Harlequin Senior Editor Brenda Chin was the special guest of Heart of
Denver Romance Authors on October 20. She talked about what Harlequin is looking for
in some of its lines. This article will share what she had to say about Blaze and
Temptation.
Harlequin's newest line, Blaze, has really taken off, with excellent sales for the initial
books. While many of Harlequin's popular Temptation authors are writing for Blaze, there
is still room for newcomers here. Harlequin releases four Blaze titles each month.
Books are 70,000 to 75,000 words long and have a sexy premise. Mini-series
have always proven popular in category romance and Blaze has its own mini-series,
including "Sexy City Nights" books set in big cities such as New York and Los
Angeles; and "Midnight Fantasies" books based on popular women's fantasies, such
as seduction by a stranger.
"Blaze books have a very strong sexual edge," Chin said. "A lot of the
heroines have an agenda. They're very comfortable with their sexuality."
Blaze books take a variety of tones. They may have humor, drama, even mystery and thriller
plotlines. Because the books are bigger, they have room for more subplots, and even
secondary character point-of-view. The settings are usually urban and they have a youthful
tone. The target audience is women in their twenties. Chin stressed authors do not have to
be in this age group -- but they must be able to write with a youthful tone that appeals
to this age group.
Most of all, Blaze books should have a sexy hook. Chin suggested reading the books
and reading and analyzing the back cover blurbs to determine the hooks that work best for
Blaze. "The hook is always in the blurb," she says. Some things she
is seeing too much of right now (so authors should avoid): Teaching themes, virgin
heroines, and friends-to-lovers stories.
Blaze started as a mini-series within Harlequin's popular Temptation line. Those
spicier Temptation titles now carry the cover logo "Temptation Heat." Chin
reported that, because so many established Temptation authors are writing for Blaze, the
inventory of manuscripts for Temptation is low. "This is one of the best times
to sell to Temptation," Chin said.
Temptation releases four titles a month. Manuscripts are 60,000 to 65,000 words. As with
all category romances, hooks are important. Temptation hooks should be fun, flirty
and a little naughty. The target audience again is women in their twenties, so the
books should have a youthful perspective on life. Chin suggests reading new authors to see
what they are bringing to the line.
Popular mini-series within Temptation include 'The Wrong Bed' about a woman who ends up in
bed with the 'wrong' man -- who turns out to be the right man, and "The Mighty
Quinns" about a group of Irish-American brothers.
Temptation books are smaller in tone and scope than Blaze. There's less room for subplots
and POV is usually limited to the hero and heroine.
For either Blaze or Temptation, Chin would like to first see a query letter describing
your story. If she's interested, she'll ask for more. Send to Brenda Chin, Senior
Editor, Harlequin Books, 225 Duncan Mill Rd, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
Next issue: Duets and Red Dress, Ink.
Cynthia Sterling is the author of seven historical romances for Berkley and Zebra. She
also writes a weekly market newsletter which you may sign up for at her website:
www.cynthiasterling.com.
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