Wednesday, April 9, 2014

H is for Harlequin and a BONUS Manuscript Submission Opportunity!


Every avid romance reader at one time or another has read Harlequin, the grande dame of the romance genre. With dozens of categories, they’ve been the launch pad for hundreds of today’s biggest romance writers. Our guest today is Robin Gianna, talking about her own debut with Harlequin’s Medical Romance line. BONUS: Want to write for Harlequin? We also have exciting news about a manuscript submission opportunity for you!

 
Hello, All! I’m happy to say I’m a newbie Harlequin author. My first Harlequin Mills & Boon Medical Romance came out in January, and my second one was released this month. It’s been a thrilling, crazy ride! 

If you’ve been submitting to Harlequin, wanting to break into one of their series lines, you know it’s very competitive out there! I decided to take advantage of one of the events periodically held inviting submissions, and I also decided to increase my odds by focusing on a line I knew was actively looking for new authors.

If you don’t have a medical background, it might never have occurred to you to look at the medical romance line. Admittedly, my hubby is a doctor, so I do have a built in consultant! But to be honest, I have asked questions of others as much as I have him, and I’ve also found great stuff online. The stories still focus on the romance and development of the characters through the story, they’re just set in a medical background, which can be anything and anywhere. My first two books both take place in fictional mission hospitals in West Africa. I decided on that setting because I wanted to stand out from the crowd of submissions, but chose a traditional romance trope—the secret baby—so it wouldn’t be too ‘out there.’ I guess it worked, because I sold from that submission! And that January release is still selling in the top twenty of medical romances right now.

 And now, the BONUS!!!


Harlequin Mills & Boon is again conducting an author search, and this one is even faster than the ‘fast track’ I sold through!  Here’s a link to the event, www.millsandboon.co.uk/introducing-24-hours-in-m-and-b which goes on through April 24th.

You can read about me and other new authors who have sold through prior fast track events at http://sold.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/.

If writing for Harlequin is something you want, I so hope it happens for you! Think about the medical line. And if you have any questions, you can contact me via email: robin@robingianna.com or Facebook, or my website www.robingianna.com. 

 
Let's chat:

Which of the Harlequin series lines are your favorites to read? Have you ever read a medical romance? Which lines have you submitted to in the past, and why?

 
 
The Last Temptation of Dr. Dalton

When cool, collected hospital director Charlotte Edwards throws caution to the wind for one hot, reckless night with Dr. Trent Dalton she has no idea it’s going to backfire on her so spectacularly—because the next morning she has to bury her pride and ask for his help!

Trent shouldn’t mix business with please...again!  But Charlotte is a delicious temptation he just can’t resist.  Yet when Trent finds out she’s been keeping him around under false pretenses he might just have to teach this little minx a lesson...in passion!
 



 
 
 
After completing a degree in journalism, working in the advertising industry, then becoming a stay-at-home mom, Robin Gianna had what she likes to call her ‘awakening’, deciding to write the romance novels she'd loved since her teens. Robin loves pushing her characters toward their own happily-ever-afters! When she's not writing, Robin's life is filled with a happily messy kitchen, a needy garden, a wonderful husband, three great kids, a drooling bulldog and one grouchy Siamese cat.

 

The "H" list of Books
 
 
 
Kay Hooper: psychological detective investigation/suspense with a horror twist. You'll be sleeping with the lights on for a few days.
 
Karen Harper: romance in every flavor, from Amish to well-researched historical fiction.
 
Harry Potter: hero of the famed boy wizard series. I devoured the series like it was Skittles.
 
Dashiell Hammet: hard-boiled detective noir. You'll be hearing more about my love for this author on the 16th when I write about "N is for Noir".
 
 
 
Heartbeat Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net