For 15 years readers have been falling in love with heartwarming inspirational romance stories from Love Inspired.  In honor of this special anniversary, we’re spotlighting the Love Inspired Historical series in February.

If you haven’t read a Love Inspired Historical book before, now is a wonderful time to discover them. The Love Inspired Historical series offers captivating stories of romance and adventure set in earlier eras, when faith played a major role in everyday lives. Set in historical periods from the Biblical ages to World War II, these books will sweep readers away to a place where love is timeless.

With wonderful stories by favorite authors Linda Ford and Ruth Axtell Morren, an exciting new miniseries from Regina Scott and a tender tale by debut author Lily George, February is full of wholesome romances that will warm your heart.  As a thank you for making Love Inspired books part of your lives, all four Love Inspired Historical books will feature a free bonus short story.

Be sure to look for these February titles:

We hope you enjoy each and every story. And if you’re moved to write inspirational historical romance, we encourage you to submit your story to us. After all, many of our writers began as our readers.

Have you read Love Inspired Historical in the past? What is your favorite time period or setting? Is there a particular type of story or theme that you’d like to see more of in Love Inspired Historical? What TV show or movie reminds you of a Love Inspired Historical?

Land is grand but wetter is better… –Kingsley, Immersed in Pleasure

Writing a story and falling in love have one thing in common – they both can happen anywhere anytime. I fell in love on the roof of a New York City restaurant last year while on a date with someone else. I wrote one of my hottest sex scenes ever while sitting in the vestibule of a church. And one day two summers ago, while singing Part of Your World while taking a shower, I decided to write an erotic retelling of The Little Mermaid.

Immersed in Pleasure comes out March 1^st with Spice Briefs. The story is about Derek Prince (Prince – get it?), a well-to-do attorney who finds himself drawn to a girl he sees one night in a bar. She’s beautiful, young, dressed in white from head to toe, and soaking wet. So fascinated is he by her, he barely notices when his table catches on fire. The girl saves him from the fire just before disappearing into the secret world from whence she came. A river? The ocean? No. The girl, Xenia, belongs to FATHOMS – a nightclub populated by the Manhattan Mermaids. So much more than mere cocktail waitresses, these women swim naked in pools and grottos inside Manhattan’s most exclusive underground club. Not only are these women beautiful, wet, and naked, they are also virgins, every last one of them. And the day a mermaid loses her virginity is the day she leaves the luxurious world of FATHOMS forever.

As you can imagine, being a man in love with a girl who is required by her job to stay a virgin can be hard. I mean…difficult (I mean hard). But what is love but swimming and sinking at the same time? And with a little help from Kingsley, the owner of FATHOMS, Derek and Xenia might discover that love isn’t in the air anymore.

It’s in the water.

Tiffany Reisz is the author of SEVEN DAY LOAN and IMMERSED IN PLEASURE (available March 2012). Her debut full-length novel THE SIREN comes out in August from MIRA Books. When not unconscious or in the shower, she can be found on Twitter (@tiffanyreisz). She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with two cats and her boyfriend who really needs to come to bed because she’s totally in the mood right now.

Anywho! Regardless of the seasonal prognostication, I have a prediction of my own: lots of cowboys. Read on to find out why!

Cover vs. Cover

Hop onto our Facebook page to participate in our cover vs. cover debate. This time it’s a Fortunes of Texas Series Spotlight! Yee-haw! Who’s your pick: Handsome Fortune Scion or Good Looking Cowboy?

Sales at Harlequin.com and Carina Press!

Our Books on a Budget has been refreshed with a new slew of $2.99 book deals. This month we’re featuring Cowboys on a Budget. You can pick up as many men of the West as you’d like–all at 40% off! Cowboys for everyone! Visit Harlequin.com to start browsing the list.

But if you’re not particularly hung up on the Stetson-and-jeans set, Carina Press has a sale on everything from the super-sweet to the super-sexy!

Featured Trailer

HARLEQUIN NONFICTION presents SUGARLICIOUS by Meaghan Mountford!

Professional cookie decorator Meaghan Mountford shows how anyone can transform drab sugar cookies into glowing planets, plain marshmallows into scary zombies, and simple cake pops into blooming flowers. This utterly charming book provides readers with step-by-step instructions to create simple, unique art from affordable and accessible materials.

Watch the exclusive video premier on Facebook!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate with some free romance reads! Contributors were asked to write to the same prompt, with each story representing a different sub-genre. I was beyond thrilled when I was invited to represent “steampunk”! For those of you not familiar with this hot new sub-genre, let me break it down for you.

The “steam” part is basically referring to the gadgets, machines and/or inventions, which are a staple of the sub-genre. Think mechanical animals chock full of gears, time machines, brass goggles and airships. Then take those machines and put them into Victorian England or perhaps the Wild West in order to create an alternate history. The new Sherlock Holmes movies, The Prestige and Sweeney Todd all have steampunk elements and are wonderful representations of the steampunk aesthetic.

Now for the “punk” part. This refers to the revolutionary aspect of the tale. There will typically be something about the characters or their plight that bucks the social norms of the times.

In Bold as Brass, my “steam” is a pair of brass goggles that can see exactly five minutes into the future. My “punk” is a heroine who is an inventor and scientist with the guts to go after the man she loves, no matter what society thinks.

Here’s a little taste:

Charlotte poked around for some heartache over the betrayal, but all she found was anger. In any case, it wasn’t as if she’d ever loved him or expected his love in return. She wanted a family. He had the title, she had the money, and they got on well. Alistair hadn’t wanted her, so what did it matter who she married?

John slipped the weapon into his pocket and tried to turn her toward the door, jostling her with the cloth covered revolver. She made a silent vow to work on her instincts.

She looked down her nose at him. “I would appreciate if you would not do that again.”

“Not the rest, John. Just you.”

You can read the rest free at Harlequin.com!

Editor’s Note: Psst, you can read more about steampunk on the Harlequin Blog. We’ve had Carina Press authors (including Christine!) blog about the genre before. Check out the steampunk tag for more!

One day, a woman may be going about her normal routine when she encounters unexpected danger – and sizzling romance. This is the promise of Romantic Suspense. The authors begin the story on the first page and take the reader on an unforgettable journey, filled with complex characters, layered stories and suspense that will leave you breathless.

This line, formerly called Intimate Moments, can boast once being the home of many of today’s brightest stars of the genre: Nora Roberts, Heather Graham, Sharon Sala, and Linda Howard. In the past year, we’ve brought two new authors to the line, and we’re always delighted to cultivate new talent.

In 2012, we have some very exciting projects lined up, as well as unforgettable contributions from Carla Cassidy, Rachel Lee, Marie Ferrarella, Cindy Dees, Linda Conrad, Elle Kennedy and many more. Variety is the spice of life as we present stories set overseas, Westerns, medical themes, spies, sheiks, law enforcement and who doesn’t love a good cowboy? We love the stories our authors come up with!

At the beginning of the year, you’ll want to read the 6-book series, Perfect, Wyoming, which features a seemingly perfect town’s infiltration by a dangerous cult. In the last four months of 2012, visit The Coltons of Eden Falls, a family that helps uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of Amish girls.

What do you love most about reading romance suspense in general? Are there any movies or tv shows you like to watch in between the wait for each month’s new Romantic Suspense?

It also doesn’t just happen in fiction. Loads of people have to get over their old hurts before they can learn to love again. It’s a part of the human condition. There are loads of ways to cope. In Kristan Higgins’ All I Ever Wanted, which I’m reading right now, Callie Grey has a “happily-ever-after” rocking chair she retreats to with cake batter when she’s feeling blue. My friend recently had a pity party for one, which I crashed with a bottle of wine and poutine. For me, part of the healing process comes from listening to music.

One song that really hit home with me was Goyte’s “Somebody That I Used to Know”. Like a lot of people, I first heard the tune when this video came out:

It’s sublimely perfect to hear five people make so much music come out of one guitar.

Today I finally listened to the original and I feel it’s much more intimate and real, perhaps because it was written by Gotye himself, so the emotional weight of his version is heavier than the cover (nearly always the case). And it made me think of other songs that have helped me get over my own big hurts in the past, in particular Adele’s “First Love”.

These days I’m in a new, happy relationship. But even though I’m disgustingly in love, music still has an effect on me. (I’m a musician; it’s kind of hard not to let it affect me!) So I thought I would share these two pieces on this cold and rainy Friday afternoon and ask what do you listen to when you’re on the down-and-outs? Hoping you’re not, but even if you are, remember that music can sooth the heart.

And if music alone can’t do it…there’s always cake batter.

If you’ve resolved to just read good books this year, then we’ve got a round up that you might want to read.

Meet the Fortunes of Texas at Harlequin.com Community

The Fortunes of Texas have landed in bookstores and we blogged about it earlier this week. Now you have a chance to meet these ladies and gentlemen of the Lonestar State in the Harlequin.com Community! Meet the characters and the authors behind them all week!

Harlequin Escape Winter Reads Sale

Oh, that dull winter sun is starting to kill my soul. Thankfully, Harlequin’s having a special sale to rekindle one’s imagination and remind us all what hot sunshine really feels like! Spend $15, save $5 on featured titles in our Escape Reads sale! Enjoy these titles in ebooks, too! Quantities are limited. Escape Reads sale with coupon code ESCJAN12. Expires January 31, 2012, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Carina Press Extended Excerpt

Are you a fan of Carina Press on Facebook yet? Then you probably already know that the new extended excerpt for this week is from Prehistoric Clock by Robert Appleton! Click here access the read. It’s book 1 in the Steam Clock Legacy series.

Airship officer Verity Champlain is well-respected by her crew. But after a vital mission nearly goes wrong, she is having second thoughts about her career.

Lord Garrett Embrey is on the run. The Leviacrum Council, the secretive scientific body that holds sway over the Empire, executed his father and uncle and now they want him dead too.

Professor Cecil Reardon is consumed by grief. Since his wife and son died he’s been obsessed with his work, and now he is on the verge of an extraordinary scientific breakthrough: his machine is about to breach time itself, to undo fate’s cruel taking of his loved ones.

But the time jump doesn’t go according to plan, and part of London winds up millions of years in the past. Verity and her crew—Lord Embrey, Professor Reardon and others stranded with them—must pull together to survive in a world ruled by dinosaurs…and to somehow get home.

Julie Kagawa Video from BEA 2011

Our featured video for this week is a Justine Magazine interview with Julie Kagawa, author of the Iron Fey series!

This month we’re thrilled to be introducing THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: WHIRLWIND ROMANCE, which introduces readers to the Atlanta Fortunes, a brand-new branch of the family who will bring their Southern charm to their Texas cousins!  WHIRLWIND ROMANCE features some of Special Edition’s most popular authors – including two-time RITA Award winner Karen Templeton, USA TODAY bestselling authors Marie Ferrarella, Susan Crosby and Allison Leigh, and reader favorites Judy Duarte and Nancy Robards Thompson.  The story kicks off with our January title, Fortune’s Cinderella.  Local waitress Christina Hastings has sworn off wealthy playboys, but she’s forced to depend on handsome Southern bachelor Scott Fortune when she’s injured in a tornado that hits Red Rock.  Will he turn out to be her knight in a Stetson?

There are plenty of tycoons, cowboys and, of course, lots of Texas-sized romance in these books, so don’t miss a single installment of this great series! Mark your calendars for these upcoming titles:

January 2012: Fortune’s Cinderella by Karen Templeton

February 2012: Fortune’s Valentine Bride by Marie Ferrarella

March 2012: Mendoza’s Miracle by Judy Duarte

April 2012: Fortune’s Hero by Susan Crosby

May 2012: Fortune’s Unexpected Groom by Nancy Robards Thompson

June 2012: Fortune’s Perfect Match by Allison Leigh

We hope you enjoy these new releases. Have you read the Fortunes of Texas series in the past? Whose story have you enjoyed in the past? Or is there a particular character who you’d like to see get their own story one day?

Are you obsessed with Downton Abbey like I am – and most of my coworkers? It comes as no surprise that a bunch of people who love sweeping historical sagas with a hefty dose of romance are so into the series.

Recently the New York Times carried an article about books for fans of the series (read it here). But what about romance novels???? Don’t worry Downton fans, I got your back and found some Harlequin books to whet your appetite for upstairs/downstairs and early 20^th Century historical romances….

Please note I wrote this post after seeing the second episode of Downton season 2 (that’s how far Masterpiece Theatre is into the series here in North America) so some of my comments may be outdated if you’ve seen more of season 2 or leave out later developments.

The Last Rake in London by Nicola Cornick (Harlequin Historical)

Setting: England, 1908

Back of the Book:

“All my winnings tonight against one night with you.”

Under a blaze of chandeliers, in London’s most fashionable club, Jack Kestrel is waiting. He hasn’t come to enjoy the rich at play, he’s there to uphold his family name. But first he has to get past the ice-cool owner: the beautiful Sally Bowes. And Jack wants her to warm his bed–at any price!

Edwardian society flocks to Sally’s club, but dangerous Jack Kestrel is the most sinfully sensual rogue she’s ever met. Inexperienced with men, the wicked glint in Jack’s eyes promises he’ll take care of satisfying her every need….

Similarties to Downton: Scandal, blackmail, romance — all set amongst the Edwardian high society. The country estate, Dauntsey Park, even sounds like a bit like “Downton” (In fact, this book has been reissued in the UK as Dauntsey Park: The Last Rake in London with “for fans of Downton Abbey” right on the cover J ).

Jack Compton’s Luck by Paula Marshall (Harlequin Historical)

Setting: post-WWI England

Back of the Book:

Four years of war and even more years of trying to save the family estate have knocked the daredevil out of Jack Compton. He’s hanging on to his place in society by the skin of his teeth.

Seeing Lacey Chancellor joyously dancing the Charleston brings his passion for life back full force! As luck would have it, this wealthy heiress is drawn to him. But pride is a powerful thing. Unwilling to be branded a fortune hunter, will Jack choose honor over love?

Similarities to Downton: I’m not sure who the hero and heroine are more like – Matthew and Mary, the WWI veteran and heiress? Except Lacey is actually an American heiress and the hero’s estate needs funds, so maybe that makes them more like Cora and the Earl of Grantham…?

Rescuing the Heiress by Valerie Hansen (Love Inspired Historical)

Setting: San Francisco, 1906

Back of the Book:

As a San Francisco firefighter, Michael Mahoney has never seen anything burn more brightly than the determination in socialite Tess Clark’s eyes. Her fiery green gaze and the persuasive curve of her smile convince him to support her involvement in the women’s suffrage movement. His unspoken, forbidden love for the privileged young woman drives him to be her only protector as the earth begins to quake and the city catches fire. Now, in the midst of panic, corruption and disaster, Michael’s survival is uncertain, yet his faith in God and love for Tess are stronger than ever. Will he have the chance to show Tess that love can’t be contained by social binds?

Similarities to Downton: The American setting and inspirational theme are different, but who can resist a class-defying love romance, like the hunky chauffeur Branson’s crush on Lady Sybil and Edith’s fling with the local farmer? (Though I have to add, per the note above, I have no idea where these plots are going but I have my fingers crossed it’s towards an HEA!) The heroine is also a suffragette, like Downton’s forward-thinking Sybil.

It Happened at Christmas (anthology) by Penny Jordan, Helen Brooks and Carol Wood (Harlequin Special Releases)

Setting: 1900s England

Back of the Book:

Experience the love, warmth and magic Christmas brings, with this heartwarming collection from three favorite Harlequin authors.

So much stands between Lancashire mill owner Haywood Denshaw and his new housekeeper Marianne Brown. But even disparate social standing and rumors of disreputable pasts can’t get in the way of their love. Only Marianne’s refusal to compromise her principles can, in a captivating story by Penny Jordan.

Wealthy farmer Luke Hudson gets more than he bargained for when he plucks a destitute young woman from the workhouse. He may have rescued Connie Summers from a life of penury and hard labor, but her spirit and warmth give him a new outlook—and a second chance at love, in an enthralling story by Helen Brooks.

Modern-thinking doctor Harry Fleet and compassionate but old-school nurse Tilly Dainty clash at the Tap House surgery in 1920s East London. But working together to care for the sick and needy turns out to be a healing balm on both their hearts, in an emotional story by Carol Wood.

Similarities to Downton: If you like the “downstairs” side of Downton Abbey more than the “upstairs”, this anthology about working-class characters finding love should be up your alley. The three stories are also set in slightly different time periods, from 1899 to the 1920s.

Plus, here are a few more early 20^th century-set books to check out:

• On the Wings of Love by Elizabeth Lane (Harlequin Historical)
• Gift from the Sea by Anna Scmidt (Love Inspired Historical)
• Soaring Home by Christine Johnson (Love Inspired Historical)
• The Flower Arrangement by Adelaide Cole (Spice Briefs. Note: this is an erotica novella, not an erotic romance)
• Brenda Joyce’s Francesca Cahill series, including Deadly Illusions, Deadly Kisses and Deadly Vows (HQN Books)

Do you know any books to recommend to Downton Abbey fans? Please share them in the comments!

Harlequin Community Author Spotlight

Our new author spotlight on the Harlequin Community is Carla Cassidy! All week we’re talking with Carla about her books. Carla Cassidy is an award-winning author who has written more than 55 books. In 1995 she won Best Silhouette Romance of 1995 from Romantic Times Magazine for Anything for Danny. Carla has been a professional cheerleader, an actress, and a singer/dancer in a show band before settling into her true love…writing. Find out more on the Harlequin.com Community page.

Health & Wellness Book Sale at Harlequin.com

New Year, New You week on the Harlequin Blog may be over, but our sale continues! Discover our featured Health & Wellness titles and save 30%! Enjoy these titles in ebooks, too!

FREE Chain Reaction (Carina Press) Extended Excerpt

Download the free extended excerpt of Zoë Archer’s Chain Reaction on the Carina Press Facebook page!

Elite 8th Wing pilot Celene Jur was taken captive after a mysterious device temporarily disabled her ship’s controls. Three solar months later, when Celene receives intel on the man who built the device, she’s ready to get the bastard. Only problem is, the higher-ups think her mission partner should be Nils Calder, a tech-head who can understand the disabling device. The attraction between them is electric, but Celene needs a soldier who can watch her back as she exacts her revenge.

Nils knows his department is nicknamed NerdWorks. Pilots like Celene think the closest tech geeks come to combat is all-night Nifalian chess tournaments. But behind the NerdWorks insignia on his sleeve Nils is an able fighter, ready to prove himself and gain Celene’s trust.

The desire between them is unexpected, but with the fate of thousands hanging in the balance, the hotshot pilot and the tech genius must succeed in their mission—no matter the cost.

Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life Book Trailer

The key to a less hectic, less stressful life is not in simply organizing your desk, but organizing your mind. Dr. Paul Hammerness, a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist, describes the latest neuroscience research on the brain’s extraordinary built-in system of organization. Margaret Moore, an executive wellness coach and codirector of the Institute of Coaching, translates the science into solutions. Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life is available from Harlequin Nonfiction.