Winner!

As it's the end of the month, we've drawn for the winner of Jennie Adams's TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH.

Congratulations to Amanda Reynolds-Smith!

Amanda, your info has been sent to Jennie and she'll be mailing out your book!

Now...you're not going to want to miss April! April's a big month...we have lots of announcements coming up, as well as a brand new Spotlight and giveaway, AND exciting news about some wonderful series within the Romance line this year!

Come back tomorrow, when I announce the line up for April!

Foreign Releases - March

A melhor união por Donna Alward

Harlequin Portugal 12 de Março 2008

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

A Razão de Sua Vida - Natasha Oakley

Harlequin Brasil

O Casamento do ano!

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

Dulce corazón - Rebecca Winters

26 de Marzo 2008

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

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

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

¿Sería un matrimonio de conveniencia la solución perfecta?

La baby-sitter amoureuse de Barbara MCMAHON

Horizon (France) 15 mars 2008

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

Contratto di Nozze - Susan Fox

Jolly Romance (Italy)

March 2008

Mescolare affari e sentimenti non è mai una buona idea.

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

DU BRINGST DAS EIS ZUM SCHMELZEN - TERESA SOUTHWICK

BIANCA (Germany)

Erscheint am: 26.03.08

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

Barfotabröllop av Jessica Hart

(Sweden)

Höga klackar och hög lön … eller barfota och beundrad?

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

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

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

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

Reviews for March books

I hope these turn out okay...I'm working from the laptop away from home!

The books this month simply sparkle on the review front....here's just a sampling!

To Love and To Cherish by Jennie Adams

"absolutely packed with emotion" - Romance Junkies, 5 ribbons


Promoted: To Wife and Mother by Jessica Hart

"Wonderfully moving, hilariously witty and totally absorbing, Promoted: to Wife and Mother is another triumph for this exceptional writer of romantic fiction!" Cataromance, 4.5 stars

The Soldier's Homecoming by Donna Alward

"Tender, poignant, dramatic and heartrending...If you like the emotive storytelling of Lucy Gordon and Rebecca Winters, you will simply adore Donna Alward’s latest Harlequin Romance, The Soldier’s Homecoming!" Pink Heart Society Reviews

A Royal Marriage of Convenience by Marion Lennox

"A Royal Marriage Of Convenience delights with a crazy roller coaster plot ride." Merrimon Book Reviews

Falling For The Rebel Heir by Ally Blake

"a sweet, often funny story with a wonderfully written pair of lovers and a believably developed relationship." Romantic Times, 4 stars

Harlequin Mills and Boon

Mills and Boon celebrates their centenary this year, but many don't know how that fits into Harlequin's history, or how Harlequin fits into Mills and Boon history. In the UK, you've grown up with Mills and Boon, but in North America, you might not even know who Mills and Boon is - because in NA the name Harlequin is synonymous with Romance.

I thought today would be a good time to explain how this all came about, and what better source than the Mills and Boon website:

In 1971, the companies (Mills and Boon and Harlequin) merged. A few years later, a controlling interest was sold to the Torstar Corporation, a Canadian communications company.

The development led the company on the road to unprecedented expansion and profit. With the injection of funds, during the 1970s, the publisher started to advance across the globe - their overseas acquisitions and partnerships took the company's brand of love stories to bookshelves in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Greece and as far a field as Japan.
The company also marketed books in a different way and now readers could have the books delivered directly to their doorstep, along with special gifts and reader questionnaires.

Such was their worldwide domination, by the mid 1980s Harlequin Mills & Boon were selling in the region of 250 million books worldwide.

The initiatives speak for themselves - in 1989 to mark Harlequin’s 40th anniversary, every one of the company's 100 foreign markets published the same title on the same date, A Reason For Being by Penny Jordan - their most popular writer. When the Berlin Wall came down in 1990, staff from their West German office handed out 750,000 free copies to women from East Germany. Sheila Holland (Charlotte Lamb) said: "Mills & Boon put my books all over Europe but Harlequin has built an Empire".

The lines edited out of the Mills and Boon office, in Richmond, Surrey, are Modern/Presents, Modern Heat/Promo Presents, Medicals, Historicals, and our very own Romance.

P.S....Don't forget, there's still time to enter to win a copy of Jennie's March release, TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH! Send an e-mail with the subject line JENNIE to hrablog@hotmail.com to enter!

Spotlight in Six with Jennie Adams

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

Welcome, Jennie!

Where do you find new and fresh ideas?

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


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

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

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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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

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

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

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

March Releases!

Here are the fabulous releases on board for March.

A Royal Marriage of Convenience by Marion Lennox

Nikolai de Montez, an international lawyer, has just discovered he's the estranged heir to the throne of Alp de Montez. To rightfully rule, he must marry Rose!

Rose McCray is an ordinary country vet, but her royal bloodline makes her Nik's bride of choice—and Rose knows it's her duty to accept.

The wedding ceremony is sumptuous, but when the formalities are over it's time for the prince and princess of Alp de Montez to get to know one another as man and wife!

Read Excerpt

The Italian Tycoon and the Nanny by Rebecca Winters

A new daddy to his orphaned nephew, Massimo needs help. Bringing the baby's beautiful aunt Julie Marchant to Italy as a nanny seems the perfect solution.

Plucked from her quiet, suburban existence, Julie is a fish out of water in Massimo's glamorous, wealthy world. But she's thrilled to be part of her nephew's life, even if it means being the hired help! More of a challenge is spending every day with Massimo, trying desperately to ignore her attraction to this brooding tycoon.…

Read Excerpt

Promoted: to Wife and Mother by Jessica Hart

Perdita James is thrilled with her new job, until a personality quiz reveals she's an attention-seeking peacock! Her boss, Edward Merrick, is a panther—forceful, decisive and more than a little ruthless.

Perdita's head tells her to ignore her attraction and work hard for a promotion. But somehow, whenever she's with single-dad Ed, she feels anything but professional. She's becoming crazy about her boss!

Read Excerpt

Falling for the Rebel Heir by Ally Blake

All she wants is to feel safe

Never going beyond the boundaries of her small town, Kendall York craves safety and security since the accident that injured her and claimed her fiancé's life.

Danger is his middle name

Returning from his latest assignment as a war-zone correspondent, risk-taker Hudson Bennington III finds Kendall swimming in the pool at his estate, and is enchanted.

Will she say yes to this rebel's proposal? Their lives and ambitions are so different, but he's vowed to ease the pain of her past. Can Kendall trust that he'll be around for her future?

Read Excerpt

To Love and to Cherish by Jennie Adams

All that I am I give to you…

When Jack left Australia a year ago, Tiffany thought she'd lost him for good. But in truth, Jack loved Tiffany too much to share the painful secret of his illness. He went away to cope the only way he knew how—alone.

Now seeing Tiffany again makes Jack long for the love he believes he neither deserves nor could ever return. Tiffany has different ideas, and sets out to prove she can love and cherish him—for better or for worse.

Read Excerpt

The Soldier's Homecoming by Donna Alward

A hero for his country—home to win her heart!

Jonas Kirkpatrick left town to be a soldier without ever looking back. But Shannyn saw him every day in her little girl's green eyes.…

Six years later, Jonas has come home, changed utterly from the carefree boy Shannyn once knew. Hardened by war, Jonas can't allow himself to open his heart.

Until he discovers what he left behind—the unbreakable bond with a child he never knew existed, and the enduring love of the only woman who can make him whole again.

Read Excerpt

Winner of Executive Mother-To-Be!

Happy Leap Day!

Congratulations to Jenny, who is our winner for a signed copy of Nicola Marsh's book, Executive Mother-To-Be!

I've sent you an e-mail Jenny, to get your mailing address.

There's lots of fun in store for March, with a brand new contest - and Spotlight in Six with Jennie Adams - new releases, and more. Stay tuned.

Reviews for February Books

If you haven't picked up this month's releases yet, perhaps this will sway you into making a trip to the bookstore!

Executive Mother-To-Be by Nicola Marsh: “Nicola Marsh is an author who can make two seemly unlikely characters fall in love and show that the path of true love doesn’t follow what anyone thinks is the right one, it makes it’s mind up as it goes along but it does get it right in the end. A magnificent book of how two people travel the route of looming parenthood and relationship woes together.” Cataromance, 4 stars

English Lord, Ordinary Lady by Fiona Harper: "I took one look and thought, "Count me in." Happily, the book was every bit as good as the title suggested...it's cute as can be. English Lord, Ordinary Lady is a nearly ideal book to read on a dreary winter evening. " All About Romance

“Sublimely entertaining, wonderfully moving and unashamedly romantic, Fiona Harper is an absolute genius when it comes to creating terrific characters and writing superb romances. Warm, witty and feel-good, contemporary romance does not get any better than this!” Cataromance, 5 stars

The Playboy’s Plain Jane by Cara Colter: “…a pair of emotionally complex characters and lots of humour…an entertaining story all around.” Romantic Times (4)

“…a powerful romance about the transforming power of love.” Merrimon Book Reviews

Her One and Only Valentine by Trish Wylie: “…excellent characters…charm and wit to spare.” Romantic Times, (4)

“Trish Wylie at her very best! Emotional, dramatic, witty and moving.” Pink Heart Society Reviews

Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way: “A wonderfully rich romance read!” Merrimon Book Reviews

What are you waiting for? Get reading!

February Special Releases

The Centenary continues with new special releases, so hold on to your hats as we tell you what's available RIGHT NOW:

First up is a Centenary collection of SHORT STORIES...all with fun retro covers from some of Mills and Boon's most popular authors. Click on THIS LINK to go to the page and see what's offered in this grand collection!

And the MOTHER'S DAY COLLECTION is also on offer...go HERE to see what is in this fabulous collection.


And the third collection available in the Mills and Boon offer of the month section is THE BABY COLLECTION, which has Whose Baby? included by Romance authors Caroline Anderson, Jessica Hart and Lucy Gordon. Just head on over HERE for a peek.




Margaret Way has the book of the month with Cattle Rancher, Secret Son...remember these special editions have a bonus story in them! Margaret's bonus story is called His Heiress Wife. And you'll also get February's promo code to enter to win a Samsonite Travel Bag.

And if you go to THIS Mills and Boon page, you can see what else is available for winning.

Special releases this month include Conveniently Wed, featuring Carole Mortimer, Melissa James and Rebecca Winters.

And also Mothers Wanted, by Sandra Marton and Marion Lennox.
This book is also part of the Mother's Day Collection.

Phew!

And of course we can't leave you without mentioning that the deadline for entering our OWN contest is drawing near...you have one more week to get your name in for our drawing for Nicola Marsh's Executive Mother-To-Be. Email hrablog@hotmail.com and put Nicola in the subject line, and we'll make the draw next Friday!

The Glamorous Life of an Author....

When we authors hear about the glamorous lives we lead, most of the time we laugh, because we know the truth...the true wonder of writing for a living means sitting in front of your computer in sleep pants or yoga pants with your hair in a sloppy ponytail and a huge cup of coffee (or some variation thereof). But now and then occasion warrants to dress up and be glam, and this week ROMANCE author Fiona Harper is here to give us her first-hand, super-glam report from the RNA Awards and the Mills and Boon Centenary Cocktail Party which happened earlier this month. Take it away Fi!

Well, I’ve had a wonderfully glamorous week. Most of my writing life is spent slumped over my keyboard in jogging bottoms or pyjamas and I can’t remember the last time I put make-up on, but this week I got to do the glitzy side of being a writer. Call her my alter-ego, if you will – Fiona Harper got to go out and party!

Here in the UK, Monday Feb 4 was the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s annual awards lunch. There are two prizes that are given out: The Romantic Novel of the Year and the Romance Prize. The former is for mainstream, single-title fiction and the latter for shorter romantic fiction, such as category romance and magazine serials. This year, Mills & Boon, the UK face of Harlequin, took all six places on the shortlist, and I was overwhelmed that two of my books had made the list!

The nominees were: Driving Him Wild – Julie Cohen (Modern Heat/Promotional Presents), The Secret Life of Lady Gabriella – Liz Fielding (M&B Romance/Harlequin Romance), Breakfast at Giovanni’s – Kate Hardy (Modern Heat/Promotional Presents), Her Parenthood Assignment – Fiona Harper (M&B Romance/Harlequin Romance), English Lord, Ordinary Lady – Fiona Harper (M&B Romance/Harlequin Romance), The Mediterranean Rebel’s Bride – Lucy Gordon (M&B Romance/Harlequin Romance). (The books made the centrepieces, aren't they lovely?)

Yes, that was four Romance titles on the shortlist, which just goes to show what a strong line we write for. I know most of the other authors on the shortlist personally, and they are all lovely, and all of them are on my ‘autobuy’ list, so I was incredibly honoured to have a spot amongst them.

As you can imagine, I arrived at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington feeling a little nervous. But when I walked in on the red carpet (Why where there no waiting paparazzi to snap my photograph? Why?) and found a host of friendly faces gathering before the ceremony I forgot to be too jittery. I was just having too much fun catching up with old friends and fellow authors. Although it really should have been handbags at dawn, fellow shortlisted author Kate Hardy and I were far too busy sipping champagne and admiring each other’s Radley handbags to get the claws out. All the shortlisted authors were whisked away to have their photographs taken along with their editors and Harlequin Mills & Boon executives. As you can see, we were all having a pretty good time, even if we did have to put our champagne glasses down for a couple of minutes!

Lunch was small but perfectly formed: tomato and roasted cumin soup, guinea fowl in a port wine jus with fondant potatoes and confit cabbage cake (was much better than it sounds!) and mulled wine soufflé with plum ice cream. Just as we were finishing our coffees, the award presentations started. My heart rate went from 0 to 60mph in a matter of seconds. Judge Trisha Ashley summed up the books and then they announced the winner was…Kate Hardy! The judges felt it had real warmth and a lovely realistic ending. Kate was completely flabbergasted, having convinced herself that the award was definitely going to go to either Liz Fielding or Lucy Gordon, and her heartfelt acceptance speech brought a lump to everyone’s throat. The Romantic Novel of the Year went to Freya North for her book ‘Pillow Talk’.

After all the tension, it was great to relax and chat with other authors and friends. Although I didn’t go home with the trophy, I did come away with a lovely red rose from the RNA to congratulate me on being shortlisted and the warm feeling from knowing I was the first person in the history of the award to have two books on the shortlist at the same time – I can’t be too upset about that now, can I?

I didn’t have much time to recover from all the excitement before it was time to get myself all dressed up again for the party to celebrate Mills & Boon’s 100th birthday. Mills & Boon was founded in 1908 by Gerald Mills and Charles Boon and in the early days they produced a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books, but the section that really took off was romantic fiction, which they are now famous for. Apparently, one book is sold every six seconds in the UK.

I arrived at the party with fellow Romance authors Trish Wylie and Natasha Oakley, instantly lost them in the crush and didn’t see them again for an hour or two! But there was plenty of socialising to do. All of the UK-based Romance authors had made it to the party and I managed to chat briefly to Liz Fielding (seen here bookended with butlers...oh my!) and Jessica Hart. I saw Lucy Gordon at a distance, but never quite managed to work my way into that corner of the room to say hello.

The party itself was fabulous. The venue was The Wallace Collection, a national museum containing works of art and furniture, housed in a large townhouse in the heart of London’s fashionable West End. We entered through a grand hallway and walked through a couple of the galleries before emerging into a large square courtyard which had been covered over with a glass roof. Waiters carrying trays of champagne cocktails appeared out of thin air and two ladies on stilts dressed as pink flamingos tottered above us. There was a stand serving candy floss in one corner and we were offered pink and white ice creams to eat.

The butlers for the occasion were hired from a company called Butlers in the Buff – although thankfully rather than wearing only a strategically-placed apron, they were fully dressed with their top buttons and bow-ties undone. One butler circled the room presenting deep pink roses tied with a bow to every woman. Any of these guys could have starred as a cover model on a romance book. I’m surprised there wasn’t more of a stampede, honestly. I saw a twinkle in more than one author’s eye (and even editors’ eyes) as they contemplated kidnapping one and taking him home. The party went by so fast. I wish it could have gone on for a couple more hours, just so I had a chance to catch up with more people that I only managed to wave to or exchange a few words with. But this is only the start of the celebrations here in the UK. Events planned for later in the year include an exhibition of M&B memorabilia that will be touring libraries, events at various literary festivals and publication of special edition books to mark the centenary. So, Happy Birthday, Mills & Boon! Let’s hope they are still publishing great feel-good books for another hundred years.

Thanks Fiona! And click on the following links for more photos and information!

Links
Romance prize
http://www.rna-uk.org/index.php?page=romance_award
http://www.wallacecollection.org/
http://www.butlersinthebuff.co.uk/
http://www.midaspr.co.uk/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=230 (PR company photos – copyrighted)

Don't forget...if you haven't already, send an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject line NICOLA to win a copy of Nicola Marsh's latest book, this month's special prize!

Valentine's Day with Trish Wylie

To celebrate the most romantic of days, Trish Wylie is here to talk about her February release, HER ONE AND ONLY VALENTINE.


It's the day the world over celebrates romance so to be asked to
write a story involving St. Valentine's Day was a gift for any romance writer! And the best excuse I've ever had to write the kind of scene I've loved the very idea of since I was a little girl...

“Dance with me.”

His hand felt wonderful. And yes, she was fully aware that he’d just walked in unannounced looking the way he did and she’d reacted like a shy teenager with a crush, but she needed the physical contact. She needed to be able to be with him like this, to let her guard down enough to prove to herself that she could still get along with him, spend time with him, and not allow the fact that she was in love with him to get in the way.


So she turned her head and looked up at him with a challenging quirk of her eyebrows, “How do I even know you can dance? You might have two left feet.”

Kane turned round, switching his hands as he leaned a little closer to her face, his deep voice low and deliciously seductive, “Let’s find out shall we?”

Her One And Only Valentine is set in an old Irish Country House, so it was the perfect setting for a Valentine's Day Ball. Flowers, candlelight, couples all around highlighting my heroines sense of heartache that she isn't able to tell the man she loves how she feels. Sigh. And dancing...

Oh the dancing.

When I was a child my mother was a fan of musicals and classic old movies. The first time I saw Fred Astaire dance with Ginger Rodgers I was transported. So I guess I can thank Mum for the number of times any of my characters have danced together in my books. In Her One and Only Valentine it's a theme the characters themselves think about:

“See, I don’t have two left feet.”

She smiled back at him, “Its early days.”

“Time will tell,” He leaned a little closer, “How come we’ve never danced together before?”

Oh they’d danced. They’d danced more than he probably realized. It felt like she’d spent most of her life dancing with him and around him.

It takes St. Valentine's Day to make these two strong willed people finally give in to something that was inevitable for them a decade before the story begins. And in that sense I've been thinking recently about Pride & Prejudice; the standard to which all romance novels are continually held up. In a way I guess Her One And Only Valentine is my modern day version of that story. Pride gets in the way so much, neither of them willing to be the first one to take a second chance on the other and prejudice not only getting in the way at the beginning of the book but proving a barrier between them for such a long time. I wonder sometimes if Jane Austen could have had any idea of how her themes would carry all the way into the 21st Century... And there were so many wonderful ballroom scenes in that story too, weren't there?

Gentlemen filling the ladies's dance cards, bowing, this their one chance for physical contact - even if it was merely the brushing of fingertips. Romance personified really. And romance like that on St Valentine's Day? How could a girl resist? Even if my poor heroine made her realizations looking in from the edges of the crowd while my hero and their daughter took to the dancefloor:

He bowed, Lizzie giggled and Rhiannon smiled affectionately at them both. They were just so very alike, the two people she loved the most.

She swallowed hard, tears stinging her eyes again while Kane lifted Lizzie up into his arms, her slender arms around his neck and legs swinging below his waist as they started to dance. It was the most beautiful thing Rhiannon had ever seen, heartbreakingly beautiful. And agonizing - because the need to walk over and join them, to dance with Kane with Lizzie held between them - was so strong it almost killed her.

This was the way her life was going to be from now on; standing on the outside looking in.

I think one of the best things about the Harlequin Romance line is that we can take the elements of classical romance into modern times and show that the value of love hasn't diminished any. We celebrate romance every month with six wonderful stories - not just the one day of the year for us, oh no. And that's just a little bit wonderful, isn't it? So while I leave you with the music I listened to while writing the ballroom scene in Her One And Only Valentine I say a heartfelt THANK YOU here on St. Valentine's Day to all the writers and readers who help us celebrate romance every day of the year. May we never lose the stars from our eyes. Or forget to dance every time we get a chance...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

So She Dances


Trish Wylie is the only Irish Author for Harlequin Romance and her first book for the line won a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award in 2005. She has also been nominated for a 2007 Reviewer's Choice Award for Rescued: Mother to Be. The magazine had this to say about Her One And Only Valentine:

Inheriting an old country house gives Rhiannon McNally a purpose -- and a place to start over with her daughter, Lizzie. Then Rhiannon finds out Lizzie's father, wealthy businessman Kane Healey, owns the property the house stands on. Rhiannon's hated Kane for a decade, thinking he abandoned her while she was pregnant, but Kane never received the letter she left for him. So they both have negative feelings to overcome, for Lizzie's sake. Rekindling their passion is unexpected -- as is falling in love, again. Trish Wylie's Her One and Only Valentine (4) has excellent characters -- particularly the larger-than-life hero. It also has charm and wit to spare.

To find out more you can visit her Website or Her Blog

And don't forget to enter our contest to win a copy of EXECUTIVE MOTHER-TO-BE by Nicola Marsh. Just send an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com and put NICOLA in the subject line! We'll be drawing on LEAP DAY!

Spotlight in Six - Nicola Marsh

Welcome to February's Spotlight in Six! This month we welcome Aussie author Nicola Marsh, who is giving away her latest release! Read on....

Where do you find new and fresh ideas?

New ideas spring from everywhere…and usually when I least expect it. Want to hear something strange? A lot of my ideas come to me in that half awake/half asleep state; you know, the drowsy time just before you drop off to sleep? I’ve had ideas and the exact starting line or paragraph for several books happen this way. Weird, huh?

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

I didn’t do this for my first 5 books, then discovered other authors did it and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Now, I’m hooked! Mind you, I’m not a visual writer so despite doing loads of research for the perfect hero (and yes, maybe it’s just a poor excuse for me to ogle great looking guys!) once I’ve ‘cast’ my characters, I don’t often look at the pics.

Though I find doing this helps get my creativity flowing before I start the book and is great during the revision process too, when you’ve had time away from the story and want to jump back into the ‘mood’ of the book.

As for who has inspired some of my characters, let’s focus on the heroes, shall we?
Pierce Brosnan, George Eads, Wentworth Miller, Rodrigo Santaro, Scott Speedman, David Beckham, Matthew Fox…I could go on but maybe it’s worth googling pics instead? J

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

My favourite part of writing a novel is the beginning. There’s nothing like that initial burst of creativity when the words fly from your fingertips and your characters can’t leap onto the page fast enough.

My least favourite part would have to be the insecurity. With every book I write, I wonder if my editor will like the story, then whether my readers will like the story.

As for struggling, I think the dreaded sagging middle is the hardest part of a novel to write. To keep the tension escalating, to build towards the black moment, to make sure you’re staying on track and not going off on too many tangents…the middle is tough work!

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

Probably not a good time to ask me this, as I spend all day running after 2 boys, one an active preschooler, the other a 8 month old baby. So when I’m not writing, I’m a busy mum. Pampering is something I’m looking forward to when life gets a bit quieter…I’d love a massage…and a pedicure…and a few blissful hours curled up in bed with a great book from my TBR pile…

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

If we’re talking real life, I’d have to say anywhere private with my hubby.
But if we’re talking fantasy, please strand me on Capri with Don Hany (I’ve just rediscovered this Aussie actor through a fab 6 part gritty TV drama. He’s little known so I’ve attached a pic for you all. He oozes charisma on the screen…mmm…)

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

February sees the release of EXECUTIVE MOTHER-TO-BE, my Harlequin Romance featuring a high-powered TV exec producer who doesn’t have time for anything else but her career, let alone kids. So imagine Kristen’s shock when she discovers she’s pregnant…to her boss!

(I also have PURCHASED FOR PLEASURE, my first Harlequin Presents out in Feb so I’m thrilled about that. This is my Navy SEAL book and I love it!)

July sees the release of my next Romance, THE DESERT PRINCE’S PROPOSAL. Think modern sheikh without the robes: alpha, strong, sexy and you have Prince Samman. He meets his match in Bria Green, Australia’s top architect who gets more than she bargains for when she travels to the exotic desert kingdom of Adhara.

Thanks Nic! Nicola has generously offered a copy of EXECUTIVE MOTHER-TO-BE to one lucky reader! Send an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with a subject line of Nicola and we'll draw at the end of the month!

Reading for A Cause

The following is excerpted from a press release from Harlequin Books.

National Center for Family Literacy to receive up to 100,000 books with estimated valued of $700,000

Toronto, (February 11, 2008)—eHarlequin.com (www.eHarlequin.com), the online site for Harlequin Enterprises Limited, is challenging its community members to read an astounding 100,000 books in one year in the 2008 eHarlequin.com 100,000 Book Challenge. When the reading challenge ends on December 31, 2008, Harlequin will make an unprecedented donation of an equivalent number of books to the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). The estimated retail value of a 100,000 book donation to the NCFL by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. is $700,000 U.S.

In addition to promoting literacy, the 2008 eHarlequin.com 100,000 Book Challenge encourages readers to discuss the titles they have read on the eHarlequin.com website in their own blogs. Those participating in the challenge share their thoughts, reviews, opinions, recommendations and progress. Another remarkable and unforeseen aspect to the challenge is that many people who were not bloggers—or who even knew what a blog was—are now passionate blog hosts and are spearheading online discussions in the forums.

“Our readers are very passionate,” says Jayne Hoogenberk, community manager for eHarlequin.com. “They read, talk, think and dream about books 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. The median number of paperbacks read in one year by Americans is 12. The median for Harlequin readers is 30. Since we’re always looking for ways to inspire and challenge our community members, we wondered if, as a group, they would be able to read 100,000 books in a single calendar year and through our donation of 100,000 books, share that love of reading with others who don’t have such easy access to entertaining and engaging literature for women.”



“The response of the past two years was so overwhelmingly positive that we had to keep going,” states Hoogenberk. “We also knew that we had to up the ante. And so the 2008 eHarlequin.com 100,000 Book Challenge for literacy was born. Last year we capped the number of participants and still easily surpassed our target. Since the event has generated such positive feedback, and in order to reach our goal of 100,000 books read, we’ve decided to leave registration open-ended this year.”

There are no hard and fast rules other than participants being asked to have at least 50% of their list be novels published by Harlequin. This allows readers to discover the outstanding breadth of editorial Harlequin has to offer. The other 50% of books can be any genre by any publisher. Likewise, all formats—print, eBooks, audiobooks, etc.—are acceptable, and readers are encouraged to seek them out and give them a try.

The range and diversity of Harlequin readers is not confined solely to the type of books they read or the medium in which they enjoy them. The online nature of the eHarlequin.com community illustrates the significant power of books to unite readers in a global way. Geographic boundaries have become meaningless in this venture as the challenge brings together readers from countries as varied as Germany, France and the Philippines, as well as Harlequin editors in Toronto, New York and London and Harlequin authors from around the world.



This is such a great cause! Just think...by YOU reading you can help someone else have access to books and LITERACY.


Several of the Harlequin Romance Authors have a team in the challenge, including Jennie Adams, Donna Alward, Claire Baxter, Ally Blake, Fiona Harper and Nicola Marsh.


Come and join the fun, and hey, grab a Romance while you're at it!

February Releases...with love!

Ah, is there any better month for Romance than February? These releases are sure to warm your heart....

Executive Mother-To-Be by Nicola Marsh

From employee to mommy-to-be…Career-girl Kristen Lewis is at the top of her field. She's driven, sensible—and her spur-of-the-moment decision to have one perfect night with sexy Nate was totally out of character! She puts it behind her…until she's faced with two shocks: she's pregnant…with her boss's baby!

Nathan Boyd, one of Australia's leading entrepreneurs, buries himself in his work to forget his private torment. But now he's faced with a dilemma: the first woman to tempt him in a long time is his employee.

Read Excerpt

English Lord, Ordinary Lady by Fiona Harper

Romance Novelist Association Romance Prize Finalist

His unconventional bride!

Will Radcliff is the perfect English lord. He's handsome and honorable, but a stickler for convention. And he's just inherited Elmhurst Hall.…

Rebelling from her stuffy, controlled upbringing, Josie has never followed the rules. She's a waitress at the stately home, and is like a breath of fresh air. But her new boss, Lord Will, thinks she's nothing but trouble!

Then one moonlit night, Will and Josie share a kiss which, for a moment, makes them feel not so very different after all.…

Read Excerpt

Her One and Only Valentine by Trish Wylie

He's back—for the valentine he never should have let go…

When Kane Healey had to fight the hardest battle of his life, he learned the true meaning of "if you love someone, you have to let them go," and decided to face his future alone.

Young and afraid, Rhiannon discovered she was pregnant. But Kane had gone, unaware of the precious miracle he'd left behind.…

Now they have one last chance to put past mistakes behind them. As the Valentine's Day ball approaches, will Kane get down on one knee and make his valentine his bride?

Read Excerpt

The Playboy's Plain Jane by Cara Colter

The playboy

Good-looking and confident, sports hero Dylan McKinnon simply has that indefinable thing that makes him irresistible to the opposite sex.

His plain Jane

Florist Katie Pritchard knows all about Dylan's effect on women—he's her best customer! And the wary divorcée is captivated by his charm, in spite of herself.

A perfect partnership?

They seem an unlikely couple. They are. But Katie realizes there's more to this playboy than meets the eye.…

Read Excerpt

Rescued by the Sheikh by Barbara McMahon

Riding into the sunset with a sheikh!When photographer Lisa Sullinger injures herself while exploring alone in the harsh desert of Moquansaid, she thinks it's pretty bad luck. Then a sandstorm strikes!

Handsome, enigmatic Sheikh Tuareg al Shaldor shelters Lisa in his desert tent before whisking her to his stunning, palatial home.

Lisa can't help but fall for Tuareg—but she knows he has built barriers around his shattered heart. Can Lisa dare to dream she might be the one to bring light—and love—back into the brooding sheikh's world?

Read Excerpt

Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way

He's the toast of Australian society…

Cattleman Cal McKendrick is under pressure from his family to produce an heir for the magnificent McKendrick homestead that lies deep in the Outback. Then he discovers he's already a father!

She's the mother of the son he never knew he had.

Gina Romano had loved Cal with all her soul. But in her heart she'd known she'd never be good enough for him or his society family—so she'd kept her pregnancy secret. Now that Cal knows the truth, he demands she marry him. But Gina wants Cal's love, not just to be his convenient bride.…

Read Excerpt

Winner of MOTHER IN A MILLIION and coming soon....

The winner of Melissa James's MOTHER IN A MILLION is Joy Isley! Congratulations Joy, and keep your eyes on your mailbox for your prize! And thanks to everyone who entered!

February has even more fun in store. We have the usual releases, good news, and a fabulous Spotlight in Six coming your way with another opportunity to win a signed book. We also have a special guest for Valentine's Day and rumour has it another author who is attending some very posh author-type events will be giving us a full report! You're not going to want to miss it!

Last Chance...

Just a reminder....this is the last week for entering to win a copy of Melissa James's MOTHER IN A MILLION...so send an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com and enter. The draw will take place on Friday and I'll be posting the winner. And get ready...we have some very exciting things planned for February!

January's Foreign Releases

A few of this month's translations:

In Spanish:

Cambiando de vida by Jessica Hart

Se había visto obligada a aceptar un trabajo a las órdenes de un jefe al que no soportaba…

A Meredith West le gustaban las cafeterías, cenar con sus amigos, los zapatos bonitos y Londres. Y no le gustaban las arañas, el campo australiano y Hal Granger.

A Hal Granger le disgustaban las chicas de ciudad frías, imperturbables y tentadoras. Pero había una chica en particular que le gustaba mucho.

Con esas condiciones, a Meredith debería haberle sido fácil mantener su relación en el terreno puramente profesional; el problema era que no podía dejar de pensar en Hal, especialmente en qué sentiría al besarlo… Lo que no sospechaba era que estaba a punto de hacerlo.

In France:

Un bébé pour Riley by Nicola Marsh

Un papa à plein temps pour Chas, son bébé de quatorze mois : voilà ce dont Maya Bourke semble avoir besoin depuis la mort de Joe, son mari. Mais la tâche se révèle bien difficile pour Riley, le frère de Joe, qui s’est empressé de lui proposer son aide. Car si son cœur déborde de tendresse pour son neveu, il n’en demeure pas moins un homme d’affaires célibataire, qui ne connaît rien aux enfants ! Pourtant, il accepte de relever le défi. Car la douce Maya mérite meilleur traitement que celui que Joe lui a réservé pendant leur mariage. Et Riley, qui sent une étrange attirance naître en lui chaque fois qu’il approche la jeune femme, est bien décidé à le lui prouver…

On to Italy...

Incanto di Oriente by Barbara McMahon

Ammaliata dalla magia del deserto.

In attesa di un nuovo impiego come bambinaia, Melissa Fox accompagna Max Valentine, suo fratellastro, in un viaggio nell'esotico regno di Qu'Arim. Lo scopo di Max è quello di fondare un nuovo ristorante Bella Lucia all'ombra delle dune, e la bella Melissa potrà essergli molto utile come interprete. Ma l'incontro con il carismatico e affascinante sceicco Surim Al-Thani rivela un'intrigante sorpresa: inaspet­tatamente, il nobile arabo reclama l'aiuto di lei.

LE SPOSE DI BELLA LUCIA Una famiglia divisa dai segreti, riunita dai matrimoni.

And from Germany,

Die Antwort kennt nur dein Herz! by Jessica Steele

Wer ist mein Daddy? Weil Leyne auf die Frage ihrer Nichte Pip keine Antwort hat, beginnt sie nachzuforschen. Und schließlich findet sie heraus: Der charmante Unternehmer Jack Dangerfield ist Pips Vater. Mutig konfrontiert sie ihn mit ihrem Wissen, doch Jack streitet alles energisch ab. Dieser Mann ist Leyne ein Rätsel! Lügt er sie an - oder spricht sein Herz die Wahrheit, als er sie sehnsuchtsvoll küsst?

In Sweden:

I lustgården by Rebecca Winters

Rachel är på inköpsresa till familjens lyxrestauranger. I franska Alsace upptäcker hon ett vin som är fullkomligt hänförande, för att inte tala om dess producent! Luc Chartier drabbar henne som ett blixtnedslag. Men efter bara en passionerad natt tillsammans kommer verkligheten ikapp när Rachel nås av ett chockerande avslöjande om Lucs förflutna. Förkrossad återvänder hon hem. Men kärlekssagan slutar inte här …

And Poland!

WSPÓLNA TĘSKONOTA by Myrna McKenzie

Początkująca bizneswoman Jackie poznaje w dramatycznych okolicznościach Stevena, bogatego ranczera. Wiele ich dzieli, w dodatku z wyroku losu toczą spór, który powinien uczynić z nich śmiertelnych wrogów. Oboje jednak dążą do ugody, zwłaszcza że rodzi się między nimi silna wzajemna fascynacja. Jackie spędza na ranczu Stevena dwa tygodnie - bo tyle czasu sobie wyznaczyli na podjęcie decyzji, która bez względu na wynik sporu na zawsze odmieni ich życie..

Kolejna książka z miniserii Jak w bajce ukaże się w lutym.