Something sinister was taking place in the shadowy basement of Boston General Hospital--and Dr. Nadia French was determined to stop it. A transplant specialist, Nia French was called in to investigate the puzzling deaths of organ transplant recipients at BGH, and nothing was going to keep her from solving the case-- not even her ex-lover-turned-partner.

For Dr. Rafe McKay, women were a liability--especially in the field. He'd already lost one female partner, and he couldn't let Nia put herself in danger.  But Nia had grown up in the ten years since he'd walked out on her, and she wasn't about to be chased off this case...or away from him!

Devra had been suppressing her fears for so long, she didn't know how to trust the sexy New Orleans cop. But frequent psychic visions sent shivers down her spine, forcing her to reveal that Riley was the killer's next target. Could she get him to believe what she saw was unequivocally real--as real as the pain in her heart at the thought of losing him?

Jessica Andersen: I love the whole process of writing an Intrigue, but one of my favorite moments is when the hero and heroine first meet, when they first realize that the mystery will put them in close proximity whether they like it or not. In my latest release, Covert M.D. (Mar 05), Dr. Nia French is sent into Boston General Hospital to investigate suspicious doings in the transplant unit. This is her first official case, and she wants--no, needs--to prove herself to the senior investigator who will be mentoring her and assessing her readiness for solo investigations. But the moment she learns that her partner in this case is hotshot (and burned out) medical investigator Rathe McKay, she knows her future as an investigator is in jeopardy. She will have to solve this case with--or without--his help. 

B J Daniels: I fell in love with Intrigues before I started writing them. I love the blend of mystery/suspense and romance. Also the books are short and the pacing fast--not like some of the books that grow dust beside my bed. :) But I think what I've enjoyed most is doing the series. As my McCalls' Montana series continues in May with Ambushed! and the story of Sheriff Cash McCall, I have gotten to know this family so well I feel as if they exist. In June there is Brandon McCall's story and in July, the baby sister of the family, Dusty's and the end of the family's story to that point. Intrigue series are fun to do and I hope fun also for readers to follow the lives of these characters. 

Delores Fossen: I love writing the middle scenes. By then, the hero and heroine have gotten to know each other, they're embroiled in the suspense and danger, sexual tension is high--but nothing is fully resolved.  In my latest Intrigue, Mommy Under Cover (Feb 05), these middle scenes are the real turning point in the hero and heroine's relationship. Tessa and Riley are up to their necks in danger while literally under the villain's roof, and the danger and close quarters are also fueling the hot attraction between them. 

Rita Herron: The best part of writing an Intrigue for me is the combination of the suspense and the romance. I like writing fast paced plots, but also enjoy building tension between the characters, and I want that emotional connection. With suspenseful situations to pull the characters together, it heightens the emotions. Of course. interweaving that is a challenge! For my next Intrigue, Mysterious Circumstances (Aug 05), I developed a different type of plot--the danger/threat to the heroine actually comes from a virus that causes the person infected to become psychotic, and yes, the heroine comes down with the virus!  Now writing a heroine who is ill and becoming paranoid but is still a fighter proved to be a big challenge! 

Mallory Kane: I love writing Intrigues--the action, the suspense, the love story. But my favorite part is writing the ending. First the climax, where the bad guy is caught, the mystery solved and the hero and heroine are safe--physically anyway. Then the denouement--the resolution of the hero and heroine's conflict. Something magical happens when all the danger is past. Sometimes my hero and heroine know they are meant for each other and at the end they come together as soul-mates. But sometimes, as happens in my next  Intrigue, Seeking Asylum (Aug 05), the hero and heroine still don't trust each other once the danger is over. She's a psychiatrist who entered the field because of her bipolar mother. Rachel cares deeply for her patients, but she has sworn to never trust or love anyone who may be insane. Eric has a psychic connection with his identical twin. To Rachel, he knows he seems unstable. Plus his twin is schizophrenic and Eric has spent his life in fear of succumbing to the same illness. It's going to take a lot of trust and love for these two to make it. 

Dana Marton: The best part of writing an Intrigue for me is writing action. I love it when a hero will literally walk through fire to save the heroine, and when the heroine is tough enough to do the same for him. In my previous books, I had my characters fight themselves out of terrorist attacks, escape captivity and flee across the desert in a sandstorm while outrunning their armed pursuers.  In my upcoming books, I had a chance to write some unusual action scenes that take place in the Arabian Desert, Malaysia, and Alaska. 

Julie Miller: I love how gritty and emotionally compelling I can make my characters and plots. I think with Intrigue, the emotions are richer and more profound because there's such a delicate balance of life and death to intensify what the characters are feeling. Because it's an Intrigue, I know there's a guarantee of a happy/satisfying ending for my hero and heroine--so I feel safe really putting them through the wringer, in terms of passion, background motivation, action, danger, and depth of emotion. 

In my next  Intrigue, The Precinct: Police Business (Apr 05), I have a really cold, nasty villain that Detective A.J. Rodriguez and heiress Claire Winthrop must go up against after she witnesses a murder. This hit man enjoys his work and his reputation of a perfect record of success, leaving no witnesses behind, and can kill by a variety of means. So, of course, I need a smarter, tougher, not-to-be-messed-with hero and gutsy heroine to take him on--and I think A.J. and Claire fit the bill. Of course, once you crack the uber cool facade of A.J. Rodriguez, you know that guy is going to fall and fall hard. And being the legendary cop that he is, you know he'll risk everything to keep the woman he loves safe.  Plus, the mystery elements (not one, but two!) are challenging. The heroine is hearing-impaired, but not handicapped! The passion is hot. The action is non-stop. And, oh yeah, I get to blow up lots of stuff <g>! No wonder I have such a blast (pun intended) writing them!

Dani Sinclair: I would have to say the intrigue part of the story is what makes Intrigues so much fun to write. I enjoy watching my hero and heroine work through the mystery while coming to care for each other.In my upcoming Intrigue, DB Hayes, Detective(Jun 05) , two competitive private investigators must find a way to work together in order to discover which one of them is being set up and why. As craziness ensues, it's their dialogue that made it such fun to write. 
     "You're Brandon Kirkpatrick?" 
     "You aren't what I expected either," he admitted. "I assumed D.B. Hayes was a man. What's the D.B. stand for anyhow?" 
     "Dangerous when bothered." 

Gayle Wilson: For me, the best part of writing Intrigues or any romantic suspense is the blending of danger and romance.  When characters are put into situations that are literally life and death, just as when people are, the superficialities and the postures behind which we sometimes hide are stripped away.  The essence of those characters is exposed--their courage, their honor, their intellect.

I love throwing two characters together in a scenario that brings out the best in them and allows them to discover the "hero" within themselves and one another.  Danger is a great aphrodisiac, as well as a marvelous way to reveal what a character is really made of beneath those layers of "civilized" behavior.  In  Wednesday's Child, (Apr 05) my HQN romantic suspense, a mother's search for her missing baby touches the heart of a battered and broken Delta Force major.  Although the two have nothing in common, they join forces to catch the kidnapper.  In the process both are tested to the limits of their endurance, only to find the ultimate reward in the end. 

Rebecca York: I love writing fast-paced stories where my hero and heroine fall in love against a background of suspense and danger.  In an Intrigue, having a short timeframe helps add to the tension of the story.  But the time compression also creates a challenge since now it's more difficult to develop an intense relationship between the characters.  I often solve this problem by writing about a man and woman who already know each other.  And the action of the story generates a new level of intimacy in their relationship.  That's exactly the technique I use in Luke's story in Desert Sons, my April Three-in-One with Patricia Rosemoor and Ann Voss Peterson. Luke and Ashley have known each other for two years, ever since she came to Sena Pueblo to explore her Native American heritage.  (Yes, since she was adopted away from the Pueblo, her adoptive parents gave her a very WASP name.)  Even though Luke and Ashley were attracted, they were never able to admit their feelings--until Luke's uncle was killed.  As they team up to solve his murder, they draw closer, and all the passion they have never been able to express suddenly blossoms into the love they have previously denied.

Agent Riley McDade: His sexy yet deadly smile had seen him through dangerous missions around the world...except the one that mattered most--and cost him his heart. 

Mission: Posing as man and wife, apprehend Dr. Barton Fletcher, aka the Baby Maker. He has killed before and won't hesitate to do so again--see memo on Agent McDade's past broken heart. Avoid complications at all costs--such as an unexpected pregnancy or falling in love with your partner.  

Nick couldn't trust Kelly, but he owed her. And now she needed his help. He would protect her and clear her name, even if it meant facing their painful past--a history of deception and betrayal. But as the danger around Nick and Kelly escalated, so did their explosive attraction. Could they be falling in love all over again? Would they live long enough to find out...? 

Mallory Kane has just signed a contract for Book 3 in a new Harlequin Intrigue continuity series, Miami Confidential. The tentative title is True Lies and the book is scheduled for release in July of 2006.

Sylvie Kurtz is pleased to announce that Rosalyn Sega was the February contest winner at her website.  Rosalyn will enjoy a signed copy of A Rose at Midnight and a Bombshellesque reading light.

Rebecca York (aka Ruth Glick) just completed a very interesting project.  She was asked to write an essay on the T. V. series Charmed.  The essay will appear in November, 2005, in an anthology from BenBella Books,  called Totally Charmed: Demons, Whitelighters and the Power of Three.  Since she's a fan of the paranormal, she had a wonderful time working on the assignment, and she reports that she's totally hooked on reruns of the show.  Her theme is that we've come a long way from the witch hunts of the Middle Ages.  In fact, the three sisters/witches in Charmed empower modern women in surprising ways.   (Charmed airs on the WB network on Sunday evenings.  Check your local listings.)

• March 1: 
• 9:00 pm EST: Join the Intrigue Authors in their monthly chat.
• March 3: 
• 9:00 pm EST:  NovelTalk's chat will feature Dana Marton.
• March 12: 
• Kelsey Roberts will speak to the American Association of Univesity Women
• March 17: 
• 9:00 pm EST:  NovelTalk's chat will feature Cynthia Cooke.
• April 2:
• 4-6 pm  EST: Sylvie Kurtz  and Dr. Jessica Andersen will participate in the Literacy Booksigning in conjunction with the 2005 Let Your Imagination Take Flight Conference sponsored by the New England Chapter of RWA. Location: Crowne Plaza in Natick, MA 
• April 4: 
• 9:00 PM: Join the Intrigue Authors in their monthly chat.

• Jessica Andersen: To celebrate Jessica's new website and the release of Covert M.D., she's giving away a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com and a signed backlist book.  Stop by the new site and register to win before March 25.
  
  
• Rita Herron: Visit Rita's website and sign up for her mailing list for a chance to win a prize! Winners will be chosen monthly from her mailing list, starting March 1 and the prizes include a gift bag with goodies and an autographed book.
  
  
• Susan Kearney is giving away to one lucky winner an autographed copy of two connected Blaze books—Bordering on Obsession and A Burning Obsession.  Visit her website for more information.
  
  
• Sylvie Kurtz: Win a  signed copy of A Rose at Midnight and a chime heart.  Visit her website for more details.
  
  
• Dana Marton is giving away an assortment of 50 romance novels to one lucky reader. Learn more by visiting her website.
  
  
• Julie Miller announces her spring cleaning contest!  If you'd like the chance to win one of three signed copies of her second Precinct book for Intrigue, The Precinct:  Police Business,  (Apr 05), go to her website and follow the directions to enter.  The deadline for entering is March 17.
  
  
• Rebecca York:  To celebrate the publication of Crimson Moon, her 100th book, Rebecca is giving away a magic wand like the one in Edge of the Moon.  To be eligible for the drawing on March 31, 2005, send an e-mail, mentioning "MARCH WAND CONTEST" in the Subject line.  Provide an address to send the wand if you win.  Rebecca will also autograph and send a copy of Talons of the Falcon to the winner of a drawing on May 1, 2005.  To be eligible for the drawing, send an e-mail, mentioning "Contest #31" in the Subject line.  Provide an address to send the book if you win.