May Buzz....

Lots of good buzz going around for the May books and for Romance in general. Before we get to that though....

The finalist list is up for the Bookseller's Best Awards. The finalists in the "Traditional" category are:

Best Friend - Future Wife by Claire Baxter
The Italian's Wife By Sunset by Lucy Gordon
Millionaire to the Rescue by Ally Blake
His Christmas Angel by Michelle Douglas
Hired By The Cowboy by Donna Alward

Also finalling in the "Short Contemporary" category is Romance author Trish Wylie with her Presents, Breathless!

The awards are presented at RWA Nationals, this summer in San Francisco.

There are some great reviews of this month's books:

The Italian Playboy's Secret Son by Rebecca Winters : "Loved this! This book had me pulled in right from the first page. It was so well done with great characters and a interesting plot."(E-harlequin reader review)

The Heir's Convenient Wife by Myrna MacKenzie..."is an exquisite addition to The Wedding Planners series, building on the second chance romance theme with a character skeptical of love also seen in Shirley Jump's preceding romance. Myrna MacKenzie brings love to an impossible situation and to two very different sorts of characters." (Book reader, e-pinions)

Her Sheikh Boss by Carol Grace : "...an appealing fantasy", Romantic Times

Wanted: White Wedding by Natasha Oakley: "Wanted:White Wedding is a wonderful contemporary romance rich in feeling, emotion and passion that will captivate you from the very first page and leave you totally mesmerized until the final full stop.
Natasha Oakley’s books just keep on getting better and better: poignant, enthralling and absolutely mesmerizing, they deserve a place on every romance reader’s keeper shelf!" (Julie, Cataromance, 4.5 stars)


His Pregnant Housekeeper by Caroline Anderson: "shines because of the incredible chemistry between adorably clueless Daniel and gutsy Iona--and several interesting conflicts. "(Romantic Times, 4)

And don't forget to enter for you chance to win a copy of Wanted: White Wedding from Natasha! Just send e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject of Natasha to enter! This book is getting great reviews....Merrimon reviews calls it "packed with precise action, humor and emotion."

Spotlight in Six - Natasha Oakley

This month we're thrilled to shine the spotlight on Romance's RITA finalist...Natasha Oakley!

Where do you find new and fresh ideas?

Ideas are the easy bit. I just have them. Always have and it was a huge surprise to me when I discovered other people didn’t have stories popping spontaneously into their heads. What very dull lives they must lead.

‘Fresh’ ideas are perhaps more tricky. In romances I think you’d be hard pushed to find an idea which hasn’t already been used. The knack is to be really character focused. Everyone is different, shaped by different experiences, and when you allow your characters to be multi-faceted that automatically takes a book in a direction which is distinctly ‘yours’.

Writers often use photos of celebrities as “casting”. Do you do this, and who has inspired some of your characters?

Well, I play at it because fellow Pink Heart Society editors do it! It’s kinda fun but it’s not honestly something I need to do. A celebrity comes with too much ‘baggage’ really and it gets in the way. Occasionally I happen across a particular photo where there’s an expression, a look in the eyes, which sets my imagination alight but that’s more about ‘where ideas come from’ than a need to ‘cast’.

What are your favourite and least favourite parts of writing a novel? Is there a particular section that you struggle with?

The beginning is by far the worst for me. I hate that blank page. And then there’s the fear of failure. It’s about finally letting go of a lovely big WIP and starting all over with people you don’t know so well.

I’m a ‘tidy’ writer. I’m much slower at the beginning of a book than I am towards the end. I’ll go back and comb through new ideas before I can move on. I don’t write a ‘dirty’ draft. When I get to the end I can push ‘send’ straight away. It’s a bit like building a house. I have to have the foundations really solid before I’m ready to move on.

When you are not writing, what do you do? How do you pamper yourself?

I watch a lot of movies. A glass of wine, large packet of cheddars and a romantic comedy and I’m a very happy girl.

My all time favourite is a little black and white movie called ‘Hobson’s Choice’. Directed by David Lean, it was released in 1954 and stars the great Sir John Mills as Willy Mossop, the boot-maker. It’s pure charm. Find it if you can.

Imagine you’re stranded…where are you and who are you with?

Danescombe Cottage in Cornwall. It’s my favourite place on earth. Tucked away in a wood behind Cotehele House, it’s owned by the National Trust and you can rent it for holidays – which my mum and dad did when I was ten. (http://www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk/)

We had ‘the’ most fantastic holiday there. We made dams in the little streams all about, walked for miles, played cards (I’m a demon card player) and wandered up through the gardens of Cotehele House whenever we chose. It’s a little piece of heaven.

I wouldn’t mind being stranded there with my husband but I’m going to go for my late mum. I miss her.

Finally, Natasha, please tell us what’s up and coming for you in the months ahead!

I’m currently writing book two of a ‘sheikh duet’. The first one is ‘Cinderella and the Sheikh’ and that’ll be out January 09 and the second one, the one I’m writing now, is tentatively called ‘The Desert King’s Bride’. Both books are set in my fictional kingdom of ‘Amrah’ which I’ve squeezed in next to Oman. Just room there I thought! Hanif is getting paired with Seb’s ‘wild child’ younger sister from ‘Crowned: An Ordinary Girl’.

This month I’m at the Lincoln Book Festival on a Mills & Boon panel with Kate Walker, Trish Wylie and Kate Hardy. 17th May if you are in the area. It would be lovely to see you. http://www/lincolnbookfestival.co.uk

The other thing that’s happening this month is I become Bedfordshire libraries ‘writer in residence’. This is part of the UK’s 2008 Year of Reading which is all about promoting a love of reading. Each of the 149 participating library authorities have been paired with a local author – not just authors of category fiction. It’s a real cross section. I’m very excited about that. http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/

Well Natasha as long as you're not busy....

Thanks for joining us this month!

Natasha is giving away a copy of her current release Wanted: White Wedding to one lucky reader. Send an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject line of Natasha to be entered.

May Releases

Coming Home to the Cattleman by Judy Christenberry

Jenny has distant, happy memories of her long-lost dad, and has finally gained the confidence to find him. Only one man stands in her way: the aloof and brooding Jason Welborn—her dad's business partner. And it's clear he's not happy she's come home.…

Jason's convinced this city girl has only come to claim her share in the business, and then hotfoot it back to the Big Apple. But Jenny seems determined to win him over, and the more he tries to push her away, the more feisty Jenny's response becomes. Slowly but surely she's starting to get under Jason's skin.…

Read Excerpt

The Italian Playboy's Secret Son by Rebecca Winters

Cesar Villon de Falcon: the world's finest racing-car driver and Monaco's most notorious playboy. But a terrifying crash has left him fighting for his life.

Sarah Priestley: the enchanting woman at his bedside, who has a secret she hopes will help revive him—Cesar has a son!

The little boy who has his daddy's eyes gives Cesar a new lease on life. But it is his convenient marriage to Sarah that has the potential to make this courageous man whole again….

Read Excerpt

The Heir's Convenient Wife by Myrna Mackenzie (Wedding Planners Series)

The Wedding Belles' photographer, Regina, captures picture-perfect memories for brides and grooms to treasure. But looking at her own wedding photo makes her realize she barely knows the man she conveniently wed.…

Dell O'Ryan was always brought up to do the right thing, to be responsible. So when his no-good cousin landed the beautiful Regina in a whole heap of trouble, Dell stepped in to save the day.

One convenient marriage later, they are practically strangers, and now Dell has decided it's time to date his wife.…

Read Excerpt

Her Sheikh Boss by Carol Grace

His secretary's secret…

Claudia Bradford has a secret: she's head-over-heels in love with the most unsuitable man possible—her boss, gorgeous sheikh Samir Al-Hamri. And he's taking her on a business trip to his desert home.

Her boss's desert proposal?

Samir knows his sensible assistant is captivated by the exotic sights of Tazzatine. In his desert oasis, he sees Claudia in a new light. Spirited and fun, she makes him feel alive. But Samir's always vowed to only marry for duty.…

Read Excerpt

Wanted: White Wedding by Natasha Oakley

Seeing Daniel Ramsey struggle with fatherhood makes memories of Freya's past come flooding back. Freya was a wild child, but on the inside she always dreamed of happy ever afters and white weddings. It was a way to escape the troubles of home. Now she's grown up, stunning and successful, and she knows she can help Daniel and his daughter.

But Freya's afraid of getting too close.… She still has her secrets, locked up tight. Could it be that after all these years, she's met the man who has the ability to see straight into her heart?

Read Excerpt

His Pregnant Housekeeper by Caroline Anderson

Penniless, pregnant and alone, Iona Lockwood wants to settle and put down roots. Life's delivered her a few hard knocks lately.…

When wealthy architect Daniel Hamilton finds Iona living in the empty building he's bought, he knows he should be asking her to leave. But Daniel can't turn his back on a pregnant woman, and offers her a job as his housekeeper.

Stepping into his beautiful home, Iona feels like Cinderella. But she knows dreams don't come true. She's there to keep house, not to fall in love with the millionaire who saved her.

Read Excerpt

April's Winner!

The winner of Claire Baxter's book THE SINGLE DAD'S PATCHWORK FAMILY is Soraya Nicholas!

Congratulations Soraya! If you can e-mail us back with your mailing address, your prize will be on its way!

And come back tomorrow when we roll out the May releases!

April Reviews

Firstly....you have approximately 48 hours to send in your e-mail to be entered to win Claire's book! To win your copy of The Single Dad's Patchwork Family, send your e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject of CLAIRE!

And if you haven't picked up April's books yet, perhaps this will convince you:

The Single Dad's Patchwork Family by Claire Baxter: This whole book captivated me from start to finish, the story was prolific with descriptive scenery, so much so that I could almost imagine myself being there with them. Kudos to Ms. Baxter for penning yet another fantastic romantic story where the characters seem like family and the readers’ imagination takes flight into fantasy. (Cataromance, 4.5 stars)

The Bride's Baby by Liz Fielding: "Liz Fielding begins A Bride for All Seasons with The Bride's Baby.This story has everything-sparkling dialogue, multifacetedcharacterizations, sizzling chemistry and a powerful emotional core. A keeper." Romantic Times, 4.5 stars TOP PICK."

Expecting a Miracle by Jackie Braun: "Jackie Braun’s Expecting a Miracle (4.5) is packed with emotion and humor, and all of the characterizations are rich and detailed. A keeper." Romantic Times

Wedding Bells at Wandering Creek Ranch by Patricia Thayer: "If you like romance, fiction and happy endings and want a story about love transforming power into a community, Patricia Thayer's Wedding Bells at Wandering Creek Ranch is a great reading choice!" (Merrimon Book Reviews)

Sweetheart Lost and Found by Shirley Jump: "Four stars: "...Shirley Jump begins The Wedding Planners with Sweetheart Lost and Found (4). It's smart, funny and quite moving at times, and the characters have a lot of depth."

The Loner's Guarded Heart by Michelle Douglas: "...a story of two hearts discovering one another and falling in love as they share more and more of themselves and their vulnerabilities with one another. The Loner's Guarded Heart mixes humor and emotion to bring readers a non-stop great romance read." (Merrimon Book Reviews)

April Good News

There are so many things going on this month we're combining some of them all in one post! Hold on to your hats, get out your tootie horns and pop some champagne as we get ready to celebrate the authors of Harlequin Romance!

This past weekend Romantic Times Magazine hosted their annual convention in Pittsburgh. What a showing for our Romance authors!

Trish Wylie won Best Harlequin Romance with Rescued: Mother-To-Be. Way to go, Trish!

Natasha Oakley won Best Harlequin Presents with The Tycoon's Princess Bride. This was part of the Niroli Continuity and we're so very proud of Natasha!

Linda Goodnight won Best Love Inspired with The Heart of Grace.

It just goes to show that the trademark core of emotionalism in Romance is a powerful thing no matter what line you also write for! Congratulations ladies!

And a big cheer for Liz Fielding, who won a Career Achievement Award for Love and Laughter. If you've read Liz's books, you already know she has a specialness about her that is all her own. And a sneaky ability to make you cry, and then laugh in the next heartbeat. Congratulations, Liz.

And what would spring be without the RWA RITA finalists being announced! The Tycoon's Princess Bride (Natasha Oakley) is also up for a RITA in the Short Contemporary category...is this book magical or what!

Carrying on....

Jennie Adams's book To Love and To Cherish was a Blue Ribbon Favourite for the month of March at Romance Junkies, as chosen by their reviewers. Congrats, Jennie!

And, finally, the finalists of the National Reader's Choice Awards have been notified. In the Traditional category we have:

Natasha Oakley - Crowned: An Ordinary Girl

Barbara McMahon - The Boss's Little Miracle

Lucy Gordon - The Mediterranean Rebel's Bride

What a brilliant showing...and this is only the beginning! Congratulations to you all.

One last note...if you haven't already, please enter to win a copy of Claire Baxter's book THE SINGLE DAD'S PATCHWORK FAMILY! Just drop an e-mail to hrablog@hotmail.com with the subject CLAIRE to enter. There's only one week left!

April Foreign Releases

My apologies for the blip in posting...an out of town trip came up, so without waiting any longer, here are some of the foreign releases for this month!

Matrimonio In Agenda - Jessica Hart

Harmony
Jolly Romance
April 2008

UN CAPO PER MARITO: quando il lavoro chiama... il cuore risponde!

Lucy West è appena ritornata a Londra dopo un periodo trascorso all'estero e deve trovarsi un nuovo lavoro. I cambiamenti non l'hanno mai spaventata ed è pronta ad affrontare qualunque impresa. Qualunque, tranne il carismatico e irresistibile milionario Guy Dungerfield. Cugino del suo precedente capo, le propone di fargli da assistente personale e Lu­cy sa che accettare metterà a rischio il suo cuore.

Guy non ha mai avuto una segretaria così carina. Il suo sorriso è contagioso ed è facile parlare con lei. Quando, in una particolare circostanza, Lucy lascia credere che siano anche fidanzati, lui è ben felice di approfittare della situazione. Anzi, vuole trasformare la finzione nella più romantica delle realtà.

Un mariage d'honneur de Linda GOODNIGHT

Horizon 15 avril 2008

Lorsqu’elle apprend que son père a perdu le ranch familial au poker, Kara Taylor entre dans une colère noire. Non seulement parce que, ce faisant, son père vient de priver Lane, son fils de cinq ans, de son héritage, mais aussi et surtout parce que le nouveau propriétaire du ranch n’est autre que Ty Murdock. Ty, qui ne tarde pas à lui proposer de l’épouser, pour que l’honneur soit sauf et que Lane ne soit pas lésé. Mais Kara ne peut se résoudre à cette solution : comment pourrait-elle se marier et faire de nouveau confiance à celui qu’elle croyait être l’homme de sa vie, avant qu’il ne la quitte subitement six ans plus tôt, sans la moindre explication ?

El amor más hermoso por Trish Wylie

Harlequin España Jazmín
23 de Abril 2008

El amor más hermoso

Había vuelto para recuperar el amor que nunca debería haber dejado escapar…

En el momento más duro de su vida, Kane Healey entendió que si se amaba a alguien había que dejarlo libre y decidió enfrentarse al futuro solo.

Siendo muy joven, Rhiannon descubrió que estaba embarazada, pero Kane se había ido sin saber que había dejado atrás un magnífico milagro…

Ahora tenían la oportunidad de enmendar los errores del pasado. ¿Aprovecharía Kane el baile de San Valentín para declararse a la mujer que siempre había amado?

SERCE ZE ZŁOTA WYSPA SZCZĘŚCIA

LIZ FIELDING MYRNA MacKENZIE

31.03.2008r.

Myrna Mackenzie: WYSPA SZCZĘŚCIADalsza praca Anny - opieka nad wspaniałą, pustą rezydencją - staje pod znakiem zapytania, gdy po latach nieobecności pojawia się pan domu. Donavan szuka tutaj ucieczki od wielkomiejskiego gwaru i bolesnych wspomnień. Pragnie samotności, ale Anna wie lepiej, czego mu potrzeba...

Liz Fielding: SERCE ZE ZŁOTAMłodzi kochankowie, Fleur i Matt, ukrywają swój romans w tajemnicy, bo ich skłócone rodziny nigdy nie zaaprobowałyby tego związku. Zawierają potajemnie małżeństwo, ale wkrótce się rozstają. Matt pojawia się w życiu Fleur ponownie dopiero po sześciu latach, by walczyć o prawo do opieki nad ich synem...

Queres casar comigo? por Jennie Adams

Harlequin Portugal Bianca

23 de Abril 2008

Aviso: Estou apaixonada pelo chefe!

Quando Lily Kellaway aceitou ser a secretária de Zach Swift esperava deparar-se com um chefe exigente e arrogante… mas Zach era bonito e generoso. Desde o acidente, Lily não quisera trabalhar em escritórios devido à sua memória fraca, mas com Zach tudo era diferente. E então ele pediu-lhe que o acompanhasse numa viagem de negócios!

Já lhe era difícil esconder os seus sentimentos das nove às cinco… Zach não demoraria a perceber que ela não era tão perfeita como ele parecia acreditar.