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/

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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.

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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.
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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!

Check out DearAuthor.com for what's coming up this fall at Harlequin Enterprises

When Jane Litte asked for an update on what's going on with series and single titles at Harlequin Enterprises for dear author.com this fall, I have to admit, I sighed. There's always so much going on, a lot of information to compile, a lot of people to ask, and they always have a lot of other things to do. And, of course, there are always a lot of things you forget! Oops. Sorry!

But we were delighted to be invited--it's an elegant site. Thanks to Starr Mills who did the heavy lifting in pulling it all together, and all the contributors, please check out dear author.com for an update from many of the HQE gang. The two Ja(y)nes have a lovely site, so you'll enjoy visiting.

Bertrice Small on Fantasy & Reality

First I read LARA by Bertrice Small. I wanted more! I wanted to stay in the world she'd created. Luckily, A DISTANT TOMORROW and THE TWILIGHT LORD were already out, and I could return to Hetar right away and didn't have to wait months to read them. I hate waiting, don't you?

In her world-building, Bertrice blends lyrical and lush descriptive prose with a very matter-of-fact level of pragmatism. Lara is a remarkable character—but then so is her creator! I wondered what she was up to when she wasn't traveling between worlds, waging wars, adjudicating peace, forging alliances or spending time with her multi-faceted characters.

So I emailed Bertrice and asked...Wassup?

And she said...."You sent that using a Blackberry! Gawd, I am impressed. As I've said, I'm no techie. I do have a cell phone, but I never remember to turn the thing on. On the other hand, my bio is always up to date and I have a web mistress & update everything at the beginning of the year. For someone who is creative, I seem to have a practical streak. (Isabel says see? It's that left and right brain thing going on). Bertrice continued:

"I really don't wrestle with fantasy and reality. For me, they seem to be quite separate. " But then she added:

"Are you a believer in things not seen? Well, being of Celtic heritage, Irish/Scots/Welsh, I am. And I seem to have a wonderful guide for my fantasy series. For the first time in my life I never know what I'm going to write when I sit down to do a day's work. But I put my fingers on the keyboard, and it comes. I count it a great blessing to be allowed to be the conduit for these wonderful stories.

"I've spent today working on a few re-writes for Tara Parsons, my HQN editor. What a bright lovely girl she is. I have been most fortunate in my editors over the years.

"I'm also in the midst of subcontracting the renovations on a house we bought this spring. My adventures in all of this might prove amusing. Or not...!

"We decided to downsize. I found the Retirement Community idea lovely—the thought of never having to cook a meal again was incredibly tempting—but the folks there were old!

"Then I checked out the over 55 condo community in our village, but it is now "over 80" and the condo board chairman told me I couldn't have my DirecTV. The satellite would spoil the "integrity of the buildings." Good grief!

"Then a neighbor on our street died, and while I knew the house needed work, it's all on one floor. We bought it. It has a lovely living room with a raised hearth fireplace, a dining room as big as my own, which means I get to take my furniture, but the 3 tiny bedrooms, and the two 1957 bathrooms are going. They will become 2 large bedrooms, and 2 modern baths.

"Moving from a house we've lived in for 28 years which has 4 bedrooms, and 4 full bathrooms requires some paring down! Our son and his family are moving into the old homestead.

"I made certain, however, before taking time off from my work to get THE SORCERESS OF BELMAIR into my editor, Tara. (Isabel says thank you from all editors for your professionalism!) THE SORCERESS is scheduled to come out next May and there will be 3 more books in the series. And after that? I have absolutely no idea, but it will come. Of that I'm certain.

"Now I've decided I like fantasy better than reality. When I write fantasy I control the world in which my characters live. It's great to be a goddess!

"But when you're renovating a house to live in, reality strikes hard. The end of the house being completely rebuilt is now totally demolished. I go down after I stop working in the early evening almost every day.

"So far, on most days it looks as if nothing is or has gotten done. But yesterday the narrow window half way up the wall in what will be my new office was gone, and a brand new big window put in! I'm beginning to see how the light will fall in that room now, and where I might place my desk.

"It's progress, but reality is too darned slow for me. If it were fantasy I would have had that new office finished at least two chapters ago!"

All the best,

Bertrice

We all build our worlds—sometimes in fantasy, sometimes in reality. And life needs both, doesn't it?

Happy Hallowe'en! Time for Sorcery & the Single Girl

Mindy and I go way back--you can check out my prior post last Hallowe'en! And I've returned with another post, because she's got another book. Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of volume one of the six volume Memoirs of Casanova--I know, hard to believe I've gone so long without having read them, isn't it?--and haven't had a chance to read Sorcery, so I'm going to have to let other expert witnesses speak for the excellence of the reading experience!

Here's what Publishers Weekly had to say about Sorcery and the Single Girl

"Klasky emphasizes the importance of being true to yourself and having faith in friends and family in her bewitching second romance featuring fledgling witch Jane Madison (after Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft). Young librarian Jane believes getting into the elite Washington Coven, ruled by the prodigious Teresa Alison Sidney, is of major importance. If Jane wants to hold on to her familiar, her valuable book and gemstone collection and David Montrose, her hunky protector and instructor, she has to meet the coven’s standards for knowledge and skill. When slickly seductive Graeme Henderson starts laying it on suspiciously thick, and David insists that friendly coven witch Haylee can’t be trusted, Jane must decide what’s most important: trying to impress the popular coven snobs, or taking control of her power and doing what she knows is best for herself. Klasky’s moral lesson is obvious, but readers who identify with Jane’s remembered high school social angst will cheer her all the way. (Oct.)

Romantic Times BOOKreviews
"This is an irresistible tale . . . surprisingly charming and insightful."

Booklist on Girl's Guide to Witchcraft
"Fans of Shanna Swendson's Enchanted, Inc. series will find much to love in Klasky's zesty blend of fantasy and romance as well as in her winsome heroine."

and the first Amazon review of Sorcery...

Even better than the first book!, September 23, 2007
This author keeps getting better. Well-written and paced, funny and fabulous. I was so sad to see this book end that I started over and read again. One caveat, you should read the first book before this one. I can't wait for book 3 in 2008. Please check this series out. You will not be sorry! By A. Sugarman "book maven" (San Francisco, CA United States)

I very much enjoyed A GIRL'S GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT, the first of this series, along with many others. I have to confess I am also from D.C. and loved the local touches. I can't resist sharing the other compelling advocates for her storytelling ability from the Amazon.com reader reviews on GGTW:

Wonderful First Book of the Series, August 29, 2007
I absolutely loved this book. It was light (without being too fluffy), magical (without being too science fiction-y), and romantic (without being too Bridget Jones). The characters are relatable and the story is fantastic. Great read for a chilly fall evening. By A Leo "Amy" (Haverford, PA United States)

Fun read!, May 1, 2007
GIRL'S GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT is a fun read. Mindy Klasky has successfully put a paranormal twist to the chick lit genre that is quite entertaining. Jane's transformation throughout the story is wonderful to behold and inspirational in many ways. Her ability to find a positive even in the most horrendous circumstances is certainly admirable. However, it is Neko who steals the show! Neko is an absolutely fantastic character. Who can't help but love a cat in the guise of a man? His little quirks make him endearing and I certainly hope to see more of him in the upcoming sequel. By Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL)

Witchy Librarian , February 16, 2007
Not what I expected but an easy read featuring a Librarian as the main character. Being a Librarian it was nice to see one of us represented as a normal person, well aside from her being a witch that is. By I. Lefkowitz "The Butterfly Chick"

Mindy Klasky is Chick Lit and RDI's version of J.K. Rowling , November 15, 2006
Jane Madison is a witch. But she does not know it. Has this beginner witch bitten off more than she chew, or will her catman familiar and her warder help her through it? I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down, and I can't wait for the sequel to it, Sorcery and the Single Girl which comes out next year. By Nikkie (Charleston, SC)

Fun supernatural ride, October 19, 2006
Girls' Guide to Witchcraft is about plain-Jane Madison, a librarian who doesn't get a lot of attention from men. This book was a fun and fast-moving look at what happens in a girl's life when she discovers she's a witch. A lot of books about witchcraft focus heavily on how spells can go wrong; this story was more light-hearted. I'm looking forward to the sequel in October 2007 By Bearette24 (New York, NY)

I want more! , October 18, 2006
I haven't been able to put this book down. It's funny and smart and great fun. I can't wait for the sequel! It's well-written, the characters seem so real, okay, even if the lead character is a witch and her familiar springs to life as a fabulous gay man. They still seem real and you immediately care about them and can't wait to find out what happens to them next. More please! By LauraRebecca "LauraRebecca" (USA)

terrific coming of age chick lit tale , October 9, 2006
In some ways this is a terrific coming of age tale as the heroine goes from self pity to confidence in her skills though she believes the magic enabled her to do so. The story line is fast-paced as Jane balances her normal life as a librarian and family member with her bewitching new life that attracts males like Pooh Bear to honey. Mindy Klasky provides a beguiling enchanting chick lit tale a refreshing story line that casts a spell on readers. By Harriet Klausner

Fun Read, October 6, 2006
Having read her Glasswright Series, I've been a fan of Mindy's work for years, and was excited when I heard that she had a new book coming out. Billed as Chick-Lit, this romantic contemporary fantasy follows librarian Jane Madison through the trials and tribulations that come with learning you're a witch. Overall, I was enormously pleased with Girl's Guide, I really look forward to the next installment of this series. If you still need a reason to go buy it you should know Mindy is donating 10% of her profits to First Book, the international non-profit organization that is all about getting kids their first book. By Tina R. "Avid Reader" (Howell, NJ USA)

Chick Lit Keeper, October 4, 2006
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down and read it in one weekend. There isn't much "teaching witchcraft" in the book as the title might imply, but the message at the end is nice. My only complaint is that the sequel doesn't come out until October of 2007. By Book Addict (Midwest)

And if you want to get to know Mindy better, you can visit her blog.

So what are YOU going to be for Hallowe'en? Better start planning!

I always wanted someone to create a book of no-costumes. Things you might already have in your wardrobe that you would be comfortable in, could look good, if not fabulous in, yet with a little tweak, would actually be a costume or a character. And not the dorky "I'm coming as 'myself' line." Something clever. Maybe dressing entirely in white, ideally a white floaty skirt and then a solid yellow baseball cap or hat and you could be a fried egg, sunny side up.

Of course there is also the power of the set--consider if you had appropriately colored lycra outfits and wraparound sunglasses and four friends! The Power Rangers could become your signature piece. Passé for some, but there are a number of 3-5 year-olds that would still be really impressed.

Let your imagination soar--and work some magic!

When you want just a taste of Spice…

Spice Briefs--because size doesn't matter! (really!)

That's because Spice is...growing

Launched in August 2007, Spice Briefs will offer short erotic stories in e-book format.

The exceptional editorial that has driven Spice to the top of the print market will be carried over to the digital world, giving readers the chance to experience Spice in multiple formats.

• Short erotic stories (5,000 – 15,000 words) in eBook format

• 2 new titles every month by some of the top names in Erotic Fiction

• $2.99 US per eBook and $3.49 CAN

• Spice Briefs will be available in all e-book formats and are available for download at www.eHarlequin.com under Spice or through SpiceBriefs.com, as well as by author/title from eRetailers such as : http://www.mobipocket.com/, http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/, http://www.ebooks.com/, http://www.ebooks.connect.com/.

If you'd like to experiment between the covers (virtual ones, that is), check out how to be brief, but to the point with writing guidelines on Spice Briefs.

Or listen to an expert with the Inside Scoop with Nancy Madrone or check out So you want to write Erotica

A natural extension of the Spice brand, Spice Briefs will expand the opportunities to capitalize on the popularity of Erotic Fiction in the digital world, grow promising new authors, and create new print opportunities by publishing anthologies.

What was it that little girls are made of? Sugar and...Spice and sometimes Spice Briefs

Harlequin Podcasts are here!

Get the story behind the story with this series of author interviews from Harlequin, the global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction.

Meet debut authors and New York Times bestselling writers from a wide variety of genres – romance, chick lit, fantasy, suspense--and learn what inspires them to write.

Check out the link!

Author Spotlight Episode 1: Deanna Raybourn and Jane Porter.

Author Spotlight Episode 2: Brenda Novak, Hope Tarr and Cara Summers

Listen up!

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!