Intrigue Authors Newsletter for November

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Harlequin Intrigue® authors are as intriguing as their books. So each month we have a question about their favorite books, their favorite heroes, or maybe something about their intriguing life.

Theme is defined as "a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work." Since we're close to the holidays, and many people enjoy reading holiday books, let's talk about theme. First, what's the theme for your upcoming Intrigue? And second, what is your favorite holiday theme for an Intrigue?

Delores Fossen:
For SANTA ASSIGNMENT (Nov. 2004), the theme is forgiveness and healing. The hero, Brayden, is a Texas cop who blames himself and his sister-in-law, Ashley, for his wife's murder. However, to save his young son's life, Brayden and Ashley must put their past aside and work together.

For holiday themes, I love stories about redemption and forgiveness. The holidays seem like such a perfect time to let go of the past and look toward the future.

Rita Herron:
My upcoming Intrigue is THE MAN FROM FALCON RIDGE (Nov 2004) , a gothic. The theme: two wounded souls coming together for love, that love has the power to change or help a person overcome great obstacles.

My favorite holiday theme -- coming home for Christmas, reuniting with a loved one, or a lonely person finding that special someone to share the holidays with.

Mallory Kane:
I love the theme of honor versus love, with love winning in the end, of course. This theme embodies my favorite heroes, those who feel bound by honor to protect but not fall in love with the heroine. My Intrigue, A PROTECTED WITNESS (Nov 2004), is a perfect example of this theme.

My favorite holiday theme is the Christmas theme of new birth. I'm doing a Christmas anthology in November 05, with Rita Herron and Debra Webb. My story is about a divorced cop who hates Christmas because his unborn child died on Christmas Eve, and a young widow he's assigned to protect. The problem? The widow is nine months pregnant, and goes into labor. The hero renews his belief in Christmas and in happiness, and the heroine learns that love can take many forms.

Susan Kearney:
The theme for HIJACKED HONEYMOON, (Nov 2004) is finding the courage to let oneself be vulnerable enough to fall in love. This theme is a favorite of mine--because let's face it--falling in love is scary stuff. When we open ourselves to love, we also open ourselves to the possibility of being disappointed and of being hurt. And my heroine is one feisty lady. She might have been kidnapped on her wedding day, but she isn't so afraid that she can't listen to reason or understand that some men have hard heads and loyal hearts.

Sylvie Kurtz:
The theme for my upcoming Intrigue, A ROSE AT MIDNIGHT (Jan 2005) is basically finding out who you are. That actually seems to be a recurring theme in all of my books--finding your true self beneath the layers of masks, fears and expectations. All of her life Christiane Lawrence has moved from place to place. She always thought it was because of her father's work. But the constant moving turned out to be because of her mother's fear. After her parents' deaths, Christi goes to Quebec City to find out more about her mother's family. There she discovers the man she once loved is still alive and walks right into her mother's nightmare, putting both her heart and her life at risk. Visit www.sylviekurtz.com for an excerpt. My site is under reconstruction at the moment, but should have a brand new face soon.

Kara Lennox:
I almost always use a theme of redemption and healing in Intrigues (so far) and this is the case with my upcoming Intrigue, BOUNTY HUNTER HONOR (Jun 2005). A secondary theme is "There's someone out there for everyone, even a burned-out assassin."

My favorite holiday Intrigue theme? I'm just not a cheery holiday person. It has never occurred to me to write a holiday-related suspense book, though I'm sure there are many good ones out there.

Dana Marton:
My favorite theme for the holidays are those family reunion type of stories. I think the holidays are the perfect time for thinking about letting go of old grudges and just coming home.

There are many themes in my current release, SHADOW SOLDIER. One is patriotism/what does a private citizen owe to his/her country? Another is forgiveness. Yet another is the power of true love. Can it really overcome all obstacles?

Julie Miller:
In PARTNER-PROTECTOR, I'd say the story's theme is all about understanding and accepting who you are. A person can't always recognize his or her own strengths and talents. Sometimes, it takes fresh, loving eyes to see the truth and offer acceptance, enabling us to accept and believe in ourselves. That's the emotional theme. Plot-wise, Christmas and New Year's play a big role in the book. The "Holiday Hooker Murders" are an annual holiday tradition that Detective T. Merle Banning is determined to put a stop to.

My favorite holiday theme? The two I've enjoyed the most are Thanksgiving (ONE GOOD MAN)--I think because of the importance of family at that time, and the deep, emotional bonds (either because they're there to celebrate, or, more poignantly, because they're not there to celebrate). New Year's Eve/Day (PARTNER-PROTECTOR) is another favorite--new beginnings, new hope--and I LOVE how Banning and Kelsey 'ring in' the New Year <g>.

Ann Voss Peterson:
DESERT SONS (Apr 2005), which I wrote with Rebecca York and Patricia Rosemoor, is about self-discovery. Our heroes and heroines all must return to their roots/heritage and integrate past with present in order to overcome the challenges they face. And of course, in doing so they defeat evil and find love.

The thing I love best about all Intrigues is the good versus evil battles they contain. Especially when the characters have to fight those battles within themselves. And what better holiday to explore good vs. evil than Halloween?

Kelsey Roberts:
My upcoming Intrigue (and the next 4 as well) are all designed around the theme of family - The Landry Brothers. While each story stands on its own merit, there is an arc in the 7 books that deals with the plight of the parents of the 7 brothers. I enjoy the dynamics of brothers - they're so much less complicated than sisters - speaking as the little sister in an all-girl family.

My favorite holiday theme for an Intrigue has to be Arbor Day. Who doesn't like a chilling Arbor Day story? And it's such an overlooked holiday. Okay, that was a joke . . . Because I'm the exception to the rule on this one. I'm not fond of holiday themed books. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a Christmas scene as much as the next girl, but I don't ever specifically seek out a book because it's about Valentine's Day or Thanksgiving or any other holiday for that matter. I've read some great books that use a holiday - Patricia Rosemoor's CRIMSON HOLIDAY is one of my all time favorite Intrigues! It's a great book by a talented author and the Christmas stuff is simply icing on that cake that uses the holiday as an ingredient. Happy holiday season.

Patricia Rosemoor:
In my opinion, theme reflects the internal conflict of the hero, heroine or both. I tend to use guilt or "unfinished business" a lot. In VELVET ROPES, it was both. The hero had a huge secret concerning something that happened to the heroine in the past, and until that secret was revealed and dealt with (guilt settled), they couldn't be happy together. In the Eclipse (next July) that I just finished, it was the heroine's feeling of abandonment -- her mother died when she was 14 and her father left her to be raised by a foster family -- and the idea that family doesn't have to be conventional. This is reflected in the present day story and the 13-year-old girl she is tutoring -- the hero being the girl's father.

I haven't written a holiday book in a long time, but my next WIP will be one for next year. SILENT NIGHT (working title of Gideon's story from Club Undercover) brings together two former teen lovers split by murder and manipulation. It's a family story about divided loyalty, and my theme will grow from that (as well as unfinished business) which I think is appropriate since Christmas is a family holiday.

Dani Sinclair:
Love of family is the theme for SECRET CINDERELLA (Feb 2005). The heroine is determined to help and protect her brother no matter the cost. A New Year's Eve gala for the wealthy in Washington, DC sets the stage because after all, what better place to turn a pickpocket loose?

I've done a couple of books now that revolve around the Christmas holidays because the frantic pace, the sense of family, and the unpredictable weather at that time of year offer all sorts of opportunities to wrap around a story.

Joanna Wayne:
Well, since my favorite Christmas movie of all time is MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, I guess I'd have to say my favorite theme for a Christmas book is learning to believe in miracles and right along with that I'd say it's the joy of seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child.

In all of my twenty-nine books that I've written for Harlequin over the last ten years, only one has been what I'd consider a true Christmas book. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS pretty much followed both those themes, though I added a serial killer, lots of New Orleans flavor and a heart-wrenching emotional wallop to give the book my signature touch. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS is the story of a very up-tight psychologist who ends up being a surrogate parent for two adorable kids who believe in Santa in spite of their new mother's insistence that he only represents the spirit of giving. The hero in that book is one of my favorite of all my heroes. He's a funny, free-spirited, kid-loving cop who not only saves all their lives, but makes sure Santa delivers the little girl's wish - a new Daddy.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS is no longer in print, but is still available from barnesandnoble.com. JODIE'S LITTLE SECRETS, although not a traditional Christmas book is set in Nachitoches, Louisiana at Christmas time and includes lots of that town's Christmas traditions that many people became familiar with in Steel Magnolias. It's still available in the two-for-one book, UNDER WRAPS, available everywhere.

Debra Webb:
I am about to do my first ever Christmas book and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to write a story that draws the characters together in the same spirit that fills me with joy and sentimentality during the holidays. It's the perfect time to show your family how much you care and to show God how thankful you are for all His blessings.

Rebecca York:
I've only written one Christmas Intrigue, WHAT CHILD IS THIS, and I wanted it to be heartwarming. Also, I wanted the suspense problem to be wound up with the holiday theme. In the story, the hero has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. But he's adopted, and he's sure his birth mother "threw him away." When I told the idea to my editor, she said I couldn't write the book, because leukemia was too terrible a disease. I explained that the bone marrow transplant would cure my hero. She finally let me write the story, but I had to have the hero in remission when the book opened. And I had to hide his health problem from the reader until half way through the book. The heroine runs an agency that helps adopted children find their birth parents. As they try to find his relatives, so he can have a good match for the bone marrow transplant, they uncover a terrible secret from the town where his birth mother grew up. So the suspense plot is not only intertwined with the romance, it's also intertwined with the emotional story of "coming home" for Christmas.

AUTHOR NEWS

B.J. DANIELS
B.J. Daniels will be signing the first two books in her McCalls' Montana series Saturday, December 4, from 1-3 p.m. at Barnes and Noble in Bozeman, Montana. The books, THE COWGIRL IN QUESTION and COWBOY ACCOMPLICE, kick off the story of the McCalls, a Montana ranching family. The series continues in May with AMBUSHED!, HIGH CALIBER COWBOY in June and ends with SHOTGUN SURRENDER in July. The books tell the stories of each of the four McCall bad boys and their little sister Dusty.

LINDA O. JOHNSTON
Linda O. Johnston's first Silhouette Intimate Moments, NOT A MOMENT TOO
SOON, is starting to appear in stores.

MALLORY KANE
Mallory Kane will be the featured speaker at the regular monthly meeting of Magnolia State Romance Writers in Jackson, Mississippi, on November 20, 2004. Visit the MSRW website to find out more about the group's meeting dates and locations.

On the same date, Kane will sign her November 2004 Harlequin Intrigue, A PROTECTED WITNESS, the 2nd in her exciting Ultimate Agents mini-series. The signing will be at 3:00 p.m. at Borders Books on Lakeland Drive in Jackson. Delores Fossen will also be there, signing her November release, SANTA ASSIGNMENT. Find more information at Mallory's website.

SUSAN KEARNEY
USA Today Best-selling author Susan Kearney has redesigned her website. Read an excerpt of her latest release, HIJACJKED HONEYMOON, enter her contest to win a free authographed book, sign up for a newsletter to be notified of new releases, or just stop by to visit.

SYLVIE KURTZ
Sylvie has just agreed to participate in the new Uptown Bombshell continuity. Her story (book 4) will be out in Dec. 2005.

KELSEY ROBERTS
Kelsey recently sold her single title, KILLER SANTA, to Ballantine. It will be a November 2005 release. On Nov. 1, Kelsey's "Learn to Write" article will be posted on eHarlequin.com. On Nov. 13, Kelsey will be speaking at the Miami Book Fair in Miami, FL, on "Creating Villains to Die For," from 2-4 p.m. She'll be signing books afterwards.

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR
If you're going to be in New York City around Thanksgiving, look for the new Silhouette Bombshell ad campaign featuring Intrigue author Patricia Rosemoor's first Bombshell, HOT CASE, December! It will be advertised in a 30 second spot on a Times Square electronic billboard, and ads will hit the NYC transportation system.

JOANNA WAYNE
Joanna Wayne will be a featured speaker at the Louisiana Book Festival at the Louisiana State Capital in Baton Rouge, LA, on November 6. She will be speaking from 11:30 AM- 12:30 p.m. in the Senate Committee Room E and signing copies of ALLIGATOR MOON from 1 to 1:45 p.m. She would love to see you there.
The festival is open to the public and free. It is devoted to celebrating the state's readers, writers, and their books and includes book talks and panel discussions by 100+ authors, book sales and book signing sessions, professional advice on book repair and free book appraisals, over 60 booths of exhibitors, music, food, and more .
And don't forget that A FATHER'S DUTY, the final book in the NEW ORLEANS CONFIDENTIAL series is still available.

GAYLE WILSON
Intrigue and HQN author Gayle Wilson has just been elected president-elect of Romance Writers of America. She will take office on November 1, 2004, and will then become president of the organization on November 1, 2005. Gayle has been a member of the RWA Board of Directors for the last two years.

REBECCA YORK
Rebecca York reports that she has had three huge pine trees removed from her back yard. Since these were the trees where hundreds of buzzards roosted all winter, she expects that she will have her first buzzard-free holiday season in five years.

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NOVEMBER HARLEQUIN INTRIGUES®
#807 Colby Agency	FULL EXPOSURE by Debra Webb Specialist Cole Danes's investigation revealed the unthinkable: a trusted, longtime personal assistant to Victoria Colby had been the source leaking highly sensitive information that could have resulted in the agency's destruction. But it soon became clear that a secondary party was the real culprit... *Click here to learn more.*	#808 Heroes Inc	HIJACKED HONEYMOON by Susan Kearney Kidnapping Kendall Davis less than an hour before she said "I do" wasn't special operative Web Garfield's idea of a manly mission. But his assignment was clear: safeguard the bride-to-be until the threat against her and the United States was put to rest. Keeping his hands off the vulnerable beauty was another matter altogether... *Click here to learn more.*
#809	A PROTECTED WITNESS by Mallory Kane Because of the FBI, Allison Barnes lost her husband in an execution-style shooting that left her gravely wounded and with no memory of that night. Now, the Witness Security Program was her only recourse... *Click here to learn more.*	#810 Eclipse	THE MAN FROM FALCON RIDGE by Rita Herron Escaping a nightmarish past, Hailey Hitchcock fled to a remote Victorian homestead…and fell into the arms of an avenging stranger. Old ghosts echoed through Tin City's "hatchet house," reviving memories of the bloodbath that had taken place within its dilapidated walls... *Click here to learn more.*
#812	SANTA ASSIGNMENT by Delores Fossen She was hiding from a stalker — and from Brayden O'Malley, the man who blamed her for his wife's death. But when Brayden asked for the incredible, Ashley Palmer couldn't refuse: He wanted her to give him a child, so his toddler son would live to see another Christmas. *Click here to learn more.*	Other Intrigues available this month CHRISTMAS STALKINGS by Jo Leigh #811