Catching up and Finding Books

Well - that was a busy time!  I just checked out my last post on my blog and find that it was on April 13th!

Really? I can't  think where the time went -   Well I can - sort of . .
Concentrating on revisions for the latest book  -  why are editors always right? Well,my current one is, anyway and she pointed out some important  things that needed 'tweaking'  so I had to get on with those as we have a tight turnaround deadline on this one. This wasn't helped by the fact that the Babe Magnet generously shared his horrible cold/cough with me !

Also had a tight turnaround for me personally as I wanted the revisions done before the Babe Magnet and I went  away for a short break.  We were staying in one of our favourite places in the whole world - the beautiful city of York.  I made the revisions deadline with moments to spare - sending them off  just in time to throw some things in a case  and set off. The couple  of days in York were just glorious and we had a wonderful time.  Afternoon tea in Bettys was a special treat too.

Since I was away,  the Mills & Boon web site still reads 'Sold Out' for  April's release Olivero's Outrageous Proposal,  which is amazing!  I've had some enquiries about ways to find it seeing as the M&B site  doesn't have it available  so - checking things through today, I see that Amazon.co.uk  has just got a new batch in  so  are copies there. And  of course there's always kindle.   The Book Depository still has copies  - and  they have copies of another book I've been asked about - the new   edition of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance.  The great thing about  Book Depository of course is the fact that they also offer free delivery  worldwide

So.  that's where you can find Olivero. I have to say that  I've also been thrilled to see the fabulous reviews this book has been getting. My hunt on the M&B site led me to this lovely  review by Desere Steenberg - it made my day so much to read it!   I just wanted to thank  all the lovely people who've posted reviews letting me know that they've enjoyed this book.   My only worry is that as Desere says that this is' the number one Kate Walker book' - I'm going to have to work hard to match it with my next novel!  (Fingers tightly crossed that my sexy sheikh and his marriage of convenience also hits the right spot!)

So now I'm catching up - sorting out the absolute tip my workroom has become as I focused on Nabil and Aziza's story, planning  the courses coming up -
Next one is Beginning, Middle End - Planning Your Novel. That's in June  Details on the Events page 

And of course in July there's the fabulous Writers' Holiday in Fishguard  when I'm teaching The Complete Contemporary Romance Writing Course.

Then I have some time helping the Babe Magnet with publicity for his book Uncle Albert - that will involve more travel . . .

And of course I'm planning out the next book!

But I shall be blogging again soon about another book that readers have found to hard to  find -   that's Wife For Real   from The Alcolar Family collection.  Watch this space  for more  details when everything is sorted out.,

While I'm away . . .

I doubt very much that I'll find a moment to post while I'm at the RNA Conference - it's always pretty hectic - and fun! So here's one I prepared earlier to keep you occupied while I'm away.

In all the chaos of sick computers and workshop worries, I haven't mentioned the good news I had at the begining of the week. The latest book, with the Sicilian hero (remember him? Yes, I know, it was a l-o-ng time ago that I tweaked him and sent him off. ) - anyway - Pietro D'Inzeo (or rather his story) has been bought, scheduled and titled. Which means that I can tell you that his story will be published March 2011 under the title The Proud Wife.


You'll note the new type of title. Yes, the Greek Billionaire has claimed his last virgin and those 'how many buzzwords can you get into a single phrase' titles are being phased out. (Pause for a moment for loud cheering! ) and the new-style titles are coming in. The ones that, as editorial say, reflect the fact that Modern/Presents Romances are "big reads in little books .'



So you'll be seeing books with titles like these: The Bride Thief, The Society Wife, Reckless in Paradise, Giselle’s Choice, The Undoing of de Luca, The Man Behind the Mask, The Disgraced Princess, The Master of Bella Terra








And - the official announcement is still counting down on the M&B Makeover site so you'll need to watch there for all the details, but they are starting to appear on Amazon so I can let you have a little sneak peak at some of the new covers that are coming. There's only a few of the posted on the site yet - but the best way to illustrate them is to say that the final book in the mini-series of The Greek Tycoons Greek Myth series - Robyn Donald's book Powerful Greek, Housekeeper Wife will look like this - instead of the old-style cover for mine (which I've posted above for close comparison).

What do you think?

Where did the week go?

Is it just me or do you find that if you go away it takes longer to catch up than you were actually away for?

We had a wonderful weekend with Michelle Reid and her husband - the sun shone, we walked by the sea, ate wonderful meals, talked, laughed, talked some more. Michelle gave me an advance copy of her upcoming book - Mia's Scandal. This is the launch book for a new continuity The Balfour Legacy that starts in July. I'll have more info on that in a while and Michelle and I will be running a joint contest to mark the publication of our next books.

Mine of course will be The Good Greek Wife? and that's part of the mini-series The Greek Tycoons which has the shout line - Legends are Made of Men Like These! Some of the other books in the series are already out now and they are:

The Greek Tycoon's Achilles Heel by Lucy Gordon

The Power of the Legendary Greek by Catherine George

A Good Greek Wife? will be out in July

and the fourth book in the series will be

Powerful Greek, Housekeeper Wife by Robyn Donald (coming in September)

These dates are the UK ones. The first two books are out in Presents EXTRA in June and my book and Robyn's will also be Presents EXTRA in October.

Of course if you can't wait till then and you haven't already ready it, there's my other Greek book The Konstantos Marriage Demand still available on eHarlequin or Amazon. And as a sneak preview of good news, if you're buying from eHarlequin, from May 26th - May 31st they're running a BOGOF (buy one get one free) sale - so you could get twice the number of books for your money!

If you're in America, have you noticed the changes that have happened in the Presents line-up lately? This is how it was announced over on I Heart Presents:

On another note I wanted to talk to you, our most avid fans, about a recent change that you may have noticed within the Harlequin Presents line. In the month of May there are a few less Presents stories available than you may be used to, instead of 8 titles per month we will now be publishing 6 titles each month. We decided on this change for a few different reasons as we felt very strongly that we weren’t being fair to our authors or readers; with so many titles out there we noticed it was becoming difficult for our readers to keep up and we didn’t want anyone to miss out on any of the fantastic stories that were being offered.

The other change in the line-up is that the Presents titles that were originally Modern Heat/Harlequin Sexy in the UK and Australia will now be brought out in special collections in Presents Extra in America.

There will still be 4 Harlequin Presents Extras on-sale mid-month. Two of these will be regular Presents titles and two of them will be books that have been published in Modern Heat in the UK - these will now appear in their separate 'collection' in the Presents Extra instead of being in the first strand of publication when it wasn't easy to tell which ones had this rather different editorial content.

You should be able to tell them more simply now with the titles to the collections - Modern Heats will be in the ones with titles like Sex in The City/P.S. I'm Pregnant/Conveniently Wedded . . .And Bedded

And the traditional Presents authors' books will be in collections like: The Greek Tycoons/Her Irresistible Boss/British Bachelors. So there will still be 8 great 'traditional' Presents books each month - just split over the two lines.

Will this help you find the type of books you're looking for? And American readers - are you finding it easy to get hold of copies of the Presents Extras you want? OR even to get the info on which books are out in that line-up each month?

Oh yes - and talking about changes - there are some coming up in the UK lines as well. The number of books in the Modern line will be reduced to 8 - 4 in each two-weekly line-up and there are some BIG changes coming in the way the books will look.

I can't tell you more just yet but watch this space and you'll find out . . . (but looking at Michelle's book cover up above should give you a clue)

Reading

Sunday afternoon and yesterday, a migraine kept me away from the keyboard so I had a rare opportunity/excuse for some concentrated reading. For the first time in ages I worked my way through three of the recently published Modern Romance titles, one after the other and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

What I loved about the experience was the way that each of these three titles was so typically a Modern Romance with the passion, sensuality, sophistication and emotional intensity that the line demands, and yet they were very clearly individual works by very different authors each with their own special voice and unique approach to the demands of the line.

First was Abby Green's Ruthlessly Bedded, Forcibly Wedded - with a vulnerable but spirited heroine and a hero who started out cold-bloodedly determined on revenge but then had to learn how wrong he was and gradually change his mind. Cara's confrontation with Vincenzo at the very public setting of the ballroom shows she's no pushover and his the journey of growth from avenger to lover was so clearly marked out - no miraculous 'conversion' at the end which made this so satisfying.

India Grey is still a 'newbie' author in the numbers of her books but with her RNA Romance Prize win she's already marked herself out as an author to watch and her latest release Spanish Aristocrat, Forced Bride will continue that reputation. Personally I've always loved a wounded and tormented hero and Tristan is certainly that. His icy cold facade is so obviously (to the reader) a shield put up to protect his more vulnerable self that the reader can't wait to see it shatter into a thousand pieces - which it does of course! And Lily's warmth and giving is a natural foil to Tristan's brutal control so that you just know she will eventually break through to him and teach him how to love.


Finally, a book that I'd been keeping for a personal treat and when I finally got to read it, it didn't disappoint. But then a romance by Michelle Reid never does. Marchese's Forgotten Bride is a reunion story with a twist - As the title reveals, the hero - Sandro - has lost all memory of his time with Cassie six years before. And so when they meet up again the past reaches out to grab him with a violence and shock that devastates him. I totally believed in Sandro's reasons for the way guilt had wiped the vital 6 weeks from his mind and taken all memory of Cassie with itWhat I loved about this book was the way that the feelings each had had for the other in the past were revealed as swiftly and urgently as they had done when they had first met so that the passionate relationship was once more - seemingly - back on track very fast. But there was one vital element of Sandro's past that hadn't yet been revealed and to have that brought to light just when it seemed that everything was going to fell into place had an impact that was all the more potent because of the reconciliation that had already been growing.

So if I couldn't work on my own book I had a lovely time reading these three great stories - books that reminded me yet again that no matter how many ill informed critics sneer and declare that romances are all the same, there are plenty of very distinct and individual and talented voices in the line-up. Voices that brought me to romance over 25 years ago and still keep me interested now.

Presents and Presents Extra

When I asked abut the new covers and scheduling, Jill made what I think is a very good and interesting point in her comment. She said:

I also think that Harlequin could do a lot more to distinguish Presents and
Presents Extra in North America. They have very different "feels" and that is
not reflected in the covers or the titles.

Well, basically, Jill, my response is ‘Me too’ - but it’s the main Presents schedule that I wish Marketing would get to grips with and make a lot clearer. I understand that some sort of changes are in the pipeline. And not before time in my opinion – there are a lot of readers out there who have been confused and puzzled by the way some books have been published in Presents over the past year or so. It’s a situation that has had meant that some people have bought books they weren’t truly happy with. Books that didn’t give them what they wanted. And has left others not really know which books to buy to get the sort of read they’re looking for.


It’s also sometimes meant that some people have found new authors they’ve fallen in love with, authors they want to read more of – which is the good side of this and I suspect that might have been the original plan behind the new way of publishing Presents Extra. But it’s a bit more complicated than the thought that the main Presents run at the beginning of the month have stayed exactly the same, while the Presents Extra are the ‘different’ ones. And as I have a book coming out in Presents Extra in October I’ll take this opportunity to explain things as they stand now. And thank you Jill for asking the question to lead me to doing this.



OK, so all the Presents/Presents Extra books are originally bought by the London UK editorial offices – that is, they are read, edited and acquired by Harlequin Mills & Boon UK. They are published in the UK first and then, either the same month, or later in the year, they are published in America. The books that are published in the Presents line-up in USA used to be acquired solely from one line in the UK - the Modern Romance line. (The books with the blue covers that you see in my sidebar etc.) But these days, the books that are put out with a Presents cover are acquired from two different lines. (With some exceptions but I’ll come to that in a minute.) So now the Presents/Extra books are acquired from the Modern Romance Line and the Modern Heat line.

And the first complication starts to come in because the Modern Heat used to be called the Modern Extra and the name of the line was changed in 2008.

So in the UK and in Australia, these books are brought out under a separate line title – in Australia they are sold as Sexy Sensation, with a distinctly different cover design. In the UK you have to look a little harder for that ‘Heat’ addition to the cover but it’s there. Personally, I think this is a very good – and necessary distinction. Because the editorial content of these books is very different in tone and in execution from the classic Modern/Presents style editorial. You’ve only got to look at the writing guidelines for each line – specially the checklists for the type of alpha hero they are looking for - to see this:


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


For me the difference between the two is more than this - it’s a difference of mood and intensity – and very definitely of conflict. To me the hallmark of the classic Presents is that high-octane, white heat of emotional intensity that some people love and others hate and its one of the reasons why Modern/Presents has been so successful and why the line often sparks off so many debates about the books and the heroes. If you want to know more about what I think are the differences between these two lines, I wrote about it here:


So, to my way of thinking, it’s important to indicate which type of read a book is. This has been done in the UK and in Australia. In America, the Modern Heat editorial was originally published in the Presents Extra line-up, which marked them out as slightly different and so readers knew what they were getting – but all that has been changed. Just when everyone thought they knew that Extras were different, they aren’t any more! The Modern Heat books have been put in with the main run of the Presents titles at the beginning of the month, and the Presents Extras are precisely that –extra Presents out in the middle of the month. Presents/Modern-style stories written by Presents authors and put together in themed collections. (My Kept For Her Baby is out under the heading ‘Dark Nights with the Billionaire’ which, I’ll be honest, I don’t quite understand – but that’s marketing for you!)

The exception to this is when the Presents Extra line up is used to bring out some Medical titles and then the name of the series – Posh Docs, Mediterranean Doctors etc - will usually reveal that this is what has happened.

So it’s all a bit confusing to readers at the moment. I understand that in the near future there are plans to indicate on the covers what sort of story each book is but I don’t know quite what or when that’s going to happen. Speaking personally, it can’t come soon enough because if I was buying a Presents title I’d want to know that I was going to get the reading experience I was looking for. And if I wanted a Modern Heat style story I’d want to know where to look for that too. So I hope all this will soon be sorted out to make it clearer.

Until then, what can you do to check which sort of story a book is? Well, the obvious thing is to go by the author – authors you know have written classic Presents style books before will be the ones who will give you the same sort of read, no matter whether they come out in Presents or Presents Extra – Kept For Her Baby is a classic example. And the other titles in Extra that month are by Carole Mortimer, Lee Wilkinson and Janette Kenny – classic Presents authors.

In the main Presents line up at the beginning of the month, authors like Heidi Rice, Kate Hardy, Trish Wylie, Nicola Marsh . . .have all be published in Modern Heat first. You can check out the Modern Heat books on the Mills & Boon web site if you want to. They’re in with the Modern titles but they have that read ‘Heat’ on the front cover to indicate their style. Or putting Modern Heat into the search box on Amazon.co.uk will show you the authors who write for this line. Then you can make your choice.

So does this help – or confuse you even more? I think it just goes to show that, as Jill says, it’s time there was some way of showing that a book started out as a Modern Romance or a Modern Heat because they do have that different ‘feel’ and some readers prefer one and not the other .

Of course, now that I’ve explained all this, things will probably change all over again and nothing will be clear.
But the one thing I can promise you is that Kept For Her Baby is a classic Presents story – but you need to look for it in the Presents Extra line up that’s out on October 13th.

Just look for that fabulous cover and you’ll find it.

Sad News

I have just had a phone call from Michelle Reid giving me the sad news that one of Mills & Boons' long serving and popular Modern/Presents novelists - Diana Hamilton - died in May.

When I first started writing seriously for Mills & Boon I always looked out for a Diana Hamilton title. And I was lucky enough to meet her a couple of times at Author days and other events. She was a tiny woman with an infectious, live-wire personality. With typical professionalism she turned in her last book just a couple of months before she died.

She will be missed by her fellow authors and by her readers too.

Here is a bit more about Diana - taken from Fantastic Fiction

Diana Hamilton was born in a English town. Wanting to be a country child, her imagination came into play at an early age, transforming a neighbour's tree into a forest, a hole in a stone wall into a gingerbread house, a gas puddle into a fairyland, complete with mountains, lakes, and flower meadows. She loathed housework but made to do her share, to lessen the boredom, she told herself stories, in a very loud voice, featuring princesses and flower gardens, discovering that telling herself stories was almost as good as reading them in a book. She loathed school with an equal passion and got through it by pretending to be somewhere else. Even so she left grammar school with respectable grades.... And was sent to art college when she wanted to study to be a vet. This was nowhere as bad as it had seemed because it was there, at age 18, she first saw Peter.

He had returned from two years' active service in Korea to resume his studies, and Diana immediately fell in love with him. Gaining a degree in Advertising Copywriting, Diana worked as a copywriter and married Peter. They moved to a remote part of Wales after the birth of their second child, Paul, when their daughter, Rebecca, was three years old. There, Diana enjoyed pony trekking and walking in the mountains; and her third child, Andrew, was born. Itchy feet brought them back to England to the beautiful county of Shropshire four years later and they have been there ever since, gradually restoring the rambling Elizabethan manor that Diana gave her heart to on sight, creating a garden out of a wilderness of nettles, brambles, and old bedsteads.

In the mid-70s Diana took up her pen again to write stories to read to her three children at bedtime. These were never offered for publication but the bug had bitten. Over the next 10 years she combined writing over 30 novels, published by Robert Hale of London, with bringing up her children, gardening, and cooking for the restaurant of a local inn -- a wonderful excuse to avoid the dreaded housework! In 1987 Diana realised her dearest ambition -- the publication of her first Mills & Boon romance, Song in a Strange Land. She had come home.

And that feeling persists to this day as, around 30 Mills & Boon romantic novels later, she is still in love with the genre. She loves setting her novels in Europa, specially in England, because she was born here and love it, and in Spain, because it's fabulous and so romantic. She says: "I've visited the most romantic place in the word, Cadiz. Perhaps my next book..."

And you can read her bography and interview on her author pages on the Mills & Boon web site

Cover delight

Thank you to everyone who wrote and said how much you've enjoyed the All About Alphas discussion. I'm delighted to know that it has been so stimulating and helpful to you all. And I've noted the suggestions for further discussions and on-line 'classes' so I may do this again - but first I need to cacth up with all the in-between books things that need doing - like accounts, cleaning my office, reading, coming up with a new story . . .

But the All About Alphas topic certainly has sparked off my own interest in heroes again - not that that ever dies, but it's always fascinating to learn how other people go about creating the characters that people their books and the important elements they need to put into them to make them into real heroes.




And talking of heroes, I've just received a parcel of the hardback editions - the 'pinks' - of my next book out. This is the late August/September release Kept For Her Baby. I say August/September because as some of you will already be aware the M&B Modern books are going to be released on a rather different schedule from August. As the note in the back of the current books says, there will be :





More Passion, More Seduction, More Often





Modern and Modern Heat available twice a month from August 2009





6 glamorous new books 1st Friday of every month





6 more glamorous new books 3rd Friday of every month


Find all the details at:www.millsandboon.co.uk/makeover





In other words there will be new Modern titles on the bookshop shelves every two weeks from August onwards - so if you're looking for a particular author, you'll need to know whether her book is out in the first or second batch that month.





Anyway, if you're looking for my book then I'll make it easy for you - what you're looking for is this fabulous new cover




Great isn't it?

Of course with the new distribution schedule, the plans are also for new style covers to start appearing from June - so I have no idea what this book will look like when it reaches the paperback stage - but just as soon as I do know I'll pass the information on to you.

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

Hurricanes and Heat

Firstly - Hurricanes -

Everyone in the path of the brute that Gustav has turned into is in my thoughtd. I hope that the next few days pass off as peacefully as can be and with as little damage and destruction as possible. I have reader friends in New Orleans and you will be specially in my thoughts.



And Linda - if Gustav damages your second copy of the 12 Point Guide again - I will make sure you get a replacement!


Heat - sadly, not here. Today has had the sort of torrential rain that has me thinking of building an ark, just in case.

No - the Heat in question is the Modern Heat line of romances.

As you may know, over on the I heart Presents blog, HMB have announced a writing contest for aspiring authors aiming at the Modern Heat line.

Because the Modern Heat books are published as Harlequin Presents in America, there has been quite a lot of discussion about why a 'MH' book is not a Presents and what makes the differences.

Discussion has centred on the type of hero and heroine and the description that editors once gave MH as 'Presents younger sister'.

Personally, I've felt that the descriptions and explanations given haven't really hot the mark in pinpointing just where the difference lies.

The point isn’t an alpha hero both series have that. The MH hero may be younger and perhaps on his way up but he's still alpha.

It isn't in the heroines - I’m not happy at all with the idea that there is a ‘Presents Heroine’ in a way that seems to imply that the Presents Heroine is passive, weak even, and lets the hero take charge, not matter what. the truth is that, as in any form of fiction, every heroine in every book is who she is in her own unique way. Some are milder mannered – some may take on the hero in a more confrontational manner. Some are sassy, some are uptight, some are sexually confident, some are not – some are assertive to the point of aggression – some need to take things in a less confrontational way. That's what makes each story different.

No the difference is that , to coin a phrase – the Modern/Presents book has an 'alpha conflict'. A high octane, fiercely intense conflict. It has a situation in which both the hero and the heroine have so much to lose that they can’t totally focus on anything else. There is so much at stake – outside their relationship and in – that they are driven to intense emotions that are not normally part of every day life – they are in a time of crisis and as people in crisis react they react in extremes.

Irresistible charm and humour are not the exclusive attribute of a MH hero. It’s the situation that the H&h of a Presents novel are in – both of them – that sparks reactions that sometimes don’t give time for charm or humour from either of them. It all depends on the book, the heroine, the hero – but most important of all it depends on the conflict.

And that, for me is where the big difference between an Modern and a Modern Heat story lies. A Modern Heat hero, or a MH heroine could probably be a Modern/Presents hero given the sort of conflict that a Modern/Presents author would put them in ....

As the editors are always saying – it’s all in the execution.



The official rules for the Feel the Heat contest can be found here.

New Look X2

So - do you like it?

The new-look blog? Now that it all matches in with my lovely new web site as well? I love it. I'm so pleased with the result. So I have to send a really special and big THANK YOU to the wonderful ladies at We Write Romance Design and Maintenance Services for their hard work on revamping my blog to make it look this good.

And of course for all the work they put in every month to maintain and update my web site so that it gives you all the information and interest you want.

Thank you Heather and Terescia! I love my great new look and I love working with you. You make it all so easy and so efficient.

Right now, Heather and I are working on a set of brand new pages for the web site - pages that will detail all my backlist books, with their covers (UK & USA) and the back 'blurb' and any other information you might need - like which books are linked to each other etc. This is in preparation for the celebrations for my next - my 50th book which will be out in June (UK) and July (USA). As you can imagine, with 50 titles to list, this will take quite some time, but we're getting on with it and hope to have it ready for you to see just as soon as we possibly can.

And new look x2 ?

Well, this morning I receieved copies of that important 50th title . My June book in the UK - The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge - is the first of my books to come out in the brand new, revamped cover design for the Mills & Boon Modern Romances.

From 18th May all the Mills & Boon lines will have fresh new look covers so look out for those and see what you think . And for your first sight of one of the new designs - here's the cover of The Sicilian's Red-Hot Revenge as it will appear on the shelves in the UK in June.

I love this cover too - so today I'm a really happy bunny with two great new looks that I'm really pleased with.

What do you think?

Reading Memories

Coincidences make life interesting. A couple of weeks ago, a fellow author was asked about a book by one of her readers. The reader believed this was one of the author’s books – the author knew it wasn’t. So she asked if anyone could remember the book under discussion. At the time I thought that it sounded like a book I had read and that had had quite an impact on me way back when – in the days when I had been learning my craft and had been following the advice I give all would-be writers – Read, read, read - to discover what’s being written and how.

But the problem was that I couldn’t recall either the title or the author of the book. The only thing I had to go on was the description the reader had given. The book was about a rich girl who is kidnapped by a man (the hero) and three others. He’s kind to her through the whole thing and s he falls in love with him. In the end she finds out that he was actually working with the authorities and that's why he made sure that she didn't get hurt. She's pregnant and of course there is the happy ending.

I could remember several kidnapping books – one had a hero by the name of Wolf and that was all I could really recall. But then in one of those secondhand bookshops in Scarborough, scanning the shelves of older M&Bs, just where I had rested my hand, I spotted an orange spine, the title Comrade Wolf, the author Madeleine Ker, and I knew I had found the book under discussion.

One of the interesting things about the author, is that Madeleine Ker is the pseudonym of one of M&M’s male authors. He also writes thrillers under the name of Marius Gabriel. When I first read this book, when it was published back in 1984, just as I was beginning my own writing career, I didn’t know this. Reading it again, with that knowledge in my mind, I felt that I could see that it was in fact written by a man. There was an emphasis on the ‘thriller’ aspects of the plot – the kidnapping, the rough treatment of the heroine, and the political reasons for the kidnapping. I’ll admit that also, this time around, I was less convinced by the heroine falling in love with the mysterious ‘Wolf’ - or that it was more than an infatuation that would last beyond the time of her imprisonment. At the time of reading it in 1984, I remember that I was fascinated – and still am – by the syndrome known as ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ which is a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage can show signs of having feelings of loyalty to the hostage-taker, regardless of the danger (or at least risk) in which the hostage has been placed. Because of this, and because of the intensity of the situation in which the kidnapped victim finds his or herself, the syndrome and the kidnapping situation is one that many romantic novelists have wanted to get their writing teeth into.

But I remember that at the time there were several books published by M&B with this theme. And as they had largely the same set up and explanation – hero infiltrates gang in order to hand them over to the authorities but has to go along with the kidnapping in order to have the villains trust him – I remember looking for a new twist on the situation. What I did was what I often like to do if possible – I turned the story on its head.

Why should it be the hero who kidnaps the heroine? Why couldn’t it be the heroine who kidnaps the hero and holds him in her home? The result was Captive Lover, a book that was published in 1987. The whole story was a lot lighter than Comrade Wolf – the heroine and her brother kidnap the hero as a Rag Week stunt for charity – and then he is not quite the man she believes. Later, I was to return to the kidnapping theme with Hostage Bride.

It was great to revisit Comrade Wolf – which was one of the books that I remember so vividly from the very early days of my writing career. Kidnapping is a tricky theme to handle at any time and looking back at this 1980s version made me realise yet again how much the books have changed and how there are so many things that would probably not be acceptable now – or at least they would need more justification than was needed in 1984. It was fascinating for me to see how much I was questioning – the way the hero and heroine were not together very much at all– a lot of ‘telling’ not showing - that feeling of not really being convinced - and how I wanted to write the story and write it in a different way. Maybe I will one day – not that story, as in Comrade Wolf, because that would be plagiarism – but taking that basic seed of an idea and seeing which way I can take it to make it new, different and very much my own. . .

Watch this space.

So I promised you pictures . . .

Well that was a wonderful day. Susan Stephens is a fabulous hostess and the party in her beautiful home high up in the Pennines was a delight from start to finish. Wonderful company, wonderful food, wonderful view . . .. I'm sorry, I was too busy talking to everyone so I forgot to take a photo of the view so you'll just have to imagine the rolling hills, the steep valley, the trees, the green . . .

So, as I said, the party was both to celebrate lovely Amanda Ashby's first book - more of that later - and sadly say goodbye to Amanda her husband and two children because they are laving to live in New Zealand in just four weeks time. (By the way those children are very special - Arthr and Molly are just four and six and they managed to eat their special chocolate fondue - strawberries, marshmallows . .. and not get chocolate all over the room!). I don't have pictures of the children but I do have a lovely one of Amanda and Susan.

I knew the afternoon was off to a great start when we actually found the house without me killing the BM. There was a nasty moment when he was sure we were going in quite the wrong direction, but I persuaded him that Sue would know where her house was, better than most. And of course she did. Her brilliantly descriptive directions - including the 'narrow wiggly road' got us to the right place at the right time. So much at the right time that we arrived at exactly the same moment as brand new Presents author India Grey whose very first book The Italian's Defiant Mistress is out in M&B Modern in July this year.

India is truly lovely - and very beautiful. The BM lost his heart to her from the moment that they met. And if her book is as great as she is then it shoudl be a fabulous read. I know that India reads this blog (Hi India! ) and that she and her children love Sid and the Hedgehogs. (sorry that should read that her cat Ruby loves Sid!) Sorry there aren't any hedgehogs about right now - they're still hibernating - but I hope they'll be back with brand new hoglets later in the Spring.
<- L toR India Susan and Me

After a warm welcome by Susan, her lovely elderly dog Finn and her not so elderly lovely husband - we were able to meet up with the Amanda the guest of honour. As I said yesterday, I first met Amanda through the RNA Virgin's scheme I set up in 2003 for the first time attendees at the RNA Conference. (It's now called the First Timers Group or some such). That was a special year for Virgins and I've lost count of how many of them are published - I know that Natasha Oakley was in that group, Nell Dixon. Olivia Gates . . . (I'm afraid of missing someone - so if I have I hope I'll be forgiven) and now there's Amanda.
L to R India, Amanda and Susan ->
I can still remember the first moment I met Amanda when this striking, dark haired woman tried to get into the hall of residence in which we were staying - through the wrong, locked, door. I have vivid memories of her wide, brilliant smile and her fabulous New Zealand accent - and she's stayed a friend ever since. I also worked with her one a RNA New Writers' Scheme script - which I knew at the time wasn't going to fit into theHarlequin stable but it had a great chick lit humourous tone to it - so I was really thrilled when I learned that NAL had bought another of Amanda's books, the wonderfully titled You Had Me at Halo.

You Had Me At Halo is humorous women's fiction about a woman who dies with unresolved issues and comes back in the body of her geeky co-worker in order to sort them out. Coming August 2007. And for readers of this blog who remember my summer Bag of Books contest, I've managed to persuade Amanda to donate two copies of her book to the book bag booty so two of you will get a chance to read this book hot from the press. (I've also twisted India's arm and she's donating two copies of The Italian's Defiant Mistress too - I think I shall want to win the book bag this summer!)

Another writer at the party was Amanda Grange who writes Historical Romantic Fiction, including the acclaimed Mr Darcy's Diary . Amanda (perhaps I should call her Amanda2) shared with me the news that she is celebrating the fact that several of her books are about to be released in America - so if you love historical romance - and specially if you're a fan of Jane Austen - then look out for those.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of food, champagne and talk - and as I said, once released from captivity, writers can really talk. We also - being typical writers and being very nosey - explored Susan's beaugtiful house and snooped into her study to see where all her fabulous books are written. Those of you who have visited Sue's web site will know that hse has a great cartoon drawing of herself and her youngest daughter as the heading on there. (A cartoon which, by the way, does not do justice to either of these ladies.) Sue has the original of this on the wall in her office, so my last photograph is of her with the original artework - so you can compare the two!

All too soon the afternoon was over and we all had to leave to drive to opposite sides of the country. I was so sad to asy goodbye to Amanda but we're determined that one day we'll meet up again - and her presence in New Zealand is one added reason for me to try and get back there and see everyone I got to know at the RWNZ conference a couple of years ago.

Amanda - Bon Voyage and good luck to you and your lovely family in your new life in New Zealand. I hope everything goes wonderfully for you. And I'm hoping for every success for You Had Me At Halo - I'm really looking forward to reading that.

India -it was great to meet you and I hope it won't be too long before we meet up again - and The Italian's Defiant Mistress is another book that's on my To Be Bought list. Can't wait!

And Susan - what can I say except thank you for a wonderful day. Your welcome was so typical of your warm and lovely personality. The BM and I had a fantastic time. Thank you!


PS I did mention yesterday that Susan has a book - The One Night Baby - out this month, along with my Sicilian Husband Blackmailed Bride - but she also has her very first book in the Modern Extra Line coming out in May - so look out for Dirty Weekend coming in May - it has a fantastic cover! And I was lucky enough to be given my own copy by Sue - now all I need to to get rid of this Spaniard and I can indulge in a bit of fun reading . . . .