by Olga Kwak, web maintenance (it’s more exciting than it sounds!)

Happy day-after-Thanksgiving (okay, okay…Black Friday), American friends! How’s that turkey coma coming along? Almost out of it? Not me. I’m about ready to slip into my favorite wool socks and make some hot cocoa because I’ve just been to the DTC Swiss Chalet Lunch.

If the only word out of that phrase you understood was “lunch”, allow me to explain. Each year, traditionally on the Friday after Thanksgiving, knowing that the New York office is all enjoying leftovers with their family, the fourth floor takes comfort in a good wholesome roast turkey chicken lunch. And, while our neighbors to the south shop ’til they drop, we pop in a holiday flick (which we vote on—this year it was Scrooged.)

This year, I had my first Holiday Festive Special. THOSE three words in Canada make mouths water. I’m serious. Strangely enough, in Thailand it means turkey pizza (thanks, Google!) But back in Canada, it’s almost sacrilegious not to have the meal at least once a year, so says the girl who just admitted it was her first time. A quarter leg of chicken, paired with stuffing, cranberry sauce, and fries! And Lindor chocolate for dessert. Can’t go wrong with that.

Isn’t she a beauty?

Best of luck with the shopping and digestion, folks! We’ll see you on the other side of the weekend (and don’t forget to enter the book contest before Sunday. We’re LOVING your stories!)

by Malle Vallik, Digital Team

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I’ve always loved Thanksgiving mostly because it is an occasion to get together with family and friends, eat lots of food and not have to buy presents. I also enjoy the tradition of taking a moment to list what you are thankful for.

The top 5 items the Harlequin digital content team is grateful for (in no particular order):

1. Billionaires
Our editors were prescient. Long before the global economy hit the skids, the classic rich Presents hero had wisely managed his money and invested in people and smart ideas rather than mortgage-backed securities and had become a billionaire. Our heroines deserve a man who can shower her with love and financial security! To understand more completely our appreciation of the billionaire check out THE BILLIONAIRE’S BRIDE OF INNOCENCE or THE BILLIONAIRE’S UNEXPECTED HEIR.

2. Excel
Yes, we are the content group which means we focus on the stories and authors (see Amy’s book dork post) but we have all come to love the magic of Excel. It is an amazing tool to input, share and sort information, and we do a lot of that—we convert around 200 titles into eBook formats every month, and there is this stuff called metadata. It’s as awful as it sounds. But Excel helps keep it all straight. As I say to financial-type people when trying to share my enthusiasm for their favorite spreadsheet, “Excel is just another way to tell a story.”

For example, this screenshot is just a small section of the massive spreadsheet Amy keeps tracks of every single Harlequin eBook on:

3. Readers
Harlequin readers are really special people. They are passionate and engaged; they are generous with their book recommendations; they love to escape by reading. In fact, our research shows that our readers read much more than the average American, and while romance is most likely her favorite genre, she reads many different types of books.

4. The Internet
We at the digital content team wouldn’t have jobs without the Internet, but even more, the Internet has transformed all of our lives and it rocks! Remember life before email or ability to search for information online? It was not as good. Internet banking. eBooks. Sharing photos. Facebook. Twitter (I love twitter; find me at twitter.com/mallevallik). I am amazed at how the Internet has transformed our lives.

5. Romance novels
Romance novels promise a happy ending. No matter what trials and tribulations confront our hero and heroine, no matter how daunting the obstacles keeping them from their happily-ever-after, we know it will end well. The happy ending is great. We need more happy endings in real life!

While we at Romance Headquarters celebrated our Thanksgiving a month ago, we’re Canadian, we want to wish all of our American friends a very happy holiday. We hope you celebrate, have a great meal and find time to escape into an amazing romance novel.

What are you thankful for this year?

by Amy Wilkins, Assistant Manager Digital Content and Social Media

I confess: I am a dork. A book dork. A big one.

That shouldn’t be surprising considering I chose to work in publishing, but sometimes even I am shocked by my own nerdiness. For example, just the fact that I work on the fourth floor at Harlequin HQ fills me with happiness. Why? Because that’s where the employee books are delivered once a month to our back hallway.

As you can imagine, there are books all over the Harlequin offices: lining cubicle shelves, displayed in meeting rooms, in racks in the hallway. But even though we’re surrounded by novels, the monthly delivery of new titles still causes quite the stir. Just take a look at the photo below—a crush for books to rival any Black Friday sale!

(I’m the blond in purple, by the way)

But working on the fourth floor means sometimes we get lucky. Lucky enough to spot the books being delivered before anyone else in company. And lucky enough to get first dibs on the new arrivals (insert maniacal laughter here)! (Don’t worry, there is plenty for everyone…even after I’ve had a crack at them )

But like I said, sometimes my own dorkiness over books takes even me by surprise. Like what happened last week…

I visited the back hall looking for a particular November book, but instead of the usual mostly-empty boxes, there were freshly opened boxes…where the MIRA and HQNs go…which are usually picked clean in a couple days. In fact, the first set of boxes was stacked three high and were filled right to the top. What was going on? It was too early for the December books to come in…

I tentatively reached out and turned over the top book. It was VEIL OF SHADOWS, the third book in Jennifer Armintrout’s Lightworld/Darkworld trilogy, a series I am loving…but book three doesn’t come out until December. It was true! December books were in! And it was still cold! Fresh off the truck! My dorky heart was filled with glee—I had gotten to the December books first!

I rushed back to my desk to share the news (including the fact they were still cold and fresh) with my coworkers, thereby revealing the extent of my dorkiness to all. (Not that I cared. Books!!!!)

And that night, I stayed late at work on purpose so I could see what other books came in. Being on time to dinner with my parents vs. new books? Well, you can guess what was sacrificed there… (Sorry Mom and Dad!)

So there you have it. The confession of a book dork.

To give you a little taste of our fourth floor goodies, I have picked two goodie bags of books from our hallway. Leave a comment by midnight on Sunday Nov. 29 telling me what the dorkiest thing you have done—or would do—for free books! A random commenter will be chosen to win one of two selections of December (and one November) books. One entry per person (so if you comment twice, your name is still entered one) and only US and Canada residents are eligible to win, sorry. Please see our full contest rules here.

Please indicate in your comment which batch of books you’d like to receive:

Feeling Nice
- Fairy Tale Weddings by Debbie Macomber
- His Christmas Bride by Dana Corbit
- A Nanny Under the Mistletoe by Teresa Southwick
- A Christmas Wish by Betty Neels

A Little Bit Naughty
- At the Boss’s Beck and Call by Anna Cleary
- Christmas Male by Cara Summers
- Holiday with a Vampire III by Linda Winstead Jones, Lisa Childs, and Bonnie Vanak
- The Cavanaugh Code by Marie Ferrarella

by Aideen O’Leary-Chung, Digital Commerce Manager

Victoria’s Secret recently released the Harlequin Fantasy bra, the “ultimate fantasy gift”. It’s stunning and at Harlequin Enterprises, we appreciate the need for romantic fantasy. Heck, we supply plenty of romantic fantasy! But while both products promote romance, the difference is that our books provide the perfect romantic escape, while you’d be lucky to make any escape while wearing that bra.

Have you clicked on the link yet? Go ahead, we’ll wait.

Do you know how many books you could get for $3 million? At around $4 each, you could buy 750,000 books! That’s almost a year’s supply for our most avid readers! Now that is a Harlequin fantasy women could embrace.

To achieve the real ultimate fantasy this holiday, I’d say bring on that decadent dazzler from Victoria’s Secret, but bundle it with a number of romance books…you know, for when the chill—perhaps upon the arrival of the bill—sets in.

And, speaking of lingerie, check out UNDERNEATH IT ALL by Jennifer Manuel Carroll and Kathy Schulz from Harlequin Nonfiction. Learn how to wear the right underthings to suit your body—and your style—for every occasion (and I mean every. These ladies have oodles of experience, and they thought of everything!)

For instance, did you know that “your undergarments can make or break your look: smooth T-shirt bras make that tight white T look like a million bucks; the right panties under tight pants will have people doing a double take (and not because you have visible panty lines); and shapewear can smooth out the lumps and bumps in your clingy cocktail dress.”

And don’t miss the November issue of InStyle magazine. Jennifer Manuel Carroll shares her tips on how to look younger. I bet it involves a bra-fitting!

by Olga Kwak, Harlequin Blog Mistress

We here at Harlequin are pretty lucky. Our editors spoil us by picking out some recent releases they loved and sending us handy little emails to remind us to read the books. Here are some of November’s releases we want to share with you:

THE GATEKEEPER by Michelle Gagnon (MIRA, November 2009)

SYNOPSIS: When two seemingly unrelated crimes–the murder of a senator and the kidnapping of a teenage girl–converge, FBI agent Kelly Jones finds herself embroiled in a nightmarish terrorist plot. Her hunt for the shadowy figure who calls himself The Gatekeeper takes her into the darkest communities of America, where Kelly must face down skinheads, biker gangs and zealous border militias in her effort to stop the worst homegrown attack in American history.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Michelle’s writing style is fast-paced and gripping, and what’s more, this is a terrifying scenario that could happen! A nail-biter right up to the last page, the ending of this book was one of the most powerful and unexpected endings I’ve ever read.

(And for a limited time, pick up the eBook of Michelle Gagnon’s 2008 title BONEYARD for free at our eBook Store.)

DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE by Joseph Teller (MIRA, November 2009)

SYNOPSIS: A terrible drunk driving accident leaves a vanload of children dead and unconventional attorney Harrison J. Walker, aka Jaywalker, defending a client who may be guilty of an indefensible crime. But as so often happens, not everything is as it seems, and this is a case that will stretch Jaywalker’s talents – and his ethics – to the limits as he challenges the law’s hypocrisy, and tries to figure out where truth and responsibility truly reside.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Award-winning author Joseph Teller does it again. His ability to portray shades of gray, not least in lead character Jaywalker himself, and his ability to twist and turn a plot in completely unpredictable ways are once again in evidence. DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE will rivet you – and keep you guessing until the very last page as to how – and whether – justice will finally be served. (Ed.’s note—the cover art alone makes me want to read this book. That’s the creepiest looking bug on a book cover since Thomas Harris’s SILENCE OF THE LAMBS!)

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Sarah Mayberry (Harlequin Superromance, November 2009)

SYNOPSIS: Joe Lawson has a thing for his new neighbor Hannah Napier. As a single dad, he shouldn’t be thinking what he is about her. Still, that doesn’t stop them from getting close. And the way she connects with his kids, it’s as if they’re a family. Turns out it’s too good to be true. Seems Hannah has plans that don’t include staying in Melbourne. Joe won’t stand between her and her dreams, even though letting her go is nearly impossible. The holidays are looking grim, with him and his kids missing Hannah like crazy. But it is the season of surprises, and Hannah may have one for them!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: The Harlequin Digital team noticed HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS getting praised by readers on blogs and Twitter, and we decided to find out what the buzz was all about. Three staff reads later (and more additions to TBR piles), we knew why people loved it. An emotional romance that tugs on your heartstrings—a classic Harlequin category romance that brought more than one Harlequin employee to tears…

And, in case you haven’t noticed, they’re all available at our bookstore!

And here’s a sneak-preview of a January 2010 release we’re already excited about!

SNAPPED by Pamela Klaffke (MIRA, January 2010)

SYNOPSIS: Sara B. is having a meltdown. At the helm of must-read Snap magazine, veteran style guru Sara B.’s job—and joy—for the past fifteen years has been eviscerating the city’s fashion victims in her legendary DOs and DON’Ts photo spread. Now on the edge of forty, Sara is an aging hipster whose identity is slipping through her fingers and into the hands of an ambitious younger generation.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: This is unlike any MIRA book you’ve ever read. Sara B. is narcissistic and unapologetic—she says what we all think but would never dream of saying. You’ll both cringe and laugh out loud. Klaffke’s writing is edgy, visceral and darkly comical, with an aptness of insight that makes you feel like you’ve known her heroine all your life.

Personally, I love being recommended books, especially from blogs! I’ve lost count the number of books I’ve added to my To-Be-Read pile from online blog reviews. Do you like reading book reviews online? Does it encourage you to buy the books or find them in the library?

by Jayne Hoogenberk, eHarlequin Community Manager

Don’t miss the Holiday Event of the year at eHarlequin.com! Be sure to mark your calendars for December 16th, 2009 for the eighth annual Holiday Open House in the eHarlequin.com online Community.

We’ll be sharing virtual eggnog and holiday cheer with 22 hours of discussions in the forums, three hours of live chat, over 100 authors, fabulous door prizes and all your favorite romance categories represented, all to celebrate the best of the Holiday Season and give you a sneak peak into what to expect inside your books in 2010!

You’ll meet the authors you love, and a few we know you soon will—from warm-hearted and tender romances to the thrills and chills of the paranormal, they write the stories that keep you turning the pages and churning through that To-Be-Read pile. So make a date to join us as we share the joy of the season, make some new friends, catch up on forum gossip and get up-to-the-minute news about series, books and authors—you might even win a prize or two while getting to know us!

For the newbie’s among you here’s a handy program to the day’s events:

Our authors are located in many places on the planet, from Cairo to California, and so in order to accommodate our many different global time zones, we open up discussions in our Forums for each of the respective lines from 12 AM-10PM ET before we swing into action in the Chat Room from 7PM-10PM ET for three hours of live merriment.

Our discussions are grouped into the various imprints and can be found in the community forums on our Café Social board. Our live chat is grouped into categories such as Home & Family, Suspense & Adventure, and Passion and then themed by the hour and accessed through our Chat Room. Don’t worry about getting lost, our Community Hosts are on hand to show you the ropes and point you to where you want to go; all you need to do is show up!

And just in case I haven’t convinced you that this is THE place to hang out with your favorite authors for the Holidays, here are some comments from previous Open Houses and from some special Community friends:

“I can’t wait for the Holiday Open House! Time to send ‘Cheers’ via cyberspace!”—Geri Krotow

“I love open houses—especially when I don’t have to dust first!”—Lois Richer

“Oh I can’t wait. It was so much fun last year and it looks like a lot of my favorite authors will be there this year!”—Kim

Which Harlequin and Silhouette authors are you hoping to meet this year?

by Jason Pinter, author of the Henry Parker series

Hey Harlequin Readers!

It’s a thrill to introduce you to my brand new eBook release THE HUNTERS. For those of you who have read previous books in my Henry Parker series, I think you’ll enjoy how this never-before-published eBook fleshes out characters you’ve grown to love while whetting your appetite for my biggest thriller yet – THE DARKNESS.

For those of you who haven’t read my books yet (what are you waiting for?!?!?), THE HUNTERS gives you a taste, a whiff, a glance at a world that I believe you’ll want to come back to again and again.

So where does THE DARKNESS fit into my series? Well, just last month MIRA released THE FURY, the fourth book in my Henry Parker series, but the first in a two-part epic that I feel is the best work I’ve ever done.

In THE FURY, Henry Parker finds out that there is a deep, dark skeleton in his family’s closet: a brother he never knew existed. And when Henry begins to investigate the murder of his estranged brother, he uncovers a conspiracy over two decades in the making. This two-part story concludes with the publication of THE DARKNESS on November 24 – and in between THE FURY and THE DARKNESS there is one night. One night in which two ruthless killers follow a deadly agenda, which will enable their plan to begin at sunrise.

Now, if you’re like me, the hours from sunset to sunrise are peaceful. Relaxing. But not in this eBook. In THE HUNTERS, you’ll see just how much drama, murder and mayhem can be packed into just one night. You’ll see Henry Parker preparing to chase the story of his life. You’ll see Jack O’Donnell, disgraced legend and Henry’s idol, hoping to save his legacy with one last hurrah. And you’ll see two killers with a plan that, if pulled off successfully, will turn New York City into a war zone.

I hope you enjoy THE HUNTERS, and I hope it encourages you to pick up a copy of THE DARKNESS on November 24th. Just remember, a lot can happen in one night. But you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out just how dark things can get…

Happy reading,
Jason Pinter

P.S. For more information on these books and other books in my Henry Parker series, visit my website at www.jasonpinter.com

Download your free copy of THE HUNTERS at the Harlequin eBook Store. ~ the Harlequin Digital team

by Elizabeth Somer, M.A.,R.D., author of Eat Your Way to Happiness (Harlequin Nonfiction)

I’ve been studying the link between what we eat and how we feel ever since the early 1990s when I published my first book on this topic, Food & Mood. I can’t tell you how many times people have taken my feel-good diet advice over the years and said to me, “I never knew I could feel this good!”

Some of those stories are in Eat Your Way to Happiness, as well as all the latest research on how to eat to:

• boost your mood
• think fast
• remember more
• lower stress
• sleep better
• and even how to lose a few pounds!

Along with recipes, menus, shopping lists, 1-minute breakfasts, lunch and dinner ideas, and hundreds of other tips and secrets of happy, skinny people.

Maybe you’ve already read about the book—it was featured in the November issue of Shape magazine. Or maybe you’ve seen me talking about the book, since I’ve been on television shows from Rochester NY, Greensboro NC, and Charleston WV to Fresno CA, Albuquerque NM, and Denver CO.

As we head into the holiday season, don’t let the stress and food temptations undermine your mood or your waistline. Follow a few of the tips from Eat Your Way to Happiness, such as:

• SAMPLE, DON’T GORGE. The enjoyment of tasting new foods comes in the first few bites. Savor the flavor of one appetizer, but don’t eat the whole tray.

• BE POLITE, NOT NICE. Rehearse ahead of time how you will gracefully say no to food offers, coaxing and coercion.

• HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAN. Decide ahead of time exactly what and how much you will eat and drink. Stick with your plan.

• JUST SAY NO TO ALCOHOL. Even one beer or wine spritzer can breakdown your defenses and lead to overeating. Avoid alcohol altogether, or if you must, dilute your drinks, or alternate one alcoholic beverage with two nonalcoholic beverages.

• LOOSEN UP. Give yourself permission to attend a party, even if you don’t eat or drink.

• NEVER ARRIVE HUNGRY. You are less likely to overeat and more likely to feel relaxed and ready to enjoy the festivities if you have a healthful snack or mini-meal before a party.

• THINK VEGGIES. Fill your plate with vegetables, fruit, low-fat crackers and cheese, and an extra-lean slice of meat from the buffet table and enjoy the company guilt-free.

• IT’S A MYTH that food has to be dripping in fat to taste good. You can cut fat and never even miss it. Better yet, it doesn’t take any more time to prepare low-fat foods. For example, most people know to remove the skin from chicken before cooking, use broth and wine for sautéing instead of oil or broth instead of butter in your stuffing, and to use cornstarch and broth instead of butter and flour for a roux when making creamed sauces. You can also cut fat by adding more vegetables and salads to the center stage. You can also:

- Use potatoes instead of cream to make a rich and creamy soup or

- Use fruit puree. Use baby prunes or apple butter in place of all or part of the fat in baked goods, such as breads and muffins.

With these tips, you’ll have no problem sailing through the holiday season with less stress and a better outlook! For more options, check out Eat Your Way to Happiness, on bookshelves now!

I’ll be on The TODAY Show on December 9th. Then, in January and February, I’ll be traveling the country, appearing in cities such as San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and Miami. For more information about my appearances, check out my Facebook and Twitter pages! Hope to see you then!

What are your tips for surviving the holiday season?

Browse this book

Add to your site

Buy this book

by Tara Gavin, Editor

It is such a thrill that the second installment of Susan Kyle’s science fiction trilogy THE MORCAI BATTALION is now available, exclusively in eBook format: THE MORCAI BATTALION: THE RECRUIT. And I love the fact that it is written under Diana Palmer’s real name—Susan Kyle!

I’m Susan’s editor, and we’ve worked together for twenty-five years. She is a fabulous writer and she loves romance. Readers all over the world are delighted when a new book by Diana Palmer is published. Her next book, THE MAVERICK, will be available from Silhouette Desire in December and is a new Long, Tall Texan story. And there is a lot more romance coming from Diana Palmer in 2010 and beyond.

Browse this book

Add to your site

Buy this book

However, the landscape of the Morcai Battalion has always been alive and percolating in her very active writer’s mind. She wrote the original THE MORCAI BATTALION before she was ever published in romance, and her dream has always been to have it reissued and to complete the MORCAI BATTALION trio.

THE MORCAI BATTALION, first published by Luna Books in December 2007, is a “space opera” and the canvas this story unfolds on is very wide and daring. I’ve fallen in love with the lead protagonists featured, too. There is the enigmatic Dtimun—an alpha hero of epic proportions and the leader of the legendary Holconcom, a military unit with startling powers…and the wonderful Lieutenant Commander Dr. Madeline Ruszel, who has been programmed not to feel love. But then what is the emotion she is overwhelmed with when in the presence of Dtimun?

The other characters grabbed hold of my heart, as well. Holt Stern and how he rises above his fate. Dr. Strick Hahnson, Madeline’s colleague and confidant. And we can’t forget Komack, the Centaurian soldier who has a mysterious and surprising background. All these characters—and so many more—make up THE MORCAI BATTALION series.

Readers have been writing in, asking about THE MORCAI BATTALION and when a new installment would be available. Susan has had fans from all over the world wondering—and she has even garnered quite a few new fans. Teenage boys have emailed her, telling her how much they’ve enjoyed THE MORCAI BATTALION.

That’s why I’m so delighted that Susan and Harlequin eBooks are publishing the second book in the series and have reissued the first book under the name Susan Kyle. Susan is dedicated to her readers, and once they told her they wanted to know what happened to these unforgettable characters, she wanted to finish out their story.

This year is Harlequin Books’s 60th Anniversary—and we’ve always kept our readers foremost in mind when presenting them with books. Our mission is to create entertaining and enriching experiences for readers to enjoy, to share, and to return to.

I hope that you enjoy THE MORCAI BATTALION: THE RECRUIT. I know that I did! Whether she is writing as Diana Palmer, or as Susan Kyle, this amazing writer delivers books that enthrall readers time and time again!

Today we thank all the veterans around the world for their service and sacrifice.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 – 1918)