Penny Jordan was loved the world over for her Harlequin Presents novels  but she also wrote a number of novellas and single titles for Harlequin totalling 187 books over 30 years. Consistently successful in North America with her Harlequin Presents novels, Penny regularly hit the USA Today bestseller lists and overall has sold 100 million books worldwide in over 25 languages. She also wrote sagas for HarperCollins in the UK as Annie Groves and women’s fiction titles for Avon UK.  In 2011, the Romantic Novelists’ Association presented Penny with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to women’s fiction, both as Penny Jordan and as Annie Groves.

Penny was born in Preston, Lancashire, UK in 1946 where she spent her early childhood. She then moved to Cheshire as a teenager, and continued to live there throughout her life. She attended Todmorden Grammar School and shortly after began work as a typist in Manchester.  She was working in a bank when her accountant husband, Steve Halsall, bought her a typewriter and an author was born.

Penny often recalled that she was ‘making up stories’ as soon as she ‘could think’ but  her first introduction to Harlequin Mills & Boon came when she was 10 years old via the Woman’s Weekly magazines passed on to her mother by a neighbor. In her  twenties she wrote twenty five Regency romances, two air stewardess romances and a romantic suspense under various pseudonyms. Around this time she read in a magazine Mills & Boon were looking for new authors. “I was still an avid reader of Mills & Boon Romances – on publication day I used to rush out of work as early as I could to get to the local book store to grab my favourites before they all disappeared – and so I plucked up the courage to write my first Mills & Boon romance. I chose to write the kind of romance I love best – one with a sheikh hero – and that story ultimately became my first published Mills & Boon Romance – Falcon’s Prey.  I’ve always loved writing sheikh books and I tend to think of them as being very much my ‘signature’ books.”

The editor who spotted Penny in the pile of unsolicited manuscripts in 1980 said about her writing: “Such a raw talent – a born storyteller with a unique, intense and passionate voice”. When writing on her old typewriter, Penny’s manuscripts were legendary for having gaps where her characters’ names should be and often missing  letters due to a faulty daisywheel on her typewriter. In addition to Penny’s very fast (and often imprecise) typing, the manuscripts could sometimes be difficult to edit!

Penny wrote her first single title “Power Play” in 1987 which was very successful, hitting The New York Times and The Sunday Times bestseller lists. Up until that point, Penny had not travelled much but to coincide with the US launch of Power Play, Harlequin hosted a promotional ‘tea party’ in Boston. After that Penny travelled on to Toronto, then New York and on to the QE2. More promotional tours followed, to Ireland, Paris, Hamburg, Japan and later to conferences in the US. Penny was always thrilled to meet her fans.

Penny was warm, charming, shy and modest in person. She always supported up and coming authors, giving to them lots of her time, support and friendship. After the death of her husband Steve in 2002 Penny remained as focused and determined as ever. She bravely carried on writing throughout her illness. Penny did not tell her editors or indeed many of her friends that she was sick as she did not want to be defined by her illness and wanted to keep her professional life as normal as possible. Penny is survived by her mother, sister and brother.

Penny remained incredibly popular with her readers. In January 2012, a review said about her latest Harlequin Presents, Passion and the Prince: “I have but one regret about Jordan’s beautiful flowing narrative: it had to end.” Publishers Weekly said about Jordan: “Women everywhere will find pieces of themselves in Jordan’s characters” and this perhaps explains her enduring appeal.

Her last novel was completed in October 2011. A Secret Disgrace will be published in Harlequin Presents in June 2012.

1. $2 off Debbie Macomber Christmas Cookbook

Loved the Christmas Eve Eggnog recipe I posted this week? Do you have a big Debbie Macomber fan on your Christmas list? Why not gift them with the Debbie Macomber Christmas Cookbook? From Dec. 14 – 21 you can save $2 off the cover price of the book with this exclusive coupon. The book is full of both recipes and crafts that you can use to create new traditions or provide fun alternatives to your own.

2. Carina Press Here Be Magic – the new Fantasy blog from Carina Press authors!

From December 17th through December 24th, Here Be Magic (a blog comprised of Carina Press fantasy and paranormal authors) will be running an amazing contest to celebrate the season of giving. Prizes include a brand new Kindle Fire, a virtual basket filled with over two dozen Carina Press titles, and a $25.00 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner’s choice). No hoops to jump through, all it takes is a comment, so swing by http://herebemagic.blogspot.com/ starting December 17th to enter!

3. Carina Press’ Sea of Suspicion is now on sale in print!

Toni Anderson’s Sea of Suspicion is now on sale in print at Harlequin.com. We love when Carina Press titles move into print. We hope you’ll check out Toni’s novel!

Marine biologist Susie Cooper traded her life in America for a dream job on the rugged Scottish coast. Now all she lacks is the right man to start a family with. After their first meeting, she knows sexy Detective Inspector Nick Archer isn’t what she’s looking for. He’s the type of guy whose idea of commitment is staying the whole night.
Nick has returned to St. Andrews for one reason only—to fulfill his vow to find his wife’s killer. Relentless in his twelve-year quest for justice, he has no problem using Susie to get close to his primary suspect: her boss. But the passion between them smolders, and as it ignites, Nick finds himself torn between his past and his present—with Susie.
When one of her boss’s students is murdered, Nick’s investigation draws Susie into a web of madness and betrayal. They will have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to catch a killer…and come out of this alive.

And if you’re interested in more Carina Press titles in print, Marie Force’s Fatal Affair is still available.

4. Harlequin.com: Holidays@Harlequin: 12 Deals, 12 Gifts

Well, it’s hard to believe, but the 12 deals of Christmas are over. HOWEVER! There are still plenty of Gifts to come, so you should keep checking back to the Santa Tree for more deals. Visit Harlequin.com to check on today’s!

5. FREE Linda Lael Miller Cowboy Wallpaper

Alright, the moment you’re waiting for! Thinking about changing your desktop wallpaper to something a little more manly? How about this FREE wallpaper from Linda Lael Miller’s McKettricks of Texas series? Sexy as all sin and did I mention that it’s totally, utterly FREE? You can download it from Facebook today!

Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins book trailer

I leave you today with the new (to me!) book trailer for Kristan Higgins’ Until There Was You (HQN Books). Kristan’s a big name around the Romance Mothership because her covers have been graced by some adorable pups. Check out the video to see more from Mumford, the latest “star” of her novel! (Rumour has it the next canine cover model is going to be pretty large too! Any guesses what kind of pooch it will be?) And in case you’re wondering, Kristan Higgins’ novels make great Christmas presents!

Holidays @ Harlequin
12 Deals, 12 Gifts

If you’ve started holiday shopping, then you’ll want to check out the Holidays @ Harlequin, 12 Deals, 12 Gifts promotion at Harlequin.com. That’s 24 really good reasons to keep coming back! Starting today you’ll find great deals for the next 12 days. For instance, today enjoy FREE shipping on your order. After that, Harlequin.com will have 12 digital gifts for you. Return to the site each day to find a new deal or gift waiting on the tree. What tree you ask? Click on the image below to see what I mean! It’s adorable!

Got a new eReader? Harlequin has an ebook for every mood

Did you unwrap an eReader this holiday season? Well, limber up your download finger, with more than 15,000 titles, Harlequin has an ebook for every mood. Naughty noblemen? Sexy cowboys? Insatiable vampires? Find these and more, at great prices, wherever ebooks are sold. We’ve also go the perfect way to break in your new eReader! Download the FREE Harlequin Holiday Collection featuring four seasonal novellas from authors Debra Webb, Merline Lovelace, Marta Perry and Leslie Kelly at Harlequin.com.

Harlequin LIVE Presents: Linda Lael Miller Live from Las Vegas

Linda Lael Miller is coming to Facebook Live straight from Las Vegas and we want her fans to be there! On Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. ES/12:00 p.m. PS join Linda Lael Miller for  a Facebook Live video chat. Linda will talk about Big Sky Country, her new series debuting in 2012 and answer questions from fans of the Creeds and McKettricks. And if you’re still catching up on the series, all of Linda’s Montana Creed novels are 10% off right now on Harlequin.com if you use promo code HARLIVE3. Follow @HarlequinBooks on Twitter on Dec. 6 to join the conversation!

When: Dec 6th at 3pm ET / 12 pm ET

LINDA WILL TALK ABOUT:
Release of Big Sky Country, new series coming in 2012!
Creeds, McKettricks, and a fan Q&A

EXCITING EXCLUSIVES & GIVEAWAY:
Cowboys in Love: Big Sky Country behind the scenes COVER SHOOT Video
Exclusive Montana Creeds download
Linda will sign on screen and giveaway LIVE one of her Christmas books!

Do you have a burning question for Linda? Send them to us before Monday Dec. 6th at 9:00AM EST through: Twitter using the hashtag #HarlequinLive, Harlequin Facebook or in a comment on this blog post. Linda Lael Miller fans really shouldn’t miss this event, but if you can’t make it we do keep the full livestream video on the Facebook page.

To celebrate this event, all print and ebooks in Linda Lael Miller’s Montana Creeds Series are 10% off on Harlequin.com! Use Promo Code: HARLIVE3 (valid Dec 1 – Dec 31)

HERE IS A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM LINDA LAEL MILLER:

Yeehaw!  It’s rodeo time again—and I’m talking about the BIG rodeo here, folks—the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, held every year in early December.  I always look forward to the event—but this year, it’s going to be even more exciting than usual.  I’ll be on the Flint Rasmussen Show—Flint is a former rodeo clown (they’re called bull-fighters now), a major radio personality, and one of my favorite people.  He’s from my mom’s hometown, Choteau, Montana, which practically makes him kin.  My fabulous Harlequin family has teamed up with Caesar’s Entertainment for some special appearances and signings at the Paris casino and, of course, there’s the rodeo itself—my favorite event being the bull-riding, since my dad was a bull-rider, back in the day.  A cowboy has to be real brave—or real crazy—to ride these enormous critters and live to tell the story.

Cowboy Christmas, a huge trade show, is a highlight for me, too.  They sell everything there, from custom saddles and other tack to boots and purses and vests and jewelry.  Be still my beating heart!

Wendy, my daughter, and Jeremy, her future husband, will be joining me for part of the visit, and my cousin Lee and his wife Margie will be there, too—they’re coming all the way from Prince George, B.C.

Why do I love the rodeo so much?  Because it represents the Western way of life, and I’m all about that.  I love the excitement and the fireworks and the gathering of thousands of good, salt-of-the-earth people under one roof, especially when they sing the National Anthem.  I love that cowboys are “tough enough to wear pink” one day of the rodeo—and they all do—to promote a cure for breast cancer.

Heck, I just plain love cowboys, period.  And there’ll be a lot of hat at the NFR, as we country types say.

I’ll be doing a live online interview from Las Vegas, in hopes of sharing as much of the experience with all of you as possible, and I’ll be blogging right along, too, and posting pictures to Twitter and Facebook as well as the blog.

If you’re going to be in town for the festivities, so much the better.  Be sure to come on up to me and say howdy!

Linda Lael Miller

1. So You Think You Can Write Contest

We’re in the final two days of our second annual digital author conference and the it’s now your chance to enter our So You Think You Can Write contest — wherein you can win a standard series contract from Harlequin. The deadline to submit is December 15, so you do have a bit of time to digest all of the information that you’ve crammed in over the week and use it to create (or modify!) a manuscript fit for one of the 16 Harlequin lines. All of the details are available at soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com. Don’t forget to read the contest rules!

2. Harlequin.com Special Edition Community Cookie Swap (Nov. 1 – 16)

From Nov. 1 – 16 the Harlequin Special Edition forum in our Community boards is hosting a cookie swap! Stop by (or sign up first if you’ve never been to our Community) to trade cookie recipies and the stories that go with them. I’m especially loving the Butter Pecan Cookies recipe posted by author Christine Rimmer!

3. Carina Press titles were nominated for the RT Reviewers Choice Awards.

Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas was nominated in the Small Press Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic category. We had contemporary romance titles nominated: Turn it Up by Inez Kelley, Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe and Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey. Winners will be announced at the RT convention in Chicago in April 2013. You can buy these books now on www.carinapress.com and check out what the buzz is about!

We’ll have a complete list of Harlequin and Carina Press nominees for you tomorrow.

4. Third title in the Royal House of Shadows series is out this month!

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out…

So begins the Royal House of Shadows series. This month pick up the third novel from author Jessica Anderson, Lord of the Wolfyn. As a beast, Dayn mated with women to gain strength–strength he needed to rescue his royal parents. He must now choose to fight for Reda’s heated, sizzling touch or embrace his wolf to save his kingdom…

On sale this month at Harlequin.com!

1. Robyn Carr’s Bring Me Home for Christmas contest

Yesterday Robyn Carr stopped by the blog to talk about her latest Virgin River novel, Bring Me Home for Christmas, and mentioned her new homecoming themed contest. Countless military families experience reunion stories on a daily basis—sometimes joyous, sometimes painful, and sometimes bittersweet. From November 1 – December 15, 2011 we want to hear your story. One family of four has the chance to win a grand prize featuring the following:

• A family vacation (up to 4 people) to anywhere within North America or the Caribbean
• $500 Gift Card to Walmart to grant your Christmas wishlist
• A family photo session and portraits
• A signed copy of Robyn Carr’s Bring Me Home for Christmas

Five secondary prizes of signed copies of Bring Me Home for Christmas will be awarded as well. Share your stories today! Visit HoldOutForAHero.com

2. The Iron Knight photo contest

Are you a big Julie Kagawa fan? Have you ever been to New York City? Why not kill two birds with one stone and meet Julie Kagawa in NYC! Here’s how you do it: Between Oct. 24 and Nov. 18 grab one of the 4 Iron Fey novels (print or ebook), cover your entire face with it and create a FEY-TASTIC scene then take a photo and submit it to the contest. Then you can vote and vote and vote–get your friends to vote too! Still not sure what we mean? The Harlequin digital team has been getting into the spirit of the contest.

Visit the Harlequin TEEN facebook page to submit your entry, vote and view entries. Good luck, Fey fans!

3. So You Think You Can Write starts on Monday!

Last year’s So You Think You Can Write conference was such a big success we’re doing it all over again this year! Visit soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com between Monday, Nov. 7 to Friday, Nov. 11 for advice, tips and tricks from Harlequin authors and editors on how to get your own story published. We’ll also be running daily challenges for opportunities to have your work read by our editors! Follow @HarlequinSYTYCW on Twitter for the latest news as well.

4. Angela Henry’s The Paris Secret from Carina Press now in print!

I mentioned Angela Henry’s The Paris Secret in my last covers I love blog post, but I have to mention it again: each time a Carina Press title makes it’s debut in print, it feels like an angel just got their wings (Christmas on the brain much? Maybe!) Click here to purchase a copy today!

And if you’re looking for other Carina Press titles in print, Marie Force’s Fatal Affair is still available!

5. Harlequin app available for Android now!

Good news, Android users–the Harlequin App is now available for you as well! You can find it in the Android Market for FREE. You can browse our new releases, keep track of what’s coming up in the next month, create a wishlist, and even read free online reads! There’s loads more to do on the app, so pick it up in the market today and join in on the fun! Here: http://bit.ly/uJAd3S

6. Kristan Higgins’ Until There Was You book trailer

Yesterday we debuted the trailer for New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kristan Higgins’ new novel Until There Was You.

Posey Osterhagen can’t complain. She owns a successful architectural salvaging company, she’s surrounded by her loveable, if off-center, family and she has a boyfriend—sort of. Still, something’s missing. Something tall, brooding and criminally good-looking…something like Liam Murphy.

Have a look below!

Gena will discuss The Darkest Surrender, her latest release in the Lords of the Underworld Series, which is available now, and Dating the Undead, the first and only magazine dedicated to loving the immortal man. Check out the cover:

How sexy is that? Dating the Undead drops on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 – the perfect little pick-me-up from the madness of the holidays!

EXCLUSIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Gena will release news about The Darkest Seduction, the 11th book in the Lords of the Underworld Series to be released in March 2012 and will give Sneak Peeks into her other upcoming projects!

Do you have a burning question for Gena? Send them to us before Tuesday, Oct. 11th at 11:59 p.m. EST through: Twitter using the hashtag #HarlequinLive, Harlequin Facebook or in a comment on this blog post. Gena Showalter fans really shouldn’t miss this event, but if you can’t make it we do keep the full livestream video on the Facebook page. So if you’re in a different timezone or–*cough, cough*–working that day, you can check it out that evening!

To celebrate this event, all print and ebooks in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld Series are 10% off on Harlequin.com! Use Promo Code: HARLIVE2 (valid until Oct 31)

Gena recently stopped by the Paranormal Romance Blog to write about her latest Lords of the Underworld release. How can one woman find herself stuck between a really sexy rock and mouthwatering hard place? Check out her blog post to find out!

Follow us on Twitter on Oct 13 to join the conversation!

Oh well, maybe she should just get on with the news round up for today? Yeah…maybe.

Harlequin at NY Comic Con
Speaking of Wonder Woman, Harlequin’s going to New York Comic Con (Oct. 13 – 16, 2011)! This is our first time at the illustrious comic book and sci-fi convention and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it. There are definitely some self-described nerds on the Internet and Digital team and they’ll be presenting the finest of Harlequin and Carina Press’s series to delight the fans. Stop by booth #2021 and enter to win a Kobo eReader Touch Edition and a library of 50 free eBooks from Carina Press! We’ve got loads of things happening throughout the weekend, too. In homage to Sophie Littlefield’s Aftertime series, Friday is zombie day. Come by the booth and be “zombified” by makeup artist Edward O’Rourke. Come back on Saturday to meet author C.E. Murphy who will be signing in the booth from 11-12. And don’t miss Julie Kagawa who will be signing from 2-4 pm. Follow @HarlequinBooks and @CarinaPress for news. See you there!

The Iron Knight Launch Party
Oct. 24, 2011 is The Iron Knight Facebook launch party! There will be giveaways, a chance to chat with author Julie Kagawa, and a very special announcement. The book will be available the following day, Oct. 25! Follow @HarlequinTeen for more news.

Paranormal Romance sale
In Harlequin.com news, we’ve got a great sale going on right now for paranormal romance fans! When you spend $16 you’ll save $4! Check the sales books here. Titles from Gena Showalter, Maggie Shayne, and Heather Graham are all at reduced prices. Stock up for some spooky and tantalizing reading.

Attention authors! Carina Press is seeking submissions!
For the first time, Carina Press is seeking submissions for their 2012 holiday collections. This is an excellent opportunity to be published in a normally by-invitation-only Carina Press collection. Check the Carina Press blog for full details and start brushing up your manuscript now!

And Carina Press fans, if you’re not following Carina Press on Facebook, you’re missing out on the cover debuts we do each week. Here’s a peek at what was just released this morning. You’ll have to Like Carina Press on Facebook to get more, though!

Check out our latest book trailer for The Children of Kingdom by Rebecca Coleman. I debuted the cover of her novel a few weeks ago in my last Covers I Love blog post. Check out the trailer below for a peek at the book.

Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Cookbook Trailer

Debbie Macomber is Harlequin’s “Official Story-Teller of Christmas” and her new cookbook is chock-a-bock full of holiday cheer. Recipes, crafts and decorating ideas that will get you into the holiday spirit faster than a solid round of “Deck the Halls”! Watch the trailer below and get the cookbook today!

Julie Kagawa’s The Iron Knight Trailer

Speaking of trailers, the new one for The Iron Knight has dropped and it’s a doozy! Twitter was all a-buzz about it yesterday. If you’d like to see it (c’mon now, who doesn’t?) click through to the Harlequin Teen Facebook page. You should also check out theironfey.com for more Iron Fey goodies.

Carina Press author Shawna Thomas’ Altered Destiny receives 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews!

Congrats to Carina Press author Shawna Thomas! Her fantasy romance Altered Destiny received a great review and 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews. Here’s a snippet of the review from RT Book Reviewer Victoria:

“A pleasant, unexpected surprise, this is a fantasy novel that embraces the old style of writing fantasy. Altered Destiny is incredibly well written. It depends little on fantasy tropes, has a clear and realistic romantic element and above all else, puts the story first. Selia is a strong central character with very human flaws and a tendency towards heroics, while hero Jaden brings an interesting twist to current obsession with vampiric characters, although he is not a vampire. What a fabulous find, a meaty novel that is a great pick for e-book readers!”

You can read the full review on RT Book Reviews.

The only constant in life is change, though–didn’t someone say that once? So here are the latest changes in the world of Harlequin!

Susan Mallery’s exclusive Harlequin.com coupon

Last month Susan stopped by the blog to discuss true love and reality TV. This month Harlequin.com has an exclusive coupon for all of the books in Susan’s Fool’s Gold series. Use the promocode HARLIVE1. Susan also recently participated in a Harlequin Facebook livestream where she announced more books in the series. You can find a replay of her livestream on our Facebook page. Stay tuned for more Facebook livestream announcements!

Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers Blog Tour

Author Rachel Vincent is about to kick off a blog tour on Sept. 19 starting with The Story Siren. Follow the blog tour for a chance to win a Soul Screamers Special Edition Nook Soft Touch. Daily giveaways of a copy of If I Die, the latest Soul Screamers book, will happen as well. The tour stops at the Paranormal Romance Blog on Sept. 28.

Brenda Novak’s September Contest

Each month author Brenda Novak offers a contest through her website. This month she’s giving away an autographed set of the full The Last Stand series novels. There’s a couple of fun skill-testing questions involved, but they aren’t too difficult. You can enter the contest through her website. And look for Brenda’s blog post on the Harlequin Blog at the end of the month. She’ll be writing about her latest novel In Seconds.

Carla Neggers Interview on RT Book Reviews

Carla Neggers is interviewed by RT’s Morgan Doremus on video about her latest release, Saint’s Gate. Art theft, a nun-turned-FBI agent, an undercover cop and a murder mystery set in Maine! You can see the interview here.

Finally, check out the latest trailer for Crave by debut author Melissa Darnell!

Savannah Colbert has been shunned all her life by the kids of the Clann. And when she undergoes some drastic changes after a strange illness, Savannah learns secrets about the Clann and about herself – dangerous secrets. For the Clann are powerful magic users, and Savannah herself is half Clann and half vampire – a forbidden, unheard of combination.

Book ONE in the Crave trilogy is available Nov 1st from Harlequin TEEN