Jane Porter's Desert Kings

Thank you so much for having me here this week at eharlequin.  It's been a long time since I've been at eharlequin to chat or play and am very much looking forward to visiting with old friends as well as making new ones.  Whether you want to talk writing, books, or life--I'm your girl for the next few days!

Jane

Hey Lee, good to see you here!  I like your question, too, because I don't know where my ideas come from.  Sometimes books come from my own fascination with a place.  In Desert Kings, the first two books in the series, are set in two countries I'm dying to visit--Dubai/UAE, and Egypt.  I've wanted to write stories in these settings for a long time because I'm enthralled with the both the culture and history there, and UAE and Egypt's history and culture would also create powerful men (heroes) which are--in my mind--the basis for every Presents novel. 

And heck, let's face it, I love writing sheikh stories.  I've written quite a few sheikh novels now and every one is a bit different but they all have that sensual quality of sun and sand and seduction.   To me, the sheikh Presents is the ultimate in fantasy.  It has to be...it's so far removed from the way modern American, Australian and European women live!

Jane

Hi Jane,

Nice to see you here. I'm lucky enough to have spent a little time in both both countries. Egypt is somewhere I'd definitely like to visit again. Riding around the Pyramids on horseback will stay with me forever.

I picked up your book a few days ago and am hoping to read it in the next few days. I'm sure it will be wonderful.

Chris.

Hi Jane,

 your new series sounds great!

I'm fascinated by Dubai too!  Had a trip booked there 2 years ago but little man had ear probs so had to cancel.  Hopefully one day...funny thing, I'd already started one of my Romances set there so had to finish it without the first hand research I'd hoped on doing.  Solution?  Made my country fictitious   And somehow my sheikh morphed into a desert prince along the way...

Have you had that happen?  Decided you have a hero in mind (eg. a sheikh) and find he develops into someone else?

Hi Jane,

I enjoyed reading The Sheikh's Chosen Bride. It's a wonderful reunion story. (And I'm very partial to sheikh stories!) 

Oh dear, everyone's too nice here.    And no wonder there's so much love...most of you are my personal friends!!

However, I will go through the posts and answer whatever I can, so do hit me with your best shot and ask whatever hard questions you want to ask, or comment on trends, or anything you like.

Jane

Nicola and Ann, I'll kind of answer your question together.  :)

Sheikh books have a very unique feel to me, and they have more freedom in some ways so I find myself wanting to write one after I've written a coupl Greeks or Italians.  I also know a lot of readers love them and whenever I think I might have gone too far with one of my books (say, a blind hero in a wheelchair like in At The Greek Boss' Bidding) I think, oops, do something safer, and out comes a sheikh.

Not that my sheikh books are that much safer, as Mitchy pointed out.  I tend to address issues in my sheikh books, and I don't mean to.  Maybe because sheikh stories represent such absolute power I find that now I want to create a hero who understands and respcts this power, as well as the more fragile self position of a woman in his culture. 

And I've written a couple books now where the story wasn't working and then bam!  he became a sheikh and everything fell into place.  That was the case with my 3rd book, The Sheikh's Wife, and my April release, The Sheikh's Chosen Queen.  Both stories were stories I'd put aside after chapter 1 because they didn't feel right.  But the stakes and emotion all changed once an American hero became a sheikh.  :)

Paisely,  what a compliment.  Thank you so very much.  I actually don't know how I write, but it did take me a long time to sell to Harlequin.  Almost 15 years and 12 rejected books.  I think those years of writing--and over half of those books were longer length Harlequins and historicals--taught me to write, and forced me to really think about character, plot, motivation so that when I went back to shorter contemp series after trying to write for Superromance and Special Edition, I had to be very selective about the words used since the word length was so much shorter.

I also tend to pack a lot of story into my Presents and in my mind, HPs are mini-mainstream novels.  Not everyone would agree with me  and I know some Presents readers find that I give them more story  then they want.  Some of those readers want the sexy and sensual parts but not so much life stuff.  Unfortunately I can't seem to stop putting life into my books.  <g>

But back to your compliment, Paisley, and like many writers, I do hear language in my head...and they have their own sound and pattern and rhyme.  I don't try to write in rhyme, especially in commercial fiction, but as I type I can hear the way the words and sentences  'land' on the page and sometimes it sounds right and other times I have to rip them off and try again.

How does everyone else write?  Do you hear it all in your head, or do you see it?  Or are you a mix of auditory and visual?

Your question was interesting, Jane, Do you see it or hear
it? I really had to think. I think I hear it more. Yeah, definitely. =) And, I agree with eveyrone about your writing style. I love your writing style. I like the way I read it in my head.

I REALLY want to know whether you have more plots/ ideas more italian or Greek hero-- my other favs! (you know I adore your Presents books). =P  I can't wait for more! 

Mitchy, I've two more books I'm hoping to write for Presents in the near future--the 3rd book in the Desert Kings series featuring the middle brother Zayad, and a very dark intense story that moves from Italy to Carmel, California and then to Siciliy.  And as I tend to write my books in threes, I know there will be a very sexy Greek somewhere just begging to be written.  But first, I'll have to figure out what he wants and needs and just who is keeping him from having what he wants...

Jane

Thanks for the wonderful insight; especially the information on how you do your research.

wj

Hey Jane!

Great to see you here!  Just picked up --The Sheikh's Chosen Queen and can't wait to dive in.  The thing is, I KNOW I'm going to love it cuz it's Jane Porter!  There's that element of trust that evolves with an author's work and that's why you're an automatic buy on my list.  

The honesty you put into your writing is what draws most of us I think.  Question.  If there's one thing you wished you'd known before you were published--what would it be?

Hugs!

MARIAN 

Great to see you back on  eHarlequin. Your Sheikh's Chosen Queen is on my TBR pile right ow. All I need is to get my Spaniard  off my desk and onto my editor's and I'll be able to enjoy it.

I was wondering what you think is the essential appeal of  the Sheikh hero, and the reasons why he has been  so very popular - and still is today.

I have my own theories, of course, but I've only written a couple of sheikh stories so I'd love to know your thoughts.

And thanks for the list of research books! The cookbooks idea is one I haven't tried - I must look into that

Kate

Good morning everyone and big hugs to all my friends who have so kindly showed up in force to support me!  I'm grateful. 

I went to bed thinking about Jennie's question on how I write--in a series of drafts, or more tightly, reworking and writing as I go.  And Jennie, I do a version of both.  I spend a month writing in pieces as I write out of order.  I write the highpoints so to speak, or what I know, or what comes to me.  It helps me learn my characters, and understand what they need, and who they are, and how they interact.  And then once I have this map of points, I begin to play with them, organize them into a plot that makes sense, and then when I've maybe 2-4 weeks before the book is due, I sit down and write a chapter a day making it all line up, come together with proper tension and pacing.  And usually when I hit the end, I have a complete book that I can almost turn in from there.  I will need to do some little tweaks, and pull a few threads more taut, or clean up something that didn't work as well as it needed, but 70% of the time when I hit my epilogue or final chapter, I'm done and I just send it in!

I loved The Sheikh's Chosen Queen.  One of the reasons why is that absolute power that sheikh's wield-- that I think you, Jane, manage to write about in such a breathtaking way.  I particularly like the way you write the heroines in these novels-- the way they figure out how to bend in ways the hero can't, and how that makes them strong instead of weak.  It seems to me that's a theme in all your novels.  You're also not afraid to up the emotional stakes!  How do you know how far to go?  How far is too far?  Is there such a thing when the hero has absolute power??

 I can't wait for the next one! 

Good morning all.  I can't believe it's already Wednesday!  I was supposed to be on a flight to Hawaii today for the next 6 days but I just couldn't do it, not when there's so much to do at home.  Sometimes its so much work to get away, that I think just being home is better.  Maybe that's why books are so wonderful.  They give us little mini-escapes that are completely stress free.  As I wrote in my recent Jane Blog on my website, reading--and reading romance--is probably my favorite way to unplug when things get rough.

Anne had asked about writing linked books, and if books really did come to me in threes, and yes, books do come to me in globs....not tidy little, "here are three unique and wonderful book ideas", but rather in a brainstorm rush of material that I have to sort through and sift out into various piles.  The book I'm working on now, the book that could follow, and a back up book.  Or, I'll be writing one book and I get ideas for it that don't really make sense for the book, and then after struggling with the ideas a bit, I start seeing that this is material for a connected book.

Does anyone else think that way?  It's not a linear process that's for sure, but then I'm not a linear thinker and even if I do extensive plotting, my stories never really follow the prescribed plots.  They kind of start with the plot and then bounce from there.

Hello Monique, Catherine, Megan and Susanna!

Megan, re your question on how far is too far--I've done it.  Made the mistake of allowing the hero to push the heroine too far.  That happened a lot in my early books, particularly in The Italian Groom and The Sheikh's Wife.  I loved the idea that he was so strong and that he'd bend her to his will, but later, especially after reader feedback, I realized that I'd made a mistake.  Those early books sold very well, in fact better than some of my later books where my Alpha heroes were more civilized, but some of the reader objections really resonated with me because the ultimate alpha hero is that of the protector.  He might not like himself, he might not always like her, but he must always protect her...even when it means tryign to protect her from himself.

I didn't understand that earlier in my career with Presents.  Alpha heroes were more one dimensional if you will.  Now I see them as very layered, even if the layers are operating at the subconscious level.

And let me add that I wouldn't be able to write these heroes anywhere else in the Harlequin family.  They're very much a Presents hero, a man that is larger than life and not easily matched with a woman.  These men are so big, so strong, so mythic in terms of sexuality, intelligence, strength and power that they require a very unique heroine.  Maybe this is why I like to push each character as hard and far as I can.  The Presents hero and heroine in my book are able to withstand the pressure and instead of breaking, they bend, yield, struggle and then ultimately change and grow.  I guess that's my idea of love.  It tests us, challenges us, and hopefully makes us better people.

How do others perceive love?  For my fellow writers, how does your view of love color characters in your books?  And for readers, what is your most satisfying defintion of love in a romance novel?

Oh yeah, The Sheikh's Wife was super intense. The hero was... well he was ttoally unPC. But as a reader, I love-hated Kahlil. Over all I really loved the book. I'm sure it was the first book I read by you a few years back... since that book I made sure to get more of your books. However, reading your newer books-- I see what you are saying with the hero. Kahlil is a totally different hero than your newer heroes. I still love him... but I guess certain elements weren't present. I think it's more of... i don't know... yeah... the protector aspect. Definitely. But, some times I really like the heroes with the flaws... flaws that seem too big, but then they redeem themselves by the end. The Presents hero is certainly another sort of hero altogether. I don't really read any other harlequins other than presents. I tried to read a few other types, but I keep searching for the Presents hero. I do read a bit of super romance, but it's not like I get them monthly or anything.

My question(s): How much do you think presents has changed in terms of the quality? the writing? the heroes? the heroines? Settings? Ideas? Do you think the old school Presents? or do you enjoy the newer ones better? In what direction would you like Presents to go?

Ah, Mitchy, you ask dangerous questions. But I like them.  :)

If I were honest, and not worrying about being pc in any way, I'd confess that I love the old school Presents.  It's why I started writing for Presents.  I love very alpha heroes and very exotic, glamorous settings.  I love tremendous sexual tension and some hot lovemaking, but I'm not crazy about really explicit lovemaking in Presents if it takes an iota away from the emotional intensity of a Presents.  My fear is that down the road the Presents chemistry, tension and emotional connection could be undermined by explicit love scenes that aren't necessary for the story, or the emotional tension, but are included because they market studies prove that today's readers like very hot romance.  I *like* hot romance, too, and I read erotica, but Presents has a long tradition and it's a very respected tradition that is cherished by millions of readers all over the world.  I welcome new in the line, just want to make sure the successful 'old' isn't done away with. 

I remember when I first started reading the line, sex didn't happen on the page and I kind of miss the days when authors had to shut the door at the bedroom instead of inviting us all in and asking us to stand around the bed (or shower) while he does a, b, c to the heroine.   Those books were so emotionally intense, and they were seductive and heady in the senses, not just in deed.

What I love about the line though is that every author is encouraged to deliver her take on the Presents story.  Each author is expected to be original and retain her unique voice.  The editors work to protect the authors' voice and style, too, which is what keeps the line so dynamic.  I think as long as the various authors are sensitive to reader expectations, than all the different styles of Presents will work.  The trouble I think would come if suddenly Presents was only allowed to be one thing, and that the intensity was tapered off.  The intensity--whether sexual or emotional--and the riveting alpha heroes define the line.  It's why I love to write for Presents, and it's why I will always be a Presents author, and reader.  I can't get this fix in any of the other Harlequin lines. 

So nice to see you here and I appreciate your kind words.  I always have such fun writing my sheikh books and there are times when I'm writing and I think, "Jane, don't do it, don't do it, your editor will have a heart attack," and then I think, "oh hell, she's young, she'll survive."  <g> 

The truth is, I've the  most amazing editor who always tells me to go for it, and then writes great blurbs and gets me lovely covers, as well as tremendous support from Tessa Shapcott, who first bought me in 2000 and continues to oversee and nurture the line.

Presents is a place where magical things happen.  No, our heroines don't spend a lot of time doing the laundry or washing dishes, but that's the part I love.  In real life I have to do heaps of laundry and endless carpools and loads of dishes, so why write about that in our Presents?  Why not write fantasy because it's oh-so-much-fun.

Jane, I find this absolutely fascinating.  I love hearing how other authors write.

Now, I'm going to ask another question (surprise, surprise )  When you write a whole lot of different scenes, do you find you still write them in linear fashion or do you prefer to jump around then thread them all together?

I'm very much a linear writer.  I used to be an absolute plotter but that has changed the more I write.

These days, I have a basic outline of 2 pages (know who my hero/heroine/rough plot is) then go from there, pretty much pantsing it.

I write sequentially, can't jump around.  Though I've never tried it...could be fun!

Jane, i really think hard about my questions! Sometimes I feel like I'm
running out of them! Or I've already asked them.

And, I totally have the same outlook as you! I love mcsteamy sex
scenes and stuff... but sometimes...when the plot is JUST SO GOOD... I really
just skim over instead of paying attention to every detail. The old school
Presents were like that... it was so intense emotionally and everything that I
don't disappointed if it *doesn't* have steamy sex scenes.

I've read most of your Presents... and I know that your heroes are totally
awesome---like you pointed out the hero makes the Presents. However, you
write pretty awesome heroines as well. You know my two favorites are Nic
(the Sultan's brought bride) and Cass (Sicilian's defiant mistress). And, you
wrote other great heroines as well.

Questions (hang tight!):

What makes a match?

I know Malik and Nic was such a great match IMO because she was so
spirited an independent and Malik was so laid back, totally controlled, and
knows what he wants-- which was her! lol

How do you formulate the heroines so that she would match well with the
hero?

What makes an admirable heroine? I know a lot of people expect
heroines to be pure and all that is good... I know a lot of your heroines aren't
like that-- they are usually great people, but they aren't typical! Your
heroines all have different attitudes and values, etc... how do you get such a
diverse outlook? Also, how do you want women to be portrayed in your work (IE:
Strong? Spirited? intelligent?) by readers?

Jane, you mentioned in one of your earlier responses to Mitchy -

"I think as long as the various authors are sensitive to reader expectations, than all the different styles of Presents will work.  The trouble I think would come if suddenly Presents was only allowed to be one thing, and that the intensity was tapered off.  The intensity--whether sexual or emotional--and the riveting alpha heroes define the line."

But don't you feel that the chages in the line are already starting to become apparent with the packaging of non-Presents type books under the Presents name? 

The 'Extra' label on the second cycle could have made a difference but not when they're putting classic Presents authors under the label too.  What's the point of the label then? 

Of course I understand change is important in order to grow.  But still, it's really disheartening to see Presents lose the promise of emotional and sexual intensity and to see the impact of the Alpha male watered down because of these changes. 

The impression one gets is of someone trying to package a beautiful square object in an equally beautiful round box and in the process, ruining them both. 

I would love to know how the Presents authors feel about these changes, and about the expansion to 12 titles a month.  What does it all mean for the Presents line and how does it impact the authors?  

PS  And lest anyone think I haven't read the newest HM&B books or authors because I'm turning up my nose at them--far from it!  I just can't read 'in my genre' when I'm writing so I'll read paranormals and historicals, but not 'chick lit' or category romance when in the middle of a book or on deadline.  I'm hoping to wrap up my current books and dive into my TBR as soon as possible!!

Hi Lee,

I think I can explain the Extra label thing.  The classic Presents authors you mentioned who have recently been under the Presents Extra label have actually been writing for the new Harlequin Modern Heat series (which have been released as Presents Extra in the US), authors like Lucy Monroe and Susan Napier.

From May, when the Presents series expands to 12 titles a month, the 2 ModHeat titles will be under the Presents banner in the first 8 books released in the month, with the 4 Presents Extra books being pure classic Presents.

Confusing, huh?