Presenting...Harlequin Hungary (Photo) and Mary-Margaret Scrimger (Interview)

My conundrum: I had a photo, but no interview. An interview with no photo.

So I decided to combine them, though they have nothing to do with each other, except both represent contributors to the editorial team. Here's a picture of the wonderful Harlequin Hungary editorial team, with a note from their editorial manager, Dr. Imre TÉGLÁSY:



"In the background you can see the Picasso painting of the Harlequin child--of course!

"On your left side: Zsuzsanna GLAVINA, senior editor, Vicky SIMORÁDI, senior editor, Dr. Imre TÉGLÁSY, editorial manager, Iren BODA, secretary, Katalin KOLTAY, technical editor, Dora BAKAY, editor.

"Thank you. Köszönöm!"

Imre

Thank you very much--Köszönöm szepen--to the whole editorial team for taking Harlequin editorial to market in your country! (sorry, don't know how to print the proper accents).

I also am delighted to introduce Mary-Margaret, the next installment of the popular editorial interviews:

NAME:
Mary-Margaret Scrimger

TITLE:
Assistant Editor, MIRA Books and SPICE

ROLE:
"My responsibility is varied: I’m responsible for MIRA back covers and prelims; I read a lot of SPICE submissions, particularly SPICE Briefs right now; also, I also work with the Nora Roberts team on Nora Roberts' backlist.

WORK HISTORY:
"I’ve been with Harlequin for 3 years and have recently been promoted to Assistant Editor. Before Harlequin I had a variety of jobs but most of them were part-time or summer jobs to get through school.

WHY PUBLISHING?
"The most important thing for me with work is that I enjoy it and have motivation to do it. If I were working for a financial company or law firm then I don’t think I could get out of bed in the morning.

"Working in publishing is pretty amazing because I get paid to do what I do in my spare time – read. Plus, learning how a book is put together from the inside has given me a new perspective.

FAVORITE CHILDHOOD BOOK
"One of my strongest childhood memories is my Dad reciting Robert Service's poems to us as bedtime stories. Because of my Dad all of my sisters and I have The Cremation of Sam McGee memorized and it is my favorite childhood book.

STORIES THAT APPEAL TO ME NOW:
"I think any story can be interesting depending on the way it is told. I have no interest in brick laying but a few months ago I read a beautifully written story about a brick layer. The author had the skill to pull me into the story and show me a different side of brick laying that I had no idea existed! Those type of books appeal to me--ones that show me hidden secrets that we couldn’t even imagine.

FAVORITE FILMS:
"It really depends on when you ask the question! Right now I’m really into German movies. I bawled in THE LIVES OF OTHERS and GOODBYE LENIN. My all time favorite movie is probably a very unknown movie called SLC PUNK"

Thank you Mary-Margaret for taking the time to share. While I haven't memorized the whole of The Cremation of Sam MacGee (impressive) it is a favorite. And I often flash on the refrain during appropriately strange moments:

There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.

- Presenting...Mary-Theresa Hussey, Executive Editor

Presenting...Mary-Theresa Hussey

Did you know that when Harlequin Presents launched, it was intended to simply be a verb, that is Harlequin was "presenting" the author to the readers? Well, here I am to present Mary-Theresa Hussey, Executive Editor of the Silhouette imprint.

What does she do? She is responsible for overseeing the overall direction for all Silhouette lines: Desire, Special Edition and Romantic Suspense at the moment, as well as working with her own individual author base.

She is a remarkable reader with an amazing memory and is the unofficial "go to" person for all queries received that start: "I read a book about a guy with a girl and an escaped bear and a car race, but I can't remember..." But let me let her speak in her own words! Tell us, how did it all begin?

"I began as an Editorial Assistant for Silhouette Romance, working for Tara Gavin in '89. She said she knew she wanted to hire me when I sat down, saw Diana Palmer and Ann Major covers on her wall and knew the characters names!

From that point on I moved from Silhouette Romance, Special Edition and Intimate Moments, back to Silhouette Romance to be Senior Editor and then Executive Editor for Silhouette. I was also lucky enough to be in on the start of LUNA Books, and still work with many of those authors."

My list is fairly eclectic. I’d love some Romantic Suspense or Desire writers, and currently work with Red Dress Ink and MIRA authors as well as a lot of paranormal/fantasy writers for Romantic Suspense and Nocturne as well as LUNA. While I’m not as active in acquiring as some other editors--I have a lot of management responsibilities as well--I do keep an eye out for strong projects to bring forward for the company.

"I first started reading series romance when I was 11. We were in Ireland and I ran out of my Nancy Drew titles and my aunt (also Mary Theresa), gave me a batch of Mills & Boon titles. The first one was a Janet Dailey title called THE MASTER FIDDLER and I was hooked by Cholla (yes, that was the hero’s name!). After that, I discovered the stash in the library and used book stores and I’ve never looked back!

"Even in college I used a friend’s local address to get access to the library so I could feed my addiction throughout the year. (I'm pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out on that crime. :-) ) I still love the books we publish, and my only frustration is that I’ll never get to read them all!

"I read a lot of Presents, Desire, Romantic Suspense, Special Edition, Intrigue and Blaze and a smattering from the other lines. I’ll also read a bunch of the MIRA and HQN titles as well. And of course all the LUNA titles I didn’t work on! So when I graduated and discovered I could actually get a job working for this company and get these books for free…Well, my fate was sealed!

"I was a series addict from a young age! Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Rick Brant, Cherry Ames, Vicki Barr, Trixie Belden, The Happy Hollisters , The Bobbsey Twins, Tom Swift, Tom Corbett and more were followed by Tolkien, Heinlein, Norton and others. Characterization, dialogue and fast-paced plotting are and were key. Along with romance, I still love fantasy, romantic suspense, mystery, thriller and larger than life stories.

"The best part of this job is access to the wonderful people—authors and colleagues and readers. Even when I’m reading a manuscript that won’t be publishable, I feel that there’s a sense of hope and positivism in romance that I don’t always find when reading other genres.

"For me, the most difficult part of the job is rejecting manuscripts and dashing hopes. It’s especially hard when it comes to projects that aren’t really very bad, but there’s nothing special about them. As we say, we can often work with a storyteller who needs structure, but someone who has structure but no voice, well, that just isn’t something that an editor can easily fix.

"On the positive side, one of my most recent and exciting purchases has been for debut author Rachel Vincent’s werecat series. STRAY came out in '07 and ROGUE is out right now--April, 2008. [Isabel interjects that she's just learned Rachel will make her debut on the April 13th New York Times Bestseller list at #32, whoo hoo!]. I’ve already read PRIDE and the proposal for PREY. She’s got a wonderful voice and energy and enthusiasm and I really look forward to everyone else reading these projects.

"I have always felt that series novels have a 'formula' in the same way that other genre fiction or certain types of poetry does. There’s a structure, a rhyme scheme, an expected conclusion and a theme, but the writer’s voice and subject matter make it sing...or falter.

"And at the heart of genre fiction is the characters. The reason readers can return to a familiar story idea is the characters are believable, relatable and filled with emotion. The ability to have a reader live vicariously through the character is what makes a real storyteller.

"It’s not an easy thing to do either—I’ve tried maybe twice to write something and never got beyond two pages. The commitment needed to finish a book is intense, and the work is hard! I have total respect and admiration for those who make it look easy and who can face the screen or empty page day after day.

"As for what it takes to make a good editor, most editors I know are intensely curious about a lot of things, but always about people. They watch movies, read magazines, obsess about TV and pop culture. They respond to the zeitgeist, but what interests them is the individual in the situation. They also have to have great memories and incredible patience, as they read a manuscript multiple times!

"They must be willing to invest themselves by striving to help the author say what she wants to say as clearly and cleanly as possible, walking a delicate balance between being a “first reader,” a representative of the publisher and an advocate for the author. Communication is key, and making sure that the end goal—of a “good story, well told”—is achieved.

"If I wasn't going to be an editor—and money, skill and talent were no object!—I’d probably like to be a photographer for children, landscape or even weddings. But it makes a nice hobby at least!"

Their loss is our gain—though Matrice is also our unofficial photographer and in between the numerous piles of books, her office has many beautiful photographs of children and landscapes and family events. Truly, a renaissance woman.

More Congratulations! Kitt, Miller and Wiggs...

Sandra Kitt makes Library Journal's Best Romances of 2007!

Congratulations to Sandra Kitt whose Kimani title CELLULOID MEMORIES was among the titles chosen by the magazine as the best romances of 2007.

Here is what Library Journal had to say:
A writer goes to L.A. to visit her dying actor father, who deserted her as a child, and gains a new understanding of the man she never knew. With her insightful flair, Kitt has written a poignant, thought-provoking , but gently humorous romance that illuminates the black experience within the entertainment industry. (originally a starred review in the 6/1/07 issue)

Wiggs and Miller Chosen by Amazon Among Top Ten for 2007

The awards continue to come for our books in 2007. Amazon’s editors have made their picks for the best romances of the year, and Susan Wiggs and Linda Lael Miller have both been chosen within the top 10!

THE WINTER LODGE by Susan Wiggs was selected and the #1 book in romance for the year by Amazon’s editors.

MCKETTRICK’S HEART by Linda Lael Miller ranked at #7 on the list.

Check out the Best of Romance list and the complete Amazon list.

Congratulations to...

Susan Wiggs and Brenda Joyce for making Publishers Weekly’s 150 Best Books of 2007!

Three thousand books are published daily in the U.S.(!) and PW reviewed more than 6,000 of them in 2007, in print and online. From that astounding number, they've compiled a list of 150 of the best books for the year in several categories. In the Romance category, two of the five books chosen were HQE titles.

Here is what PW had to say:

The Perfect Bride (which I haven't read yet, and am looking forward to! Update! 11/16 just finished it--really enjoyed it & now am linked into the de Warenne Dynasty! Delightful.)
Brenda Joyce(HQN)
Joyce's seventh de Warenne novel is a first-rate Regency with deliciously damaged leads; fluff-free, Joyce's tight plot and vivid cast make for a romance that's just about perfect.

The Winter Lodge (which I have read and really enjoyed. Guess PW knows a thing or two)
Susan Wiggs (Mira)
Complicated, flesh-and-blood characters inhabit Wiggs's idyllic but identifiable Lakeshore Chronicles, weaving a refreshingly honest smalltown tapestry of romance, domestic drama, mystery and generations-old Polish recipes.

I just happened to be in Seattle and got at chance to visit with Susan recently. Here she is at an autographing I got to attend in Pioneer Square--hey, it was at a cool bar/ restaurant and all I have on me is my phone photo, so don't complain.

Susan lives in a totally amazing house on Bainbridge Island--as you know from Allison's previous post the Pacific Northwest is peppered with writers. I think it's the weather. No, I was so busy admiring the house, I totally forgot to take any pictures. I don't think my phone would have done it justice! Here's another nice dark one of Susan for you!

Seattle is the home of...you guessed it, the Seattle Mariners! Yes, and Starbucks. I'm a tea drinker, and a boring one at that (no flavors, no funny business), so this was not a pilgrimage. Still, interesting to see the very first Starbucks, with (I think) the original branding.





It is really nice to have a place to stop and sit down the "third space," but the everywhereness of Starbucks was beginning to get a bit creepy, so I found a lovely no name spot to have a delicious latte and pumpkin brioche. No that is not a typo. And there is a reason there aren't pumpkin brioches year round, but it's not because they aren't delicious.

I love pumpkin, so this is my season and I feel compelled to order everything pumpkin at least once. Yes, I've tried the latte. It's liquid pumpkin pie filling. It's delicious, I lick it off the bowl, but it's a little weird buying a whole cup of it. I worry if I drink too much of it it will give me a disgust of pumpkins. Can't go there.

This amazing fellow was in the Seattle Aquarium. When you see something like this, you realize those incredible creative types at Pixar and Disney really aren't that creative. They just go to the Aquarium and the Zoo and the Botanical Garden. Nature is totally amazing. Look around!


When you go to Seattle, you have to check out the Experience Music...Project? Theatre? and you can't miss the Science Fiction museum, which is attached. I loved it.

I think we either need to establish a Romance museum or a museum of genre fiction or something. The sf museum was pretty great. It's reading intensive, but there are some fun film clips and interesting history.



I snapped this photo of Dolly, the first clone, in the museum. Isn't she sweet looking?

My aunt is a sculptor and had created a piece called "Dolly Tells All" which we had, so I was really excited to get a glimpse of the "real" Dolly.


Real? Photograph? Sculpture? Clone? Replicant? Is it live...or is it Memorex? And how much and when does it matter? Interesting questions for our time--for any time, for that matter!

I too had a great time in Seattle!

Spotlight on Harlequin

For those who may have missed the info on Dearauthor.com, here it is:

SPOTLIGHT ON HARLEQUIN

Fall '07: What’s new for Harlequin Enterprises/Series and Single Title Imprints, all formats. What is HQE publishing ? What is HQE looking to publish?

- Information about & HQE looking for
- HQE Publishing Program

eBOOKS & AUDIO & NEW INITIATIVES - Malle Vallik

eBooks

• As of September 1st, Harlequin is delivering 100% frontlist in eBook format—the only major trade publisher offering 100% of their frontlist
• Spice Briefs launched to great success in August 2007: original, exclusive eBook content
• Created “one-click buys” for the passion series for the avid reader & made it available to all eBook retailers (i.e. package all 8 Presents titles together as one unit)
• Continue to create eBook bundles of selected backlist, for example all of Caridad Pinero’s “Calling” titles together in the Calling Collection (October)
• Creating new eBook product by “chunking” anthologies--each novella with be its own eBook. Part of an Holiday promotion – 12 Christmas short stories for your digital stocking!
• New programs are in development!

Audio

• Ongoing program with Audible.com delivering 5 – 6 titles (offering both series and single titles, debut and established authors) per month
• Launching an audio continuity featuring 2 Blaze titles every month for $9.95
• Ongoing radio program on XM radio: Sonic Theater channel. Our website is ttp://sonictheater.xmradio.com, and Harlequin Romance Radio is aired at 1 am and 9 am Eastern time on channel 163.

Social Media

• 2nd Life author reading event on September 25 with M.J. Rose, featuring her book THE REINCARNATIONIST
• Launched & ongoing Harlequin Author Spotlight podcasts
• Launched and ongoing I Heart Presents blog (at www.iheartpresent.com)
• Will be launching a new romance blog in October
• MySpace profiles: SpiceBriefs complete—check out http://myspace.com/spicebriefs
• MySpace profiles to come: Harlequin, Kimani Tru, MIRA
• Launched digital author toolkit – updated monthly—check out http://www.digitalauthortoolkit.com/

***************************************************************************************************************
SPICE BRIEFS– NEW INITIATIVE– Susan Swinwood

Writing guidelines for Spice Briefs

Fall 07 - Top titles for Spice Briefs:

GILT AND MIDNIGHT by Megan Hart (September)
TOKYO RENDEZVOUS by Jina Bacarr (November)

SPICE – Susan Swinwood

Writing guidelines for Spice

Fall 07 - Top titles for Spice:

There are two fall titles for Spice in '07:

THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES/Nancy Madore, September
CAINE’S RECKONING/Sarah McCarty, November

Both are fantastic books – Nancy’s is a collection of erotic stories based on a traditional fairy tale; each chapter of the story is devoted to one of the twelve princesses as she searches for the solution to her sexual frustrations.

Sarah’s book is the first in her historical western erotica series: the men of Hell’s Eight. Each of these eight Texas Rangers are tough, sexy, hardened men…until they meet the women who make them weak.

***************************************************************************************************************
HQN & LUNA - Tracy Farrell

Fall 2007 – Top Titles for HQN:

October is a stellar month at HQN, topped by Brenda Joyce’s next Masters of Time paranormal, DARK RIVAL and a new Carly Phillips contemporary, SEALED WITH A KISS.

November features a new Shannon Drake historical from Heather Graham, THE QUEEN’S LADY, a Diana Palmer seasonal hardcover reissue, LONG TALL TEXAN LEGACY and our 2nd NASCAR collection, NASCAR HOLIDAY 2.

December delivers an original romantic suspense story from New York Times bestselling author, Beverly Barton, A TIME TO DIE.

What HQN is looking for:

HQN publishes strong, complex single title romances. Our current focus is on acquiring author who write historical and contemporary single titles, but we are always looking for other romance sub-genres, paranormal in particular, if the material is exceptional.

LUNA Fall '07 – Top Titles:

October, Jeri Smith-Ready continues her RITA nominated series with VOICE OF CROW.

November, C.E. Murphy begins her new Negotiator series with HEART OF STONE.

December, Diana Palmer makes a guest appearance with THE MORCAI BATTALION, a completely revised version of the only fantasy novel ever written by the author, originally published in 1980 and out of print for decades.

What LUNA is looking for:

We’re primarily looking for urban fantasy and otherworld fantasy and are no longer looking for historical fantasy at this time. We’re particularly interested in loosely-linked series of stand-alone titles featuring strong female leads, unique storylines and a fresh narrative voice that will appeal to fantasy, romance and mainstream readers alike.

MIRA & Red Dress Ink – Margaret Marbury

MIRA Fall '07 – Top Titles:

September:
76 SEASIDE AVENUE by Debbie Macomber (massmarket paperback)
THE REINCARNATIONIST by M.J. Rose (hardcover)
October:
WHERE ANGELS GO by Debbie Macomber (hardcover)
THE SÉANCE by Heather Graham (massmarket paperback)
LAST KNOWN VICTIM by Erica Spindler (mass market paperback)
MENDING FENCES by Sherryl Woods (mass market paperback,)
November:
THE LAST NOEL by Heather Graham (hardcover)
December:
THE WIDOW by Carla Neggers (first time mass market paperback)
SILENT IN THE GRAVE by Deanna Raybourn (tirst time mass market paperback)
DEMON’S KISS by Maggie Shayne (massmarket paperback)

• For MIRA, we are primarily looking for strong historical fiction and commercial literary fiction

Red Dress Ink Fall '07 – Top Titles:

SORCERY AND THE SINGLE GIRL by Mindy Klasky October tradepaperback

• For Red Dress Ink, we only looking at exceptional, smart and funny chick lit.

The imprint STEEPLE HILL - Joan Marlow Golan, with Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, Steeple Hill Cafe; KIMANI PRESS - Linda Gill, with Sepia , Arabesque, New Spirit, Kimani Romance, Kimani TRU, GOLD EAGLE - Feroze Mohammed, with the Mack Bolan, Stony Man, Deathland, Outlander and Rogue Angel series and WORLDWIDE LIBRARY with its Mystery series are also part of the HQE family, but are not listed in detail here.
***************************************************************************************************************
SERIES - Harlequin & Silhouette - Birgit Davis Todd & Mary Theresa Hussey

The fall of 2007 has many of the themes and initiatives that are clear reader favorites and important for the series business throughout the year.

As always, our focus is on finding, developing and publishing “good stories, well-told." And to get those stories, our editors work with authors through all phases of story development - and then with art and marketing to ensure those stories get the right packages.

We also try to emphasize connected miniseries in our publishing schedule. There are multiple continuities appearing in the series lines, including the conclusions of The Royal House of Niroli from Harlequin Presents, Mission: Impassioned from Silhouette Romantic Suspense, Dynasty: The Garrisons from Silhouette Desire, Montana Mavericks: Strike It Rich from Special Edition, Dark Enchantments from Silhouette Nocturne, Secrets We Keep from Harlequin Romance, Texas Legacies: The Carrigans from Harlequin American, Million Dollar Secrets from Harlequin Blaze and many more.

Harlequin and Silhouette series programs are known for their long-standing commitment to authors, with many authors celebrating 25, 50, even 100 book milestones with us. We work with both new and established authors to develop long-running, successful series with their own characters, as well as encouraging strong, standalone titles that lead new readers to discover new favorites.

As a mark of this commitment, we have multi-New York Times bestselling authors Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller publishing in series this fall.

Another strong component of our publishing program is our continual search for new authors. We are one of the few publishers accepting unagented material, and we also run contests to find new authors. Check out the Harlequin Superromance Conflict of Interest Contest at www.eharlequin.com in Writing Challenges. The contest is open to all writers and the deadline is fast approaching!

Just this fall, from September to December, we are publishing more than thirty new-to-the-company authors, many of them first-time-ever authors as well. With three new authors in Harlequin Presents, and first-time authors in Silhouette Desire, Harlequin Everlasting, Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Blaze, Silhouette Special Edition, Harlequin Superromance, Harlequin Intrigue as well as in our Kimani Press and single title programs, Harlequin is a wonderful place to be discovered--and some amazing authors have published their first books with Harlequin and Silhouette.

We also have some great programs in place for readers to discover these authors! Along with our marketing and terrific bookstore support, there are a number of digital and hard-copy sampling programs in our future. We firmly believe that if you try a Harlequin or Silhouette title, you will love it! And so we plan to take advantage of as many outlets as we can to start the "addiction"...

We also experiment with anthologies within the series to highlight strong authors and themes, and encourage exploration of innovative ideas and stories to attract new readers.

Do be sure to visit our website at http://www.eharlequin.com/ to get the latest updates on word counts and tips from the webhosts as well as from past articles done about writing. We also have frequent visits from editors to talk about their individual lines, and fellow authors are a terrific resources as well.

In short, the fall of 2007 is all about the strengths that writing for HQE Series always displays: commitment to excellent stories by terrific authors, published across the nation and around the world.

Pick up a book and join us!

Congratulations Debbie on # 1 on USA Today and New York Times! A first!

The seventh in Debbie's bestselling Cedar Cove series (hint, the address tips you off to the placement in the series, SEVENty four Seaside Avenue) hits the USA Today List at #1 . Look for it in the same location on the September 19th New York Times Paperback Bestseller list (Mira, paperback original).

Debbie is not only a prolific writer and gifted storyteller, appearing frequently on the USA Today, New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, but she can knit! She even taught me to knit.

She's a miracle worker and an inspiration to many, indeed Debbie published her first book, Heartsong, an Inspirational romance with Silhouette in 1984 and has written over 100 titles since! She's written award winning stories for both Silhouette and Harlequin for many series--Special Edition, SuperRomance, Americans, and Romance to name a few! She created groundbreaking continuity stories and writes her signature bestselling single titles for MIRA.

Her work is available in countless languages and formats around the world--including eBooks. Or have a listen to Debbie's interview at Audible.com --it's a free download.

Look for Where Angels Go a new Shirley, Goodness and Mercy title coming out in gift hardcover in October!

The THRILLERFEST CONFERENCE Report

brought to you by Karen Harper

The second annual Thrillerfest Conference, sponsored by International Thriller Writers, was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City from July 12 – 15. A great contingent of Mira Books authors and editors attended. They appeared on various panels, emceed presentations and oversaw programs and awards. Heather Graham even donned black hose and a chorus-line-style tuxedo to sing backup with the Killerettes for the Killer Thriller Band at the banquet the last night. And she sang a duet with author Michael Palmer called “Ode to Pink Slips”—a writer’s rejection of rejections!

Your intrepid reporter for the gathering is Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling Mira author, who was panel master (both moderator and panelist) for a workshop called “Psycho: Thrillers that Haunt You.” In honor of our title, we all began our discussion wearing masks of either Janet Leigh as Marian Crane, (her notorious expression was from the famous screaming shower murder scene) or Tony Perkins as Norman Bates.

Trivia for the day: Janet Leigh authored two Mira books in the 1990’s. I got to meet her at a Mira author party in California where she surprised us by admitting she was nervous to meet us!

On our Psycho panel, we covered such topics as how to get readers into the story and some great ways to surprise, shock and scare them. We also discussed how a scary setting can either be an apparently calm one that lulls you into complacency before danger strikes (after all, JAWS starts with sunny summer beaches; small towns make great noir) or settings which are creepy from the get-go, such as in JURASSIC PARK or a weird mansion as in the classic Gothic romances.

I talked about how well the peaceful Amish countryside worked for my romantic suspense novels, DARK HARVEST and DARK ANGEL. The Amish areas look calm and quaint but the Amish lives isolated lives. With their massive, dark barns and the tall corn fields growing right up to their houses, who knows what is out there which could harm them?

Below are some ThrillerFest tidbits about or by Mira authors and editors:

Miranda Stecyk, Mira editor: “I’m amazed to hear authors talk about the amount of research that is needed for a thriller. I’m also impressed by the sharing and mentoring that goes on among these authors and by their support of debut authors.”

Michelle Gagnon, Mira author of TUNNELS: “I got a lot of good info from M.J. Rose about to blog or not to blog. She’s a master blogger, but she suggested not starting your own unless you have a lot of time, are working with other authors or are very famous. She advised plugging your blog comment in somewhere else for a while. It wasn’t what I thought she was going to say.” M.J. herself is a Mira author. Her thriller THE REINCARNATIONIST will be out this September.

Heather Graham, New York Times bestseller and longtime Mira author: “I use prologues to grab readers. Always start your books with what is most gripping, the big bang, then bring your reader up-to-date.”

New Mira author Rick Mofina was in charge of awards for Best First Novel, since he was a finalist last year. Rick has a long career as a reporter and author. He’s a Canadian who writes like he’s an American. His forthcoming book is A PERFECT GRAVE.

New York Times bestseller Alex Kava was in charge of the awards program and also two panels, one on serial killer stories and one featuring the award nominees. Alex said she “loved the laid-back conference atmosphere, even in busy NYC.”

Longtime Mira author Erica Spindler was also in attendance. A New York Times and international bestseller, she has a Mira book, LAST KNOWN VICTIM, coming in October. Erica was the panel master for a workshop which asked: Do thrillers about child crime cross the line?

Mira author and New Yorker, Jason Pinter, was on a panel which discussed how writers and publishers can work together to attract readers to buy their books.

At the final night awards banquet I sat with Mira staffers Executive Editor Margaret Marbury, editor Linda McFall and new Mira author J.T. Ellison, whose first novel, ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, will be out from Mira in Nov. 2007. They all enjoyed the conference’s blend of professionalism and fun.

Margaret was interviewed on the first day of the convention as one of the top thriller editors in the business. Mira published the anthology THRILLER which has contributions from many great thriller writers. The collection is newly out in paperback and the Barnes & Noble on-site store had a lot of copies which were going into a lot of conference bags which bore the logo, MIRA: FICTION AT ITS BEST.

Several attendees flew in from the Dallas Romance Writers of America Conference for the NYC gathering. (Unfortunately, the conferences were the same time this year.) Carla Neggers arrived for the last two days of the Thriller conference—even though her luggage didn’t make it in time. Tara Taylor Quinn, Mira and Harlequin author, was expected but did not make the panel Heather hosted because of travel complications.

My take on the entire Thriller Writers experience was that it was a supportive group of very talented people who love writing and value their readers. And NYC was a great venue because so many publishing professionals were available to attend. As busy as everyone was at the conference, there was always that attraction of NYC: so many places to see, to eat, and to love in the Big Apple.

And now that the second ThrillerFest is history, we are all inspired and getting back to thinking up something truly thrilling to write....Wait 'til next year!



Karen Harper's recent titles are INFERNO, a short story in MORE THAN WORDS, and HURRICANE. But check out the great offer of THE STONE FOREST, BLACK ORCHID and THE FALLS--all available at an amazing $3.99 price.

Walkies--celebrating THE DEATH LIST and full of devilish cheer from across the pond

Editorial Director Karin Stoecker explained that Walkies is an annual Book Trade Benevolent Society fund raiser.

"Teams generally have a theme around a book or imprint they are promoting. We chose to go with a MIRA title, The Death List by Paul Johnston currently on the Heatseeker Chart here in the UK."

Catherine Burke, Editor, MIRA, Mills and Boon, reported that a great time was had by everyone on the team and noted that, "Out of around 20 Publishing teams taking part, the Harlequin Mills and Boon team won Runner Up for the Best Team Award (beaten by Random House Children's chaps dressed as cows; they deserved it really…)."

They've raised hundreds of pounds for the BTBS, which is terrific, but there’s still time to add any last donations at www.justgiving.com/thedeathlist everyone!

Cute lil' devils aren't they? And THE DEATH LIST is a truly page-turning and scary book. Available right now on both sides of the Atlantic!

THE BIG THRILL COMING TO NYC

Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling Mira author and delightful person, has agreed to report on Thrillerfest, coming up in New York City while I am hanging out on a island in Maine. No comments please!

Karen has been in the Denver area visiting family and researching her next Mira. She just sent me this ThillerFest Preview with some "pre-game" info. Next week, she'll send more information on the event, hopefully with quotes and interviews, if feasible. Margaret Marbury has a digital camera, so we're hoping to get photos as well.... Karen notes:

Quite a few Mira Books thriller/mystery authors are heading to the Big Apple for the 2nd annual ThrillerFest Conference, July 12 - 15. Mira attendees include (sorry if someone's name was inadvertently omitted!) Heather Graham, Alex Kava, M. J. Rose, Jason Pinter, Carla Neggers and Karen Harper. Mira editorial staff attending are Margaret Marbury, Linda McFall and Miranda Stecyk.

Highlights include an all-day Thursday craft fest for writers wanting to learn the basics of thriller writing. Friday (Fri. the 13th--perfect!) through Sunday are panels and presentations such as a Spotlight Guest Presentation with Heather Graham and the following workshops hosted by Mira authors:

--Heather Graham: Sleeping With the Enemy (sex and violence, a precarious balance)

--Karen Harper: Psycho (thrillers that haunt you)

--Alex Kava: The Killing Fields (serial killers in our midst)

There are booksignings galore including a massive autograph session on the last conference day. A banquet with awards is included too.

More details and photos from this "thrilling" event coming later, courtesy of Karen Harper!

Interview with a Vampire...sort of!

Hmmmm. I wonder, if you create vampires out of your fertile imagination, does that make you a vampire...mom? Or perhaps more powerfully: The Mother of All Vampires (at least the ones you create).

I forgot to ask that really interesting question when I asked The Mother Of Some Vampires, the new voice in vampires, Jennifer Armintrout a few questions about POSSESSION. I thought I'd share the questions I did ask!

Me: How do you see the Blood Ties series fitting into the broader vampire oeuvre?

Jennifer: It's a sort of more adult, more gory THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, the young adult series that LJ Smith did back in the 90's. I was super influenced by that when I was a preteen. I tell people that if they liked those books, or if they liked the television show "Forever Knight," they'll probably like my books.

Me: Will someone who hasn't read THE TURNING enjoy POSSESSION?

Jennifer: I think this is the part where I'm supposed to say it can stand on my its own and rush out and buy it, and if the first book isn't available then yeah, you're not going to be completely lost reading Possession first.

But it's only book two. Readers can still jump on this thing on the ground floor, so to speak, and be all, "I was reading Blood Ties from book two!"

Me: Will someone who has read THE TURNING enjoy POSSESSION?

Jennifer: Yes, because THE TURNING didn't end the story. POSSESSION is the second in a series in the truest sense of the word.

Carrie's story isn't over and we don't now move on to some other character, it's still telling her story. For those curious, it will be like that all the way through the series.

Me: THE TURNING was your first novel. Did you think of it as a series, or did that grow as you wrote?

Jennifer: I thought it would be straight romance that would end with happily ever after, but that it would be a series in that, okay, Carrie got her happy ending, now Max will get a happy ending and so on and so on.

Gosh, all that happy ending stuff sounds so...dirty, doesn't it?

Me: Why Vampires?

Jennifer: Why not vampires? It honestly baffles me when I get that question, because I can't even begin to grasp that other people might not be interested in vampires!

I don't know how it all worked out, but I've eaten, slept, pretended, dressed up as, and obsessed over vampires since I was a pre-schooler. It just seemed like the natural course for my writing.

But I will write non-vampire related things in the future, I'm sure.

Me: What's your favorite medical TV show?

Jennifer: Is this a set up? Do you know my agent? :)

I love House, but less because it's medical show and more because he is obviously Sherlock Holmes. I'm not all that into medicine in entertainment.

I think I wrote Carrie as a doctor because I grew up in a family where everyone was an EMT, and my mother is a critical care nurse, so I reaped the benefit of all the stories around the dinner table that come with those types of jobs.

Me: Do you have favorite characters, and how does that make you feel when you are working through the plot and they have to die?

Jennifer: I do have favorite characters, but I recognize that they can't all live and it wouldn't be realistic to write the kind of stories I write and have no body count.

There is one character that dies in book three that I had a moment of "Oh, that's so sad that I can't write that character anymore," but I don't get as involved in their lives as some writers do with their characters.

Me: When is the next Blood Ties coming out?

Jennifer: August of '07.

Me: What are you working on now?

Jennifer: Blood Ties book four is what I'm working on right now, and I'm sort of crossing my fingers and toes and praying I get it done on time because, wow. I won't even go there. Strike it from the record. ^_^

Me: of course, I am leaving in Jennifer's footer...

Hundreds of people have already read BLOOD TIES, BOOK ONE: THE TURNING, by Jennifer Armintrout. You don't want to be the only one who hasn't, right? On-sale now, from Mira books.

BLOOD TIES BOOK TWO: POSSESSION, by Jennifer Armintrout, 02/07, from Mira. Be one of the cool kids. Buy it.

If you're still hungry for info, you can check out the FAQs on her website.

www.JENNIFERARMINTROUT.com