Foreign and Special Releases for March

Special Releases March 2009 Available in paperback

Her Mediterranean Boss

By Helen Brooks, Barbara McMahon & Trish Morey

Special Releases March 2009 Available in paperback
The Secret Baby BargainBy Barbara Hannay, Meredith Webber, & Mary Nichols




France: La fiancée des dunes, Nicola Marsh

Architecte de renom, Bria Green a tant de chantiers en cours qu'elle n'a pas vraiment le temps de songer à l'amour. Aussi est-ce lors d'un déplacement professionnel qu'elle rencontre Sam Wali, un homme d'affaires qui, comme elle, parcourt le globe.... Entre eux tout va très vite, et bientôt, Bria vit une histoire si intense et si passionnée qu'elle est sûre d'avoir trouvé l'âme s?ur en ce compagnon un rien ténébreux. Jusqu'à ce que, à la faveur d'un voyage à Adhara, un minuscule royaume du golfe Arabique, elle se rende compte de sa méprise...



Holland: Verliefd op de lord - Fiona Harper

De vrolijke, eigenzinnige Josie krijgt het benauwd als William Roberts, de nieuwe lord van Elmhurst Hall, zijn intrede doet. Aantrekkelijk is hij zeker, maar helaas is daarmee alles gezegd. Hij is in alles haar tegenpool: stijf, keurig en vreselijk gesteld op decorum. Maar als ze wil voorkomen dat het landgoed in vreemde handen overgaat, zal ze met hem moeten samenwerken, of ze wil of niet!

Bloemen voor de bruid - Shirley Jump

Als bruidsbloemiste heeft Callie dagelijks met gelukkige stelletjes te maken, maar zelf denkt ze na een mislukt huwelijk dat er voor haar geen ware jakob rondloopt. Dan ontmoet ze de statisticus Jared, die bezig is met een onderzoek naar het ontstaan van verliefdheid. Hij wil haar graag aan zijn steekproef toevoegen. En ook al bedankt ze vriendelijk, hij blijft haar achtervolgen, gewapend met potlood, klembord en een ongelooflijke dosis sexappeal...


Hungary: Lucy Gordon: Pompeji szerelmesek

Della, a népszerű televíziós személyiség régész szakértőt keres az ősi kultúrákról szóló új sorozatához. Megismerkedik Carlo Rinuccival, aki fiatal kora ellenére már jól csengő nevet szerzett magának a szakmában. Útra kelnek, hogy felfedezzék Olaszország történelmi színhelyeit. Pompejiben megcsodálják az egykori szerelmespárt, akik egymást átölelve várták a halált. Csodálatos heteket töltenek együtt, és Carlo megkéri Della kezét. Az asszony nem is lehetne boldogabb, mégis nemet mond, mivel véleménye szerint a férfi túl fiatal hozzá…




Italy: UNA ROMANTICA LUNA DI MIELE di JAMES MELISSA

Julie Montgomery: impiegata di The Wedding Belles.

Segni particolari: specialista nel pianificare lune di miele per i clienti e nel mandare a monte la propria!

La festa di fidanzamento di Julie e Matt McLachlan è l'evento più esclusivo dell'anno, per tutto il jet-set di Boston. Essere la futura moglie di un milionario, però, non è certo un'impresa facile. Champagne, diamanti e abiti d'alta moda, infatti, sono un'assoluta novità per Julie, così come le strane voci che ha sentito circolare sul conto dell'uomo che credeva di conoscere e amare.
FIORI E CONFETTI:
SEI SPECIALISTE PER UN SOGNO.
Dopo aver organizzato
tanti matrimoni perfetti,
troveranno il loro lieto fine?


Sweden: Kysst av solen av Rebecca Winters

Som en grekisk gud … Nikos Lazaridis är en genial affärsman och det verkar som om han har allt: pengar, kvinnor, lyxyachter. Men det finns en kvinna som är ouppnåelig för honom – den frigjorda arvtagerskan Tracey Loretto. Han har velat ha henne från första ögonblicket de träffades, men ödet – eller rättare sagt Traceys morfar – ville annorlunda. Han arrangerade ett giftermål med en man med titel och efter det såg Nikos henne som förlorad.Nu står hon framför honom och ber om hjälp. Ska han, eller ska han inte engagera sig i kvinnan som en gång krossade hans hjärta?

April, april … av Jessica Steele

För Romillie har familjen alltid kommit i första hand, så när hennes mamma blev sjuk var det självklart för henne att ställa upp. Men nu är mamman på bättringsvägen och Romillie tycker det är dags att ta tag i sitt liv och ha lite kul. Samtidigt gör Naylor Cardell entré. Aldrig hade hon kunnat tro att en framgångsrik och snygg affärsman som han skulle intressera sig för någon som hon. Men är Naylor verkligen den han utger sig för att vara, och vilka är hans avsikter?


Portugal: Um futuro venturoso - Claire Baxter

Aquela proposta conseguiria fazer com que ambos voltassem a sentir que tinham uma vida plena?

Chase Mattner chegara a Leo Bay com a intenção de criar a sua filha num local sossegado. Pretendia levar uma vida simples na sua casa junto do mar. Regan Jantz também não procurava nenhum tipo de distracção. Já tinha preocupações suficientes com um negócio para administrar e dois filhos pequenos, que tinha de criar sozinha.

Contudo, sendo ambos pais solteiros, depressa surgiu um vínculo entre eles e começaram a sentir-se como uma verdadeira família cada vez que faziam actividades em conjunto com os meninos. A vida de ambos era há muito tempo um quebra-cabeças ao qual faltavam peças… até àquele momento.


Poland: NATASHA OAKLEY - NARZECZONA DLA KSIĘCIA

Książę Sebastian wie, że jako przyszłego władcę czeka go życie pełne wyrzeczeń. Postanawia więc chociaż na chwilę zapomnieć o obowiązkach i rzucić się w wir zabawy. Poznaje piękną Marianne, ale ich gorący romans trwa bardzo krótko, bo Sebastian zostaje nagle wezwany do ojczyzny. Po wielu latach kochankowie spotykają się ponownie. Sebastian, teraz już król Andowarii, chętnie odnowiłby znajomość, jednak Marianne nie potrafi zapomnieć krzywdy, jaką jej wyrządził...



Spain: Los deseos de la princesa (TRAMA: GUARDAESPALDAS) - Cara Colter

A pesar de todo, no podía dejar de desear el verdadero amor

La princesa Shoshauna de B’Ranasha había respetado las normas de la familia real toda su vida, pero lo que más ansiaba era ser libre y casarse por amor, no por conveniencia.

De repente, su vida estaba en peligro y Shoshauna se vio en una isla exótica custodiada por el soldado Jake Ronan, que le dejó muy claro que, a pesar de la intensa atracción que había entre ellos, estaba allí sólo por motivos de trabajo.

En compañía de Jake, Shoshauna se sintió libre y feliz por primera vez en su vida. ¿Podría una princesa como ella casarse con un soldado tan rudo?



Germany: DER RING AN DEINER HAND von: BETTY NEELS
Schüchtern lächelt Georgina ihm zu – und prompt verliebt sich der umschwärmte Bernard van den Berg in die junge Krankenschwester. Doch schon bald bedrohen Intrigen das junge Glück. Und als Bernard einen unbekannten Ring an Georginas Hand entdeckt, wendet er sich im Zorn von ihr ab.
HEIRATE DEN RICHTIGEN, FAITH von: LIZ FIELDING
Was für ein Mann! Ausgerechnet der arrogante Fabrikant Harry March bringt Faith’ Blut zum Kochen. Mit jedem heißen Wortgefecht wird das Begehren zwischen ihnen stärker – und die Versuchung größer. Doch Faith ist schon längst einem Anderen versprochen …
GIB MIR MEINEN TRAUM ZURÜCK von: ROBYN DONALD
Seit einem Unfall lebt die schöne Ianthe völlig zurückgezogen in einem kleinen Haus am Rande der Wildnis. Bis ihr eines Tages Michael Considine begegnet, der Kronprinz von Illyrien. Auf Anhieb verlieben sich die beiden ineinander. Doch Michael muss eine standesgemäße Frau heiraten …

Diamond Brides Sale

All Six of the Diamond Brides books - that's all of the February Romance releases - are on sale in e-book format on eharlequin in their St. Patrick's Day Pot o' Gold Sale. Buy them as a bundle of all six and save a WHOPPING 50%!

You can purchase it HERE.

Character Questionnaires – Useful Tool or Total Time-Waster?

Michelle Douglas joins us this week on how she delves into the wonderful world of Character!

I remember the very first time I discovered character questionnaires. Actually I was given one by a writer’s group I once belonged to. Yes! I was so excited. This was the tool that would finally turn me into a real writer. I clutched it in my hot little hand and raced home. I grabbed pen and paper, started to answer the questions... and promptly fell asleep.

Oh Good Lord! Who cares what colour eyes, hair and skin my heroine has? Weight? What do you mean, weight? I’m not going to divulge my heroine’s exact dimensions. I mean... how unromantic. On and on it went – height, distinguishing facial features, birthmarks and scars, characteristic gestures and mannerisms, way of walking...

I dropped my head to my hands convinced I was wasting my time. Did it really matter who my heroine’s best friend in fourth grade was? Or how many pets my hero had between the ages of 4 and 16? So what if my heroine prefers strappy heels to gym shoes? Does any of this really matter?

At first my answer to that was a resounding, No.

But then my mind started ticking over. What if the heroine’s best friend since fourth grade has gone missing and that’s the reason the heroine ends up in the hero’s tiny town in the Outback? What if the hero is a vet and between the ages of 4 and 16 the only pet he had was a dog...and what if that dog died and he couldn’t save it and from that moment on he was determined to become a vet, even though it meant defying his father? What if, in the opening scene, it’s raining, the heroine’s car is bogged, and she doesn’t own a pair of gym shoes let alone Wellington boots?

Hmm... okay then, some questions do matter, but how was I going to decide which ones to ask? It took me a long time to work it out, but I discovered the answer depended entirely on the context in which I approached the questions.

Let’s tackle questions about physical description first. Other than the fact that we don’t want our heroine’s eye colour changing from blue to brown halfway through the story, who cares what colour her eyes, hair, and skin are? There’s one person who cares and he cares a whole lot – the hero. He’s fascinated by the colour of her eyes, mesmerised by the way her hair shines in the sun... and he can’t get the exact shade of her skin out of his mind – is it the colour of peaches and cream, or more English rose? If she’d stop ranting at him and moved into the light a little more then perhaps he could work it out. Only if she moves into the light that glossy hair of hers is going to distract him all over again.

See what I’ve done? I’ve asked the hero to describe the heroine for me. I like to ask him to:
a) describe the heroine the very first moment he sees her
b) describe her looking her worst,
c) describe her looking her best.
Then I get the heroine to answer the same questions for the hero. What’s more, I get her to tell me how she thinks the hero sees her at each of those moments above.

These descriptions now contain a power my boring checklist lacked. They work because they not only tell me something about the heroine, they tell me something about the hero too. I’m not only discovering what my heroine looks like, but my hero’s physical and/or emotional responses to her too. The descriptions now start to sizzle with emotional punch. And if I want to look at this in a purely practical light, these descriptions add to my word count – I can use them in my books.

How else can character questionnaires be useful? Sometimes I just like to play with them. They can, on occasion, help me generate plot ideas – as in the instance above with the heroine stuck in the outback looking for her best friend since fourth grade, getting soaked in the pouring rain in her high heels. For some reason I’m finding this an intriguing opening, but at the moment that’s all it is – an opening. I need to flesh it out. So I start asking questions. And do I have favourite questions I like to ask my characters? You bet – these ones especially:
What do you want?
Why do you want it?
What’s stopping you from getting it?

What my characters want throughout the course of the story can change so these are questions I ask my characters at the beginning of chapter one, end of chapter three, and usually again at the end of chapter seven (for some reason these are the points in the story where I need to double check that I’m on the same page as my characters). My characters usually want more than one thing too – so I list them all. My heroine wants to find her missing best friend, but she also wants to become managing director for her software firm in Sydney. She’s not going to find that an easy goal to accomplish while she’s stuck in the outback. Hence, Plan A is to find her best friend and hightail it back to the city as soon as she can.

I also like to ask my characters:
What do you want relationship-wise?
Why do you want that?
What prevents you from achieving this?
If my heroine is hell bent on never getting married, then I want to know why. I’m writing a romance so she’s going to have to overcome her reservations about marriage at some stage. Which leads to a very important question:
What will you learn, how will you change?
Sometimes I don’t discover the answer to this question until after I’ve finished the book. Sometimes it’s not having the answers that matter, just knowing the right questions to ask that keep me writing.

Some time ago, I stumbled upon a set of questions in a book called Building Better Plots by Robert Kernen (Writers Digest Books, 1999). I love these questions – and I hate them – because I find them SO hard to answer. But I find, once I’ve answered them to my satisfaction, everything falls into place.

Placing the Obstacle, from Building Better Plots by Robert Kernen (pg 30)
“What would make the attainment of my character’s goal the most difficult?” Once this has been identified, the central obstacle in the story will become much clearer.
In Casablanca seeing Ilsa safe means that Rick must let her go.

“What is my character’s greatest weakness?” Exploiting this vulnerability will provide a rich source of drama.
Hamlet’s course of action is clear – expose his uncle. His weakness is his indecisiveness.

“What is my character’s greatest fear?” To draw the most depth from your protagonists, they must face their greatest fears.
In Vertigo, Scottie’s greatest fear is high places, yet he must go into the bell tower to expose the murderer.

“What is my character’s greatest strength?” This will give you a clue as to how your protagonist will eventually overcome the obstacle.
In The Fountainhead, Howard Roarke is able to succeed only through the tremendous force and conviction of his principles.

Kernen claims that, Answering these four questions should point you at the right obstacle that will give your story the greatest drama and create the utmost tension.

And that’s what we’re in the business of – giving our readers a darn good story. Drama and tension are vital in a darn good story.

I’ve listed the ways character questionnaires (or simply asking my characters questions) have helped me with characterisation, plotting and building drama and tension in my stories. If I searched there would probably be other benefits I could add to the list. I’m of the opinion that anything that helps me to write is a damn fine thing – whether that’s filling out character questionnaires, creating a collage, or making a soundtrack for my novel... whatever. My challenge to you is if at first a seemingly useful tool doesn’t work... can you think up a new approach that brings it to life and makes it relevant for the way you work? If and when you do, don’t forget to share it with the rest of us!

Be sure to grab Michelle's current release, The Aristocrat and the Single Mom - out this month!

Why I Love To Write Outback Romance with Barbara Hannay!

Most Australians like to think they have a strong connection with the Outback.

We’re proud of our country’s amazing red centre and its reputation for unusual rugged beauty and danger. But in reality, 90% of Australians live in cities along the coast.

So, if we don’t live in the Outback, why does it fill us with nostalgia?

The truth is, other brave souls are living the Outback life for us.

And this is why I love writing about these people. They are larger than our lives. They are living the life... living the legend... for the rest of us.

While we city folk couldn’t cope without our convenience stores and our coffee shops around the corner, people in the outback cope year after year with not only isolation, but droughts, floods and bushfires... They embody the image of man against the elements.

When I read about their resilience and toughness, I feel stronger... uplifted.

However, the big appeal of writing Outback romances is that I get to create the rugged Outback heroes. For me, the special appeal of these guys lies beyond the obvious allure of a sexy, naughty-boy grin and a toned, fit and athletic body. I love the powerful emotions hidden behind all their brashness and toughness. I love it that their feelings run deep.

And I love to see these loners - these remote, strong and silent men - brought to their knees when they admit that they can’t deny their feelings any longer. And I know that any heroine, who manages to penetrate the outer shield to expose her Outback hero’s tender feelings, wins a rare prize indeed.

This brings me to the other important character, the heroine. The Outback has a reputation for breeding men’s men. Women don’t really fit in... so Outback heroines have an extra big challenge, and it seems they know these guys are worth it.

Of course, an Outback heroine must be a strong match for the toughest Outback man. A woman who is weak or helpless just won’t cut it in the bush. In this isolated, often harsh, hot and dusty environment, heroines must be strong and self reliant. They need to show initiative and a sense of humour.

By the time an Outback hero has expressed his love or proposed marriage, the heroine will have demonstrated that she has the strength of character to face up to the demands of his lifestyle. The fact that a woman can give up the comfort and convenience of city life for the hardship and isolation of the Outback is perhaps the strongest testimony to the appeal of the Outback man.

But any woman who marries an Outback hero is marrying a man who is much more than a simple cowboy. An Outback hero is a true man for all seasons. He can keep house and cook, he often has a university degree, he likes to travel the world and can provide for his family. He looks just as comfortable in an Armani tuxedo when he hosts a ball on the sweeping lawns that surround his homestead, or escorts a beautiful woman to the Sydney Opera House, as he does in blue jeans and riding boots while he risks his neck on horseback leaping down gullies after wild, cleanskin cattle.

Like his real life counterparts, he’s living the legend.

For us.

Barbara Hannay won the 2007 RITA award for her Outback romance, Claiming His Family. In this month’s release, Her Cattleman Boss, English girl Kate Brodie and Outback cattleman Noah Carmody take on severe drought and the threat of losing their property, by droving their cattle thousands of kilometres to market, and there’s plenty of adventure and romance along the way.

To find out more, check out Barbara’s website http://www.barbarahannay.com and her blog http://wwwbarbarahannay.blogspot.com

March Releases

Brady: The Rebel Rancher
by Patricia Thayer

Brady Randell has always been a rebel. Even now, injured out of the air force, he's a dark presence on the Randell ranch. But enter lovely Lindsey Stafford, and a glint appears in the headstrong pilot's eye.

Despite her innocence, Lindsey takes Brady's brooding nature in her stride. But her arrival has rocked the Randell family to the core. She has secrets that could destroy them. Now it's up to Brady to fight once more. Not for his country this time, but for the woman who's found a place in his heart.

Read Excerpt

Italian Groom, Princess Bride
by Rebecca Winters

Princess Regina Vittorio must soon leave her beloved kingdom of Castelmare and become queen of another realm. Gina has devoted her life to royal duty, but as the day of her arranged wedding approaches, she wants just one moment with the man she loves….

Royal gardener Dizo Fornese has watched Princess Regina blossom like the roses he tends at the palace. He knows she is untouchable, but he has one chance to risk all—and claim his princess bride!

Read Excerpt

Falling for Her Convenient Husband
by Jessica Steele

Nathan Mallory hasn't set eyes on Phelix Bradbury since they conveniently wed. When they meet at an international business conference eight years on, Nathan is intrigued when he sees that Phelix is still wearing her wedding ring….

Now a successful lawyer with the independence she's always craved, Phelix is not the same shy, mousy teenager Nathan knew, but a confident and stylish woman. And her transformation certainly hasn't escaped the English tycoon's notice….

Read Excerpt


Cinderella's Wedding Wish
by Jessica Hart

Miranda Fairchild has always blended into the background. But she still dreams of finding her fairy-tale prince….

At first glance, her new boss—dangerously charismatic Rafe Knighton—does not fit the bill.

Rafe is beginning to see that there's more to Miranda than meets the eye. Will he give this stubborn Cinderella the happy ending she deserves?

Take a look at life and love from Rafe's point of view…read Rafe's blog.

Read Excerpt

Her Cattleman Boss
by Barbara Hannay

When Kate Brodie inherits half a run-down cattle station, she doesn't expect to have a sexy cattleman boss to contend with!

Noah Carmody doesn't need a city girl like Kate trying her pretty hand at Outback life, but he's a single dad now, and Kate's the only person within a hundred miles who'll help him restore Radnor to its former glory. So he'll grudgingly show her the ropes….As they toil together under the Outback sun, romance should be the last thing on their minds…shouldn't it?

Read Excerpt


The Aristocrat and the Single Mom
by Michelle Douglas

Handsome English aristocrat Lord Simon Morton-Blake is reluctant to get involved with anyone on his visit to Australia—especially a single mother like Kate Petherbridge! But Simon can't deny his attraction to vivacious Kate, or refuse her offer of a place to stay.

Thrown into the middle of Kate's lively family, Simon finds his buttoned-up manner slowly undone. A happy family isn't something Simon's known before, but he's starting to realize there's one ready-made, just for him….

Take a look at life and love from Simon's point of view…read Simon's blog.

Read Excerpt

February Foreign Releases

Imposible resistirse (Miniserie: PADRES POR SORPRESA)

por Barbara McMahon (Spain)

¿Se atrevería a tener un hijo con el jefe?

Lianne O’Mallory deseaba tener un hijo, pero se estaba quedando sin tiempo. Incluso escribía en secreto una lista con todos los atributos de su hombre ideal. Pero después de varias citas desastrosas esa lista acabó en la papelera… ¡y fue descubierta por su jefe!

Tray Elliott no podía entender por qué aquella mujer guapa e inteligente tendría que hacer una lista, y eso lo intrigó. Un hombre como él jamás admitiría su deseo secreto de formar una familia… pero iba a hacerle a Lianne una proposición de matrimonio que ella no sería capaz de rechazar.

TRAUMHOCHZEIT IM SCHLOSS?

von: LIZ FIELDING (Germany)

Die perfekte Traumhochzeit? Auf einem Schloss in Südengland organisiert die Hochzeitsplanerin Sylvie eine glamouröse Wohltätigkeitsveranstaltung. Sie selbst soll dabei die glückliche Braut spielen, die zu ihrer Jugendliebe Jeremy zurückgekehrt ist. Alles läuft nach Plan. Bis überraschend der attraktive Milliardär Tom MacFarlaine auftaucht. Er ist der neue Besitzer von Longbourne Court – und der Mann, dessen Baby Sylvie seit einer leidenschaftlichen Nacht unter dem Herzen trägt. Wie gern würde sie Tom das Jawort geben! Doch er glaubt, sie sei mit Jeremy verlobt …

NATASHA OAKLEY - PAMIĘTNA NIEDZIELA (Poland)

Ulubione powiedzonko Milesa, właściciela dużej firmy, brzmi: jestem sam i żyję tylko dla siebie. Uwielbia przelotne romanse, przyjęcia i szybkie samochody. Wszystko się zmienia, gdy w jego biurze pojawia się Jemima, nowa sekretarka. Milesa irytuje jej nieuporządkowane życie osobiste, ale to uczucie szybko ustępuje miejsca fascynacji. Służbowe kontakty przestają mu wystarczać, pragnie spędzać z Jemimą i jej synkami każdy weekend. Wkrótce uświadamia sobie, jak puste było jego dotychczasowe życie...

A esposa do italiano (Minissérie: Os irmãos Rinucci)

por Lucy Gordon (Portugal)

Quem disse que uma aventura apaixonada não podia transformar-se num amor para sempre?

Uma mulher inteligente e sensata como Della Hadley tinha por obrigação saber que não devia ter uma aventura com um playboy italiano sete anos mais novo do que ela. O problema era que o sensual Carlo Rinucci era simplesmente irresistível…

Della tinha a certeza de que a paixão que surgira tão rapidamente se extinguiria à mesma velocidade, por muito que Carlo lhe garantisse que o seu amor era para sempre. Porém, Carlo era um italiano empedernido que pretendia conquistar o coração daquela mulher e fazer dela a sua esposa.

POSERO' UN SEDUTTORE
di MEIER SUSAN (Italy)

Audra Greene: contabile di The Wedding Belles.

Segni particolari: specialista nel far quadrare i conti e nel mandare all'aria i piani di un playboy impenitente.

Che cosa ci fa Audra in mezzo ai biberon, invece che ai suoi adorati numeri? Semplice, dà una mano al magnate dell'imprenditoria Nic Manelli. Lui ha bisogno di una babysitter per il suo nipotino e chi può aiutarlo meglio dell'affidabile figlia della governante di casa Manelli? Ma con Audra dovrà evitare di usare i suoi modi da seduttore irriverente: con lei non attaccano!
FIORI E CONFETTI:
SEI SPECIALISTE PER UN SOGNO.
Dopo aver organizzato
tanti matrimoni perfetti,
troveranno il loro lieto fine?

Un amour à toute épreuve

Claire Baxter (France)

Dès qu'elle rencontre Chase, nouveau venu dans la région, Megan sent une force invisible la pousser vers lui. Malgré ses premières réticences, elle entame bientôt avec cet homme séduisant une liaison passionnée, qu'elle voudrait voir durer toujours. Hélas, Chase ne semble pas prêt à changer quoi que ce soit à la vie bien réglée qu'il mène avec sa fille âgée de quatre ans, sa seule raison de vivre depuis la mort de sa femme. Sa femme, dont le souvenir l'empêche de se tourner vers l'avenir...

LIEFDE TE OVER / KANS OP GELUK
CAROLINE ANDERSON, JENNIE ADAMS (Holland)

Liefde te over

Emily had nooit gedacht haar vroegere buurjongen Harry weer te zien... tot hij op haar stoep staat met een piepklein baby'tje in zijn armen. Hij vraagt haar hem te helpen met de verzorging van het te vroeg geboren kindje. Eigenlijk heeft ze haar handen al vol aan de opvoeding van haar zoontje. Maar als ze de hulpeloze blik in Harry's ogen ziet, kan ze niet weigeren. Al snel is ze totaal verslingerd aan de kleine Kizzy... en aan die stoere vader van haar!

Kans op geluk

Arabella schrikt wanneer Luchino Montichelli haar modezaak komt binnen gestapt. Ooit heeft ze van hem gehouden, tot ze ontdekte dat hij haar bedroog. Nu beschuldigt de temperamentvolle Italiaan háár van bedrog. Ze wil hem de deur wijzen, maar dan valt haar blik op het schattige meisje dat hij bij zich heeft. Het blijkt zijn dochtertje te zijn, dat hij alleen opvoedt. Eén blik uit die grote bruine ogen, en Arabella's hart smelt ter plekke...

Twist that Plot! Melissa James

Throughout the year, we'll be bringing you posts from your favourite authors. Sometimes they will be fun, have-a-chat type posts, some will be a look behind the scenes of the newest releases, and some will be for those readers who are trying their hand at writing their own romances.

In our very first "craft" post of the year, please welcome Melissa James with some advice on twisting an old hook into a new idea!

Twisting an Old Plot into a Fresh Idea

Anna Jacobs, author of 45 published novels so far, wrote something in her handbook called Plotting and Editing that made a great deal of sense to me. On page 19, under the heading, What Makes Your Book special?, she writes:

"All the time you're writing, whichever method you use, you should bear in mind that there has to be something that makes your story special, different, exciting—both to an editor who reads dozens of manuscripts and proposals each month, as well as to readers after publication. You also need to remember that merely 'good' isn't enough to sell a manuscript to a publisher—or to fascinate readers. Your story will have to be 'sparkling', especially if you are unknown as a writer."

Okay, that's wonderful, sage advice from a lady who knows what she's talking about. But here's the crunch for most of us: how do we do it? How do we find a true definition of those two dreaded words, emotional punch, and put it in our work?

That's what this workshop is for: to take existing plots and make them special, so special your characters will flow from it, and be so real they'll leap up yelling at an editor, "buy me!" I can't give you any magic formulas to write it to publishing standard; all I can do is pass on the details of my personal journey on plot discovery, and find ways to make something sparkling from basic plots.

It's said there are 8 basic plots for a romance novel. As some of you know, with help from the RWNZ email list, I got them down pat recently. They are:

* Beauty and the Beast
* King and beggar maid/ princess and pauper
* Reunion after painful past
* Secret Baby* Cinderella
* Marriage of convenience
* Forced Marriage/blackmail
* Bad girl/Good boy and vice versa

Now we all know the basic twist of combining two or more of these elements, such as reunion/secret baby, or marriage of convenience/Cinderella. Adding such things as 'woman in danger' usually stems from these basic plots, and can be innovative and effective; but the plot twists I'm talking about are different.

I'm going to start with a working example. The last thing I want (or probably you) is for me to bore you with the story of my books. But five minutes should make the point, and we can move on together. Her Galahad, which was released by Silhouette Intimate Moments in October 2002, combines a few basic plots:

* Princess and pauper
* Reunion after painful past
* Secret Baby
* Forced Marriage/blackmail
* Good girl/Bad boy

Then I took each theme and twisted them.

1. Princess and pauper? How could I twist that? By turning it around. They had been, in their painful past, princess and pauper, rich white upper-class girl and Aboriginal carpenter. Now she's a poorly paid teacher on the run from her obsessive, abusive, bigamous 'husband', and he's a rich artist. He wants seven kids; she knows she can't have any more. So she's on the back foot right from the start.

2. Now the Secret baby plot? It sounds plain and straightforward, doesn't it? So how to twist that? By making the baby so secret the heroine thinks she died. And the hero hates the heroine because he thinks she adopted their baby out. And he also has a baby, a son from another relationship with a woman who died. There's always ways and means to twist something new from a plot!

3. I twisted the good girl/bad boy plot by giving the good girl martial arts skills and turning on her family, willing to imprison them if she has to, on a quest to find her child they adopted out and told her had died. The bad boy becomes a good hero by being a bad boy not of his own choice, but imprisoned for crimes he didn't commit—by the man the heroine marries five weeks after the hero's arrest, and the heroine's brother and father. And this bad boy's been declared dead twice—once legally, with a death certificate to prove it. The heroine has a matching certificate, dated three years before his. And if the cops find him, he'll be imprisoned again just for being alive (by the way, this came from truth: in my university course I discovered the Australian government issued fake death certificates to Aboriginal kids taken from their families to stop them finding their heritage and make them 'blend' into white society. I thought, if they can do it, it can be done!)

4. The forced marriage/blackmail plot? I twisted that by giving the hero and heroine a secret marriage of one day, and the heroine, a forced marriage to a man who blackmailed her into becoming an unwitting bigamist, knowing she thought her true husband was dead.

From all these unusual plot twists, I suddenly found a wealth of creative emotion coming straight from the heart. I felt for this suffering hero and heroine. I wanted them to have a happy ending because, hell, they deserved it! I didn't just want to write the book by the time I'd finished - I was compelled to. The characters were so real to me I couldn't leave them hanging in the air. I finally understood why actors talked about their character in a movie as if that person was real: because, to them, they were. They had to be real to the people involved, or the characters will feel wooden, and the movie won't work for the actors or the theatre goers. That was what happened to me with Her Galahad, and the way I continued with the Nighthawks series, and now in writing for the Harlequin Romance line. I do it every time: the basic plots with the twist in the tail!

Emma Darcy says in her how-to book that empathizing with a hero or heroine is important—but it's not always just 'writing from the heart' that does it. You can make a heroine cry, she says, but will it make the reader cry?

Not if they haven't gone on the journey with the heroine first, to feel what she's feeling before she cries. So how do we do this? We, the author, have to be on our heroine’s journey, not merely thinking what she thinks, but *feeling* what she feels.

It's true what Valerie Parv says in her How-to book: You have to torture your characters! You have to make them orphans, throw them in boiling oil, drop them out of trees and throw them off cliffs, shoot them, stab them, and then, right when it can't get worse—make it worse! Why? Empathy! Because readers love to go on the journey. They want to feel what the characters are feeling, to cheer them on, to find reasons for these people to deserve their happy ending. Without this vital element, a book loses its interest. If an author writes more than one book where I don't feel for the characters I won't buy that author again. I'm afraid I'm not loyal to authors: I read what entertains me.

How about you? What is it you look for in a book? What drags you in? What books are your all-time favorites? Do you know why you love those books? Then take those well-loved books and research them like university readers. Analyze every line, every part of the book you love, and ask why?

Do you know the basic plot of that book you love? Now think about the twists on these plots the author used to hook you in. These points show exactly what I meant in the beginning: these authors have twisted the basic, well-loved plot to make it extraordinary, stand-out, unforgettable — the emotions have come right from the author's heart. It’s not rocket science, this is doable for any writer. Find what your plot is, and find how to twist it so that something unique happens!

When you have several plot twists, it prevents the dreaded sagging middle – especially if you pace them out, use one plot twist per “turning point” in the novel. Create it in a revelation of some sort, an epiphany if you will, that changes the other character’s preconceived notions on something important. Remember you can't bombard the reader with too much information at once, but to add another twist just as the story slows, or becomes close to resolution—fabulous! Something to make the reader gasp, be they judge, editor, agent or someone who picked it up in a bookshop. Isn't that what you love in a book — something to keep that hero and heroine apart just a little longer?

Get those plot twists going. Get them spinning like juggler's balls in the air and catch them, one by one! Or let them fall with a crash! Either way, your story keeps going without a sagging middle, and should keep the reader hooked.

RNA Awards - Fiona Harper

Tuesday was the RNA’s annual awards luncheon, where the organisation presents trophies for the Romantic Novel of the Year, the Romance Prize (for shorter romantic fiction, such as Harlequin Romance) and, for the first time, a Lifetime Achievement Award.

This year two Harlequin Romance novels (branded as Mills & Boon Romance in the UK) were on the shortlist, written by Jessica Hart and yours truly!

Here are all the books that were in the running:

What's Love Got to Do With It? - Lucy Broadbent (Little Black Dress, Headline)

The Wild Card - Beth Elliott (Robert Hale)

Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire's Pleasure - India Grey (Harlequin Mills & Boon)

Sold to the Highest Bidder - Kate Hardy (Harlequin Mills & Boon)

Saying Yes to the Millionaire - Fiona Harper (Harlequin Mills & Boon)

Promoted to Wife and Mother - Jessica Hart (Harlequin Mills & Boon)

All the shortlisted authors were asked to be at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington early for PR and photographs, which was great, because I got to meet up and chat with some of my old friends, such as Kate Hardy, who took the Romance Prize home last year, Jessica Hart and India Grey. I also got to meet fellow finalist, Beth Elliot, but unfortunately Lucy Broadbent, the last contender on the list was unable to make the ceremony.

I was also excited to be sharing a ‘green room’ (how showbizzy is that?) with some of the committee members and authors shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year —which I think we ought to call a Ronnie (RNY?), by the way, because it’s a bit of a mouthful! Cecilia Ahern looks so fresh-faced and young, she must have been a toddler when she got her first publishing contact. Here are some of the shortlisted authors for the Ronnie (See? It’s catching on…) signing their books.

Lunch itself was lovely and the service was fantastic. An army of waiters seemed to arrive and place the plates on the table simultaneously. I know it seems weird taking pictures of your dinner, but people really want to know! And who am I to deprive them?

The starter was Scottish Salmon Parfait with Tuna Tartar and Crème Fraiche Caviar. I took a picture, but I was so intent on eating it, I forgot to take one before I dived in. Here is a picture of someone else’s plate who was slightly less piggy than I was (but for pristine picture of the food, you'll have to visit Kate Hardy's blog - she obviously has more self-control than I have).

The main course (can you tell I like my food?) was Chicken filled with a Paris Mushroom Mousse, Marsala Cream Sauce, Marquis Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas. This too was gorgeous. I loved the sauce. And just enough to fill me up without making me too stuffed, which was just as well, because pudding was just around the corner…

I don’t need to say much about dessert, apart from telling you that it was Bitter Lemon Tart with Raspberry Jelly and Crème Fraiche Ice Cream. A picture may say a thousand words. I’ve two to demonstrate how much I enjoyed it:
Unfortunately, our speaker, the debonair and charming Peter Bowles, of To The Manor Born fame, was unable to attend because he was unwell. First up was the Romance Prize and my little heart starting pattering hard as one of the judges. Margaret James, got up on stage and a short video display of all the shortlisted books played on video screens around the room. Margaret then gave a short description of each of the books, outlining what the judges liked most about them. I think she may have said Saying Yes To The Millionaire had “charm in abundance”, and Jessica’s Promoted: To Wife And Mother was described as “a lovely story about second chances and finding love in unexpected places”, but I knew as I heard the judges opinion of one of the other books that it had stolen their hearts. And that book was…

Hired: Mistress For the Billionaire’s Pleasure by India Grey.

I’m very glad I didn’t read it before the ceremony because it sounds fabulous and I would have been too scared to turn up! India, lovely as always, was completely shocked by her win and even though she said she hadn’t prepared a speech, she was warm, funny and completely disarming as she accepted both the Betty Neels rose bowl, which she gets to keep for a year, and a little star-shaped glass trophy, which she gets to keep for ever.

And while India was still reeling with surprise, it was on the next event, a Lifetime Achievment Award to Judy Piatkus, founder of Piatkus Books.

Then, it was time to present the Romantic Novel of the Year (okay, maybe the Ronnie wasn’t really a good nickname…). The shortlist was:

Before the Storm by Judith Lennox (Headline)
East of the Sun by Julia Gregson (Orion)
Sophia’s Secret by Susannah Kearsley (Allison & Busby)
Star Gazing by Linda Gilliard (Little Brown)
Thanks for the Memories by Cecilia Ahern (Harper Collins)
The Last Concubine by Lesley Downer (Transworld)

And the award went to Julia Gregson for her novel East of the Sun. All the books on the shortlist sounded fabulous. Uh-oh, I can hear my credit card groaning at the thought of another book shopping-spree.

Finally, now all the nail-biting was over, it was time to breathe out and socialise. Here’s me with new M&B Romance author Nina Harrington, who’s first book is out this July:

And another of Romance Senior Editor Kimberly Young, and Jessica Hart!

Here's our two "Romancers" with winner India Grey!

Congratulations India and Julia, and a big thanks to Fiona for the report and pictures, as well as Kate Hardy, photog extraordinaire!

Series Spotlight - Romance and the Diamond Brides

This month as part of Harlequin's 60th celebrations, the series spotlight is on our very own Harlequin Romance! What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday AND Valentine's Day but with a book that is pure romance?

Welcome to this month's miniseries - The Diamond Brides! Each of the books this month has something to do with diamonds. And there's an extra gem for the reader as well...a chance to get YOUR romantic proposal in a book - and win a diamond necklace! How very cool is that?

Trish Wylie is also offering a special something for readers to go along with her release of Manhattan Boss, Diamond Proposal! Trish has an online read happening at eharlequin as a companion to her current book. It's called Manhattan Cinderella. New chapters are posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays- and a few are already up so pop on over, get caught up, and see what's in store for Erin and Nate!

Pop on over to eharlequin - you can get the full month's offerings here in print or here in e-book format! There's even a one click buy option to get all six books - for under $14!

February Releases

This is a HUGE month for Harlequin Romance, as all six books are part of the Diamond Celebrations at Harlequin! We're going to be doing a more indepth spotlight later in the month, but for now, please meet Harlequin's DIAMOND BRIDES!

The Australian's Society Bride by Margaret Way

Parties at the luxurious Blanchard estate draw the cream of society. Dressed to impress, glamorous women swathed in diamonds and designer outfits make a beeline for Boyd Blanchard, heir to the family business—and the most eligible bachelor in Australia.

Leona has known Boyd since she was a child, and he still has the power to turn her emotions inside out. But he is so out of her league that she carefully hides behind a wall of cool indifference. Until the kiss that sets the tongues of society wagging and gives Boyd the means he's been waiting for to make the stubborn, sensual redhead his….

Read Excerpt

Her Valentine Blind Date by Raye Morgan

She spied him across the crowded dance club. And before Cari Christensen could say Mr. Right, the tall, dark, movie-star-gorgeous stranger had whisked her outside to his waiting car. Talk about being swept off your feet!

By the time Max Angeli realized Cari wasn't his blind date, he was already falling for the pretty waitress. He and Cari might be from different worlds, but she was showing him a side of life he'd never known.

Could this become a Valentine's Day to remember?

Read Excerpt

The Royal Marriage Arrangement by Rebecca Winters

A royal wedding is announced, but this crown prince has made a convenient proposal…

The crowd is cheering the royal newlyweds. Crown Prince Lucca has married Alexandra Grigory in a sumptuous wedding. On the arm of her magnificent prince, Alexandra looks lovingly into his eyes. If only her convenient groom felt the same way she does!

From the tip of her diamond-encrusted tiara to the toes of her satin slippers, she looks every inch the part. But she knows that only the love of Lucca will truly make her feel like a princess!

Read Excerpt



Two Little Miracles by Caroline Anderson

Julia hasn't seen her husband, Max, for almost a year—but he's just walked through the door looking as breathtaking as ever!

Max has come to make things right with his beloved Julia. But he hasn't bargained on meeting two surprise little twin girls….

Now Max has two weeks to prove he's the best husband and father in the world!

Read Excerpt

Manhattan Boss, Diamond Proposal by Trish Wylie

Manhattan boss Quinn doesn't believe in love. He's the kind of man a girl's mother warns her about—the devil in disguise!

But since Quinn hired Clare O'Connor, the funniest thing has happened. He has less control over his heart. She's become more than just his beautiful, ultraefficient secretary—Clare's rocked him to the core.

The billionaire playboy is in a fix. His route to romance has always been easy. But now a real gem is involved. He has to tread softly. And if he does, the way will be paved with diamonds….

Read Excerpt




The Bridesmaid and the Billionaire by Shirley Jump

Bridesmaid Susannah Wilson has poured her dreams into planning the trip of a lifetime. The only trouble is, her locked-up heart is being opened by a brooding out-of-towner.

Billionaire best man Kane Lennox is escaping the stifling expectations of New York. Being with Susannah, he's breaking the rules. Happily ever after isn't on his agenda. Yet he can't take his eyes off her. For the first time he has something that money can't buy—a woman who loves him for who he really is.

Read Excerpt

Happy Birthday Harlequin!

Today marks Harlequin's 60th birthday, and the Diamond celebrations are well and truly underway!

One of the things going on this year starts TODAY, and that's the launch of the Harlequin Celebrates website! You are NOT going to want to miss this. Harlequin is graciously giving away - that's right - FREE!!!!!!! - ebooks. Sixteen of them. And two are by Romance authors.

First up is Liz Fielding's The Bride's Baby.

It’s the wedding planner’s worst nightmare and when the bride elopes with one of her staff three days before the wedding, it isn’t only the groom’s heart that has a debit balance. Sylvie Smith has bills to pay. The jilted groom has his own way of settling debts, however.

Six months on, wedding organiser to the seriously rich, Sylvie Smith is organising a glittering fundraising event: a fantasy wedding at a wedding show, held in a stately home that will be featured in a lifestyle magazine. Not just any fantasy wedding. They want her fantasy…

It should be every woman’s dream, designing her own dream wedding with no expense spared, but for Sylvie it was her worst nightmare.

One, she’s pregnant. Two, 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…

Then we have Linda Goodnight with her Inspirational title, A Very Special Delivery!

Since her nephew died while in her care, reclusive Molly McCreight has panic attacks around children. Former flight paramedic Ethan Hunter is a single dad raising his infant daughter alone. But then an ice storm traps the three together. . .and God has plans that neither of them expected.

So join us in helping Harlequin celebrate this fantastic milestone!