My latest release, SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE is on the shelves now!! And to celebrate, I thought I’d share a little snippet of what’s happening in Black Oak, where this story takes place…

The small town of Black Oak is nestled in the foothills of California’s Santa Cruz Mountains and filled with colorful characters.  Neighbors for over thirty years, Hazel and Hortense enjoyed a fierce rivalry.  Competing over everything from blue ribbon jam to who’s kids married first to who had the lowest cholesterol count, the ladies loved nothing more than beating the other out.  But their hands down favorite competition, and the one that made them a formidable force in the town of Black Oak, was gossip.  Every morning, at promptly 8:15, they met for tea and their daily attempt outdo each other for the perfect scone, coffeecake or cookie… and the juiciest gossip. 

Hazel settled comfortably into her favorite chair, smug pleasure adding extra sweetness to her morning tea.  She waited for Hortense to take a bite of the coffeecake, sure it was her best recipe yet.  The look of dismay in her dear friend’s eyes told her she was right.  She chalked up another win in her mental scorebook, then leaned forward to make it two for two, best coffeecake and best gossip.

“I hear you got stopped on the highway again,” she said, sipping her tea and giving her friend an arch look.  “What does that make now, Hortense?  Three speeding tickets this year?”

“Well I was in a hurry, wasn’t I?  I’d gone Christmas shopping in Santa Cruz and had to get back to watch the grandkids.  But I didn’t get a ticket,” Hortense denied with a sniff.  “That lovely Sheriff Kendall just wanted to give me a talking to.  He dated my Clarice back in high school, if you recall, and has a soft spot for me.  He even mentioned how much he loved my peanut butter and jelly cookies.”

In other words, she’d bribed him with the promise of sweets to get out of the ticket.  Some women had no pride, Hazel thought, conveniently ignoring the bribe of fried chicken she’d used to get out of her last parking ticket.

“Could be he let you go because of those happy memories,” not likely since Hortense had beat him around the head with her broom when she’d found him swapping spit with her daughter on the back porch, “Or could be he was in a hurry.”

She drew that last word out with a nice lilt at the end.  Just enough to make it clear she knew more than she was saying, but not enough to sound like a nosy old woman.  Gossiping was an art, and Hazel considered herself a master.  Hortense, though, was no slouch.  She didn’t jump at the bait like most would.  Instead she sipped, she nibbled and she calculated.  Probably trying to figure out what local news might involve that cute young sheriff.

Finally…

“I don’t think he was in much of a hurry, since he had plenty of time to reminisce,” she dismissed.

“Maybe he was using his chat with you as an excuse to watch the road into town.”

“Why would he do that?”

Gotcha.  Hazel hid her smile in her teacup.

“Because I hear trouble is back in town. “

“We haven’t had trouble in Black Oak in years.  Tobias Black won’t stand for it.  My youngest son handles the books for Tobias’ motorcycle shop now, you know.  He’s always saying how on the ball and aware Tobias is of everything.” Hortense claimed, as usual tossing out her tenuous connection with the town’s powerhouse.

“Not everything.  There’s been a few things that slipped through Tobias’ fingers over the years,” Hazel pointed out, thrilled at the opening Hortense unwittingly offered.

“Nothing’s ever gotten past Tobias.”

“Not even his children?”

“His children leaving was the only thing I’ve ever seen that slowed Tobias down.”  Hortense nibbled at her cake, too distracted by the topic to pretend it wasn’t delicious.  “First Caleb stormed off, then Gabriel just a week or so afterward.  It was like someone kicked his legs out from under him. When Maya left a year or so after that, you’d have thought she took his heart, too.  I haven’t seen him so upset since his wife died years back.”

Testing to see if Hortense was sufficiently hooked, Hazel offered another slice of coffeecake.  Still focused on the many woes of Tobias Black, the other woman took it with a murmured thanks.

“Bet it’d make his holiday if his kids came home.  One or all, he’d be overjoyed.”

Hortense snorted so hard, cake crumbs sprayed across her lap.

“Not likely.  Don’t you remember Caleb yelling from the town square that he’d never return?  Who knows what he did after he roared out of here on that big, scary motorcycle of his.  He was trouble, I’m telling you.  Never respected authority, always had to do things his way.”  Hortense took a sip of the before offering a saccharine smile.  “Didn’t one of your daughters chase after him for awhile?”

Leave it to Hortense to remember the one detail she’d been hoping to gloss over.

“That’s neither here nor there. What’s important today is the fact that Caleb Black has returned.”

“He hasn’t,” Hortense breathed, setting her tea on the table so she wouldn’t drop it.  “He’s come back to reconcile with his father?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.  I heard from Carl Minsky, whose wife was shopping in that new agey store of Cassiopeia Easton’s that Caleb walked in there yesterday afternoon, bold as brass.”  She waited for the satisfying gasp, then continued.  “He was flirting up a storm with Cassiopeia’s daughter. The girl who’s trying to sex up everyone’s food?  Next thing you know, he turned around and came face to face with Tobias.”

“Then what happened?” Hortense asked breathlessly.

“Then… nothing.  At least, nothing that anyone but the Easton girl knows.  She scooted them into the back room for some privacy.”  Hazel said that like it was a dirty word.  And to her, it was.  “Can you believe the nerve of that girl?”

“You think they came to blows?  Did anyone hear yelling? Oh, this has to be juicy. ”

And that, right there, gave Hazel the big gold star win for the best gossip of the year.  Satisfied, she picked up her cake plate, prepared to revel in her success.

“I guarantee you,” Hazel stated, leaning forward to gesture with her forkful of coffeecake in emphasis, “With Caleb Black back in town, this is going to be one interesting Christmas season.”

Oh yeah… I think things are going to be very, very interesting in Black Oak this December.  What do you think? And if you’ve read the book already, do you think Caleb’s homecoming added a bit of excitement to the Christmas season?  Share your thoughts and I’ll draw one random name from the comments to win a copy of SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT to get a jump start on some New Year’s Eve fun.

And don’t forget to check out my Holiday Survival Tour as I celebrate the Undercover Operatives series with contests, giveaways and lots of good times. 

I swear, in my mind it’s still August.  I have plenty of time before my trilogy launches, the holidays hold no pressure at all and there is still plenty of time for me to achieve all of my 2011 goals.  Then I blink and realize that nope, it’s almost Thanksgiving and I’d better start planning the menu.  That the first book in my Undercover Operatives trilogy, SEX, LIES and MISTLETOE is out in just a week which means it’s time to kick into promo gear. And I have- holy cow -NO Christmas gifts bought yet. And those goals? ahahahahaha ahem ha.  Um, not even close.

Needless to say, I’ve hit panic mode. To stay as sane as possible, I fell back on my tried and true sanity saver… I made a list.

For Thanksgiving, I decided to go with the standards.  No new recipes this year, and nothing super fancy.  And since we always have a sick amount of desserts leftover because the family gorges on dinner, I’m going super simple there.  Just pumpkin pie.  Thats it.  No pecan, no trifle, no apple turnovers. Nope.  No matter how good those are, I don’t have time. And I don’t need the calories I’d end up with since I’m the one stuck eating it all after the holiday

For Christmas, and to try and meet my yearly goal of having all my shopping finished by Thanksgiving, I put out the word that I wanted wish lists by the end of the weekend.  I decided to go simple again here, and am making a calender of baby pictures of all the grandkids as a gift for the grandparents.  One project, 6 gifts.  Not bad.

Promo for SEX, LIES and MISTLETOE kicks into high gear toward the end of the month, and I thought it’d be fun to introduce you to the town of Black Oak through the eyes of the town gossips on the 28th.  I’m so excited about these stories and loved writing about the Black family.  I hope you love reading them!  I have high hopes after reading the first review from Romance Junkies.

Yep, it’s crazy busy time and I’m woefully unprepared.  I really do wish it was still August.

How about you? Are you ready for the holiday season?  How do you deal with the planning?  Do you follow a traditional route, or do you do something new each year?  And have you started shopping yet?  Share your holiday planning tips with me today (I’ll take all the help I can get) and I’ll draw one name to send a copy of SEX, LIES and MISTLETOE. 

Is it just me, or does it seem like the holiday season is starting earlier and earlier these days?  Our stores have been stocked with Christmas paraphernalia for more than a month now!   It’s really hard to get too excited about gory Halloween costumes when Santa’s sitting right behind them, grinning.

But like it or not, the holidays are coming, so we might as well get ready for them.  I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, ‘charity begins at home’.   Well, I believe that should include presents too.  (Especially for those of us whose husbands really don’t have a clue.  You know who you are…. )    So I’ve got a few early surprises you’re not going to want to miss….

Rhonda Nelson gets the month started with THE SURVIVOR, another book in Rhonda’s Men out of Uniform miniseries.  You’ll really enjoy the hero and heroine in this story.  They’ve both lived through life-changing experiences, but discover that nothing is as life-changing as love.  A real treat!

Next up is our Uniformly Hot! book, MODEL MARINE by Candace Havens.  Candace did a great job with this story.  And the cover….  Wow!   Is there anything hotter than a Marine…in his underwear?   Sorry girls, he’s taken.

Kate Hoffmann continues her Mighty Quinns miniseries this month with THE MIGHTY QUINNS: DANNY.  Little brother Danny can’t resist playing with fire.  He’s an artistic blacksmith who’s an expert at stoking the flames to the highest pitch.  Is it any wonder the heroine can’t resist him?

Lori Wilde is up next with INTOXICATING, a story that has all the necessary components – an undercover hero, a heroine in jeopardy…and lots of wine.  You’ll definitely want to have a glass handy when you curl up with this engaging story.

Crystal Green has the Wrong Bed book this month with ROPED IN.  When a good girl decides to fake being  a bad girl for one night,  she can find herself in some interesting places…like tied to her bed!  But since it’s bad boy cowpoke Shane Carter holding the ropes, she’s not complaining.

And finally, Marie Donovan finishes up her A Real Prince miniseries with ROYALLY CLAIMED.   Welcome to Portugal, where sexy Duke Francisco finds his temporarily-ever-after with his old flame.   Too bad nobody ever told them their story’s not supposed to end that way….

But that’s not all!  Harlequin has an early gift for all of you closet writers out there.  During the week of November 7, we’ll be hosting our second on-line conference, So You Think You Can Write.  Check out    the website, www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com, for blogs, chats, contests and webinars from Harlequin editors in all three offices.  Don’t miss it. 

And to all our American readers—and of course, my wonderful Blaze authors– HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  

And for a chance to win one of three sets of this months books… Why don’t you share what it is about Blaze that makes you thankful!

Sincerely,

Brenda Chin
Senior Editor
Blaze

What happened to October? Wow, time flies fast! Too fast for us to keep up sometimes – which means that I’ll have Brenda’s post up a little late today.

I adored playing dress up when I was little.  I remember one of my absolute favorite gifts.  My grandma had filled a trunk with dresses, shoes and jewelry she’d gathered from her closet, from friends and from the thrift store.  I had a boa, I had heels, I had purses. I was in heaven for years!  The only gift that came close to that was the year she gave me one of those pretty pink Barbie cases filled with handmade Barbie clothes (dressing Barbie up was almost as fun as playing dress up myself!).  Yep, dress up was my go-to thing as a kid.

Heck, I still love playing dress up.  Cute clothes are one of my favorite things -especially when they show off cute shoes!  But as an author, my standard day-to-day outfit tends to be yoga pants and a tank top in the summer, sweatshirt in the winter. Not much dress up fun there, let me tell ya!  I think this is one of the reasons I love the yearly writers’ conference – it’s like a dress up extravaganza.

And so is Halloween!  Not quite the same, of course, although there is a similar element of make believe involved in both :-D  And while I love Halloween for so so many reasons, one of the biggies is that it’s a free-for-all dress up day!  Even for adults (c’mon, don’t tell me you don’t dress up for Halloween-ever?!)  I’ve been a gypsy and a witch, a mummy and a rag doll, a belly dancer and a ghoul, to name just a few years’ fun.  I think my dream costume right now would be to dress up as Glinda, the good witch.  She’s got some serious awesomeness going on with her skirt, and I love her glittery crown.  That particular costume isn’t in the cards for this year, but it is definitely my some-day dream dress up outfit.  Maybe if I’m ever up for a RITA…

How about you? Are you a fan of playing dress up? What would your dream costume be? Are you dressing up this year, and as what?

And a bit of advice? I’m going to see my new fave band play Saturday night and the club’s theme is Hobo Prom.  Um, what does a girl hobo wear in the first place, let alone to a prom??

Since Harlequin’s head office is in Canada, we don’t get to see our authors very often—most days are filled with meetings, editing, reading and maybe a conversation or two at the coffee urn. So when an author comes to visit, it’s a special occasion. And when Blaze authors drop by, you know it’s going to be a good time!

Jen, Rhonda, Brenda, Birgit and myself

For us, author visits offer a chance to meet the people we work with, to make stronger connections. For the authors, it’s an opportunity to see how things work, to understand the process their books go through and to meet the people behind the scenes. Since an author’s work is often solitary, it’s nice for them to see that they’re actually part of a team.

A few weeks ago, we had a visit from Jennifer LaBrecque and Rhonda Nelson. It was such a treat to see both of them, and we got to go out for lunch, which is always a good thing. Jen even let me share some of her birthday cake. Yum!

Jen with her birthday cake

Rhonda and Jen spent a fair bit of time in our Digital department, talking with Community

Manager Jayne Hoogenberg. And Rhonda even got to watch a video she’d made at the RWA National Conference.

Last week we had a visit from Lori Wilde. Because it was Lori’s first trip to the office, she met with Associate Creative Director Tony Horvath—the vision behind our amazing Blaze covers. Tony took Lori through the process, showing her how our covers go from concept to finished product.

She also had a meeting with Harlequin Publisher and CEO Donna Hayes. Donna takes a personal interest in our authors and always makes them feel welcome. Lori was impressed that Donna had even visited her website prior to the meeting and knew what Lori was working on.

We had a great time with all three authors. Thanks for coming, ladies. Can’t wait to see you again!

Okay, so it isn’t actually present time today… but it’s time to start thinking about presents.  I’d love to be one of those people who had their holiday shopping done by mid-summer, but to be honest, I don’t have the patience.  Not shopping patience, unwrapping patience.  There’s no way I could hold onto a gift for half-a-year without going crazy wanting the recipient to open and enjoy it.  So I’ve settled for being one of those people who has all their holiday shopping done by Thanksgiving.

So what’s the point of this post, then, since Thanksgiving is still over a month away? Well, I could say because it was Canada’s Thanksgiving (Happy Thanksgiving!) this week. But also, it’s because I love to make gifts.  I drive my family crazy making them things they’d never buy (and really don’t want) for themselves.  So by this time of year, I need to decide WHAT I’ll be inflicting… I mean, gifting them with this year so I can get supplies and have time to get everything made.

One year, I bought 4×4 wooden posts and had my husband cut them into 4″ blocks.  I painted the blocks, then added photos on 5 sides, some blingy embellishments and called them gifts.

Another year I made picture frames, added my kids photos and wrapped those up pretty.  I’ve done mini scrapbooks, themed photo albums, knitted scarves and hats (I can’t get the hang of socks yet), I’ve made candy and cookies and bread and… well, lots of stuff.

Now I’m stuck for ideas.  I have no inspiration on what to do this year.  So… Do you have any ideas I can borrow? What kind of gifts have you made in the past?  What kind of handmade gifts have you gotten that you really liked? 

As most of you know, Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in early October.  It’s the perfect time of year – the harvest is in, the foliage is breathtaking and the weather is probably the best we ever get.   So it’s understandable that someone in our country’s history felt the need to place Thanksgiving in this bountiful month – we’re surrounded by things we can’t help but be grateful for.

The holiday falls on October 10^th this year, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to start early.

First of all, I’d like to offer a heart-felt ‘thank you’ to our loyal Blaze readers.  Without you, none of us would have a job.

I’m tremendously grateful to the wonderful women (and man) I work with, the Blaze authors and editors.   With a team as solid as ours, how can the books be anything less than absolutely, unequivocally stellar?

And finally, I’d like to say how much I appreciate how you all (readers and authors) have embraced the Blaze Author’s Pet Projects.  Helping at pet shelters is a cause that’s very close to my heart.  It gives me a warm feeling inside when I see how many of you care for our furry friends.  After all, everyone deserves a happy ending, right?

Now, before I get maudlin, let me tell you about 6 books you’re definitely going to thank me for telling you about…

Julie Leto starts off this month with TOO WICKED TO KEEP, the last book in her Legendary Lovers miniseries.  And in this case, Julie definitely saved the best for last.  Her hero, Danny, is a liar, a thief…and a man I dare you not to fall in love with.

Next up is the Uniformly Hot! title this month, Karen Foleys’ DEVIL IN DRESS BLUES.  As always, Karen writes a military man who’s a true blue hero, through and through.  And that’s what Karen’s heroine, a journalist, desperately needs when she finds a black book filled with details that could turn deadly…

The Mighty Quinns are back—and they’re having a birthday!  Kate Hoffmann marks the 10^th Anniversary of The Mighty Quinns miniseries by setting three books in the place where it all started – Ireland.  This month, the celebration starts with THE MIGHTY QUINNS: RILEY. 

After you get back from the great party going on in Ireland, grab your boots and head north to Alaska with Jennifer LaBrecque’s latest Alaskan Heat title, NORTHERN FASCINATION.  If you’ve been following the going’s on in Good Riddance, Alaska, you’re not going to want to miss this book.     Beloved character Jenna finally gets her happily ever after…and great sex too, of course!

If a warmer setting is what you’re after, you’ll want to check out Joanne Rock’s RIDING THE STORM, the second of her Wrong Bed duet.   A hot guy, a fast boat…and a bed you can’t help climbing into (even if it is the wrong one!)   What else could a girl ask for?

And finally, Marie Donovan brings the month to a dramatic conclusion with ROYALLY SEDUCED, the second book in her A Real Prince trilogy.  This reverse Roman Holiday story set in the French countryside is a sensual adventure you’re sure to enjoy!

So…are you grateful yet?

Tell me about one Blaze book (or several, if you’re like me and can’t choose) that you’re very glad you picked up this year, and you’ll be entered in a draw to win one of 3 sets of October books.    I’ll start.  Hmmm…  How about all of them?

Happy Fall!

Brenda Chin
Senior Editor
Harlequin Blaze

I love the changing of the seasons. There’s something wonderful about each one that makes me welcome it with open arms, and always something about the passing season that makes me glad to wave goodbye. 

So I’m here to give a big whohoo to welcome Autumn. I love fall. Then changing colors and cooling weather. Chilly evenings perfect for romantic fireplace chats. And it’s soup time. It’s family trips to the orchards and Halloween and Thanksgiving (getting hungry yet?) and for me, it’s crafting time. Despite school being out in the summer, I never seem to find the free time to scrapbook. But with autumn comes the reminder that the holidays are looming and I’d better get to work making gifts and projects. This year, my first project will be an advent calendar for each of my girls with a 12×12 scrapbook layout as the centerpiece. And even though it’s only officially been Autumn for about a week, I’m already feeling the urge to make soup, too. Big pots of yummy vegetable soup, potato leek soup or corn chowder, all with homemade bread. (yeah, I’m seeing a definite food theme with fall).

Another thing I welcome with the return of Autumn is the return of my writing mojo. Summer is a hard writing time. Things like longer days (I write in the dark), the family distractions and things like vacations and conferences are all tough on my writing discipline. But Fall? That’s all about work. Harvest, putting in the time and focusing on results.

The one major downside? It’s rare that we see shirtless hunks in autumn. And that’s a shame. A darned shame. So to make up for that loss, I thought I’d share a shirtless hunk to inspire you as you wave goodbye to summer.

So… Are you a fan of autumn? What’s your favorite thing about this season?

Have you seen this wonderful video featuring our own fabulous Blaze author, Rhonda Nelson?

You can watch more Blaze inspired videos here – be sure to check them out!