieadams.net/.

Thanks Jennie! To win a copy of TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH, send an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject line of JENNIE. We'll draw at the end of the month!

Stupendous September Releases!

It's that time again - when the new month's releases become available!

Check out what ROMANCE has to offer this month...and just save yourself the time and buy ALL of them, they all look SO good....in fact, if you click on the exclusive offer button to the right, you can even enjoy free shipping!


Needed: Her Mr. Right
by Barbara Hannay
Returning from a charity cycle ride through the Himalayas, Simone is determined to finally deal with the dreadful secret she's kept and move on with her life. Until the diary into which she poured her troubled heart is lost…and found by billionaire journalist Ryan Tanner.

Simone's never been able to open up, to get close, and she's immediately suspicious of Ryan. But there's something about him that invites trust. Maybe this beautiful, loving man can help her find the real her. He just might be her Mr. Right in a million.…

Read Excerpt



Outback Boss, City Bride
by Jessica Hart
Meredith West
Likes: coffee shops, nice shoes, London
Dislikes: spiders, the Outback, Hal Granger!

Hal Granger
Dislikes: cool, unflappable, distracting city girls
Likes: one city girl in particular…

Meredith's been forced to take a job on a remote cattle station, with a boss she can't stand! It should be easy to keep things professional—except their office is under the blistering Outback sun, and Hal's work attire is a bare chest and thigh-hugging jeans! Although they're worlds apart, it's getting harder to keep things strictly business…

Read Excerpt



Marriage at Circle M
by Donna Alward
Secrets are hard to keep in a small town…

But Grace Lundquist is determined to hide her pain. Hardworking and always cheerful, she's the town's sweetheart. Everybody loves her.…

Grace knows that one man isn't fooled. When Mike Gardner looks at her, she feels he can see right into her soul. But, try as she might to keep the strong, gorgeous cowboy out of her business, Grace can't douse the spark between them.…

Read Excerpt


Promoted: Nanny to Wife
by Margaret Way
Marissa Devlin has vowed to protect her orphaned half brother—even if it means becoming governess to the daughter of dark, brooding Holt McMaster. Marissa soon feels like a mother to Holt's little girl, but the magnificent cattle baron's guarded heart isn't so easily won!

Holt has battled with trust in the past, so he's surprised to find that having Marissa in his home seems like the most natural thing in the world.

Is it possible that the new nanny may be the perfect wife…?

Read Excerpt


The Bridal Contract
by Susan Fox
Fay Sheridan is facing the bleakest moment of her life. As a fierce storm surges around her, one man plucks her from despair and into safety: Chase Rafferty.

Rugged rancher Chase knows there is a fun-loving young woman hiding inside Fay, and he'll do anything to see her start living again—even propose!

Fay thinks Chase is joking—a convenient business marriage would never work. But as the idea sinks in, the sparks slowly begin to ignite inside her. Maybe now is the time to embrace life and say yes!

Read Excerpt


The Italian Single Dad
by Jennie Adams
An Italian single father, a motherless child…

Bella Gable never wanted to see rich, handsome Luchino Montichelli ever again! They had a brief romance in Italy when she was young and naive, but when Bella discovered Luc had betrayed her, it broke her heart.

Her first love, their chance for happiness…

Now, years on, Luc has come to Australia with his young daughter in tow. This Luc, who looks at his daughter with such tenderness, seems like the man Bella once fell in love with. But can she trust him enough to take another chance on this Italian single dad?

Read Excerpt

Available in bookshops, at www.eharlequin.com, www.millsandboon.com, and of course, the amazons!