Wow! Hope you can articulate your /k/ sounds when you say this one. 
But I'm sure everyone will be talking about the year Intrigue has coming up in 2009. Not only is 2009 Harlequin/Silhouette's 60th anniversary, but Harlequin Intrigue will also be celebrating its own 25th birthday! 
So, the Intrigue editors and authors have all kinds of exciting projects planned to help celebrate the double milestone. Some of Intrigue's favorite authors will revisit fan favorite series--Rose Tattoo, Colby Agency, McKenna Legacy, Taylor Clan/Precinct crossover, Ultimate Agents, and more--I'll let the individual authors share that news with you. But we're also putting together a multi-author continuity series called KENNER COUNTY CRIME UNIT. Eight books (Jan-Aug 2009) plus two online reads will be included. The authors taking part in the series will be Debra Webb, Carla Cassidy, Jessica Andersen, Cassie Miles, Rita Herron, Julie Miller, Delores Fossen and Elle James. (And rest assured, if you don't see a favorite author here, Intrigue has other group and individual projects from veteran and new authors alike scheduled for 2009!)
Here's a brief overview:
Kenner County, Colorado, is situated smack dab in the middle of the Four Corners area of the American west--think mountains, deserts, Indian reservations, glorious natural beauty (Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, etc.), wide open spaces and charming towns (Durango, CO and Farmington, NM are in the area).
The story centers around the Kenner County Crime Unit, specifically the lab and collection division, and the nearby FBI office centered in Durango. It also includes a large Ute Indian Reservation adjacent to Mesa Verde National Park.
Without giving away too many details, the stories begin with a murdered FBI agent who may have cracked open an ongoing feud between warring Vegas crime families. Not only do the FBI agents and CSI's have to solve her murder, but they have a much larger mystery to resolve regarding the two crime families. Along the way, local connections and past area crimes will be revealed and dealt with as well.
Toss in some traditional favorite storylines like reunions, secret babies, amnesia, women in jeopardy, Native American heroes and heroines, single fathers, undercover agents, forbidden romance, opposites attracting, twin heroes, kidnappings, a medium, a pregnant heroine and a man back from the dead, and you know it's going to be exciting!
So what are some of your favorite storylines or character types to see in a romantic suspense story? Chances are, Intrigue will have you covered in 2009!
Julie Miller
AT YOUR COMMAND--Blaze, Jan. 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS--The Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge mini-series--Intrigue, June 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
www.juliemiller.org
Ummm, YOU are the author
of the Taylor Clan/Precinct series. So, what's the scoop on that?
Penn
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As a matter of fact, I am
Hey, Penn--Yes, I have a couple of Precinct books in the pipeline for 2009. Don't know when they'll be scheduled yet. One's a spin-off from this year's Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge mini-series. The other? How about The Taylor Clan, the Next Generation? Keep in mind, this is all in the preliminary stage, so I don't know titles or anything yet. But since time passes differently in the fictional world, some of the offspring from my original Taylor Clan books are old enough now to have stories of their own...
They'll start to show up as supporting characters in other Precinct books, and then, voila!
Let's see, Mitch Taylor has a grown son now. Joe Hendricks has a grown son. Gideon Taylor has a grown son. We'll see who's up first.
Also, there are supporting characters from the original Taylor Clan series who I still get questions and emails about. I'm guessing one or two of them will show up in a future book. Anybody remember desk sergeant Maggie Wheeler? Built like a Nordic Amazon, but surprisingly skittish in the personal relations department?
I know, I'm bad. Dropping lots of hints without a lot of details.
When the details do get firmed up, I'll share more.
Julie
AT YOUR COMMAND--Blaze, Jan. 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS--The Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge mini-series--Intrigue, June 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
www.juliemiller.org
Hi Julie
You mentioned these storylines: reunions, secret babies, amnesia, women in jeopardy, Native American heroes and heroines, single fathers, undercover agents, forbidden romance, opposites attracting, twin heroes, kidnappings, a medium, a pregnant heroine and a man back from the dead. I think that I enjoy nearly all of these themes. Maybe the secret baby and the twins are not favorites but it just depends.
I love the idea of the next generation for the Taylors. I love that Nora Roberts did that with her MacGregors and I would love to revisit the Taylors with their families all grown up. More Yummy heros and great heroines to root for.
Margie :)
Thanks, Margie! I look
Thanks, Margie!
I look forward to creating the next generation of Taylors, too. A couple I have concrete story ideas for, but we'll see how many I actually get to write. I'd love to work in a subplot about how the matriarch/patriarch of the Taylors, Sid and Martha, met and fell in love. I got to hint at it in LAST MAN STANDING, but with the shorter lengths of the Intrigues now, I don't know if I'll be able to. We'll see on that one, too.
As far as the KCCU continuity, I know each author will imbue her storyline with her own unique voice and brand of storytelling. I think that's one of the cool things about a continuity--there's sure to be something for every reader's tastes.
I'm actually writing the one with the Native American hero and heroine (though there are several Native American supporting characters throughout the series). It's a reunion story as much as it's a survival/adventure story. I'm having lots of fun revisiting memories and pix of a family trip I took through the Four Corners area about ten years ago. Lots of harsh, gorgeous landscape for my couple to get stranded in... Don't know what will be more dangerous--surviving the land or surviving the bad guys.
Julie
AT YOUR COMMAND--Blaze, Jan. 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS--The Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge mini-series--Intrigue, June 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
www.juliemiller.org
Looking forward to this series.
This sounds like an interesting series and has some of my favorite authors contributing to it.
Looking forward to some more of theTaylor clan and Precinct books.
Elaine
Sounds like exciting times ahead! :D
I'm looking forward to reading more about KCCU .... sounds like a great series .....
also great to see "Rose Tattoo" in the 2009 line-up .... it's been ages since Kelsey finished her Landry series, and I remember talk then of new editions to the Rose series ..... that will be a nice treat!
"McKenna Legacy", Patricia's new editions are already out .... I have to pull out the original series and re-read them to refresh .... this is another wonderful surprise and I'm very much looking forward to reading them
Julie, Gideon is going to have a grown up son?? .... oh, my! ... you know, Gideon was the very first Harlequin Intrigue hero that I fell in love with
.... his story was my first Harlequin in over 20 years, and got me hooked on Romance again ...... gosh, I think I'm going to have to pull out my Taylor Clans and refresh so I'm well prepared to for all the treats you have in store! ....
thanks for the look forward!
~~ KatherineT ~~ I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Taylor Clan: The Next Generation
Well, Katherine--Gideon did adopt 4 sons, and one of them was already a teenager (former gang-member Alex--probably fell in love with his Grandma Martha's cooking before anything else
). But Alex is all grown up now. Edison (the second oldest adopted son) isn't far behind. He's at the brainier end of the spectrum--don't have his story completely in mind yet, but he's definitely in grad school developing all those brain cells.
If I really play with the fictional time line, I also considered having Mitch Taylor's toddler son, Mitch, Jr., grow up with the speed of a soap opera child
. Mitch was the hero in my very first Intrigue, ONE GOOD MAN, and his lieutenant, Joe Hendricks now has a grown son who plays a supporting role in my upcoming Brotherhood of the Badge series.
So it's something I could potentially have a lot of fun with. Readers, too, I hope.
Julie
AT YOUR COMMAND--Blaze, Jan. 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS--The Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge mini-series--Intrigue, June 08--Romantic Times Top Pick!
www.juliemiller.org
Julie, I LOVE your cover
Julie, I LOVE your cover for Protective Instincts!!
Wow, so much happening at Intrigue. I'm in the Kenner County Crime Unit continuity as well. YAY!! I'll be writing book 7 and an online eharlequin read. Can't wait. I also have a new miniseries, Texas Paternity, about single dads that launches in October.
2008 will be a busy writing year!
Delores
Delores Fossen
http://www.dfossen.com/
The Horseman's Son, Harl Intrigue