Happy May Book Birthday!

…by Senior Editor Victoria Curran

It’s rare I actually get to post on the first day of the month, so I’m excited to wish Jennifer Snow, Kate James, Catherine Lanigan and Cynthia Thomason a happy book birthday today! May is a month that’s filled with such promise and new growth, which is perfectly fitting for the journey our heroes and heroines take during the course of their individual romances.

Jennifer Snow’s Fighting for Keeps opens with such an emotional bang that you’ll have to run for the box of tissues. I had margin notes all over the first chapters that basically indicated “wa!” and so did the copy editor. That’s quite a place to start a romance from, but I don’t want to spoil it by saying anymore: you’ll have to read the book! One of the more challenging elements in Jen’s story (I imagine?) was the transformation of a former cameo character that’s a bit of a villain into a heroine readers will forgive and root for. I love it when an author succeeds at fleshing out deep characterization and delivering redemption. As one early-bird reviewer on Goodreads has already said: “Another awesome addition to Brookhollow!”

And then we turn to Kate James, who I am very proud to (belatedly) congratulate here for winning the 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence from the Birmingham chapter of the Romance Writers of America for her book A Child’s Christmas. Heartwarming authors rock: understatement. Kate’s May story, The Truth About Hope, is a returning home story where the heroine has to make good for her past with the town and also the boy she left behind as a teen. Again, I turn to the early-bird Goodreads reviewers to help give you context for the kind of read you’re in for: "…so outrageously sweet and so utterly perfect that I cannot find the words to adequately express how wonderful I thought it was. I adored this story! 100% of my heart was captured.”

Cynthia Thomason’s editor Kathryn Lye loved working on Firefly Nights and highly recommends this story about a woman who packs up her son and hits the road, hoping for a fresh start…only to get stranded in the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the mercy of small-town justice. This is a setting Cynthia has explored before in Superromance books I had the pleasure to edit, and it’s so evocative, it almost always acts like another character in the story. A breath of fresh air.

A final happy birthday to Catherine Lanigan for Katia’s Promise! This is the story of an ambitious career woman who will do anything to see her firm thrive, including relocate back to her hometown to snag Indian Lake’s reclusive millionaire as a client. Uh-oh, I think I sense a muddying of the line between business and pleasure…! And the final word goes to Catherine’s early-bird reviewers: “I read this book very quickly. It is one that you’ll not want to put down, so be sure you’ve got time to read when you start!”

And how could I leave this review out? “I love love love the Harlequin Heartwarming books! You can pick one up and know that you aren’t going to find any bad language or sex in them. They are just ‘heartwarming.’”

Kudos to Heartwarming and the May birthday authors and good books…and warm weather!
vc

Comments

  1. Congratulations, All, on carrying on our pledge to fill the world with Heartwarming stories. (We did pledge. It was somewhere in our contracts!) Happy weekend, everybody!

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    1. I guess you're right, Muriel, we did pledge! By the way, I'm kind of in wonder at you guys for your marketing savvy. Getting blog tours of books up and running so there are reviews by the first of the month. I'm also in awe of the way you share and stockpile your knowledge for the whole group. Truly a team.

      And a very short apology to you, Muriel, for how long you've been waiting for me. I owe you (and several others, alas) a glass of wine at the very least!

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    2. I can be there with a tulip glass by evening. Sorry about your being sick. Guess we can cut you some slack. Hope you feel better soon.

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  2. So glad our readers love the Heartwarming line. With such awesome books by our May authors, it's no wonder why!

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    1. Amen, Tara! It's exciting to be part of this team, for sure. (BTW: I just got back from a week in Barcelona to escape my Big Birthday. SIGH. So it's fitting I celebrate these May book birthdays when I escaped my own.)

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  3. What a fantastic line-up! And hey, I'm in for a glass of wine anytime.

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    1. Wait a minute! I don't owe you any apologies, do I???

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  4. Here's an excerpt from a review I received today that also applies to the entire Heartwarming line: "This Heartwarming line is producing some fabulous books!" How fortunate for me to be in such great company!

    Did someone mention a glass of wine, Victoria?!

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    1. Hey-hey-hey! Muriel is the first in line for a glass of wine. She's been waiting the longest...and then there are some others I could name, but I'm too ashamed!

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    2. No question that Muriel is first in line. I might have to buy her a glass, too. It sounds as if I might have to fend for myself . . . :-(

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    1. I came back from Spain with such a bad cold and fever, the idea of wine is a bit yick to me right now...that's how sick I truly am! (Heading to a walk-in clinic in a minute.)

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  6. Happy May, and kudos to all my Heartwarming author pals with books releasing this month! Can't wait to get my novel-greedy hands on all of them! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, safe weekend!

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    1. Am a little jealous of you guys for being able to read so much! And the books you've got ahead of you....

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  7. Happy May Day. Victoria, I'm so sorry to hear about your bad cold. Sounds like the one I had for 2 weeks. Cough, fever, yuck. I'm still reading April books, but these look so fantastic I'll have to read faster.

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    1. Sinusitis, not the plague as I suspected! But what the heck? It took me three hours to see the doctor. AND one of my fellow patients snitched on me and I was forced to wear a mask. Reading a manuscript while slowly suffocating with my readers continually fogging up. Gotta love the Canadian healthcare system...

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  8. Mega congratulations to these four fabulous Heartwarming authors with May releases! I love how this line is being received. Didn't you just love Barcelona, Victoria? I did two years ago. Sorry to hear you came home with a bad cold. Feel better soon.

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    1. It's so gratifying how the line is being received--you're absolutely right, Leigh! (I did love Barcelona, thanks. Would love to go back and spend more time.)

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  9. Oh, just have to remind everyone that tomorrow is our Battle of the Heroes post here on the blog!!! Get ready to meet some incredible men:)

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    1. Battle of the heroes, eh? Will be checking in from home for that one!

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  10. It's a great lineup this month, Victoria! Love the covers and can't wait to read them as well :)

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  11. Victoria, I hope this morning finds you feeling better and that those clinic folks took you to the head of the line! This is a great weekend. The Kentucky Derby is today! But after checking out our battle of the Heroes, it's a toss up as to which is more exciting! Congrats to all our fabulous authors---EVERY MONTH!

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  12. Wonderful line up of books. They are all candidates for a lawn chair read.

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  13. All the books sound great, especially Firefly Nights.....reminds me of summer.

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