A Sad Loss to Romance

More years ago than I care to calculate, I went to my very first ever Mills and Boon Author Day - back in the times before we had the Association of Mills and Boon Authors Lunches. I didn't know anyone - except an editor or two. My then editor promised to introduce me to another of her authors, a lovely lady from Liverpool called Jennifer Taylor who, at that time, was writing for the Romance line but later became a real superstar of the Medical Romance

line.








Jennifer Taylor receiving her award for 75 books.

 Jennifer and ...I -two Northern Lasses - took to each other from that start - and later that day we also made friends with the fabulous Michelle Reid - another writer from up North! Later we formed our own 'Northern AMBA' (known affectionately as the Nambies - with Jacqueline Baird and, occasionally, with Roger Sanderson (writing as Gill Sanderson). Many times we met for a long, laughter-filled lunch at Huddersfield (a point midway between everyone's home towns) and Jennifer always used to arrive in her smart little red sports car, much to everyone's admiration.


 Later the Babe Magnet and Jennifer's smashing husband Bill used to join us - and Michelle's husband - when we got together in London for the official AMBA.


 There were times when life was far from kind to Jennifer, family tragedies, losing Bill, and her own health problems knocked her hard but she always wore her wide bright smile and shared her wicked sense of humour in spite of everything.


Jennifer wrote 85 medical romance novels over almost thirty years, entertaining millions of readers and capturing their hearts with her heartwarming stories set mainly in GP surgeries, country hospitals, or in the Mediterranean, a place she loved.


 The last time I saw her was when we both met at the Harlequin Offices to meet with our editors last year. She was fighting her illness with grace and courage and refused to feel sorry for herself. Instead she carried on writing and publishing and the legacy of books she left behind are a great tribute to a strong and brave personality who refused to be knocked down. Her daughter and her grandchildren brought an extra sparkle to that smile and it was wonderful to see her enjoying being a grandmother so very much.




Sadly Jennifer recently  lost her battle with myeloma but she will always be remembered by her family, her friends - fellow writers - and of course the thousands of readers who loved her romance stories.


Rest in peace, dear Jennifer - you are someone I will never forget.

All About Alphas 15 - Kate Hardy Again but this time as a Medical writer

The final Mills & Boon romance line we need to look at is the Medical romance. Here again, the alpha male appears - and if you've forgotten what the editors said about the Medical hero then go back and take a look at that checklist. In a Medical there is plenty of scope for the powerful, proactive hero who is shwn at his very best in an emergency situation (there's that rising to the challenge again), a strong code of ethics, and of course he can - and should - show the softer side of an alpha personality when it's needed in his bedside manner etc.

So today we welcome back Kate Hardy, but this time she's wearing her Medical author hat and she's here to talk about the alpha male in Medicals and how she writes them.

The Medical Alpha
First off, the Alpha Male in Medicals is usually
senior (I have broken this rule and written one or two who are junior to the
heroine – but there has to be a very good reason for it, which usually underpins
one of his emotional conflicts). He doesn’t actually have to be a doctor – he
could be a nurse (hmm… I haven’t done a male nurse yet), or a firefighter, or a
police officer, or a vet; but he’ll be senior in his profession and, if he’s not
a medic, he’ll need to work closely with a medic. (I had great fun turning that
idea round and making my heroine the firefighter and the hero the medic, in The
Firefighter’s Fiancé …)

For years, I argued that I don’t write alphas
because my Medical heroes have softer edges than say a businessman alpha. Then
my editor pointed out that a Medical alpha needs to have a great bedside manner
and be compassionate AS WELL AS being in control of the situation, because what
he does makes the difference between life and death; he’s a man of action, and
he goes the extra mile to save a life. In a situation where a patient only has a
slim chance, he might be the only one capable of performing the high-risk
operation that can save the patient. And he’ll do it, even if it’s at a personal
cost. (I made my editor and my agent cry when Jake operates on Vicky in His
Honourable Surgeon.)

He’s dedicated to his work, and quite often my hero
chooses his specialty because of his conflict – maybe he’s lost someone, such as
Rhys in The Children’s Doctor’s Special Proposal becoming a paediatrician
because his baby sister died, and Theo in The Greek Doctor’s New Year Baby is an
obstetrician because his mother died as a result of childbirth. He has high
standards and he expects everyone else to be the same, putting the patient first
– and if they don’t, he’ll push to see if it’s inexperience or incompetence.
He’ll be kind and teach the inexperienced, but he’ll expect them to pay
attention; the incompetent however will go straight away because he will NOT put
his patients at risk. Everyone respects him in his field… though sometimes (as
with Charlie in The Millionaire Boss’s Reluctant Mistress, aka Her Celebrity
Surgeon) he has to fight against other people’s prejudices to prove himself,
because of his background. In Charlie’s case, he’s a baron – and the heroine’s
had a rough time from ‘posh’ docs during medical school. She thinks he got his
job because of his name, not his ability… and then she has to rely on him and
discovers the truth.

In short, he’s the fantasy doctor. Kind,
compassionate, highly skilled and with a bedside manner that makes everyone in
the hospital fall in love with him. Plus he has a deep, deep conflict that only
the heroine can help him resolve

Kate's latest Medical is The Children's Doctor's Special Proposal - published in March UK/April Australia

A special bride for a special doctor
New consultant paediatrician Rhys Morgan is everything the hospital grapevine promised: piercing blue eyes, perfect physique and a mysteriously guarded manner. He is also Katrina's boss but after a previous relationship with a colleague truly dented her confidence, she thinks she's safe from Rhys's charms. Until they discover a shared commitment to their little patients - and a heartfelt passion for each other.

For Rhys, Katrina is nothing short of a miracle. He has never believed in happy families, yet Katrina opens his eyes to what love and family really means - and her courage and vulnerability create a fierce desire to protect her. Enough, perhaps, to make Rhys risk his heart with the most special proposal of all...

Now we've covered all the Mills & Boon Romance lines - and some single titles - but I still have a few more authors who will givce you their slant on writing alpha heroes. And as the alpha is most often talked about in terns of theModern Romance/Presents line, then I have three of the newer Modern/Presents authors posting in the next couple of days.

All About Alphas 2 - Mills and Boon Checklists

Over on the Mills & Boon Community site editor Jenny Hutton has given this checklist of the way that the Alpha hero appears in all the different line.

So you'll see that he is not just the sort of man people immediately describe - usually based on their image of a Modern/Presents hero - as an Alpha hero being something of a domineering bully.

I'm giving you this as it appears from the editors though I'm just going to say a couple of things where the Modern Romance/Presents Alpha is concerned - and I'm going to be honest here.

One is that, for me, "believing in himself and the reach of his influence" isn't actually being arrogant. It can appear that way at times - particularly to the heroine when she and her situation conflict with and challenge that innate sense of self that the Presents hero has. But in my book he's probably entitled to that sense of self - he's built himself up to the position he's in, and he has earned it. So I'm not going to use the word arrogant - sure of himself, fine. For me, it's something like the comment on Honour for the Historical stories - the Modern/Presents hero can come across as arrogant in that challenged situation but he's not trampling other people underfoot arrogant.

And I would want to add that, just as with the Romance hero, that my Modern/Presents hero - darn it - any hero - needs to have that Code of Honour - that strong sense of right and wrong that is the foundation of the way he lives.It's when that core of honour is - I'm going to say that word again - challenged that he comes out fighting.

OK so here's the list:

Mills & Boon Modern Romance®
Commanding: he’s always in control and calling the shots – except when the heroine finally tames him…

Demanding: he’s come a long way since his emotionally or financially impoverished childhood; he wants it done, and he wants it done now!

Arrogant: he believes in himself and the reach of his influence, totally – until the battle with his feelings for the heroine begins…

Passionate: sensual and sexy, he uses his charm and power to get what he wants, though his need for the heroine may ultimately prove stronger

Status: impossibly wealthy, probably self-made; often has celebrity status in the media. The ruler of all he surveys, be it a company or a country

Mills & Boon Modern Heat®
Young: he’s aged between 25 and 35 and has yet to settle down

Confident: he knows what he wants and has a good idea of how he’ll get it; he knows he’s attractive and relishes challenges – he might have a extreme hobby

Easy-going: he plays as hard as he works, knowing how and when to have a good time. He doesn’t sweat the small stuff…

Accessible: he’s very approachable, but his physical presence and his confidence and charm make him stand out from the crowd

Status: he hails from all walks of life and can have any level of success and wealth

Mills & Boon Historical Romance®
Strong: he could appear unyielding, determined to claim the heroine but he would lay down his life for her

Charming: he can be a rake, a cad or a bounder – but ultimately he’s redeemed by the heroine who’s the love of his life

A Man of Action: he can lead armies into battle, or influence political or local events

Honourable: he may have killed on the battlefield, but is fair in his treatment of his men

Status: either financially, politically or militarily powerful; often a member of the first estate

Mills & Boon Romance®
Tower of Strength: he has a steely core, is not easily manipulated and uncompromising about the things that matter

Aspirational: the guy with whom women aspire to spend the rest of their lives; definitely Mr Right

Code of Honour: he has a strong sense of right and wrong, is reasonable and fair

Sense of Humour: he can laugh at himself and life; he’s often understated and modest in manner

Status: Definitely successful, can be wealthy or just comfortably off; perhaps a specialist in his field

Mills & Boon Medical Romance®
Dedicated: his primary objective is to save lives; he has high standards and expects the same of others

Strong but Caring: he’s approachable and has a great bedside manner – he shows compassion and passion to his patients and the heroine

A Mover of Mountains: he will do whatever it takes, and then some, to save a life or resolve a medical issue. A man of action

Respected: he’s well respected in his field and is committed, honourable and human

Status: a senior member of the medical profession, or has a connection with medical profession, e.g. senior firefighter