Even though the official first day of Spring is 20 days away, I’m ready for it to show up now. Although we’ve had a mild winter compared to some places, Mother Nature wasn’t letting us get by without one final whomping. Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday were absolutely abysmal – a couple of feet of wet snow. (I emphasize ‘wet’ because there’s nothing you can do in it – the X-country ski trails were a nightmare, and if you ventured outside, you came in looking as if you’d just endured a torrential downpour. There was nothing to do but read or clean. I decided to read.

For those of you faced with the same dilemma, I’d like to offer you a glimpse of the wonderful books we have this month at Blaze. No matter how wretched it is outside, you’ll be feeling the heat soon. I promise.

First up is another volume of Blazing Bedtime Stories. Kimberly Raye and Samantha Hunter are the geniuses behind this collection. Kim’s story is based on the myth of Cupid and Psyche (in other words, she’s having sex with somebody she doesn’t know, and can’t see. Now, that’s a fantasy!) And Samantha’s book is a modern day version of Aladdin (doesn’t everybody want a genie who can fulfill sexual fantasies?)

And talking about fantasies, Nancy Warren has the Forbidden Fantasies title this month – Too Hot to Handle. The hero in this book is a real scoundrel…and he’ll definitely make sure this book lands in your keeper pile!

Heather MacAllister offers up another Encounters this month with His Little Black Book. When an oversexed corporate executive mistakenly sends an invitation to the company beach house to everyone in his address book, he’s the only one who doesn’t end up getting lucky! This book is a lot of fun, and reviewers are raving about the ending.

Debbi Rawlins finishes up her Stolen From Time miniseries with Lone Star Lover. When a sexy modern day cop ends up going back to the Old West, all he can think about is going home. Until he meets the woman he was sent back to find…and protect! A great read!

Bonnie Edwards makes her Blaze debut with Possessing Morgan. You’ll never see two more unlikely Blaze characters than these two protagonists – a billionaire playboy and a repo woman! But when Morgan Swann gets the chance to meet her fantasy man, she takes it. Even though it means hitching up his prized Morgan (a car) to her tow truck! This one’s a lot of fun. You never know what’s going to happen next.

And finally, Marie Donovan finishes up the month with Knowing the Score, a book set on the polo fields of the rich and famous. And if you didn’t think polo players were sexy, think again! This guy is HOT!

Remember, if the weather gets you down, just pick up a Blaze book. You’ll be hot soon.

For a chance to win this months books, please add the phrase “I need to warm up with a Blaze” to the comment field. Good luck and happy reading.

Brenda Chin
Senior Editor
Blaze

Woot! February has definitely brought a lot of Blazing Birthdays, hasn’t it? I’ll wind it up today

It’s cake day for me!! That’s my new term for birthdays, since I’d rather not get another year older But I do love celebrations, and am definitely not willing to give up pressies, so I figure cake day covers all the bases.

And since it’s now officially cake day in my little world, let’s talk cake! I love cake. Chocolate is my hands down favorite, but I’ve been known to drool over a nummy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Moistness is key to deliciousness in my cake book.

My love affair with cake even delved into decorating. Way back when, right after my youngest daughter was born, I took decorating classes. I decorated Blues Clues cakes. I decorated Scooby Doo cakes. I decorated teddy bear cakes (I think there’s a theme here). I even made a dude-in-a-recliner-with-the-TV-remote cake for Father’s Day one year. The best was the monster head on a platter cake my brother and I made for my nephews’ birthday (sculpting isn’t my forte, so bro stepped in. I rocked the little carrots and tomatoes though!).

I was a decorating fool, right up until I started writing, when I found my ultimate (and much less fattening) source of creative outlet. Now I only haul out the decorating tips for the kids birthdays and the occasional party. Which means for cake day, someone else is has to be in baking mode. Which is why I taught my oldest daughter how to make my absolute favorite cake a few years back – German Chocolate with coconut pecan frosting (say it with me, Yummmmmmmy).

I mean, a girls gotta make sure she’s got her cake love covered, right? So how about you? Are you a cake fan? What’s your absolute favorite cake? Is it a special occasion thing, or do you get to enjoy it often? And ya know, I’m always open to yummy cake recipes if you want to share any (In the interest of full disclosure: the only cake I made/decorated on this page is the head on a platter. But they all look great, don’t they?)

Wishing you a day filled with Blazing Hot Romance!!

Happy Valentine’s Day in advance! For those of you who aren’t aware of it, Valentine’s Day is Harlequin’s national holiday. Not only does every series offer readers incredibly romantic books this month, but we also put out the Harlequin Romance Report, which looks at the state of romance in the world today. The report gets thousands of media impressions and is just another way we’re working to put–and keep–Harlequin on the map.

However, loyal Blaze readers don’t need a report to tell them that this February is HOT! Look what those talented Blaze authors have in store for you this month…

First up is our Valentine Collection, MANHUNTING, by NYT bestseller Betina Krahn, Joanne Rock and Lori Borrill. The three heroines in this delightful anthology make a pact that they won’t spend another Valentine’s day alone. And while it’s touch and go for a while, they manage to get their man. A big thanks to Joanne Rock for the idea behind this collection.

Next up is THE CHARMER, the first book in Kate Hoffmann’s new minseries, Smooth Operators. All three guys featured in this trilogy end up labeled serial bachelors on a dating/dishing website, SmoothOperators.com. But even though the general female population thinks these guys are a lost cause, one special woman uncovers the diamond underneath. Personally, I loved this book. The heroine is wonderfully different. Romantic Times Magazine agreed with me, giving THE CHARMER a 4 1/2 Top Pick. Look for THE DRIFTER in April and THE SEXY DEVIL in June.

For those of you who have a naughtier Valentine’s Day in mind, Leslie Kelly offers up a Forbidden Fantasy that will definitely heat up these cold winter nights. In PLAY WITH ME, the hero and heroine have a secret fling, meeting up all over the country to play sexual games. But for both of them, secrecy is a must. And so, you can guess what happens when one of their escapades ends up on YouTube…

Stephanie Bond finishes up her Red Tote Book Club (code for Erotic Book Club) stories with HER SEXY VALENTINE. Carol Snow, the cynical member of the group finally finds her true love…but not until she relives Valentine’s Day over and over again until she gets it right. This book is linked to October’s Book 500, SEDUCTION BY THE BOOK, as well as a special ebook we put out last month, entitled TOO HOT TO PRINT, because, well, it was.

Candace Havens makes her Blaze debut with TAKE ME IF YOU DARE. I had trouble figuring out what I loved best about this book – the strong, yet insecure heroine, the bad boy hero…or the incredible setting. After reading this book, you’ll be wishing you’d booked that tropical getaway…complete with hunky pool boy.

And then Wendy Etherington finishes up the month with TEMPT ME AGAIN, a light-hearted story about a cop and the woman who drives him crazy, and makes him love every minute of it.

Wonderful month, isn’t it? But wait, there’s more! In order to tempt readers who don’t make it to the Series Romance shelves, we’ve put together THE BLAZE COLLECTION, a trade-sized anthology featuring the February books of Stephanie Bond, Leslie Kelly and Kate Hoffmann. You’ll find THE BLAZE COLLECTION in the warehouse type stores – Costco and Sam’s Club–places where Harlequin books are not usually sold.

So, in honor of Harlequin’s national holiday (honestly – we even get chocolate treats left at our desks!), I’m offering two prizes this month – one set of the February books, and THE BLAZE COLLECTION. All you have to do is leave the comment, ‘I want those Blaze books to Be Mine’.

I hope Cupid’s good to you,

Brenda Chin
Senior Editor, Harlequin Blaze

Or as I’m calling it these days, What The Hell Was I Thinking?

Last week, I looked up from my cozy lounging spot on the loveseat, across the room to my husband, who was cozily lounging on the other loveseat. We were in our happy place, chatting about nothing in particular, life rolling along in a good way, no major worries or stresses. And it happened. The dreaded words slipped out of my mouth. The ones I should have thought through, should have prepared a plan for first…

What were the words?

“We need to go on a date.”

Now my husband, being a doll, immediately said sure, great idea. I don’t think that response had anything to do with one kid screaming that the computer had crashed or the rottweiler that’d just jumped on his belly. I’m sure it was the lure of one-on-one alone time with me together that had him looking so eager. At least, I’m pretty sure.

Fast forward to last night, which is the next time the subject came up (the screaming kid and jumping dog derailed the original conversation, go figure). The dreaded question – what’re we going to do – came up. Why dreaded? Because our romantic date suddenly had a whole pile of restrictions on it. The earliest we could get a babysitter is 6:30. The weather sucks, so doing anything outdoors is definitely off the table. And budget constraints mean going into the city (San Francisco) for something fancy is out.

We did the whole “what do you want to do?” “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” thing. That’s always fun

And then he suggested the ole standby… dinner and a movie.

Eh.

Don’t get me wrong, I love dinner and a movie. We actually did dinner and a movie on our first official date, so it holds a special place in my heart. But… I wanted a DATE, not eh date. Ya know? Except I can’t think of a single thing to do.

So I’m throwing the door open to suggestions – what, given the above constraints, would be a fun date? If I can get my husband to agree to it, whoever suggests the idea will get the book of their choice from my backlist (and if they have them all – besides my undying love and gratitude, I’ll send one of my buddies’ books). And thanks in advance

One thing that you can always count on with a Blaze hero is that he’ll be hot and sexy! The question this month is, is there a type of hero you find sexier than others? The dark haired hotties or those dashing blonds? Redheads with their fiery passion? Cast your vote and share what your favorite sexy hero looks like in the comments section.

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Well, it’s that time of year again—time to look back with fondness at the old year (and 72 fantastic Blaze books!) and turn our attention to 2010 (and 72 more fantastic Blaze books!)

It’s going to be quite a year. The 2010 Blaze schedule is all about men! Men in uniform and in cowboy boots. Men living on the edge in Alaska, and men saving the world as American Heroes. We’ve got heartbreakers, forbidden fantasy fulfillers and even a few who fall into the wrong bed now and then. How’s that for something to look forward to?

But we all need a few goals, right? So you’ll find that most of the January books deal with fresh starts, new beginnings…and New Year’s resolutions gone deliciously wrong.

Here’s a peek at what’s in store for lucky Blaze readers this month:

Fans of Blazing Bedtime Stories will be happy to find three more volumes in 2010. The first, Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume III, is available this month and features sensual tales by Tori Carrington and Tawny Weber. Tori’s story is inspired by the legend of Helen of Troy (wife-stealing anyone?), while Tawny’s is based on The Frog Prince (who’s really more of a horny toad *g*). Both novellas are an absolute delight.

Then Julie Kenner brings us Moonstruck, a tale that is linked to her December title, Starstruck. What happens when a girl kisses the wrong guy on New Years’ Eve? All sorts of naughty things…

Kathleen O’Reilly continues the New Year’s theme in Midnight Resolutions, another book in her Where You Least Expect It miniseries. Kathleen’s heroines never see change coming…but they’re always glad it did.

Then Jo Leigh gives us Sexy Ms. Takes, a 3-story Blaze Encounters, featuring three New York women who find the lives they dream of, if not the lives they expected, on December 31st.
Are you seeing a theme here?

The last two books this month focus on a different New Year’s theme – goal-setting. And you can’t find anything more direct than what the characters in Sarah Mayberry’s Her Final Fling and Lori Wilde’s His Final Seduction get themselves into. Then again, isn’t that what Blaze is all about?

So, there you have it. The beginning of a brand new year of incredible books from Harlequin Blaze. If you’d like to be entered in a draw to win a complete set of the January titles, please add “I’m Blazing in the New Year” to the comment field.

On a personal note, I’d like to wish all the Blaze authors, and all of our readers, a happy and healthy New Year. You all make my job a pleasure.

See you next year!
Brenda Chin, Senior Editor, Harlequin Blaze

Ahhhh, the holidays. The hustle and bustle. The frantic frenzy and the simple joy. It always seems to start around Halloween, that nagging edgy push to get things done over and above normal life ’stuff’. The energy kicks into high gear around Thanksgiving time, as the clock starts ticking louder. December? Crazy time. Parties, shopping, baking, family, juggling finances and sometimes the added stress of travel.

You know, I absolutely love the holidays. We just had a wonderful week of family time, with the added joy of my grandmother visiting us from out of state. The house was full, every hour busy and the vast array of delicious food overwhelming. I’m so full I could burst, the taste of homemade pizza, the scent of succulent roast, the sweet sugar kick of almond toffee still lingering and reminding me to revisit my new-best-friend, the treadmill.

I have a camera filled with pictures just waiting to be scrapbooked into happy memories. I have a fridge filled with leftovers. I have happy kids and a grinning husband, and after a week of company, silence fills the house.

I’m exhausted. How about you? Do the holidays wear you out? Even if you love ever second of them, do they make you desperate for a pillow, blanket and quite hour of solitude? Or is that just me? I’ve spent the day dreaming of my favorite holiday gift to myself… a whole day of self-indulgent alone time. To play with my pressies, to talk to nobody, to decompress curl up with a pile of books, a pitcher of tea and a roaring fire. I’m going to ignore the waiting laundry, pretend the somewhat wilted decorations aren’t begging to be taken down and let the kids run wild in their after-holiday frenzy.

But before I do, talk with me… how were your holidays? Did you have a killer time or are you worn out? Do you have a nurturing, self-indulgent plan to give yourself a little break after all the craziness, or are you still running strong (and if so, what vitamins do you take?) Does the idea of curling up with a pile of Blaze books fill you with joy and happiness (you know it does ) And would you like to kick start your January reading by winning a copy of Blazing Bedtime Stories III? I’ll offer up two copies to random commenters today in an effort to contribute to your indulgent reading frenzy!!