May Releases

Adopted: Family in a Million by Barbara McMahon

When Zack Morgan discovers he's a father, and that his little boy was given up for adoption, he decides to find him. He has to know his son is okay.

Life is a struggle for single mom Susan Johnson, but she loves being Danny's mother. When Zack unexpectedly comes into their lives, he lights up their world.Zack intended to keep his distance, but he's found the family of his dreams. Only, Susan has no idea who he really is….

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Hired: Nanny Bride by Cara Colter

Playboy tycoon Joshua Cole doesn't expect to be confronted with a frumpy nanny and a howling baby in his expensively furnished office. But the child is his nephew, so he steps in to help!

Dannie Springer has been hiding behind her staid nanny uniform since she got her heart broken. Yet over the weeks with Joshua, she starts to see the man beneath the designer suits—and she is secretly wishing he could see the real her….

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Italian Tycoon, Secret Son by Lucy Gordon

Stranded after an avalanche, Mandy Jenkins and Renzo Ruffini awaited rescue and found comfort in each other's arms. A year on, Mandy still longs for the carefree Italian she fell in love with but believed was lost forever—until now!

Discovering that Renzo has survived, Mandy goes to him—for he has her heart and she has his son! But Renzo has lost his memory. How will he react when he finds out the truth? Will he claim his English bride and his son?

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Blind-Date Baby by Fiona Harper

Dear Noah,

It seems like just the other day that I met you on blinddatebrides.com. My daughter signed me up because she felt I'd sacrificed my life to bring her up alone. But you can still be forty and…flirty!

I couldn't believe my luck when my blind date was a tall, dark, handsome stranger—yet you were that and so much more….

But now things have gone further and faster than I could have imagined because—well, we're pregnant! Noah—we need to talk.

Love, Grace

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The Billionaire's Baby by Nicola Marsh

Billionaire Blane Andrews has come to Melbourne to win back his wife. He walked away from Cam, believing he wasn't good enough. Now he's risen to the top, but he wants the one thing money can't buy.

As Blane romances her, Cam realizes that the magic in their marriage never faded. Yet she can't give Blane the baby he's always wanted. This time she must say goodbye….

But hold on to your dreams, Cam! Miracles can happen, and Blane's penthouse might need a nursery after all….

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Doorstep Daddy by Shirley Jump

Maverick writer Dalton Scott demands solitude—not a baby on his doorstep! But he can hardly shut the door…. Though absolutely out of his depth, he's amazed when he finally gets the little girl to stop crying!

Then beautiful single mom Ellie arrives, distraught that the babysitter left her precious child on Dalton's doorstep!

Can this chaotic pair make him realize that too much of his life has been stored in fiction? With Ellie he could start a whole new chapter….

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April Foreign Releases

Germany:

IM STURMWIND DER HIGHLANDS von: JESSICA HART

Ein Leben ohne Liebe in den Highlands kann Mallory sich nicht vorstellen. Und doch scheint genau das ihr Schicksal zu sein, denn sie muss ihrem Ehemann Torr McIver auf seine einsam gelegene Burg nach Schottland folgen. Wider Erwarten lernt sie den ernsten Unternehmer dort von einer ganz anderen Seite kennen: humorvoll, männlich, faszinierend! Verliebe ich mich etwa gerade in meinen eigenen Mann, fragt sich Mallory erstaunt. Aber das darf nicht sein! Schließlich will Torr nur eine Vernunftehe mit ihr führen. Denn er begehrt eine andere, die scheinbar so fern – und doch so nah ist …

Spain:

Cuando te encontré/Abre el corazón (TRAMA: SEDUCTORES. EL AVENTURERO) Linda Goodnight/Liz Fielding

Cuando te encontré - Linda Goodnight

Un apuesto desconocido había aparecido en su vida…

Una cabaña aislada en las Rocosas era el sitio perfecto para que Melody Crawford se ocultara del resto del mundo. Con sus dos fieles perros, arriesgaba su vida sin miedo para rescatar a personas extraviadas… pero el resto de su existencia era un misterio.

John North, un antiguo militar, necesitaba su ayuda, ya que Melody conocía aquellas montañas traicioneras mejor que nadie. Melody enseguida lo consideró un intruso, pero él se sintió irremediablemente atraído por esa mujer de belleza enigmática. En el fondo de su corazón ella necesitaba confiar en John, y éste haría todo lo posible por derribar sus barreras beso a beso.

Abre el corazón (TRAMA: SEDUCTORES. EL AVENTURERO) - Liz Fielding

Estaba perdida en una isla con un hombre que podría ser el amor de su vida.

Miranda Grenville era una superviviente, una belleza independiente y orgullosa. De vacaciones en una remota isla paradisíaca, se vio sorprendida por un terremoto y, atrapada bajo las ruinas de un antiguo templo, descubrió que no estaba sola: el arqueólogo Nick Jago estaba atrapado con ella.

En esa situación se vio obligada a depender de alguien, algo que iba contra su naturaleza, pero, a pesar de no querer confiar en él, empezó a sentir algo por aquel aventurero.

Poland:

POWTÓRKA Z MAŁZEŃSTWA FRANCUSKI WDZIĘK

Melissa McClone: POWTÓRKA Z MAŁŻEŃSTWA

Kate i Jared muszą wspólnie roztoczyć opiekę nad córeczką zmarłych przyjaciół. Chociaż są w trakcie rozwodu, postanawiają dla dobra dziecka pozostać małżeństwem, przynajmniej formalnie. Uda im się wyjaśnić wiele nieporozumień, ale czy uratują związek?

Claire Baxter: FRANCUSKI WDZIĘK

Beth coraz rzadziej wspomina pewne lato we Francji i romans z przystojnym Pierre’em. Teraz ma inne problemy, walczy o swoje udziały w rodzinnej firmie winiarskiej. Koncern, do którego należy większość akcji, przysyła swego przedstawiciela. Jest nim Pierre...

Portugal:

A flor do amor (Minissérie: Os irmãos Rinucci) por Lucy Gordon

Ele desejava protegê-la... Ela precisava de ser livre!

Celia Ryland era uma mulher independente, que decidira não permitir que a cegueira de que padecia afectasse a sua forma de vida.

O bonito italiano Francesco Rinucci jamais conhecera uma mulher tão livre e cheia de vida como Celia e, de repente, percebeu que desejava apertá-la entre os seus braços e proteger a sua bela rosa inglesa dos perigos do mundo…

Embora estivesse a apaixonar-se por Francesco, Celia tinha de o fazer ver que amar alguém também implicava deixá-lo livre…

Italy:

LA VALIGIA DELLA FELICITA' di WYLIE TRISH

Per ritrovare il sorriso ci vorrebbe una novità... Ronan O'Keefe, milionario affascinante e scrittore di guide turistiche, ha tutto ciò che il denaro può comprare, eppure non è soddisfatto della propria vita. Anche quell'ennesimo viaggio non ha alcuna attrattiva per lui, almeno fino a quando non mette piede sull'aereo e...

...meglio se con i capelli lisci come seta e con un fisico mozzafiato!

La sua vicina di posto è un sogno a occhi aperti; bellissima, dolce ed effervescente. Di lei, Ronan sa solo che si chiama Kerry Doyle e che sta partendo per una vacanza di tre mesi in giro per il mondo. Senza pensarci troppo, le fa una proposta: viaggiare insieme e annotare ogni sensazione ed emozione. Il risultato di quella strana avventura diventerà un bestseller. O un'indimenticabile storia d'amore?

France:

Patron ou amant ?, Jennie Adams

En pénétrant dans le bureau de Zachary Swift, l'un des plus intraitables businessmen de Sydney, Lily, directrice d'une agence d'intérim, est très mal à l'aise. L'une des assistantes qu'elle a placées dans l'entreprise de M. Swift n'a-t-elle pas failli ruiner la réputation de Secrétaires Express en tentant de séduire ce patron très en vue ? Cependant, la jeune femme est loin de deviner l'étrange compensation que son client a l'intention d'exiger d'elle...

Hungary :

Rebecca Winters: Országomat egy nőért!

A csinos amerikai lány, Darlene egy gyűrű alapján kinyomozza, hogy örökbe fogadott fiának Valleder hercege az apja. Darlene elutazik a mini államba, hogy találkozzon Alexandre herceggel. A férfit villámcsapásként éri a hír, hogy van egy tizenkét éves fia. Hogy jobban megismerje a gyereket, meghívja anyát és fiát a kastélyba. Alexandre és Darlene egyre közelebb kerülnek egymáshoz, csakhogy ez szigorúan tilos, mivel a hercegnek mennyasszonya van, és a házasság fontos politikai érdekeket szolgálna…

INTRODUCING.....NINA HARRINGTON!

Brand new Romance author Nina Harrington has her debut coming up, so we thought it would be fun if she popped in to talk a little about herself and her very first Harlequin Romance, ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID! Take it away Nina!

Nina Harrington grew up in rural Northumberland, England, and decided age eleven, that she was going to be a librarian, because then she could read all of the books in the public library whenever she wanted!

Since then she has been a shop assistant, community pharmacist, technical writer, university lecturer, volcano walker, and Industrial scientist, before taking a career break to realise her dream of being a fiction writer.

When she is not creating stories which make her readers smile, her hobbies are cooking, eating, enjoying good wine, and talking, for which she has had specialist training.

Nina’s first book for the Mills and Boon Romance Line is called ‘Always the Bridesmaid’, and will be published in July 2009.

Tell us about your road to publication.

If you are sitting comfortably, this story begins three years ago.

My history with Harlequin started in 2005 when I discovered that the Romantic Novelists Association [RNA] in the UK ran a scheme for New Writers where an experienced published author will give you a critical critique and revision notes for your manuscript before you submit to an agent or publisher.

I had just complete a witty Romantic Suspense story aimed at the Silhouette Bombshell line, with a very Lara Croft heroine and exploding yachts and motorcycle chases. I knew that it was heavy on the action adventure and light on the romance, so this was an ideal opportunity to have some feedback before submitting to Silhouette.

I was surprised and delighted when the manuscript was recommended for a ‘second read’ where stories, which are almost at publication quality, are reviewed by another author before being recommended to a publisher.

In January 2006 I revised the text and sent the story off to the Richmond office.

Unfortunately my timing was terrible, and the Bombshell line was not taking new submissions at that time.

However, the editors were kind enough to critique the manuscript, AND best of all, said that they liked my voice, and offered to work with me to a new book. I had been working on another romantic book, and the best fit for this story was the ‘Tender Romance’ Line.

My first attempt in 2007 had WAY too many secondary characters and subplots to meet the guidelines and I quickly decided to move to a new idea where I could start fresh. I studied the line, analysed the work of my favourite authors and restructured the draft so that the emotional journey of the characters came first.

Congratulations on becoming a Mills & Boon author! How did you feel when you received the call?

Thrilled. Excited. Happy. Terrified!

I think that my road to that moment was more of a steep learning ramp rather than a curve, but in January 2008 I submitted a manuscript for the Romance Line to HMB Richmond office.
When the revision letter arrived in June, I was delighted to see that the editors thought the story had potential and the suggestions they made would clearly make it a more compelling book.

The revised manuscript was mailed last week of August and on Monday morning 1st September the telephone rang.

The HMB editor I had been working with from the Richmond office wanted to buy my book and a second!

And as an extra bonus? It was my birthday the following day.

Exactly six years and one day since I gave up my paid job as an Industrial Chemist to write full time.

I was alone in the house at the time, but before the day was out, I think my news was circulated across my pals in the Romance Community worldwide.

What can readers look forward to from your first Mills & Boon Romance ?

‘Always the Bridesmaid’ [ Romance, July 2009] is the love story of a damaged young woman who has created a new home for herself after a life-changing event. Six days before her best friend’s wedding, the bride’s millionaire brother turns her new life upside down, and in the process she rediscovers that there is someone who believes in her.

The story is set in a London bakery and includes a lot of delicious patisserie and chocolate!
I love this story, and hope you do to.

‘Always the Bridesmaid’ will be published in July 2009 from bookstores in the USA. In the UK and elsewhere is it available Online and through the Reader Subscription Service.

What’s next for Nina Harrington?

My second book for Harlequin Mills and Boon Romance is called ‘Hired: Sassy Assistant’ and will be published January 2010.

Sneak Peak?

I love cooking, so here is the recipe for my second book.

Take one rugged handsome doctor who has just flown in from the Himalayas.

Add a pretty country artist who wants nothing to do with him or his lifestyle.

Mix together at a prestigious London venue, then bake in front of a warm log fire for ten days in a small English village complete with thatched cottages and dogs. And cake.

Going forwards, I want to continue to write women’s fiction filled with warmth, hope, love and laughter. I want to entertain women like myself, who are working hard in busy lives with families of all kinds to support.

As a reader, I chose to watch romantic comedies on TV and in the cinema, and read about love and life in the limited personal time I have. I want to laugh and have fun, and for me, there is no better way of doing so than through the characters and positive relationships in the pages of a book.

As a writer, I know that in this modern world, we are bombarded daily by the media through TV, radio, mobile phones, DVDs, CDs, cinema, newspapers, magazines, gaming and of course the siren call of the internet. For someone to choose to pick up a romance novel, or in fact, any work of fiction, that novel has to be special – is has to offer the reader something that they cannot experience through any other medium – and that includes your favourite soap operas!

When you watch TV with your family, I feel that you are inviting the stories into your personal home through the medium of that TV screen.

But a book? Unless you are reading aloud, a book is a one to one relationship between the author, the characters, and the person holding the book and experiencing the story inside their head. And that is very special, because every single reader will come to that story with expectations founded on their unique lifetime of personal experience.

I would be thrilled to think that anyone who reads my work comes away with the sense of hope and love, all wrapped up in a warm smile.

That is my objective.

But then again, nobody said that this was going to be easy!

Jackie Braun - Deadlines, Sleep and Starvation!

Marrying the Manhattan Millionaire is my 14th Harlequin Romance and my 18th book published through Harlequin Enterprises.

I wish I could say the process has gotten easier with each book I’ve written, but it hasn’t. I still struggle with my characters, the plot, pacing, you name it, every single time.

Don’t tell my talented and endlessly patient editor this, but I’m still not sure I know what I’m doing.

My husband, an engineer by trade, recently asked me why I always start working evenings and weekends in a frantic push to finish a book when my deadline begins to loom.

To his very logical mind I should be able to set a page count per day, hit that number in my allotted time, and have things wrapped up before my quiet home office is invaded by a pair of energetic boys in the afternoon.

Ah, if only it were that simple for me.

Some days I have been known to turn out more than a dozen in record time. On others, I can spend hours to eke out a few pages that will require major revisions.

I adore my husband and was only marginally offended by his question. After all, hunger probably motivated it. See, the closer I get to deadline, the more likely it is my family will be eating cold cereal for dinner. (During a recent deadline we actually ran out of cereal, milk and clean bowls and spoons.)

While writing this book, however, I recall cooking my share of decent meals at crunch time. In fact, making meals didn’t prove to be as big an issue for me as getting sleep, especially at the start.

During the proposal stage, I sent my editor an idea that didn’t quite fly. I planned to revise it, but then, in the wee hours of the night, I awoke with a totally new story in mind. I hopped out of bed and jotted down notes.

That story became Marrying the Manhattan Millionaire.

I may not know what I’m doing, but when it comes to my priorities this much I’ve figured out: My love of story-telling will outrank making meals and getting the doctor-recommended eight hours of shut-eye every time.

Giving you an edge - with Melissa James

A big HRA blog welcome back to Melissa James with a post on how unorthodox stories and characters can give you an edge - if you're trying to break into publishing or needing something fresh for your 10th, 20th, or even 50th book!

Unorthodox Stories and Characters...the Edge You Need?

A recent phone call from my editor got me thinking. Being asked for “unorthodox families” in my next book, it made me think: what makes a family? In my brother’s family, for example, there are stepchildren, natural children and an adopted child, all of whom love him and call him Dad. In romance stories, so many different stories have been written, from tried and true, adaptations on fairy tales and Greek mythology, oddball comedy and action adventure. So what makes a family – or a story – unorthodox? I began thinking this as I folded washing tonight, and turned on the TV...and the movie “The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down A Mountain” was on.

Now that’s an unorthodox movie: if you haven’t seen it, it’s about a town who believes Hugh Grant has a map they need for the town’s survival, and they keep deceiving him to keep him in the town until they can wangle it from him. “Harold and Maude”, “Napoleon Dynamite” and “The Princess Bride” are all oddball movies, to name a few...and they’re among my favourite movies. I like the unorthodox, the screwball, the unique take on life. I like characters like Greg House, the family in the old movie “You Can’t Take It With You” (highly recommended!) and Love Actually. I love the family dynamics in “While You Were Sleeping”.

Why can this give you an edge in your writing? Think about it. In a company swamped by submissions every week, what does it take to make your manuscript stand out? Deep emotion, of course; an unforgettable setting, a strong hero and feisty heroine, yes...but what about an unusual plotline? What about a story about something that touches your soul or your funny bone? I’ve based many books now on documentaries I’ve watched (A Mother in a Million was based on a documentary about missing people), a real family experience (Long-Lost Father’s daughter, Casey, is based on my niece, and my brother’s unusual but loving family), or facts gleaned from university readers (my first book, Her Galahad).

And another thing too often overlooked by writers is the secondary characters. As a regular contest judge, I so often see secondary characters are really rather cliché and boring, used only as a vehicle to further the relationship.

But why can’t they be entertaining, as well? The Princess Bride is a classic romance – but would it be such fun without Inigo “There isn’t a lot of money in revenge” Montoya, Fezzik the Giant, Prince Humperdinck or even the booing old crone?

And in books, even characters that never come on stage can entertain! Think of Bradley in Jennifer Crusie’s classic “Getting Rid of Bradley”. Think of characters that never talk, such as Fred the dog in “Anyone But You.” When you treat every character as a personality on their own, one that can last in the reader’s mind long after the book’s gone (I haven’t read either of those books in years), you give the entire book a life, a sparkle beyond the romance alone. And both those books were less than 60,000 words! So it’s not a matter of space; it’s a matter of character strength. Making each word count, bringing each character to life is so important.

For example, Liz Fielding’s excellent book “Reunited: A Marriage in a Million” had a secondary character who, on the surface, seemed hard, cold – Miranda. Yet she totally intrigued me. She remained so true to herself in the book, even as her brother (the hero) changed. She was grumpy, feisty, opinionated and yet obedient. What made her tick? We hardly know until her book...and she was just as fascinating then. Her conflict and character unfolded slowly, like a sunflower turning with the movement of the day. “Wedded In a Whirlwind” is a book I’d totally recommend for great characterisation as well.

I had quite a lot of kind feedback from my book “A Mother in a Million”, especially that readers loved the children. The hero had three kids, each with a distinct personality and a conflict that added to the romance’s problems. Tim, at only 8, had a terrible conflict: he’d promised his mummy he’d look after the family till she came back. 3 years later his mummy’s still missing, and he’s still the family watchdog. His fear that his father would find another woman, and knowing his little sister and brother desperately needed a mother, pulls at him until he can’t bear it, and disappears over and over, terrifying his father, Noah. Cilla is 5, and climbs trees when she can’t take the tension. She’s shy and sucks her thumb, but comes out of her shell for the heroine, Jennifer. Rowdy, the youngest, is only 3, but, undamaged by his mother’s disappearance, has a cute wisdom that changes the characters’ perceptions of each other – and his acceptance of the harder aspects of life show his personality.

The moral of this ramble is: each story should have a new perspective on life – and each character should have a unique personality. As the author, it’s your job to create a world where each person is true to themselves, whether for good or bad, quirky or sad, dark or hilarious. We all have quirky characters in our lives somewhere, and the best books (and characters) are drawn from life....or an overheard conversation on a bus or in a café. Be observant, look out for the traits that make each person unique, and adding that kind of strength to your current book’s secondary characters, and indeed the primary characters, may not only keep your book far from the cliché that bring forth rejection, but it just might keep an editor hooked from start to finish.

Melissa's latest book is THE REBEL KING, out this month and the first of her Suddenly Royal series!

April Releases

Diamond in the Rough by Diana Palmer

Sassy Peale is desperate to help her family, but her meager salary doesn't stretch far. Then she meets John Callister, and she thinks her new friend is an honest-to-God cowboy—rugged and trustworthy.

But John isn't a ranch hand, he's a millionaire from one of Montana's most powerful families! And when Sassy finds out who he really is, she's certain the arrogant millionaire is just playing with her. John has to convince Sassy that he's the man she first thought he was—a diamond in the rough.

Read Excerpt

The Cowboy and the Princess by Myrna Mackenzie

Watch over a princess for the summer? Keep Her Royal Highness out of trouble? Not happening. But when the princess's brother asks reclusive rancher Owen Michaels for help with defiant Princess Delfyne, Owen can't say no.

He should say no. Delfyne is regal. Gorgeous. Kind. And dangerous to this tormented cowboy's heart. Owen will have to fight his hardest to keep love away—because, despite their strong attraction, Delfyne is betrothed to another man!

Read Excerpt

Secret Baby, Surprise Parents by Liz Fielding

Grace McAllister thought being a surrogate for her sister would be a truly selfless act. But secretly Grace longed for the baby inside her to be her own, conceived in passion with the only man she had ever loved. But that could never be.

Josh Kingsley couldn't bear to watch the baby grow big in Grace's belly, unable to share in the magic. He wished she and the child were his to take care of. But when tragedy struck, Josh rushed to be there for Grace and baby Posie. Could they be his life, his family?

Read Excerpt


Nine-to-Five Bride by Jennie Adams

Marissa Warren was not at all concerned about turning thirty—joining that online dating Web site was just a bit of fun! So what if she hadn't found her Mr. Right yet? She was in love with her fabulous job, and happy being single. Though her sexy new boss did make her go wobbly at the knees….

But Rick Morgan was so not Mr. Right! He was more Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous…and if he asked her out on a date, Marissa would definitely say no…wouldn't she?

Read Excerpt

The Rebel King by Melissa James

Fireman Charlie Costa knows all about duty and saving lives. But when he learns he is a prince who must marry to secure his country, he's shocked! He doesn't want to be king, or to marry Princess Jazmine…no matter how beautiful she is.

Read Excerpt

Marrying the Manhattan Millionaire by Jackie Braun

Successful executive Samantha Bradford never underestimates the opposition. So when her ex-fiancé and business rival, Michael Lewis, comes back to town, she thinks she's ready for all his tricks. The confident swagger. The devastating smile. The irresistible sex appeal. And the uncompromising determination that had pulled them together—and then pushed them apart.

Now they're both bidding to land the same huge account. The stakes are high…and the buzz of working together is intoxicating. But the real merger on the table is more than strictly business….

Read Excerpt

Pop open the Champagne!!!!!!

Get out the bubbly and the fancy glasses! We've got some FANTASTIC news to share today!

First up - our very own Jessica Hart and Barbara Hannay have been named finalists for this year's RITA award in Series Contemporary Romance! Way to go! Jessica's Last Minute Proposal and Barbara's Adopted: Outback Baby got the nod today! The award will be handed out at the RITA ceremony at RWA National Conference, this July in Washington DC.

Congratulations Jessica and Barb!

And in keeping with the awards season theme, Liz Fielding has been listed as a finalist in the Colorado Award of Excellence with her Romance, Wedded in a Whirlwind! Yay Liz!

Donna Alward has also finaled in Love Romances and More's 2008 Golden Rose Awards, with The Soldier's Homecoming up for Best Category Romance! This is a contest where the readers get to have their say: Polls are open here for voting.

And one other very special bit of news this week. There's another brand new addition to the Harlequin Romance family - author Barbara Wallace, whose journey to publication is an inspiration to all aspiring romance authors out there. Barbara will be back later with info on her debut release including the title and release date. Until then,

Congratulations on the sale Barbara and welcome to the family!

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.