by Joshua Corin, author of While Galileo Preys, the first book in the Esme Stuart series

It was a moment of desire and hope.

I was in my cubicle, staring at my work phone. I knew the call from my agent would be coming. He seemed to think that MIRA was interested in publishing my new series but the offer had yet to be made. He assured me that if the offer was going to be made, it was going to be made that afternoon. These were my office hours so occasionally a student would come by to ask a question about an assignment or to argue a grade but most of that afternoon was spent staring at my work phone, begging and wishing and praying for it to ring, and for the news to be good.

And then the call came.

It was a moment of desire and hope.

My agent informed me that MIRA was indeed interested in publishing my new series and were in fact making an offer. I screamed. I danced. I uttered a litany of joyful obscenities. I was happy for myself, of course, but I was also happy for my protagonist, Esme Stuart, a woman struggling with that most wonderful and difficult of burdens—a sense of duty. She quit the FBI to become a wife and a mother, to live out the American dream in white-picket-fence Long Island, but when a madman crisscrosses the country on a murderous rampage, her sense of duty tugs at her. Can she join in the manhunt without destabilizing the idyllic life she has worked so hard to create? Can she balance work and family? And what happens when these two worlds collide, and the madman comes to Long Island seeking revenge?

It is a story I believe in and a topic that both women and men can relate to, and the fact that MIRA, on that afternoon, agreed to share Esme’s story with the world, left me giddy. And so, after I proceeded to call every person I ever met, I walked over to my department office to share my good news with my colleagues.

It was a moment of desire and hope.

One of my colleagues congratulated me on the accomplishment and, of course, asked me who was publishing my novels. When this colleague confessed to having not heard of MIRA, I explained to her that it was the division of Harlequin that specialized in thrillers. My colleague listened, nodded, and then replied, “Oh, Harlequin? I didn’t think your book was a romance novel.”

No, it’s not. It’s a thriller. Although Harlequin made a name for itself publishing romances, that genre most famous for its literary promises of desire and hope, for over fifteen years now it has been branching out, and successfully, I might add, into other areas. I am proud to be a Harlequin writer. MIRA publishes some of the best thrillers in the market today and I am honored that the first novel in Esme’s story, While Galileo Preys, is now among them. I hope that you get a chance to pick it up, and, if you do, I hope that you enjoy it.

One warning, though: although the context of the story is dark and the pace is nonstop, as befits a thriller, While Galileo Preys is ultimately a novel infused with, yes, desire and hope. If that’s not your cup of tea, you might want to contact my colleague. I’m sure she could recommend an alternative.

Editor’s note: To celebrate Joshua’s MIRA debut, we’re giving away a print copy of While Galileo Preys to a blog reader! We’ll pick a winner on Monday, September 6^th. To enter, please leave a comment on today’s post—have you ever come across a fellow reader who’s been surprised by your “reading choice”? The contest will run until 11:59 pm EST Sunday, September 5^th and is only open to US and Canadian residents (with our apologies to our overseas readers!) For full entry details, please click here.

by Leslie Wainger, Editor-at-Large, Harlequin Single Titles

OK, I’ll get the “conflict of interest” stuff out of the way first. I’m Maggie Shayne’s editor and have been for years (we were both seven when we started, just in case you’re now picturing some gray-haired grandmother holding a pencil in her trembling hand), so of course I love her Secrets of Shadow Falls trilogy.  As to why I love it and want you to read – and love – it, too…

Leslie Wainger’s Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Be Reading Maggie Shayne’s “Secrets of Shadow Falls”

#1) Characters, characters, characters. You’ll feel as if everyone you meet in this small Vermont town is a real person – and just like real people, they’re not always who and what they seem to be. Yes, there are heroes and heroines here worthy of the name, but there are also great secondary characters and genuinely scary villains – and you won’t always know who’s who. And that brings me to…

#2) What good is a romantic suspense trilogy without some real suspense? You’ll find that here in spades. Not only am I generally good at figuring things out when I read, I read synopses of these books early on in the process. Even so, enough time had passed and Maggie is so good at what she does that when I was reading the full manuscripts I kept getting blindsided by what was going on and where the threat was coming from.

#3) Romantic suspense also needs…well…romance. I’m like every reader out there: I want to believe this couple belong together and that neither one of them could possibly be happy with anyone else. I want to feel the sexual tension and yes, I admit it, enjoy a little vicarious sex, too. Luckily for me (and you *g*), Maggie knows how to deliver.

#4) I get really tired of reading trilogies and even longer miniseries that feel as if they were created on the fly, with the author having no real idea where she was going or how to get there. It makes me nuts when it’s obvious that the author decided late in the game how to tie all the stories together, because the connections are all after-the-fact revelations that were never in the early books, so I can’t look back and think, How did I miss that? No fear of that happening here. Maggie was in control of the big picture from page one.

#5) Do you hate the sagging middle as much as I do? No, I don’t mean my stomach after I’ve had a few too many donuts and desserts. I’m talking about that point toward the middle of the book where the story runs out of stream and pokes along with nothing much going on ‘til it gets closer to the end, when suddenly the author introduces a little action again. No sagging here, none at all. Maggie knows what twists and turns are, and just how to pace her books for maximum effect.

#6) This woman knows how to write. She makes every character’s voice unique and can set a scene so you feel as if you’re really there. She can create steamy or scary and make you feel just the way she wants you to feel. This may be the editor in me talking, but that’s a real talent – and one not every author shares.

#7) No shrinking violets need apply. It amazes me that even now, in 2010, an awful lot of heroines are still so, well, weak, for lack of a better word. I’m not saying every heroine needs to be Xena, Warrior Princess, but I don’t want any whiny nitwits, either. Maggie’s heroines are smart and strong and resourceful. They’re good matches for her heroes. They don’t just sit around oohing and ahhing and waiting to be saved. They step up and take care of themselves, their kids and the men in their lives. Of course, when it comes to those men, it’s time for…

#8) Heroes. Real heroes. They’re Alpha heroes because they’re strong and capable and not about to take crap from anybody. But they’re not one-note male chauvinist idiots. A Maggie Shayne hero values a strong woman, likes a relationship that’s a bit of a challenge, and knows how to feel real emotions, not just lust, lust and more lust. (Not that there isn’t some lust mixed in there, too – see #3 for a reminder. *g*)

#9) Maggie never forgets that she’s writing to make her readers happy, not just to amuse herself. In the years since her first romantic suspense trilogy for MIRA – Thicker Than Water, Colder Than Ice and Darker Than Midnight – requests for a continuation of the story have poured in. Everyone wanted to know what happened to Dawn Jones, daughter of charismatic but terrifying Mordecai Young. Maggie gave Dawn a few years to grow up, then wove her story into that complicated (but clearly drawn and never confusing) bigger picture I referenced in #4. In short, she’s given readers everything they’ve asked for and so much more. (And don’t worry if you haven’t read those early books. This new trilogy stands entirely on its own.)

#10) Remember what your mom used to say when she told you to do something you didn’t want to do? You asked why you had to do it, and she said, “Because I said so, that’s why.” And that’s my last reason why you need to read Secrets of Shadow Falls. I’ve been in this business a long time. I’ve worked with a lot of authors, including a lot of bestsellers whose names – and even though I’m not going to specify, you can trust me on this – you’d recognize. So when I say this trilogy is something special, you can trust me on that, too. The best of the best take all the individual aspects of a good book, put them together and come up with something that’s even more than the sum of its parts. And Maggie is very definitely ranked right up there with the best of the best. This trilogy is the proof.

Bonus #11) Maggie writes a kickass vampire novel, too, so keep an eye out for her upcoming “Wings in the Night” reissues: Twilight Hunger (October), Edge of Twilight (November) and Blue Twilight (December). And then, in 2011, don’t miss her incredible “Wings” continuation: Twilight Prophecy (May) and Twilight Fulfilled (October), which together form a duo we’re calling “Children of Twilight.” Even if you’re not usually a fan of vampire books, you’ll want to spread your wings *g* and try these.

Are you an avid reader of one of Harlequin’s lines but haven’t had a chance to look through the rest of our offerings? Maybe you’re generally a fan of contemporary romance but are curious to try some historical or paranormal books. Guess what? We have a way for you to do exactly that—and best of all, it’s free of charge! If you’re not taking advantage of TryHarlequin.com yet, you should take a look next time you’re looking for a new book to read.

TryHarlequin.com offers a variety of excellent reads by some of our top authors at absolutely no cost. There’s something there for every reader, no matter what type of romance you’re in the mood for!

Here are the titles available:

• Silhouette Desire - Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child
• Harlequin Romance – Bride’s Baby by Liz Fielding
• Harlequin Intrigue – Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by BJ Daniels
• Silhouette Special Edition – Dancing in the Moonlight by RaeAnne Thayne
• Harlequin Bianca – Deudas de Deseo by Emma Darcy
• Harlequin Deseo – Entre El Odio Y El Deseo by Tessa Radley
• Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense – Hide In Plain Sight by Marta Perry
• Harlequin Historical – His Lady Mistress by Elizabeth Rolls
• Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical – Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart
• Kimani Romance – Irresistible Forces by Brenda Jackson
• Harlequin Presents – The Italian’s Inexperienced Mistress by Lynn Graham
• Harlequin Nocturne – Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
• Harlequin Superromance – Married By Mistake by Abby Gaines
• American Romance – Once a Cowboy by Linda Warren
• Silhouette Romantic Suspense – Passion to Die For by Marilyn Pappano
• Harlequin Blaze – Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly
• Harlequin NASCAR – Speed Dating by Nancy Warren
• Harlequin Azur – Troublant Tete-A-Tete by Lucy Monroe
• Steeple Hill Love Inspired – A Very Special Delivery by Linda Goodnight

Books are all available as PDFs, with ePUB coming soon.

So go ahead…introduce yourself to a new author or a new genre. You might surprise yourself by what catches your interest!

Congratulations to all of our authors who are on this week’s New York Times bestseller list.

Paperback:
#12 Orchard Valley Brides by Debbie Macomber (MIRA, week 3)
#29 Ghost Night by Heather Graham (MIRA, week 3)
#24 Kiss Me If You Can by Carly Phillips (HQN, week 3)

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Hey everyone!  This is Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron Fey series.  After the release of The Iron Daughter a few weeks ago, one of the questions I’ve been asked most frequently revolves around Meghan and her ability to fight back.  I now give you a short excerpt from the upcoming The Iron Queen, the third book in the Iron Fey series, which I hope will help to answer that question:

 Ash strode to a nearby rock, swooped down, and tossed me a long, slightly curved stick.  When I caught it, I saw that it was actually a leather sheath with a gilded brass hilt poking from the top.  A sword.  Ash was giving me a sword … why? 

            Oh, yeah.  Because I wanted to learn to fight.  Because I’d asked him to teach me. 

            Ash, watching me with that weary, knowing look on his face, shook his head.  “You forgot, did you?”

            “Nooooo,” I said quickly.  “I just … didn’t think it would be this soon.”

            “This is the perfect place.”  Ash turned slightly to gaze around the clearing.  “Quiet, hidden.  We can catch our breath here.  It’s a good place to learn while you’re waiting for your father to come out of it.  When we’re done here, I have a feeling things will get much more chaotic.”  He gestured to the sword in my hand.  “Your first lesson begins now.  Draw your sword.”

I did.  Unsheathing it sent a raspy shiver across the glen, and I gazed at the weapon in fascination.  The blade was thin and slightly curved, an elegant looking weapon, razor sharp and deadly.  A warning tickled the back of my mind.  There was something about the blade that was … different.    Blinking, I ran my fingers along the cool, gleaming edge, and a chill shot through my stomach.   

            The blade was made of steel.  Not faery steel.  Not a fey sword covered in glamour.  Real, ordinary iron.  The kind that would burn faery flesh and sear away glamour.  The kind that left wounds impossible to heal. 

            I gaped at it, then at Ash, who looked remarkably calm to be facing his greatest weakness.  “This is steel,” I told him, sure that Leanansidhe had made a mistake.

            He nodded.  “An eighteenth-century Spanish saber.  Leanansidhe nearly had a fit when I told her what I wanted, but she was able to track one down in exchange for a favor.”  He paused then, wincing slightly.  “A very large favor.”

Alarmed, I stared at him.  “What did you promise her?” 

“It doesn’t matter.  Nothing that endangers us in any way.”  He hurried on before I could argue.  “I wanted a light, slashing weapon for you, one with a good amount of reach, to keep opponents farther away.”  He gestured to the saber with his own weapon, a blindingly quick stab of blue.  “You’ll be moving around a lot, using speed instead of brute force against your enemies.  That blade won’t block heavier weapons, and you don’t have the strength to swing a longsword effectively, so we’re going to have to teach you how to dodge.  This was the best choice.”

“But this is steel,” I repeated, listening to him in amazement.  He could teach a class with his knowledge of weapons and fighting.  “Why a real sword?  I could seriously hurt someone.”

“Meghan.”  Ash gave me a patient look.  “That’s exactly why I chose it.  You have an advantage with that weapon that none of us can touch.  Even the most violent redcap will think twice about facing a real, mortal blade.  It won’t scare the Iron fey, of course, but that’s where training will come in.”

            “But … but what if I hit you?”

             A snort.  “You’re not going to hit me.”

            “How do you know?”  I bristled at his amused tone.  “I could hit you.  Even master swordsmen make mistakes.  I could get a lucky shot, or you might not see me coming.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

            He favored me with another patient look.  “And how much experience do you have with swords and weapons in general?” 

“Um.”  I glanced down at the saber in my hand.  “Thirty seconds?”

              He smiled, that calm, irritatingly confident smirk.  “You’re not going to hit me.” 

Meghan’s story, and the war with the Iron Fey, continues in The Iron Queen, coming February 2011, from Harlequin TEEN.

Now don’t panic, but I have something to tell you: Summer is almost over. Before you start weeping into your last mojito, take heart! Because with the end of Summer comes the beginning of Fall, and that means…State Fairs!

I love State Fairs. The smell of cotton candy wafting over the game stalls adorned with stuffed animals being hawked by questionable-looking carnies. Late-night rides on the Ferris Wheel, squeezing my beau tight as my stomach lifts up into my lungs on that short gentle plunge back down to Earth. The animals, the blue ribbon pies…do I need to go on?

I didn’t think so.

Now there’s one more reason to head down to your local state fair…if you live in Minnesota, Texas, Arizona or North Carolina, that is!
We’re sending our sexiest Harlequin Heroes to give away FREE copies of B.J. Daniels’s Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch.

Check out the list below and mark your calendars!
Minnesota State Fair
Dates: August 26 – September 6
Location: 1265 Snelling Ave, St Paul, MN 55108-3109

http://www.mnstatefair.org/

The ‘Big Tex’ State Fair of Texas
Dates: September 24 – October 17
Location: 3921 Martin Luther King Blvd. Dallas, TX 75210

http://www.bigtex.com/sft/

North Carolina State Fair
Dates: October 15 – October 24
Location: 1025 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh NC 27607

http://www.ncstatefair.org/

Arizona State Fair
Date: October 15-November 7
Location: 1826 W. McDowell Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85007

http://www.azstatefair.com/

P.S If you do decide to visit one of the fairs and meet one of our Harlequin Heroes, you just might get a chance to win a trip. Hint: check out the copy of Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch you receive at the fair!

Congratulations to all of our authors who are on this week’s New York Times bestseller list.

Paperback:
#20 Ghost Night by Heather Graham (MIRA, week 2)
#21 Kiss Me If You Can by Carly Phillips (HQN, week 2)
#29 Orchard Valley Brides by Debbie Macomber (MIRA, week 2)

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From the Hindustan Times…

Manish Singh, country manager for Harlequin Mills & Boon India Pvt Ltd, told Mumbai Mirror, “While there are certain universal traits in our heroes, which resonate across our readership base of 16 to 60 years, Imran Khan obviously has tremendous appeal amongst the younger generation.”

by Artist Arthur, author of Manifest (Kimani TRU)

Growing up reading romance novels set the pace for what type of stories I would eventually write. I love bringing two people together despite the odds that may be against them. Creating wonderful characters and enticing relationships has been the highlight of my career writing as A.C. Arthur.

But about a year ago I decided to switch gears. Actually, the decision was sort of made for me, in the form of advice from so many important people in my life. After seven years of professionally writing and having sensual romance novels published, I was about to embark on a totally different, drastically new form of story creation. I was about to write a young adult book, and not just any young adult book, but a paranormal series that would cross many barriers.

As background, during my years of reading I’ve read quite a few adult paranormal stories, loved the transformation from my contemporary world to the world of witches and warlocks and otherworldly creatures. So I knew that if I was going to go in a different direction I might as well go all the way. I left behind the rich heroes and strong independent heroines set in today’s reality. What I wanted was something more.

A small town with a mysterious history, weather patterns that left more than physical damage, teenagers with more than just puberty to worry about—the Mystyx were born. Outlining this series was the most intense part of the project because there was so much I needed to know. Research took days and more days because creating a whole new world is not as easy as it sounds. I needed a lot of different elements to piece together the perfect group of teenagers or misfits as I first thought of them. A lot of the character research came from other teenagers I knew and some I’d never met. Just by observing them I was able to create Krystal, Jake and Sasha—three unlikely friends drawn together by the unexplainable, yet loyal to each other because of something more important.

The world around them had to also be unique, the town where they live, the students they go to school with, the adults that would never understand what they were going through. This was another piece of the puzzle that took some thinking. The Mystyx Series needed to be realistic and yet steeped in the world of fantasy. I spent a lot of time juggling both trying to be as equal as possible. I relied on memory for this part, my old teachers and neighborhood parents, adults at my church when I was younger. This gave me a colorful assortment of would-be characters to work with.

The bad guy is oh so bad. Although the ultimate bad guy has yet to be revealed, the subplots had to include an adverse element as well. In this area I tried to think of current affairs, what was going on right now with teenagers, what pertinent issues were they facing? There are many and this series is not meant to be preachy or overwhelmingly radical, but I wanted it to be currently important. Therefore, in each book readers will see an issue that’s sort of a hot topic today.

Diversity was also a key component of The Mystyx Series. We are a diverse nation, why shouldn’t our reading reflect that? I’ve read tons of romance and young adult books and found only one thing lacking—ethnic diversity within the main characters. So with this series the plan was in place from the start to set each book in the POV of a different Mystyx, and each Mystyx would have a different ethnicity. So far we have Krystal—the middle class, part Native American and part African American; Sasha—a rich, part Argentinean and part Caucasian; and, Jake—a Caucasian from the wrong side of the tracks. Throughout each story there are more cultural and social differences addressed which I think adds just another layer to this series.

And finally, the paranormal. Supernatural has always been an interest of mine, mainly because I think it’s so close to our reality. There are a phenomenal number of persons today that claim to possess known supernatural powers. Now, answer this, are all of them crazy or are we in denial? I don’t claim to possess any powers, nor have I met anyone who actually does, but I’m not as totally against the idea as some are. It’s an intriguing area that because I had the opportunity I figured I’d delve into.

In a nutshell that’s the creation of the Mystyx. Seems a lot simpler now that I’ve written it out then when I was actually going through the process. But know that this series is still creatively in process, whatever readers think might happen, there’s a good chance it will, and an even higher chance it won’t. This world is ever evolving for me and for the readers, I hope.

Check out the Mystyx website at at www.mystyxseries.com or get the first book here!

by Mel Odom writing as Jordan Gray

My wife Sherry will tell you that my greatest weakness (and most irritating trait) is curiosity.  I have to know things.  I go up to perfect strangers involved in any kind of project and ask, “What’re you doing?”

Of course, I’m encouraged by my success rate in getting those questions answered.  Complete strangers, I have found, love becoming teachers and lecturers – as long as you don’t try to figure out what they’re doing and steal their thunder.

Naturally, one of my favorite reading pursuits is the mystery.  As a kid, I grew up reading the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, then moved on to Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels and John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee tales.

My wife and I share a love of mysteries.  When we were younger and didn’t  know each other, we both loved McMillan & Wife.  Now we both enjoy a lot of BBC series, Castle, The Closer, and other mystery shows.  We always try to figure out whodunit first, and we congratulate ourselves on being clever.

A few years ago, we were in Minnesota at my mother-in-law’s for Christmas.  Sherry got totally involved in a PC game (games of all kinds are big in Minnesota and with my in-laws) and I couldn’t help being curious.  She’d been consumed for hours.

I studied the screen showing a picture of a mausoleum in the middle of a swamp.  “What’re you doing?”

“Tracking a murderer.  Help me find a skull.  I’ve found all but one of them.”

So I sat down and started helping her find hidden objects, and got totally hooked.  The game, of course, was Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst, one of Big Fish Games’s  most successful entries in casual gaming.

I certainly had no clue that I’d be invited one day to write mysteries based on the game.  I loved the game environment and all the history that was hinted at within it,  and I’d imagined what Blackpool must be like beyond Ravenhearst.  But I resigned myself to the fact that I’d never know.

Now I know that Michael and Molly Graham live in Blackpool, and they’re as enamored of mysteries as Sherry and I are.  I hope you’ll enjoy the four connected mysteries set in the Ravenhurst environment: Stolen (August 2010), Vanished (November 2010), Submerged (February 2011) and Unearthed (May 2011). Each one builds on a long-ago mystery that haunts the town, and while each contains its own mystery, it also reveals more of the intriguing and somewhat nefarious history of Blackpool!

The first three covers in the Blackpool Mystery series

While writing the books in the series, I imagined what it would be like if we got the chance to be amateur investigators. And in plotting them,  I sat down with Sherry and we imagined all the secrets Blackpool could hold.  I hope that you enjoy the mysteries as much as we did.  But I’m still curious about Glower Lighthouse.  Surely there’s a story…