April showers bring May flowers, or at least that is what I am hoping, as it has been very rainy here in the UK throughout April. May also brings lots of Harlequin news and great books to read.

First of all, Taken By the Viking is published in Harlequin Historical this month. It is the first of my Viken jaarl mini series and features the Viking jaarls who raided Lindisfarne in 793. The second book –Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife will be published as Mills & Boon Historical in June. Taken is also being published in Spain at the end of May as La Amante del Vikingo and is part of the Amantes del Romance collection. The covers for the collection are very hot when seen in the flesh.

Also this month from HH, the second in the Undone! mini series–Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady–is published. This is HH’s most sensuous mini series and has a corset flash in the US. HH is still offering a wide range of sensuality from sweet to super sexy.

According to editor Joanne Carr, Deborah Simmons is making a welcome return to HH with a gothic Regency in October 08 entitled The Dark Viscount.

May is the debut month for Nocturne Bites with a thrilling offering from Michele Hauf —Racing the Moon. It is on special offer at eharlequin for $0.89. It is a great way to sample the Nocturne offerings. [ed. note: See here for an opportunity to win a free download.]

May also sees the Desire debut for Olivia Gates with The Desert Lord’s Baby. Olivia has written for Medical and Bombshell in the past. She says about her new release:

I’m very excited that The Desert Lord’s Baby, Book One in my THRONE OF JUDAR miniseries, is a Top Pick at Romantic Times, and also an eHarlequin bestseller. And the cover is divine! It’s my debut in Silhouette Desire where I felt at home at once, creating irresistible, larger-than-life heroes who meet their destinies in committed, passionate heroines. I love writing those tempestuous, high-octane emotional and passionate journeys to indisputably earned and glorious happy endings. And Farooq and Carmen’s story was indeed a joy to write, one filled with glamor, heartaches and pleasures in the depths of the exotic Kingdom of Judar. And though it’s still to hit the actual shelves, what with advance ordering, I’m already thrilled with reviewers’ and readers’ response!

Look out for The Desert Lord’s Bride, then The Desert King in July and September 08.

Silhouette Desire is doing a pitch contest with the title “Sell by the RWA”. Desire editors are hoping to find the perfect Desire manuscript. Please see eharlequin for more details.

Editor Suzanne Clarke gives details of what they are looking for in a Modern Heat author on the I Hearts Presents blog, including that they are really searching for new American voices.

If you are interested in writing category, Kate Walker has just published the second edition of her highly regarded how to book: Kate Walker’s 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. It has expanded from the first edition and now includes tips for a variety of authors, including me. Kate is also excited because it is going to be published in India as well. Harlequin Mills & Boon have recently gone into India and are hoping to find an Indian author someday. Kate hopes that her book might help aspiring writers of all nationalities.

Also starting in May is Gail Barret’s new miniseries for SRS, “The Crusaders”, with Heart of a Thief. Gail says:

I’m excited about this series for a lot of reasons. First off, I love the settings. The first book is set in Spain, the second in Peru, the third in the Himalayas. I also love the whole concept of the trilogy — the legendary artifacts, the archeology involved. Doing the research has been a blast. I even took trips to Spain and Peru to get the details right (I’m still hoping for a trip to the Himalayas!). But most of all, I’ve discovered some fascinating characters who have really leaped off the pages and come alive. These books have been fun to write.

The podcasts this month featured SRS and Blaze. SRS highlighted that they have a new author, Jennifer Morey, debuting soon. The Blaze editors highlighted the fact that not only do they have a Blaze historical where the Scottish heroine captures the hero for her own pleasure coming out, but they are also putting out five in one short story collection and a slight departure: a heroine who accidentally sleeps with two different men in the course of the book. New authors to look out for include Karen Foley, Stephanie Tyler, Jordan Summers and Tawny Weber.

Join me next month when I will have details of a 25^th anniversary book celebration and a new major miniseries and much more. Until next time, happy reading and remember the e-Harlequin 100,000 book challenge.