Update on HARLEQUIN/SILHOUETTE - from RWA National 2007 - part 2

This is the second hour of a two-hour Spotlight on Harlequin and Silhouette’s category romances. 

Executive Editor Tessa Shapcott spoke about Harlequin Presents. Presents publishes eight titles a month and is Harlequin’s bestselling line around the world. “This is the series that invites readers to climb on a rollercoaster of intense feeling, fast paced plots, highly charged conflict and passionate attraction,” Ms. Shapcott said. In Presents, the heroes are Alpha and the heroines are independent and feisty. The books feature glamorous, international settings. Popular settings included Europe, the Mediterranean, north and south America, the Caribbean, and Australia. Characters are members of the jet set. Presents heroes are rich and powerful, strong and decisive and intensely focused on the heroine. The novels sizzle with sexual tension. Favorite themes include marriages of convenience, secret pregnancies, Mediterranean heroes, royalty, mistresses and revenge. These stories feature larger than life characters, dramatic conflict and intense emotion. The editors are interested in finding new authors for the line. Presents are 50,000 words. Send a synopsis and first three chapters to Harlequin’s London office.

Editorial Director Birgit Davis Todd spoke about Harlequin Intrigue, which is overseen by Senior Editor Denise Zaza. Intrigue is “the destination for readers looking for breath-taking romantic suspense.” Intrigues offer a variety of crime stories, mysteries and thrillers in the frame of a romance novel. The books are fast-paced and not predictable. The editors are looking for prolific authors. Intrigues are 55,000 - 60,000 words and Harlequin publishes 6 Intrigues each month. Popular storylines include murder mysteries, women in jeopardy stories and psychological suspense. The romance and suspense should be woven together with a high level of romantic tension and a satisfying ending. Characters should be well-motivated. Intrigues contain no graphic, explicit violence and not a lot of swearing. The plot and characters determine the level of sensuality. Send the first three chapters and a synopsis to the New York office.

Kimberley Young spoke about Medical Romance on behalf of Senior Editor Sheila Hodgson. Medicals are contemporary romance stories set in modern medical settings. They feature international settings and deeply emotional conflicts. The characters may be surgeons, midwives, nurses and paramedics. Medical publishes 6 titles a month. The books are 55,000 - 60,000 words. Ms. Young characterized the books as “romantic fantasies with an edge of realism.” The editors are actively looking for new authors and are open to a wide variety of settings and situations. The author doesn’t need to be a medical professional, but should be able to research current medical situations and treatments and portray them accurately and convincingly. The main focus of the stories is always on the romantic relationship. The hero and heroine work together on medical cases. The sense of drama is more important than technical details. Ms. Young said Medicals are a good place to start to grow into additional lines. Medicals are sold all over the world, but are available in the United States only through eHarlequin.com. Send a short synopsis (1-2 pages) and the first three chapters to the London office.

Senior Editor Brenda Chin presented information about Blaze, Harlequin’s sexiest series romance line. Blaze features a wide variety of stories, from thrilling romantic suspense, erotic romantic stories and lighter stories with humor. Blaze publishes six 60,000-word books each month. Beginning in April 2007 the line became even steamier with hotter covers. The key here is sexy stories and lots of variety. In the coming year, Blaze will feature time travel, adventure stories, chick lit, paranormal, romantic fantasies, foreign settings, the popular Wrong Bed miniseries, anthologies, and even the first historical Blaze (though Brenda is not looking for more of these right now.) Blaze stories feature complex plots and subplots, a variety of points of view and should have a strong hook, either a sexy hook or a classic romantic hook. Characterization is key. While Blaze books are sexy, they are not erotica. They feature one hero, one heroine and a committed relationship at the end. Send your proposals to the Toronto office.

Editor Susan Littman gave the details on Silhouette Special Edition. Special Edition has the tag line “life, love and family” and this sums up the kinds of stories the editors are seeking. These are contemporary romances with varied settings and characters readers can relate to. The sensuality level varies. Miniseries and continuities are popular in the line. Special Editions are 60,000 words and six are published each month. Send your proposal to the New York office.

Tessa Shapcott spoke for Senior Editor Linda Fildew about Harlequin Historicals. These are “richly textured, intense stories set in a wide range of historical periods, from ancient Greece through World War II.” The most popular heroes with Harlequin Historical readers are Regency Rakes and Cowboys. Westerns sell well in North America. The line welcomes variety. Each month they publish six books — one Regency, one Western, and four other books. The author must create real and convincing characters and bring a historical period to life. Historical detail should be accurate, but should not overwhelm the story. Heroes are strong, dependable and commanding. The heroine is always sympathetic but she may be strong and willful or more shy. Harlequin Historical is always looking for new talent and has bought 12 new authors over the past two years. The books are 75,000 words. Send a synopsis and the first three chapters to the London office.

Finally, Mary Theresa Hussey gave a brief overview of the Kimani Press program. Kimani Romance publishes four category romances each month featuring true to life African-American characters. These stories are told primarily from the heroine’s point of view. They have a mainstream tone, with a satisfying romance at their heart. Kimani Romance is eagerly looking for new authors.

In addition to Kimani romance, Kimani Press publishes Sepia books, a single title program that publishes six to eight books each year. These are a broad range of stories, from historical to contemporary, paranormal and urban. Sepia books feature a strong author voice and well-defined, realistic African-American characters.

Kimani New Spirit publishes four to five titles a year. These are African-American inspirational romance and women’s fiction. They may be historical or contemporary.

Arabesque publishes two single title romance each month — one new and one reissue of a previously published title. Again, these feature realistic African-American characters.

Kimani True launched in February 2007 with one title each month of Young Adult fiction featuring 14-20 year old African-American characters. Check out the website at http://www.kimanitrue.com

For guidelines, addresses and other information about any of these lines, go to http://www.eharlequin.com. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on Writer’s Guidelines.

*** This information is from Cindi Myers’s eNewsletter. Subscribe by sending a blank email to cynthiasterling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ***

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