My Recent Comments

Pamela,
Usually the editors and their assistants come up with the continuity concepts, but sometimes that job can be farmed out to someone outside of the Harlequin offices.  That "someone" is often a former editor who is now staying home to raise children or something similiar, but who has kept his/her hand in the business by free lance editing.  In other words, it's someone with qualifications, knowledge of the line and a familiarity with Harlequin. And even then, the line editors will tweak and edit the final version.

With Melissa now gone Krista will be the one to guide the upcoming continuity stories. She's done this kind of thing before with Harlequin, so no worries there.

In general, the editors come up with the overall setting and the story that carries through all the books (the continuity element). The authors are given 2 pages that gives them the gist of their story (ex. a secret baby plot) and their characters' names, occupations and vital statistics. That gives us 220 pages to make the story and characters our own.

It's that discovery part that's so much fun.

Emilie

Hi all.  If you're reading the Park Avenue Scandals series you might want to pop over to that thread. Click on the link above. Fingers crossed I inserted it correctly.

 Emilie

Hi all. I adore working on these series. My book, PREGNANT ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE? doesn't come out until November, but it should be available on eHarlequin Oct. 1. And then we have to wait until Nov. 1 to order the December book, Anna's finale.

Question for readers:  Do you buy all the books in a series and save them to read them together?  Confession, I often do because I get too impatient waiting a month for the next installment.

Tina,
The answer to your question is yes, the authors do share bits and pieces of other characters in their stories. Some of that is because the editors ask us to. Some of it just comes out as we authors email each other on the loops we open for the duration of writing the series. 
The email loops are the best part of writing a continuity. It's like having coffee with fellow authors. You zip off a question and get an answer.

This series was fun because I've been to Manhattan, but I'm dying to go again. So as I did the research I made a list of places to go (and eat).

Emilie

Speaking of confidence and attitude and the things that make a guy an attractive hero...

I'm heading for a 2 day motorcycle rally this weekend.
I don't mean dirt bikes or motocross.  Or those plastic things that pop wheelies and sound like an angry bee.

There will be a lot of Harley riders / owners there.  Harley says a few things to me that correspond to heroes in my mind.
One, attitude to the max.
Two, the money to afford one. 
Three, brotherhood. Harley riders bond together like family.
Four, black leather. Let me tell you, a guy in a basic white t-shirt (with the bulging biceps and quadriceps required to hold up a 600-900 pound bike) and a black leather vest is HOT. Throw in worn denim that hugs their butts and biker boots.  Yummy.
(I am ignoing the ones who also have the bulging bellies to go with the big biceps)

And yes, Wayne, just for you, the female version can be just as attractive in a confident, I-can-handle-anything way.

There will be a lot of men (and women) there with that swagger in their walk that says "they own their world."
I think it's that attribute that makes so many of our heroes the kind we want to jump. Most romance readers want a man who can take charge when needed, one who has our back and understands loyalty (and fidelity).
If  he also has a tender side, that's even better.

So you can bet I'll be doing a little hero-scoping at the rally this weekend.  Ha ha. It's so nice to go and be able to call it "research."

Have a great weekend!

Emilie

I love cowboys. Military (or ex-military) guys are my second favorite. There's something about the Code of the West or knowing the hero will always do what's right even if it hurts that gets to me. Cowboys and military guys both have that quality.

Self-made millionaires are good too because you know they are smart, determined and ambitious. They think outside the box instead of being the kind of guy who vegetates on the couch with a remote, a beer (or six) and a  half-eaten pizza seven nights a week. They are also used to sacrificing to get what they want.

I guess what I'm saying is I like grit, a guy with a backbone, one who is willing to fight for what he wants and has the confidence to believe he can get it.
Confidence is very sexy regardless of the occupation.

Emilie

Rae,
My only tattoo is the rose on my lower back that I got earlier this year. I think you knew about that one.  
I want one more. I just don't know what it will be yet, but I do know where it will go. Ha Ha.

I have really missed  you all and I hate I didn't get to catch up with you in San Francisco.  But that trip money went toward the Harley.  Since I get to see my editor and the Desire editorial asst. in Atlanta in October (closer to home), I considered it a good trade off.

Emilie

Hi everyone.  I've been away for ages, but I've finally found my way back, and I hope to check in daily like I did before now that I have my 2 oldest sons off to college and my life mostly on track.

Son #2 just got his pilot's license!

It's too cool to see the new faces (and new authors) listed. I've been out of the loop. Welcome ladies.  I hope to meet you in DC next July.

It's been a crazy 16 months, but I have a new Harley to show for it.

So now my poor sons have to refer to me as, "My mom, the biker chick."
Ha ha.

Hi Diana.
I can't wait to get you and Wanda Ottewell together in Georgia at Moonlight and Magnolias. Warning: some of your authors have plans to make sure you have a good time.

 To me Desire heroes are a little more approachable than their Presents counterparts--even when they are not American guys. I love the men, money, power line that MJ throws out. They still have that sense of entitlement and they're certainly...shall we say confident to be polite? But there are redeeming characteristics that pull them back from being total jerks.

In other words, they can be idiots (can't all men?) if I understand WHY they're acting that way.

Emilie

Morning all.

Happy Valentine's Day. I have interesting plans that I thought I'd share in case others are in the same boat.  I'm going out with female writer friends tonight for an Anti-Valentine's Day celebration. 
I figure you can either sit at home and bemoan the fact that you're not coupled or you can go out and have a good time with good friends. 
One of the local sports bars is hosting the Anti-V-Day celebration, so I'm dragging my girlfriends out.

Should be fun. And hey, if it's not then I'll just order a BIG chocolate dessert.  The place I've chosen is a sports bar (translation guy-hangout) with a DJ and dancing, so if all else fails, I'll get to dance with my girlfriends and burn off that chocolate yummy.

For those of you coupled up, I hope your sweetie blows you away with a romantic surprise.
For those of you not paired, start dialing your girlfriends.

Emilie

I'm back.  The Bob Mayer workshop was good. The times I had with my writer friends Friday and Saturday nights was primo! Let's just say if the hotel  bartender had been ten years older...okay, five because honestly, he was gorgeous enough to make me bend my rules,  then I might have ended up more exhausted than I already am after the trip.
What a cutie.  Of course, I would have had to fight 5 other romance writers for him... Maybe Daniel is the one who would have ended up exhausted.

Emilie