eHarlequin.com Merchant Deal Feed
August/September Covers I Love
It’s been awhile since I posted my last selection of covers that I’m digging so I thought I would bring it back again. Each month I’ll strive to bring some of the covers that catch my eye in the following month or two (depending on whether it’s a single title or a series title.) This month I’m showing you five covers from August (single titles) and September (series titles). Check out the covers that I’m totally digging for August and September.
Persuasion by Brenda Joyce
About the book:
Betrayal Tore Them Apart
Amelia Greystone was deeply in love when the earl of St. Just abruptly ended his courtship and left Cornwall ten years earlier. So she is stunned when Simon returns, recently widowed. Now she must forget the past they shared and his betrayal and console him as any neighbor would. Simon has changed-he is dark and haunted now-but he can still make her reel with a single look. When he offers her the position of housekeeper, Amelia knows she must refuse. But for the sake of his children,she throws all caution to the wind….
Passion Will Reunite Them
A British spy, Simon Grenville is now playing both sidesin a time of war, his goal to keep his sons safe. Yet when heis brought face-to-face with the woman he once loved, he realizes nothing about his feelings for Amelia has changed-if anything, they are even stronger. Still, Simon knows he must stay away from Amelia; his life is too dangerous now. But sometimes passion is too strong to be denied….
Circle of Silence by Carol Tanzman
Editor’s Note: Carol is stopping by the Harlequin Blog on August 3. Look out for her blog post!
About the book:
THE BIGGEST STORY OF MY LIFE COULD BE HOW IT ENDS
It’s my turn to run a Campus News crew, and I’ve put together a team that can break stories wide open. And Washington Irving High has a truly great one to cover, if only we can find a lead.
A secret society has formed in our school. It announced its presence with pranks: underwear on the flagpole, a toilet in the hallway, cryptic notes. A circle of silence keeps the society a mystery. No one knows its members, agenda or initiation secrets-until a student lands in the hospital under strange circumstances.
I will blow this story wide open and stop others from being hurt…or worse. And while my ex, Jagger, might want to help, I don’t trust him yet. (And, no, not because of our past together. That is not important to this story.)
But whether you find me, Valerie Gaines, reporting in front of the camera, or a victim in the top story of the newscast…be sure to watch Campus News at 9:00 a.m. this Friday.
The Siren by Tiffany Reisz
About the Book:
It’s a man’s world, but she’s the one on top.
Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different-more serious, more personal-and she’s sure it’ll be her breakout book…if it ever sees the light of day.
Zachary Easton holds Nora’s fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards-in six weeks-or it’s no deal.
Nora’s grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining…and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous-staying away from him…or returning to his bed?
Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.
If the Ring Fits… by Jackie Braun
About the Book:
She’d always played it safe. Until now.
Practical Rachel Palmer’s aversion to risk taking led to a marriage that just didn’t fit. Now single again, she’s embracing her newfound independence-and the first step is taking her jewelry business worldwide! For that she needs expert help from Italian Antonio Salerno….
His business help soon turns personal. And being in close-enough-to-kiss proximity to a sexy playboy makes Rachel feel she’s taking a flying leap into deliciously risky territory. It’s everything she’s been craving…but this is a man famous for loving and leaving. Surely falling for him would be a step too far?
Needed: the perfect wedding date!
Trying to move on from a disastrous engagement, Sophie Morgan needs a date for her best friend’s wedding…and fast! And what quicker way to find a man than speed dating? Only, it’s bar manager, Dan Halliday, who catches Sophie’s eye.
Dan can’t resist helping a damsel in distress, so he offers her a deal-a few shifts in the bar in exchange for the date-no strings attached. But when pretence leads to passion, they both get more than they bargained for. And it’s too late to have any secrets between them….
The Woman He Knows by Margaret Watson
About the Book:
Darcy Gordon lives in fear of the past catching up with her. So when a horrible accident injures her boss, she can’t shake the thought that it was meant for her. And her problems only worsen when her boss’s brother, FBI agent Patrick Devereux, comes to town asking questions. If it wouldn’t raise so many suspicions, she’d be packing her bags and leaving Chicago.
So she does her best to stay under the radar. Patrick’s fierce good looks and razor-sharp stare have her stomach in knots…and her heart racing. The passion between them leaves Darcy more confused than ever. For the first time, she wants more than the pretend life she’s living now. For the first time, fear is taking a backseat to what she could have with Patrick.
BONUS!
Author Nicola Marsh has posted a cover reveal of her October 2012 Harlequin Romance on her blog. Check it out here!
See anything that you like? Let me know what you think of these covers!
Poll: Which Paranormal/Fantasy/SciFi Movies Are You Looking Forward To?
by Amy Wilkins
If you’re a fan of fantasy, comics, science fiction or paranormal-themed entertainment, I bet you’re aware that San Diego Comic-Con was last week. I didn’t get to attend this year (I did in 2010 
) but have been following all the news from the Con — especially about some highly anticipated movies!
Have you been following the Comic-Con updates? Which paranormal, scifi or fantasy movie showcased this year are you looking forward to the most? And if you don’t see your favorite on the list, feel free to add it to the poll or leave a comment!
Take Our Poll
What’s the Most Presents Thing That’s Ever Happened to You?
by Harlequin Presents editor Carly Byrne
Harlequin Presents News & Links!
by Amy Wilkins, Harlequin Digital
Hello readers! Here are a few news bites and links I’ve found on the web this week. Do you have a link to share with fellow Presents readers? Authors, do you have any events or news? Please share in the comments! (note: comments with links tend to go to moderation automatically, so don’t panic if your comment doesn’t appear right away.)
Bringing a Hero Out of the New York Slums
by Delilah Marvelle, author of FOREVER A LADY, book two in the RUMOR series, coming from HQN Books July 24, 2012
Few people know that I grew up in Chicago within a lower class, gang infested neighborhood where walking down the street in the wrong colors or a certain headband could get a girl raped or killed. It was my life and I had to deal with it. I had to walk to school every day not knowing if I was going to get jumped. I got beat up a couple times for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Being an avid reader, which only set me up for being targeted, even more because the kids in my neighborhood didn’t read, I quickly learned to walk around with a book in one hand and a baseball bat in the other. I got sick of being bullied and eventually banded together a group of friends (both guys and girls) who were my age. One of them, Greg, turned out to be my best friend. He looked out for me and I looked out for him and it not only made us closer but made us realize something: we could rise above anything if we were surrounded by the right people. I eventually left that neighborhood at 13, leaving my best friend behind, and moved into a better community. Greg and I lost touch and to this day, I often wonder what happened to him. But those years spent on the street bonding with him and others who struggled to rise above the intimidation and gang violence affected my life. Forever.
Although the story of FOREVER A LADY is a nod to my favorite New York movies like Annie and Newsies and Cinderella Man, at the heart of the story, it darts into the corners of my own life and my youth. It was all too easy for me to imagine and research what life would have been like back in 1820s and 30s New York in the slums, when a man loses everything and is forced to survive against thugs. I remembered the anger, the disbelief, and the desperation of others to want to become more but unable to. I was lucky to have gotten out when I did. I feel blessed. It was a romance waiting to be written. The hero of my story, Matthew, is a homage to my childhood. I wanted to give my best friend of old, Greg, a story. I imagined what his life turned into and wanted him to be happy. Giving him a lady who could make all of his dreams come true was part of the equation. He deserved a happily ever after and it is my hope, that with FOREVER A LADY, I did him justice. Because it doesn’t matter how you grow up, all that matters is how you come out of it and the person you become as a result of it.
About the book:
Two different classes, One common desire…
Bernadette Marie Burton may be the richest widow in England, but like her dreams of finding true passion, her reputation is deteriorating. Cruel gossip, loneliness and hoards of opportunistic suitors have her believing Society couldn’t be more vile….or dangerous. So when an attacker threatens her life, she finds safety in the most unseemly of places: the arms of a mysterious, Irish-American gang leader.
His fortune stolen, young Matthew Joseph Milton is done playing the respectable gentleman. In the slums of New York, only ruffians thrive. But from the moment he arrives in London and encounters the volumptious Lady Bernadette, he can’t help but wonder about the finer pleasures he’s missing. Or just how much he’s willing to risk — not only to bed her, but to prove his worth…
Harlequin Blog News RoundUP: July 12, 2012
Each week we post the best news coming out of Harlequin and Carina Press. Free books, contests, community spotlights and the latest book trailers to check out. Read on for the latest news!
SCANDAL! The Santina Crown Gossip Page – NAUGHTY NATALIA
The bad twin of Santina’s Royal family!
What can we say about Natalia Santina that hasn’t been said before?
READ here to find out ► http://bit.ly/Ni9lem
COMMUNITY TUESDAY: We’re taking a POLL to see what influences YOU when buying a book!!
CAST YOUR VOTE HERE ► http://bit.ly/P1BB8r
HARLEQUIN.COM: Discover HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
These stories are heartwarming contemporary tales of everyday women finding love—sometimes where they least expect it—and beginning a whole new life.
SHOP NOW ► http://bit.ly/OyCUrE
Do YOU love a happy ending?
http://youtu.be/PsXgMxuWzsA
NEW Harlequin Historical Upstairs Downstairs Regency Series – Castonbury Park
Are you a fan of the Upstairs/Downstairs genre made famous by the UK series Downton Abbey? Then be on the look out for the new Harlequin Historical DIGITALLY EXCLUSIVE series Castonbury Park! Now, the series is not set in the same time period as Downton Abbey, but fret not–these Regency romance novels are a great way to while away those dog days of summer, PLUS they’re written by some of the hottest Harlequin historical authors!
The full series begins in August with Carole Mortimer’s THE WICKED LORD MONTAGUE but you can pick up a special e-novella by Marguerite Kaye, FLIRTING WITH RUIN right now for absolutely FREE from the Harlequin eBook Store. This novella takes place six months before the series begins and serves as the prequel to the entire story, so be sure to check this out before you purchase THE WICKED LORD MONTAGUE, which is available August 1! Each subsequent book in the series will be available the first of each month. Each book in the Castonbury Park series can be read as stand-alone books, but characters come and go throughout the series.
Check out the covers below!
Here is the full list of releases:
Carole Mortimer’s The Wicked Lord Montague (August)
Helen Dickson’s The Housemaid’s Scandalous Secret (September)
Marguerite Kaye’s The Lady Who Broke the Rules (October)
Anne Lethbridge’s Lady of Shame (November)
Sarah Mallory’s The Illegitmate Montague (December)
Bronwyn Scott’s Unbefitting a Lady (January)
Joanna Fulford’s Redemption of a Fallen Woman (February)
Amanda McCabe’s A Stranger at Castonbury (March)
Stay tuned to The Harlequin Blog–on the Monday of each month the author whose book has just been released will be here to discuss her new release and answer your questions! First up on August 6–Carole Mortimer!
How Heidi Rice Discovered the Truth About Virgin Heroines While Writing “The Good, The Bad and the Wild”
Harlequin Blog News RoundUP: June 21, 2012
Each week we post the best news coming out of Harlequin and Carina Press. Free books, contests, community spotlights and the latest book trailers to check out. Read on for the latest news!
Harlequin eBook Store: FREE FREE FREE!! From your favorite book store!!
The Sons of Chance series novella ALREADY HOME by Vicki Lewis Thompson, is FREE until September 30th. DON’T MISS OUT ► http://bit.ly/LkTg9G
Do you love ♥ shirtless cowboys!!? 
COMMUNITY TUESDAY! Kimani Spotlight
You dream in color! Stories that feature sophisticated, soulful and sensual African-American and multicultural heroes and heroines who develop fulfilling relationships as they lead lives full of drama, glamour and passion.
JOIN IN ► http://bit.ly/KUsF0H
Who’s your favorite Kimani author?
HARLEQUIN.COM: Summer Seduction SALE!
Is it HOT in here, or is it our Summer Seduction Sale? Spend $15 or more on these sultry reads and save $5 with coupon code SUMSED12! Enjoy these titles in print books, too!
START SHOPPING ► http://bit.ly/M7yFXt
Are you stocked for the summer??!
CARINA PRESS: Escape your world and enter another…
Lilly Cain’s works are a doorway to lives rich in paranormal activity, science-fiction elements and powerfully erotic loving. Discover the final tale in The Confederacy Treaty trilogy—Undercover Alliance—today!
HERE ► http://bit.ly/LgC9I0
Harlequin EXCLUSIVE Video Premier!! HERON’S COVE by Carla Neggers
The New York Times bestselling author returns with a gripping story of romantic suspense, where FBI agents Sharpe and Donovan must decide whether working alone or standing together is the only way to outwit an enemy set to tear them apart.
WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER HERE ► http://youtu.be/7hp6C9s-llI
Third Annual So You Think You Can Write Digital Conference!
World. Famous. Author.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Why not take your chance at becoming one yourself by following our third annual So You Think You Can Write conference? This is the third annual digital conference for aspiring romance writers. Take your step towards that goal by joining Harlequin and Mills & Boon authors and editors who want to help YOU get published. Each year there we offer exclusive writing help, chats and challenges to help you work on your story. Each year the conference culminates in a competition where we pick a manuscript for publication and this time the competition is going worldwide. If you have a story and you think it’s right for us, we want to see it! The event begins with a 24/7 online week-long conference, then launches into a contest where we hope to find fresh new writing voices. We’re getting all our readers involved, too, because we’ll be asking the public to vote for their favorite stories. The conference begins September 2012.
What is Your Favorite Paranormal or Fantasy Cover of 2011?
by Amy Wilkins, Harlequin Digital
The Queen of Romance Meets the Queen of England
by Carole Mortimer, Harlequin Presents author
Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared on the Harlequin Historical Author Blog. The blog admins very kindly let me repost Carole’s story here. Congratulations, Carole!
My story starts a couple of days before Christmas 2011 – hey, I’m a writer, and I don’t know how else to tell this story!
So, it’s a couple of days before Christmas, and half a dozen Christmas cards have arrived in the morning post, along with an innocuous-looking envelope addressed to me.Assuming the latter was a bill, I naturally opened the Christmas cards first – I love everything about Christmas, and consider sending and receiving cards from family and friends, as being part of the joy of the season.It finally came time to open the innocuous looking envelope, which I duly did, quickly read the contents of the letter inside, before throwing it down onto the table beside me in disgust, with muttered comments like ‘it’s disgusting the scams people get up to nowadays’, and ‘at Christmas time too!’My husband came into the room about fifteen minutes later, and I showed him the letter, expecting him to be outraged too, but instead he picked up the letter, said he would be back in five minutes or so, and disappeared.As he had said, he did reappear five minutes later, gently placed the letter down on the table beside me, and said softly ‘it isn’t a scam, Carole, you really are being asked to accept an invitation to attend the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May 2012, in recognition of your outstanding service to literature.’I began writing in 1978, and have just completed my 180th novel for Harlequin Mills and Boon, but even so…!
Now in my own defence, in regard to thinking it was all a scam of some kind, I would just like to point out that the second paragraph of the letter asked me for details of my passport, and that of the guest who would be accompanying me.
Secondly, things like this do not happen to people like me.I was born in a small village in Bedfordshire, more years ago than I care to think about, the youngest of three children, and the only time I have ever seen the Queen, or any of the royal family, has been when they were being driven past in a car, or on the television.
Thirdly, I had never heard of a Harlequin Mills and Boon author having received such an honour, and if there are some of them out there then they probably haven’t talked about it for the same reason I haven’t – they were in shock!
I believe, along with the rush and bustle that is Christmas, that I truly did go into shock for a few days, and then I learnt that a dear friend was very seriously ill – Penny Jordan – and the whole thing just faded into the background.
Unfortunately we lost Penny on New Year’s Eve, and it was just so sad that everything else paled into insignificance, and I really didn’t give the invitation another thought until much later that month, when I finally remembered I had to send my acceptance.
Being of bit of a worry wart, I was still reluctant to share the news of the Royal invitation with anyone – what if it turned out to be a mistake, and they had the wrong Carole Mortimer? Or the official invitation, which they told me would be sent out in mid-April, never arrived?How foolish I would look, for ever having believed they could really have meant me in the first place!So I told very few people, just close family – my Mum and Dad were so proud! – and three dear friends.
But to my surprise a buff-coloured envelope duly arrived mid-April, bearing a Buckingham Palace postmark, inviting myself and my husband to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 29th, 2012.One of those three dear friends asked me if I had very carefully opened the envelope so that I might frame it, along with the official invitation – but I’m sorry to say, that in my haste to see if it really was THE invitation, I had ripped the envelope open (perhaps a bit of sticky tape…?).
So, I now had six weeks in which to find something to wear – being superstitious and a worry-wart, I hadn’t so much as looked at what I would wear for such an occasion.And I had to wear a hat.The instructions for the day, which had arrived in the envelope with the official invitation – we were not allowed to take cameras into the Palace, or have mobile phones switched on, nor would the official photographers be allowed inside the grounds – definitely said I had to wear a hat.I never wear hats!Not even to the weddings of two of my sons.The gold silk suit was easy – I love the silk clothes from a certain shop, and they very kindly made the suit I wanted in the appropriate time.The hat?I’m not telling where I found the hat, but I’m sure you will agree, it goes perfectly with the suit?And my husband – who retired when our youngest son was born, and hates wearing suits after having to wear them to work for thirty years – actually went out and bought a new suit and shirt for the occasion.I was most impressed!
So, we’re all set, suits bought, hat also bought, now all we have to do is go to London and attend the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 29th.ATTEND THE QUEEN’S GARDEN PARTY AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE!!!!I felt sick with nerves every time I thought about it – which was more and more often, the closer the date loomed.
My husband – he’s such a romantic on the quiet! – had arranged for a suite for us at The Savoy, overlooking the river, for two nights, with a lovely bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice when we were shown into our suite – which I have to admit, we very much enjoyed drinking.That was followed by the two of us going downstairs, and enjoying one of The Savoy’s Afternoon Teas.I’ve always loved Afternoon Tea.So much so that I’ve been known to decide on whether a hotel is any good or not by the quality of their Afternoon Tea!The Savoy’s Afternoon Tea is, I am happy to say, the best in London as far as I’m concerned.Absolutely delicious.
The following morning – the morning of THE garden party – it all started to seem so very real, when before it had all seemed like a bit of a dream.
Again, my husband – how I do love that man! – arranged a surprise for me, in that he arranged for The Savoy’s chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce (number plate S8 VOY) to drive us to Buckingham Palace and collect us again at the end of the afternoon.
It was wonderful being driven through London in that lovely Rolls Royce, arriving at the Palace, and ACTUALLY BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN THROUGH THOSE BEAUTIFUL ORNATE GATES.
The gardens at the back of the Palace are extremely lovely; rolling lawns and beautiful beds full of shrubs and flowers.The sort of garden where you could imagine children playing hide and seek in the bushes, with tree-houses or hammocks amongst the trees.I hope that they did and still do!
At four o’clock a dozen Beefeaters appeared in the garden in full Regalia, announcing the arrival of the Queen and the royal family.The Queen looked lovely in lilac, and Prince Phillip was his usual debonair self in his morning suit, and it seemed incredible to think that they were 86 and 90 years old.Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were also there.And the Duchess of Cambridge looked lovely in pink – Prince William was, unfortunately, on duty, and so couldn’t accompany her.Prince Harry was his usual friendly and handsome self.The Princess Royal looked very regal.Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were also present, and extremely charming.Plus a number of other minor royals – I was so bedazzled by this time I honestly don’t know who else was there!
Afternoon tea was served all afternoon, a lovely selection of sandwiches and cakes, and hot tea or chilled coffee – and I can honestly say I have never eaten such delicious cucumber sandwiches.They had put mint leaves in with the cucumber, and somehow turned a bland sandwich into a delight.The newspapers the following day stated that each guest at the garden party had eaten an average of thirteen sandwiches – thirteen! – and as I only ate three, and my husband six, I’m curious as to who ate the other seventeen…
It was an incredible, magical afternoon, and one I will never ever forget, along with the honour of the reason I had received the invitation – ‘in recognition of my outstanding service to literature.’
Editor’s Note: You can purchase Carole’s latest releases from Harlequin.com or MillsandBook.co.uk. Click on the image covers below to purchase today!
