by Eleanor Elliot, Director of eHarlequin.com & Internet

Did you know that eHarlequin.com has been around for over ten years? I started working at Harlequin just before eHarlequin.com launched—it’s hard to believe ten years can go by so quickly.

Over the years, the site’s look has been freshened up a few times—but we haven’t had a real makeover since 2005, so it was time! We’ve been working behind the scenes since the Fall of 2009, and we’re almost ready to flip the switch to the new look. Coming at the end of the month, you’ll see our new design, but I thought it might be fun to give a quick sneak preview…

You’ll see that the site is now organized into 4 sections: Book Store, eBook Store, Harlequin Extras and Community.

Each of those buttons opens into a drop-down menu so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

Our goal with this redesign was to make our books the ’stars’ of the site—and I think the color scheme really allows the vibrant artwork to shine through. I hope you’ll agree!

We haven’t removed any features—you can still find all the Online Reads, Writing Resources, and Contests in our Extras section, and of course, our Community is still the best place to connect with other readers just like you!

And we wouldn’t be eHarlequin.com without a great sale to go along with our makeover, so stay tuned at the end of this month for our new look, and our Makeover Sale!

Our offices will be closed for the long weekend from July 1-5, so Happy Canada Day and Fourth of July everyone!

We’ll be back on Monday with more news and features. ‘Til then, this is what I’ll be doing:

by Olga Kwak, Blogger and Earthquake-Survivor (we all did!)

What are all of these people doing outside this nondescript building?

We were evacuated this afternoon after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit Southern Ontario! Earthquakes are a pretty rare occurrence in Canada, so getting hit with one this hard was an extra big surprise. As you can imagine, Twitter erupted with panic and incredulity, even as the ground still rumbled. We had just enough time to send a tweet before we were evacuated.

Came back to lots of great responses, including this one:

Although it’s a pretty unique experience, it’s not one I’d like to go through again. However, watching Dr. Strangelove’s fishes wobble around in their water during the earthquake is pretty surreal. That’s exactly how I felt as it was happening!

So, what’d you do on your hump day?

Harlequin headquarters got a special treat today: author Pamela Callow stopped by to say hello and sign copies of her debut novel, Damaged. Here are a few pics from the event:

Copies of Damaged are stacked and ready for signing

Pamela in deep conversation during the signing

Pick up this taut murder mystery about a criminal lawyer whose legal counsel may have led to the death of a high school student at the hands of a man who calls himself the Body Butcher when it goes on sale June 1. Have a look at the trailer below!

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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

The annual Halloween pumpkin carving contest is kind of a big thing here on the fourth floor of Harlequin. That’s the Direct to Consumer department for non-locals. We take our pumpkins seriously because—as everyone knows—Halloween is an important holiday.

There’s a change in the air in the days leading up to the judging. People bring in strange packages. Secret plots are hatched. And finally the carving begins. Groups of people huddled around a round orange gourd, brandishing knives and pulling out guts.

Kind of gruesome, innit?

Barron brandishing his pen knife at the offending pumpkin.

It’s madness for a few hours on an ordinary day while people work together to create something fun and creative.

The ravenous Seymour, from Little Shop of Horrors.

And we remember why we liked Halloween in the first place.

They say you can’t fully understand someone until you walk a mile in their shoes. So recently as part of the White Ribbon Campaign I decided to take part in their first ever event in Toronto called Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.

Men walk a mile in women’s high heels to raise funds for the White Ribbon campaign to end violence against women.

Why did I get involved? I’ve been blessed with two beautiful little girls and I want to make the world a better place for them. Also after speaking to Harlequin colleagues about my intent to strap on heels, one confided she was a victim of spousal abuse but managed to get out of a horrible situation and make a better life for herself. I think one doesn’t need any more motivation than that.

Now if you’ve ever been to Harlequin’s offices you’ll see a lot of incredible women work here but some pretty cool men do as well. (And no, I’m not simply referring to the cover models.) So I figured if I was walking a mile in women’s heels then maybe some of my male colleagues might join me. And seven of them from various departments stepped up to the plate and did exactly that. In conjunction with some female colleagues we created a corporate team called “The Real Men of Harlequin” with a goal to fundraise $5,000 for the event.

From left to right: Jayne Hoogenberk, Randall Toye, Stephen Miles, Brian McGroarty, Don Lucey, James Brethet, Sulemaan Ahmed, Michael Rehder, Mark Tang

Well, October 1st came and we wore our best suits, sported our best heels and carried some attractive 60th Anniversary bags, which we used to give away free books while we marched the streets of downtown Toronto. It was a beautiful day as hundreds participated in the event and there was lots of media coverage.

How did we do? We beat our $5,000 target and collected over $7,500. That was more money than any other corporate team! The event itself raised over $81,000 to date, which is pretty good for an inaugural year. Even the shoes were donated after the walk to women’s shelters and other organizations that help abused women get into the workforce.

I can’t put into words how proud I am to work with people who really embraced this cause. Be it colleagues who walked in heels, volunteered at the event, donated money and/or their time. And it doesn’t stop here. Other Harlequin employees quietly go about their business and fundraise tens of thousands of dollars for other noble causes every year such as the Weekend to End Breast Cancer and the United Way to name but a few. I think that speaks to the character and social-mindedness of Harlequin employees across the globe who want to give back to their communities and society.

And yes, our feet were in pain after the walk as some of us were brandishing band-aids. I nearly wiped out three times so you’ll never see me grace the fashion catwalks of Paris or Milan anytime soon. Subway grates are not a man’s best friend!

Who knew wearing high heels was so complicated? Candidly, I’ve no idea how women do it after having walked a mile in their shoes. But I’m glad we did it and you can count on ‘The Real Men of Harlequin’ being back next year.