Archive for the ‘Author News’ Category

YOU are our 2000th…

By Krista Stroever, Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

So I’m guest blogging today as we approach a momentous milestone (is there any other kind?) for Silhouette Desire—March will see the publication of Desire’s 2000th title! From June 1982, when we started with Corporate Affair by Stephanie James (click through, you’ll be tickled when you see who that actually is!), to our 1000th book milestone Man of Ice, by the inestimable Diana Palmer in 1996, to our 2000th book today—Hot Westmoreland Nights by Brenda Jackson, and boy, are they ever. Nobody does a sexy, strong, honorable man’s man like Brenda Jackson. Her heroes truly embody the spirit of the Desire man. And, um, speaking of bodies…

A little known secret—the talented young director behind this video? Brenda’s very own son!  It’s not surprising that an author with such a talented family creates such talented families! Brenda’s known for the Westmoreland clan—dynamic, successful and prolific! But fortunately for all of us readers, Brenda uncovered a whole Westmoreland family out West—rife with family secrets of their own. Starting with Westmoreland’s Way and now on to Hot Westmoreland Nights, we meet rancher Ramsey Westmoreland, who finds himself breaking all kinds of rules when sexy Chloe Burton moves in.

And, though this might embarrass Brenda, since we are talking about Desire through the years, I thought I’d end with a little blast from the past—Brenda back in 1989, a mere 7 years after Desire began, as a “writer wannabe” at a writers conference in Texas! Click the link to see what was on shelves from Desire back then!

Brenda Jackson

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Krista for this excellent post about Silhouette Desire’s 2000th title! Be sure to check back on Monday morning for a new blog entry by Brenda Jackson herself!

Have Your Say in a Murder Mystery

by P.D. Martin, author of the Sophie Anderson thrillers

P.D. Martin

A few weeks ago I started a new project that probably verges on madness – certainly that’s what many fellow authors are saying! :-)

Coming Home is a mystery/thriller with one key difference…each week readers vote for how they want the next chapter to unfold, and six days later their plot choices come to life on the screen. Every Sunday night I post the most recent chapter and the questions for the following chapter. Then, at the end of the short voting period, majority rules and I write that chapter.

The next round of voting is this Sunday (Chapter 9). Anyone and everyone can vote – you don’t need to have read my previous books and you can ‘catch up’ by simply reading chapters 1-8 online (for free). At the end of the process I’ll have a Sophie novella, which will be available for free on my website as a PDF file (after some editing and formatting). You can also subscribe to my website to receive a weekly email reminder to vote.

This project is extremely exciting and scary for me. It gives me a chance to write a Sophie story I’ve longed to write – the tale of Sophie’s brother’s murder 28 years ago – while also challenging me creatively with the voting system. After all, I’m curious to find out what I have to write next!

P.D. Martin – Phillipa Deanne Martin – is an Australian author with a background in psychology. She has written five novels featuring Aussie FBI profiler Sophie Anderson — Body Count, The Murderers’ Club, Fan Mail, The Killing Hands and Kiss of Death (not yet available). Phillipa’s books are page-turners with lots of forensics and profiling and have been described by The Sydney Morning Herald as: “The Silence of the Lambs meets Medium, with a passing nod to Cornwell.”

You can view book trailers of her current and upcoming novels on YouTube and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Check out the trailer for P.D.’s latest release in the Sophie Anderson series, The Killing Hands here:

Joseph Teller Wins Nero Award

by Malle Vallik, Digital Team

We’re very excited to announce that The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller has won the Nero Award, a very prestigious award in the mystery and thriller community. It is judged by an expert panel and given to only one book per year.

The Tenth Case is the first book in the author’s Jaywalker series of legal thrillers and is followed by Bronx Justice and Depraved Indifference. The next book in the series, Overkill, will be published in August 2010.

You can listen to a podcast with Joseph Teller discussing his inspiration and own background that influenced The Tenth Case.

Congratulation to Joseph!

Debbie Macomber Appearing on Daytime!

by Olga Kwak, blogger, sister, daughter.

What are you doing right now?  Do you have the television on?  Go turn it on!  Debbie Macomber is appearing live on DAYTIME, a nationally syndicated morning talk show.  Check your local listings, as they say!

Debbie will be talking about her new book, THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS, and showing Lindsay, Dave and Cyndi how to make some cookies from her CEDAR COVE COOKBOOK.   I hope she plans on making those Christmas cookies I mentioned on National Cookie Day.

And, in case it’s slipped your mind, THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS and THE CEDAR COVE COOKBOOK are available for sale in our bookstore.

Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Series

by Olga Kwak, blog…you-know-what-already

Yesterday we celebrated the single title nominees for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, today is about the series nominees! So many great books in 2009 have been nominated. Linked titles are available in our bookstore for sale. However, all titles are available in eBook format! Here they are:

Best Series Romance Novels 2009

First Series Romance:

1. Colorado Christmas by C.C. Coburn (November 2009)
2. Perfect Target by Stephanie Newton (March 2009)
3. No Ordinary Cowboy by Mary Sullivan (June 2009)
4. Better Than Bulletproof by Kay Thomas (January 2009)
5. Double Take by Jenness Walker (October 2009)

Harlequin American Romance:

1. The Marine’s Babies by Laura Marie Altom (May 2009)
2. A Mommy for Christmas by Cathy Gillen Thacker (December 2009)
3. One of a Kind Dad by Daly Thompson (August 2009)
4. The Chief Ranger by Rebecca Winters (June 2009)
5. The Ranger’s Secret by Rebecca Winters (September 2009)

Harlequin Blaze:

1. A Long Hard Ride by Alison Kent (March 2009)
2. Make Me Yours by Betina Krahn (July 2009)
3. She’s Got it Bad by Sarah Mayberry (April 2009)
4. Letters from Home by Rhonda Preston (June 2009)
5. Hot Under Pressure by Kathleen O’Reilly (August 2009)

Harlequin Intrigue:

1. Snowed in with the Boss by Jessica Andersen (March 2009)
2. Christmas Guardian by Delores Fossen (October 2009)
3. Beauty and the Badge by Julie Miller (December 2009)
4. Bravo, Tango, Cowboy by Joanna Wayne (November 2009)
5. More Than a Man by Rebecca York (August 2009)

Harlequin NASCAR:

1. Black Flag, White Lies by Jean Brashear (February 2009)
2. From the Outside by Helen Brenna (April 2009)
3. Running Wide Open by Ken Casper (October 2009)
4. Over the Wall by Dorien Kelly (June 2009)
5. Banking on Hope by Maggie Price (December 2009)

Harlequin Presents:

1. The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress by Abby Green (April 2009)
2. Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire by Abby Green (September 2009)
3. Surrender to the Playboy Sheikh by Kate Hardy (July 2009)
4. The Greek Billionaire’s Secret Child by Catherine Spencer (May 2009)
5. One Night with the Rebel Billionaire by Trish Wylie (June 2009)

Harlequin Presents EXTRA:

1. The Boss’s Inexperienced Secretary by Helen Brooks (September 2009)
2. Veretti’s Dark Vengeance by Lucy Gordon (August 2009)
3. The Christmas Love-Child by Jennie Lucas (November 2009)
4. Powerful Greek, Unworldly Wife by Sarah Morgan (December 2009)

Harlequin Romance:

1. Cinderella’s Wedding Wish by Jessica Hart (March 2009)
2. Invitation to the Boss’s Ball by Fiona Harper (September 2009)
3. A Trip with the Tycoon by Nicola Marsh (September 2009)
4. The Frenchman’s Plain-Jane Project by Myrna Mackenzie (October 2009)
5. Memo: The Billionaire’s Proposal by Melissa McClone (September 2009)

Harlequin Superromance:

1. Next Comes Love by Helen Brenna (October 2009)
2. A Kid to the Rescue by Susan Gable (February 2009)
3. Her So-Called Fiancé by Abby Gaines (September 2009)
4. Daddy by Surprise by Debra Salonen (January 2009)
5. The Mistake She Made by Linda Style (April 2009)

Kimani Romance:

1. Full House Seduction by A.C. Arthur (August 2009)
2. Road to Seduction by (February 2009)
3. Body Chemistry by Dara Girard (January 2009)
4. Temperature Rising by Brenda Jackson (May 2009)
5. Picture Perfect Christmas by Melanie Schuster (November 2009)

Silhouette Desire:

1. The Tycoon’s Secret Affair by Maya Banks (August 2009)
2. Seduced into a Paper Marriage by Maureen Child (June 2009)
3. Inherited: One Child by Day Leclare (July 2009)
4. The Heir’s Scandalous Affair by Jennifer Lewis (April 2009)
5. The Maverick by Diana Palmer (December 2009)

Silhouette Nocturne:

1. The Vampire’s Quest by Vivi Anna (April 2009)
2. Time Raiders: The Avenger by P.C. Cast (October 2009)
3. Vanished by Maureen Child (February 2009)
4. The Devil to Pay by Michele Hauf (January 2009)
5. Fury Calls by Caridad Piñeiro (March 2009)

Silhouette Romantic Suspense:

1. In Safe Hands by Linda Conrad (April 2009)
2. Nigh Rescuer by Cindy Dees (May 2009)
3. Silent Watch by Elle Kennedy (August 2009)
4. Burning Secrets by Elizabeth Sinclair (January 2009)
5. His Wanted Woman by Linda Turner (November 2009)
6. Cold Case Affair by Loreth Anne White (October 2009)

Silhouette Special Edition:

1. Once Upon a Wedding by Stacy Connelly (August 2009)
2. The Doctor’s Surprise Family by Mary J. Forbes (May 2009)
3. Always Valentine’s Day by Kristan Hardy (February 2009)
4. I Still Do by Christie Ridgway (January 2009)
5. A Cold Creek Holiday by RaeAnne Thayne (December 2009)

Steeple Hill Love Inspired:

1. His Cowgirl Bride by Debra Clopton (November 2009)
2. Anna Meets Her Match by Arlene James (September 2009)
3. A Ring and a Promise by Lois Richer (June 2009)
4. Home at Last by Anna Schmidt (August 2009)
5. Ready-Made Family by Cheryl Wyatt (April 2009)

Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical:

1. The Maverick Preacher by Victoria Bylin (February 2009)
2. The Hand-Me-Down Family by Winnie Griggs (March 2009)
3. The Marshall Takes a Bride by Renee Ryan (February 2009)
4. An Unexpected Suitor by Anna Schmidt (October 2009)
5. Crescent City Courtship by Elizabeth White (June 2009)

Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense:

1. Hearts in the Crosshairs by Susan Page Davis (October 2009)
2. A Silent Terror by Lynette Eason (March 2009)
3. Perfect Target by Stephanie Newton (March 2009)
4. Fugitive Family by Pamela Tracy (August 2009)
5. Double Take by Jenness Walker (October 2009)

Congratulations to all of the nominees! And we’d like to congratulate the following nominees on their Harlequin Career Achievement Award nomination: Jessica Hart, Leslie Kelly, Emily McKay, Tanya Michaels and Karen Whiddon. Well done, ladies!

We’d Like to Thank the Academy…Harlequin Books Nominated by RT Book Reviews!

by Olga Kwak, award-winning blogger (not really, but she likes to think so.)

With the Golden Globe nominations just announced (go Mad Men!), I feel compelled to tell you about our own award nominees!  The Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award nominations were announced last week and the following single title books from Harlequin are up for awards!

In Best Contemporary & Paranormal Romances 2009:

Contemporary Romance:

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Futuristic/Fantasy Romance:

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In Best Historical Novels 2009:

Historical Romance of the Year:

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Regency-Set Historical Romance:

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Historical Vampire/Werewolf/Shapeshifter Romance:

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In Best Mainstream & Young Adult Novels 2009:

Mainstream Fiction:

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In Best African-American Romance 2009:

African-American Romance:

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In Best Romantic Suspense/Intrigue Novels 2009:

Romantic Intrigue:

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In Best Erotic Romance & Erotica Novels 2009:

Erotic Romance Historical:

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Erotica Fiction:

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In Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels 2009:

Fantasy Novel:

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That’s eighteen nominations! And there’s even more good news: The following authors have been nominated for the Career Achievement Award: Sherryl Woods, Donna Hill and Celeste O. Norfleet. Congratulations to all nominees! The winners will be announced in the June issue of RT Book Reviews.

This isn’t the entire list. Tomorrow I will list all of our series nominees. Congratulations to all the nominees and to Sherryl, Donna and Celeste for their Career Achievement awards.

Celebrate National Cookie Day with the Cedar Cove Cookbook!

by Olga Kwak, friendly neighborhood blogess.

Cedar Cove Cookbook Hey, have you heard? Today is National Cookie Day! Personally, I don’t need a designated day to celebrate the deliciousness of cookies—I do that every day. Chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, raisins, toffee bits, powdered sugar…I have ALL the fixings at home for great cookie recipes.

Which is great, because I’ve been dying to try the recipes from Debbie Macomber’s CEDAR COVE COOKBOOK. And did I mention that this is the perfect season for cookie baking? Of course it is—you’ve already baked eleven dozen batches for cookie swaps, haven’t you?

Well, in case you haven’t and you’re still up for some more baking, try this one for Jack Griffin’s Christmas Cookies. They’re so easy to make, you’ll want to make them for every occasion (and you can—just swap the candy for holiday favorites!)

Jack Griffin’s Christmas Cookies
From Debbie Macomber’s CEDAR COVE COOKBOOK

Ingredients:
- Chocolate Chips
- Ritz crackers
- Peanut Butter
- Holiday candy sprinkles or other small candies (like crushed up candy canes for Christmas or Reese’s Pieces for Halloween!)

There are no exact amounts in this recipe. Just get a jar of peanut butter, a box of crackers, a bag of chocolate chips and the candies of your choice—and start creating!

1. Place a wire rack over a large sheet of wax or parchment paper.
2. Pour at least 1 cup of chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Microwave in 1-minute increments until melted, stirring after each minute.
3. Spread peanut butter between 2 crackers to make a sandwich. (Refrain from eating it.) Dip sandwich in melted chocolate (or spread chocolate on sandwich) and place on wire rack. While still warm, sprinkle with candy. Store in refrigerator.

Harlequin Author Trivia

by Amy Wilkins, Assistant Manger Digital Content and Social Media

I’m always discovering interesting things about Harlequin authors. They come from all kinds of amazing and interesting backgrounds—from military veterans to stay-at-home moms, lawyers to airline pilots, school teachers to computer programmers. As if being a published author wasn’t accomplishing enough!

Below are some trivia questions about three mystery authors that will show you just how different Harlequin authors are. See if you can figure out who they are with the clues below, then click “Read More” to find the answer.

Mystery author #1…
- Joined the United States Air Force Academy as a member of the third class in history to include women.
- Currently works as a commercial airline pilot flying 747s around the world.
- Has a dog, four cats, and two snakes… oh, and two kids, too.

Mystery author #2…
- Is actually a husband-and-wife writing team.
- One member is an ER doctor.
- Live in the Missouri Ozarks, where many of their books are set.

Mystery author #3…
- Is a former agent for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (precursor of the Drug Enforcement Administration).
- Was a criminal defense attorney for 35 years…and even represented a serial killer, yikes!
- Was one of a select group of lawyers specially trained to represent capital defendants when New York State restored the death penalty.

Can you guess who my mystery authors are? Read more to find out if you’re right…

Read the rest of this entry

Celebrating Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Days!

by Don Lucey, Senior Writer, PR Communications

Debbie enjoying tea with her many fans

Cedar Cove is Debbie Macomber’s fictional community that she has featured in books like 92 Pacific Boulevard, A Cedar Cove Christmas and her Cedar Cove Cookbook. Not only have fans of these books made them a #1 New York Times bestselling series, but in the last week of August some 10,000-12,000 fans from 42 states and six foreign countries (Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, South Africa, Germany and Japan) descended upon the little town of Port Orchard, WA to celebrate as it transformed itself into the fictional community of Cedar Cove. As part of Harlequin’s public relations team I had the honor of attending the festivities.

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Cedar Cove Days banner hangs across main street

As a thank you for all the work organizers had put in bringing Cedar Cove Days from the germination of an idea to reality, Debbie held a pre-event barbecue for the volunteers at her beautiful home overlooking Sinclair Inlet on Puget Sound. Her son Ted tended the grill & I can personally attest to his skills.

Celebrations officially kicked off at a grandstand on the waterfront where the state senator, congresswoman and town mayor spoke and presented Debbie with the key to the city—the first such award in the history of Port Orchard. But what very few people know is that Debbie had already been busy shooting live television interviews from 4:00 am to 10:00 am. I have no idea how she managed to be so lively and charming over the rest of the day.

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Over the next four days we were privy to behind-the-scenes peeks at the real-life inspirations for Debbie’s Cedar Cove novels. Tours were led by Debbie’s four grown children who provided us with insights that only a family member could know. Teas at the Victorian Rose Tea Room and knitting at Debbie’s Yarn Shop also gave fans an opportunity to spend quality time with their favorite author. And a great Q&A session with Debbie and her editor, Paula, had everyone in tears at one point when Debbie described the premise of her next Blossom Street book, Hannah’s Choice—trust me, you’re going to be moved!

We all got dressed up for a brilliant cruise on Puget Sound that included a dinner at Kiana Lodge on Agate Passage, just across from Bainbridge Island. Each member of the Macomber family shared memories of life with Debbie, and Ted had the entire assemblage singing his fresh Cedar Cove Rap—“Cedar Cove, y’all/ Cedar Cove, y’all…”

The highlight of the entire celebration for most people, however, was the Character Parade. Thousands of fans and residents lined the route as marching bands interspersed vintage cars carrying local townspeople portraying characters from the novels. The parade was followed by a sock hop at the grandstand and drinks at a beer garden hosted by Debbie’s husband, Wayne.

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Debbie riding high through the Character Parade at Cedar Cove Days

City council declared Cedar Cove Days a resounding success which was rewarding news as all of the proceeds from the events are earmarked for various community projects. As Cedar Cove Days drew to a close and everyone got ready to return to their homes, we all remarked on how beautiful the weather had been—sunny and high 70s. It certainly didn’t seem to be the typical Pacific Northwest climate. Mother Nature must be a Debbie Macomber fan, too.

Click here for more pictures of Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Days!

Finally, here are the names of the winners in our Susan Wiggs Lakeshore Christmas contest! Congratulations Melissa, Rissa, Sherry James, Lisa Boggs and Barb Ledbetter!