WILD CARD WEEKEND: Susan Stephens

Harlequin Presents author Susan Stephens joins Wild Card Weekend to share a little about the challenge and fun of writing about another era... and a chance to win a copy of GRAY QUINN'S BABY!

When I was asked to write a book set in the 60's with a modern day heroine for Harlequin Presents, my first thought was, wow, how incredible. I love that era. The fashions and music were nothing short of revolutionary, while the 'so called' sexual revolution made possible by the pill before the shadow of aids had been identified, was said to liberate women. It was an era of compelling figures who would open our eyes and our hearts, and technical advances that were both fast and thrilling. And, most crucially for my purposes, women were fighting for equal pay and rights with men.

Women might have been moving forward, but there were some men who had not caught up with the times, and I found the idea of pitting a modern woman against a man like this irresistible.

My second thought was - write a contemporary romance set in the 60's - how does that work? That's up to you, I was told.

Brilliant - A blank canvas with no rules. And so Gray Quinn was born.

I must admit Steve McQueen was a huge influence as I wrote this book. And, yes, being a motor bike fanatic he rode a 'monstrous throbbing machine' just like my hero, Gray Quinn!

I had my modern woman meet Gray Quinn in the current day. Magenta then falls asleep and dreams that they have both been transported back to the sixties.

The fun and games begin when Magenta starts to assert herself in this sixties dreamworld. Needless to say, Quinn is not amused. Nor is falling in love with chauvinist Quinn part of Magenta's plan, but fate has other ideas.

Waking up from a deep sleep can be wonderful - Sleeping Beauty receiving that magic kiss, for instance. But when Magenta wakes up in the modern world without Quinn or the baby they were expecting she is thrown out of her beautiful dream into a nightmare.

Will fate be kind to Magenta just one more time?

What's the best dream you ever had - and did it come true?

I have a signed copy of Gray Quinn's Baby to give away for the best answer.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Happy reading!

Susan

A Date WIth Kate - What is Romance Anyway?

You can’t have missed it – all those red hearts and red roses all over the place. Cards, balloons and rows and rows of men rushing into the supermarkets to buy a card, a cheap bunch of flowers and a stuffed bear that says ‘I love you’ at the last minute because they’d forgotten. And nothing says ‘you mean the world to me ‘ like a stuffed teddy bear clutching a big red heart. I even saw some guys buying up the reduced price cards/toys/flowers on Tuesday – how ‘romantic’ is that?

Cynical? Moi? A romance writer?

No – the truth is that I’m the exact opposite of cynical. I believe in romance, in love and caring – and showing it. I just don’t like the commercialism of the day that someone on Eastenders just described as ‘the most romantic night of the year.’ Hmm. Sorry, but what’s romantic about wining, dining, flower and card buying because the cards manufacturers, rose growers , chocolate manufacturers all say you should? What about the rest of the days of the year? The special ones – for you - for him (who ever ‘he’ is)? The ones that have real meaning and importance.

This had me wondering - why then would anyone choose February 14th as the date to celebrate love, passion and all things romantic? A day in a cold, wet usually pretty miserable month where beauty is hard to find, the glow and excitement of Christmas and New Year is well behind us, red roses cost a fortune, and it takes an effort to even think of trying to be romantic.

Or perhaps that's the point? Perhaps it's the fact that because it's hard to make an effort that's what makes it more romantic. It's the effort, the trying, the doing something out of routine, something a little different and a bit special that makes Valentine's Day - or indeed any day - really romantic.

Because isn't that what romance is really all about? It certainly is in the books I write. People - people who don't know the truth - tend to think of romance novels as being about soft and pretty, chocolate box, kittens and flowers sort of love. Boy meets girl, girl falls in love with boy, boy falls in love with girl, they marry and live happily ever after. It's soppy, cheesy, a 'soft'.


Not the books I write. I write about people who have real problems in their relationship. People who have reason to dislike, even to hate each other. Reason to believe the worst of someone, even as they are acknowledging that this person is really affecting them like no other person ever has in all their life. People who have to fight - with their hero or heroine, with their mistaken beliefs, and, ultimately, with themselves to reach a real, honest, deep and long-lasting love. It's an adult affair, not boy meets girl, not hearts and flowers, not pretty pink cards easily picked up in the local supermarket.

After all, St Valentine himself didn't have things easy - St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269 at Rome apparently beaten with clubs and then beheaded, and was buried on the Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."

So perhaps that's it. Perhaps it's because February is such a dark, gloomy, apparently unromantic month that we celebrate romantic love in the middle of it. And Valentine's Day is really like love and romance itself isn't it? Just when everything is dark and gloomy and bleak, we have a day that reminds us to make an effort for the person we love. To show them, tell them how we feel. It may be cold and wet but with the one you love you can curl up safe and sheltered and let love keep you warm

Because for me it’s making that effort that matters. It’s thinking about the other person and doing something for them. I wouldn’t want red roses – I don’t like them. I wouldn’t want chocolates – I struggle enough with my weight without them. I don’t really want a mass produced card. Personally I love the story in the paper about the couple who have recycled the same Valentine card every year for the 69 years they have been together because – as Harry, the husband says - ‘I knew Doris was the one for me the moment I met her. It was a heck of a night during the Blitz, but at least it meant we met each other. I gave her the Valentine’s card then and she is still my Valentine now.’

I asked several other romance writers what their definition of romance is – here are their answers

Anne McAllister whose book Hired by Her Husband is out now in Presents said:

It's one of those things, like pornography, that I would say I know it when I see it. If we call it "hearts and flowers" what do we really mean? It's not just gifts in honor of Valentine's Day or someone's birthday -- though that can be a part of it.


It's the attitude behind that behavior. Behaving romantically is focusing on the other person, thinking of things -- big or small -- that matter to that person and finding a way to make them happen.

It involves both joy in the moment and a promise for the future. Romance isn't a dead end. It doesn't look to "get something out of" the relationship, but to work at enhancing the potential for growth in the attachment between two people. It is a way of bringing hope to a relationship.

Liz Fielding who has Tempted by Trouble, her first book in the new RIVA series coming out in June sent this:

What is romance anyway? Romance is the fluffy stuff, the red roses, champagne, wooing. Sitting across the table staring into one another's eyes. Love is when two people turn to face the same way, each ready with a steadying hand to the back, aware that life isn't all moonlight and roses but mostly washing up and making the bed rather than lying on it. And maybe romance is still wanting to do that forty years later.

From Michelle Reid who has her new Modern Romance After Their Vows coming out in April  and admits she hates the word Romance (she very wisely calls our books Relationship stories, not Romance books.)

Hm, I suppose for me (the romantic fiction writer) romance is The Love Affair. It begins with that thrilling moment when two people connect emotionally followed by the excitement of coming together. The desire, the heat, the overwhelming passion, the wild – wild optimism that tells you this could be the one all muddled up by scary uncertainties you want to just go away.

Another RIVA writer Heidi Rice offered this

What does Romance mean to me? Gosh, that's such a huge question! I think of it as that wonderfully warm, fuzzy glow, that sizzle of excitement and anticipation you get when dream touches reality...

Heidi’s first bona fide Riva is Cupcakes and Killer Heels, which is a linked book to Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger, and is out in shops in May.



And finally, Abby Green whose book Bride in A Gilded Cage is shortlisted for the RNA Love Story of the Year Award – so she should know about romance – wrote this:

I think romance is...a belief in magic and fate. It's a belief that the world isn't such a cynical place after all. It's also about vulnerability, the cracking open of two people's tough or not so tough veneers to the beating and very human hearts underneath. Romance is the fairytale that exists all around us every day when two people meet and connect and find that magic in each other...

Abby has Secrets of The Oasis out in Modern Romance and In Christophides’ Keeping in Presents .



And me? I think they’re all right because I’ll go back to what I think is really romantic – thinking about the other person as an individual and caring for them in that way - finding what really matters to them and trying to make sure they have that in their lives. It’s all about putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. That’s what I try to put in my books too.

Or, in my case, the BM remembering the 1940s Lucite brooch I looked at and loved when the shop was closed – and going back to fetch it for me not because it was Valentine’s Day but because I loved it. Nice one BM – that’s romance. 

What about you? What does romanc mean to you - in a book or in real life?

Kate Walker's latest Presents title - The Good Greek Wife? - was out in Presents Extra in October and is still available now on Amazon, eHarlequin etc. her next Presents Extra title is The Proud Wife (her editor has been on a 'title with Wife in it kick!) is out in March in the UK and April in America.

Her latest book, part of the The Powerful and the Pure mini series - The Return of The Stranger - has just been scheduled for September 2011.

You can get all Kate's news and read the latest updates over on her web site or her blog.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Deborah Hale

In the spotlight today is Harlequin Historical author Deborah Hale sharing a bit about herself and two books to giveaway!

Deborah, congratulations on the release of book one in your new GENTLEMEN OF FORTUNE series. Can you tell us a little about this story? What inspired it?

My latest release, Married: The Virgin Widow is a “man from the past” story. When Ford Barrett and Laura Penrose’s romance fell apart seven years ago, each felt betrayed by the other, especially Ford when Laura married his cousin and threatened his expectations to inherit the family title and estate. Now that Ford has made his fortune in the Far East, he returns to inherit the estate and take care of unfinished business with the fair widow. The inspiration for the story was a rejection I received on a previous proposal because it didn’t have enough conflict and emotional intensity. I wanted this one to have both in spades!

What are your favorite genres? Least favorites?

Most of my reading is historical – romance, fiction, non-fiction, fantasy and historical mysteries. I sometimes read contemporary romance if I know the author. Least favorite would be horror or anything with violence against children. I read for escape from the worries and stress of modern life. Nothing quite does that for me like reading about a somewhat idealized past.

Who is the most inspirational figure in your life?

My youngest sons are my personal heroes. They are twins who have high functioning autism. They’ve overcome so much, come so far and have such a unique perspective on life.

When the writing is done, how do you kick back to relax?

I practice Taoist tai-chi which I find both relaxing and energizing. I also sing with a Celtic choir which performs sacred and secular Celtic music. I enjoy scrapbooking but don’t often have time for that.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

I see bits of myself in all many of my characters – even the villains! I love writing the occasional witty/b*tchy other woman who gets to say all the nasty things I never would. J I find it easiest to relate to heroines who have a strong nurturing instinct and heroes who are loners. I find it harder to relate to very feisty heroines and heroes who are charmers – but I’ve written both and really enjoyed getting into their heads!

How long have you been writing and what prompted you to begin?

I’ve been writing pretty much since I could hold a pencil but didn’t complete my first novel until I was in my early thirties with two young children. I had a story idea that I didn’t want to die of “garbage can syndrome” like so many of my past ones, so I made a pact with a supportive friend to send her chapters as I finished them. That kept me motivated to finish my first book.

How do you manage your ideas for new stories before you’re able to really sit down and work on them?

I jot down as much as I can quickly on cards or paper and pop them in an idea file. If a story really gets under my skin, like the one I’m currently writing for LIH, I’ll even jot scene ideas or bits of dialogue. That’s usually enough to relieve the “new idea itch” until I have time to write the story. Sometimes enough time goes by that I’ve almost forgotten, so when I open my idea file, it’s like a trunk full of new toys to take out and play with!

How has your process changed through your career?

I wrote my first book by the seat of my pants because I didn’t know there was any other way. After I was contracted by HH and writing two or more book a year, I found I needed to do more pre-writing. These days, I find it very hard to write my first draft on my word processor. So I go out each morning to a café and write a thousand or so words longhand then type them in later in the day. I find it easier to write a scene if I outline it first, but I don’t stick slavishly to the outline. It just lets me know where I’m going, otherwise my scenes can wander.

What’s the best piece of advice you have to offer to an aspiring author?

I have different ones for authors at different stages, but for someone just starting out, I’d say, “Don’t be afraid to make a mess.” Jump in and get the story written however you can. Don’t expect it to be perfect or even good. You’ll learn so much from completing a manuscript and other advice will make sense once you’ve gone through the process. Your next story will be better or maybe you’ll be able to rewrite the first one and improve it.

How would you describe what writing is to you? (Habit, hobby, outlet, obsession, sanity saver…?)

Probably all of the above at various stages. J When my four children were little, a friend of mine used to say writing was my “sanity-retention mechanism.” Since then, there have been times when it’s felt like just the opposite. But when the words flow, a new idea beckons or I hear a reader has been touched or entertained by one of my stories, it’s the greatest feeling in the world!

Deborah, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing a little about yourself and your writing!

One lucky commenter will be chosen at random to win MARRIED: THE VIRGIN WIDOW and BOUGHT: THE PENNILESS LADY!

Deborah is very excited to have six books out in the first six months of 2011. To find out more, visit her website www.deborahhale.com or join her Facebook page "Regency Author Deborah Hale."


MARRIED: THE VIRGIN WIDOW (First in THE GENTLEMEN OF FORTUNE series)

Her hands bound by blackmail and duty, Laura Penrose was forced to marry her sweetheart's ruthless cousin. Now a widow, her sweetheart has returned.

Ford Barrett, Lord Kingsfold, believes Laura betrayed him and has a debt to pay—she owes him a wedding… and a wedding night!

Laura sacrificed herself once out of duty—she won't be taken again for revenge. But this new, dark, dangerous Ford discards her pleas…. Can she tell him she never wronged him, before he discovers her more innocent secret?

Writer's Wednesday: The Masks We Wear

Harlequin Romance author Nina Harrington joins us today with a wonderful post about breaking down barriers - and finding a happy ending!


Every romance writer I know seems to hold a fundamental and apparently intrinsic optimism that real, lasting and true love is possible.


The love of your life is not only out there , but when you find him or her, that person will love you for who you really are. No matter what characteristics you display to the world – that person will take the time to find out who you truly are and love who you are.

In life we all know people who are not what they seem. And perfection does not come into the equation.

So in our writing we want to create a love story which is so powerful that it will break down the barriers our characters have created to protect themselves from pain so that both out hero and heroine will find love as a reward for the battle they have to go through to win the prize.

Every character has a public face or persona which does not represent the inner self or true identity of the person, but is more of a disguise or protective outer shell they have created to project a specific image of themselves to the world.

In real life we all do this through our choices of clothing, accessories, hair, and the choices we make in our life and work and how we want the world to see us.

This carefully constructed public facade is the first impression or image the reader has about the character – and they have to accept the character's attitudes and actions at face value.

During the course of the story it is then the writer’s task to create dilemmas, choices, actions and reactions which will cause this surface veneer to be stripped away by bit, revealing that character’s most authentic self.

The character arc will not be a linear process of simple step by step change, but more of a two steps forward, one step back process, where the character resists change which is painful – especially when it is linked to the fear of revealing the very thing they have been trying to conceal.

One classic example would be the professional businesswoman with the elegant designer clothing and glossy slick accessories who strides into the room, head high, in impossibly high heels, confident and professional in every way.

Except that underneath this calm and cool exterior, she is quaking and desperate to conceal her traumatic poor childhood. This woman has had to fight every step of the way to what she has achieved, but what happens when she is faced with someone who knew her and her past and has the power to influence her future?

What happens when she is thrown into turmoil and has to change to survive? What choices does she make and how does that make her an interesting character?

Will the reader have any empathy or sympathy for her situation if they only see the external facade?

And what is the reward for being forced to expose your deep fears and hidden past?

Being loved for who you are as your true self.

The Hero or Heroine falls in love with the essence of who the character is. And is loved back in return. And that has to be worth the pain in getting there.

This is the situation the heroine of my latest Mills and Boon RIVA line book, ‘The Last Summer of Being Single’ finds herself in. Ella Martinez has made a home for herself and her young son in a French farmhouse in the Languedoc after the death of her estranged husband.


Ella may work as a housekeeper, but she is a trained pianist and singer, who spent most of her early life as a nomadic professional musician. She has had to fight hard to give her son a home in opposition to his grandparents, but that has meant sacrificing her own life and dreams.

Then into her world comes Sebastien Castellano, the stepson of the owner of the house where she works, who will challenge her life and her future in ways she had never expected. Seb thinks that his media company merger is the one thing that will bring him happiness but beneath the masks of a slick millionaire businessman lies a teenage boy whose life was riddled with heartache and loss and unanswered questions.

Their time together in the sunflowers and vineyards of the South of France will make both Ella and Sebastian reveal their authentic selves as they fall in love with the person beneath the facade.

‘The Last Summer of Being Single’ is released in February as a RIVA title and in March as a Harlequin Romance title. You can catch Nina at her site, http://www.ninaharrington.com/ !

Deadline Recipes: Tuna Steak with Spicy Mango Salsa

Michelle Styles gives her take on a quick and easy recipe.

Tuna Steak with Spicy Mango Salsa.

To make the salsa:

2 large reasonably ripe mangos -- peeled and chopped.

Juice of 2 limes,

 juice of an orange

1 thin red chile (fresh) and chopped -- I tend to use a jalapeno but it depends on what is fresh.

1 green chile (fresh) and chopped -- I tend to use a Anahiem but it depends on how much you like the heat.

2 red onions finely diced

1 small bunch cilantro (coriander) chopped fine

2 tablespoons mint finely chopped.

Stir above ingredients together and allow to chill. Season to taste.

4 fresh tuna steaks about 500 gms in total weight.

Heat ironcast grill pan until red hot, brush with olive oil. Place steaks on, sear, flip and sear again so you get a crosshatch pattern. Good tuna can be served very pink but if you like it well done, leave on the grill for longer.

Place tuna on plate, serve with salsa over the top and a green salad.

Serves four.

Total time: about 20 minutes

This recipe has saved me when I forgot about out of town guests arriving who expected something good on the table and I was on a deadline!

Michelle Styles writes historical romances for Harlequin Historical. Her latest release is The Perfect Concubine for Harlequin Historical Undone. In March Breaking the Governess's Rules will be released in the UK. See www.michellestyles.co.uk for more information on her books.

Male on Monday: The Enduring Appeal of the Mystery Man!

It's Valentine's Day and Harlequin Historicals author Carol Townend joins us for a mysterious post about those faceless heroes that are so popular right now!

The name Valentine comes from the Latin valens meaning strong, worthy or powerful. As we probably all know, Saint Valentine’s Day is on February 14, but the saint himself is something of a mystery man. Nothing much is known about him except his name and that he was buried at the Via Flaminia near Rome on February 14. Wikipedia tells us that the feast celebrated on February 14th might even commemorate more than one saint of the same name.

The mystery aspect of St Valentine might explain why his day is the day chosen for lovers. Mystery is a vital ingredient in romance. In former times, it was said that the first person of the opposite sex a person saw on St Valentine’s Day must be their Valentine. (This sounds rather random, but people were apparently allowed to keep their eyes firmly shut until the right person came along! Hmm...)

Today, hopeful lovers send each other cards, roses and/or chocolates. Traditionally the card is left unsigned – this is surely to maintain that delicious air of mystery and ensure the recipient is kept in a state of uncertainty about who exactly is attempting to court them. This ambiguity seems to be vital to romance. Or is it?

Many romance covers show heroes and heroines whose features are obscured, perhaps so readers can imagine the character of their dreams. The face of the hero on my latest cover is partly obscured. Like Valentine, he looks strong and powerful and, because his features are obscured, I like to this he has that air of mystery about him.

Do you like covers like these? Or do you prefer to see covers showing more of the hero’s features? And do you think the actual story is stronger when the hero maintains an air of mystery throughout? Or should it be the heroine who keeps something back?





Carol Townend writes medieval romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon. Her latest title, Bound to the Barbarian is set in eleventh century Byzantium. It is a stand-alone novel, the first in a mini-series called Palace Brides.

Out of her depth and into his arms…


Sold into slavery, maidservant Katerina promised one day to repay the Princess who rescued her. Now that time has come, and Katerina must convince commanding warrior Ashfirth Saxon that she is her royal mistress.


Spending balmy days and long sultry nights with this man make Katerina’s task increasingly impossible. How long will she be able to keep up her deception? And how long before she finds herself willingly bedded by this proud barbarian?


Bound to the Barbarian is released by Mills & Boon on February 4th 2011. For more about Carol and her writing, please visit her blogsite: www.caroltownend.co.uk