It’s been a crazy winter, hasn’t it?  I’ve never seen so little snow in my neck of the woods.   But there’s no doubt that spring is on its way early.  The Canada geese are going crazy (they get up on top of buildings near the office and honk their heads off .  Of course, that’s because they’re geese, not because they’re Canadian ), and animals that should be hibernating are already out in droves (yes, I’m talking skunks!).   Still, I’m sure we’ll get a few more cold days before the winter is officially over.  And what better way to spend those wet, dreary spring days than snuggling up with a sizzling Blaze book?

We’ve definitely got some hot ones for you this month!  Check out the line-up:

Jill Shalvis starts things off with a bang in TIME OUT.   You know how they say you can’t go home again?  Jill’s hero, a former hockey star, now an NHL coach, finds this out the hard way.  He’s come home with a few players to rebuild after a series of wildfires.  But sparks fly fast when he finds himself face-to-face (and lips-to-lips) with his suddenly sexy childhood nemesis.

Jillian Burns is up next with the Uniformly Hot! title this month, ONCE A HERO…    This military hero is in desperate need of some R& R.  You’d think he’d find it in beautiful Hawaii.  Only once he meets the heroine, relaxing is the last thing on his mind.

Jo Leigh continues her It’s Trading Men miniseries this month with HAVE ME (and when you get a look at the hot guy on this cover, you’ll take him up on his offer!!!).   This New York cop guarantees a girl a good time.  But will it be a long time?

Kira Sinclair is also going strong with TAKE IT DOWN, the second book in her Island Heat miniseries.    Kira’s heroine suddenly finds herself in hot water (and with a very HOT guy) when she tries to reclaim– okay, steal– a painting that was stolen from her family.  Who says crime doesn’t pay?

And, not to be outdone, Karen Kendall  has a second book this month too!  Check out BLAME IT ON THE BACHELOR, part of the All the Groomsmen miniseries.  Who knew a girl could find a guy at a rehearsal dinner?  But that’s where Kylie finds gorgeous Devon.  And to think, all these years I’ve thought the only choices were chicken or fish…

Finally, Cathy Yardley’s The Player’s Club series finishes up this month with THE PLAYER’S CLUB: FINN.  Finn Macalister loves living on the edge, but he goes a little too far when he hooks up with legal counsel Diana Song.   For all intensive purposes, she’s the enemy.  And he still can’t keep his hands off her…

The month is looking pretty good, isn’t it?  I can feel the heat already…

Although we don’t have any Pet Project action this month—at least, none in the books—I’d like to ask you all to check out the animal shelters in your area, and do what you can to make things a little easier for them right now.  I know from experience that spring is a shelter’s busiest time of year, what with litters of kittens being born, baby birds falling out of nests, and bunnies being  abandoned by people who really didn’t want a rabbit for Easter.   The animals can use all the help they can get, and it definitely puts a ‘spring’ in your step when you’re the one to give it.

So, that’s the month.  For a chance to win one of three sets of the March books, tell us what spring means to you.

Happy Reading,

Brenda Chin
Senior Editor
Harlequin Blaze

First off – a belated Happy Birthday to Jillian :-)  I loved her message of hope, and what a wonderful inspiration that is.  And a big whoohooo for us Pisces gals! Because while I don’t figure today’s post will be inspiring in any way *g* I do want to celebrate my birthday with you all, too! 

Or, as my children like to call it, my yearly reign as Queen for the Day.

I love being Queen for the Day.  I get to sleep in.  I get to do nothing or anything or everything.  I can have a facial or massage, or go shopping or curl up on the couch and watch movies in my jammies until midnight.  My husband and oldest daughter take the day off work, the youngest has a modified school day and we spend the entire day together doing whatever I want (now, in all fairness, they get their own majestic day on their birthday! I’ll admit, I’m not really looking forward to April and a day at the shooting range, but fair is fair.)   Queendom doesn’t come with omnipotent powers, unfortunately.  I can’t wish up a fortune or wish away a decade of my age (but how cool would that be?)  I have to respect the law of the land, of course.  And no matter how hard I wish or wave my queenly sceptor (or hairbrush, whatever), I haven’t managed to manifest Johnny Depp in person. But I’ve spent many a’year with with the next best thing (refer back to the couch and jammies scenario *g*).

Despite the wonderful power conferred by my queenly status, my plans for the day are actually pretty mellow.  Then again, given the craziness of life, mellow is a major treat.  I have a facial appointment, and am planning a trip to my favorite place – the bookstore! Lots of fun and I get to wear my favorite boots (another important treat to being Queen of the Day, since I don’t actually get a crown, darnit).  Lunch out and a long walk with the dogs, and a big dinner with the entire family. Hubby is barbequing, and he ordered a decadent chocolate ice cream cake to hold all of the candles.  I picked ice cream cake this year because while I like it enough to enjoy a celebrational piece,  its not my favorite so I won’t be tempted to eat more.  I’ll wind up my reign with a cuddle session with my girls while we watch something animated.  I haven’t quite figured out yet if I want to do Tangled or Beauty and the Beast.

If you could be Queen for the Day, what would you do?  And what would your royal meal and dessert consist of? 

Today I turn fifty. Wow. That’s going to take a while to sink in. I feel young on the inside. But, though I really miss my energetic, thinner, more limber 20 year old body, I can’t complain. I’m wiser now. More content. And having lived fifty years gives one a perspective that is more hopeful.
There’s a lot to be worried about in this world. Teens committing suicide from bullying. Wall Street and corporate greed. So many people out of work and losing their homes. Politicians lying and only serving themselves. Some days it seems like there’s nothing good left in this world.
Then the other night, I went to my daughter’s Jr. High school parent orientation. I listened as teachers, coaches, choir teachers, and band leaders talked with such enthusiasm about their jobs. Even the principal seemed excited about teaching teenagers. I couldn’t believe it, but I could tell they were genuine in their joy. Some of the teens from the choir sang, a few “steppers” performed and these kids were good. Teenagers! Aren’t they all supposed to be disrespectful, spoiled, drug addicted bullies? Maybe we feel that way because so often we only hear about the troubled ones. What’s that old news adage? “If it bleeds, it leads?” But if we look around we can notice small acts of kindness, people giving of themselves, helping each other. Families struggling through hard times and still loving each other. So, today I’m giving myself the birthday gift of hope. I choose to keep believing in the good things in this world. I believe that right will win over evil, and that love will triumph over hate and fear. And isn’t that what Romance novels are all about? Love wins in the end. If you want help feeling hopeful, listen to the new song by country artist Dierks Bentley Homehere
If you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, here are words:
West, on a plane bound west, I see her stretching out below
Land, blessed motherland. The place where I was born
Scars, yeah she’s got her scars. Sometimes it starts to worry me
Cause lose, I don’t wanna lose Sight of who we are
From the mountains high To the wave crashed coast
There’s a way to find Better days I know
It’s been a long hard ride Got a ways to go
But this is still the place That we all call home
Free, nothing feels like free Though it sometimes means we don’t get along
Cause same, no we’re not the same But that’s what makes us strong
Brave, gotta call it brave To chase that dream across the sea
Names, and they signed their names For something they believed
Red, how the blood ran red And we laid our dead in sacred ground
Just think, wonder what they think If they could see us now
It’s been a long hard ride And I won’t lose hope
This is still the place That we all call home
And oh yeah! My new Blaze, Once a Hero… is on shelves now! My hero and heroine both learn to hope again.
Tell me something you’re hopeful about and I’ll send one of you a copy!

You know how awkward it is to share erotic dreams with the stranger next door? Yeah, I hate it when that happens…not! Fortunately for Christy Baker he isn’t a stranger for long! I have to say, I had a fabulous time writing this book. Hot dream sex vignettes followed by getting to know you in the real world. And then, midway, we’re SHARING those dreams? Or should I say…we’re sharing THOSE dreams?

So…drum roll please for the cover and back cover copy! Plus a link for my webpage complete with buy links and excerpts!

He’s the man of her X-rated dreams…

Schoolteacher Christy Baker has just had a naughty dream. A hot, intense and fantastically sexy dream. The next morning, however, Christy learns that the delish stranger in her hot little nighttime romp isn’t some random guy — he’s her neighbor!

Lt. Jason White has been enjoying naughty dreams, too. In fact, they’re the exact same ones. Somehow, he and Christy are having mind-bending hot sex while they sleep! But dreams are mirrors into the soul — and Jason fears the mysterious bond he shares with a woman he hardly knows..no matter what the chemistry.

The only solution? To break the connection for good..by turning those haunting dreams into mind-blowing reality!

And there’s a signed copy of Taking Care of Business for one lucky commenter!

No, not that P word!  The other one –procrastination.  I realize this is the Blaze blog, but sorry, not going to discuss the details of a man’s package
today.  Maybe next month!

Today I want to talk about an affliction I’ll bet ninety-nine percent of us suffer from.  As for you amazing folks who neverprocrastinate, feel free to talk among yourselves.  The rest of you, gather ‘round.

I contend there are two kinds of procrastination. The first one is easy to understand.  We put off doing something because it’s unpleasant, maybe even gross.  Examples are cleaning up dog poop in the back yard or confronting your neighbor about his dog’s poop in your front yard.  The job’s physically or emotionally icky and you don’t want to do it.  End of story.

But what about dragging our heels on a project we actually enjoy?  Most writers I know are guilty of this.  You might not be a writer, but you might be a
scrapbooker, or a photographer, or a knitter. Think about whatever creative pastime you love, but continue to push aside.  Makes no sense, right?  Oh, yes, it does!

Thanks to a wonderful little book called THE WAR OF ART by Steven Pressfield, I get it.  Turns out that making decisions causes stress.  Creative projects are all
about making decisions.  Writers make decisions every second they work, from choosing character traits and plot points to the very words themselves.

Decisions are part of every creative pursuit, whether we’re picking out the decorations and pictures for a scrapbook or the color of yarn for a sweater.  Deep down, we know we’re in for the stress of decision-making so we resist working on the project.

I don’t know if that helps you, but I was so relieved to discover that procrastination is not a character flaw.  It’s natural resistance to the stress of making decisions.  That doesn’t mean we can let procrastination win, or we’ll never have that soul-deep satisfaction of creating something that didn’t exist before.  But at least now I know what I’m up against!

How about you?  What creative project are you putting off?

Take It Down - March 2012

One of my strongest childhood memories involves losing my Raggedy Ann doll in Kmart when I was three or four. I distinctly remember sobbing because my little heart was broken.  My mom and multiple helpful employees scoured the entire store.  Sitting in the cart in customer service, my mom explained to me that they just couldn’t find her.  I remember it was cold and smelled a little musty like all big box customer service departments seem to.  She offered to get me another doll, but it wasn’t the same.  She wouldn’t have been mine.  

I have to admit when I started writing Take It Down that memory wasn’t exactly in the forefront of my mind.  But at some point during that first draft the memory resurfaced, something I hadn’t thought about in a very long time.  Why?  Because Elle Monroe has lost something as well.  Something that certainly has more value than my doll, but that’s not why she wants it back.  For her, what’s lost is priceless, not because it can’t be replaced – although it can’t  - but because it holds memories.  Because it ties her to someone who was very important to her and is no longer with her.  It’s the sentimental value that drives her to take some drastic steps to recover what was lost.

We never found Raggedy Ann and I never got another one.  I replaced her with other stuffed animals instead.  Looking back, I can definitely say that I tend to hold onto things longer than I probably should.  Maybe that’s because I remember the sadness of letting her go and don’t want to experience it again.  I still have a box of my old stuffed animals and I have to admit I’m kinda happy about that. My oldest daughter now sleeps with one of my old teddy bears.  It’s a part of me she can hold onto at night – especially when I’m away.  So maybe losing Raggedy Ann wasn’t so bad after all.

Have you ever lost something?  Did you find it?  Comment for a chance to win a copy of Take It Down – out now.  Check back later in the week to see if you’ve won.

Kira

Happy St. Valentine’s week, all! When you’re a romance writer, it takes a certain amount of willful self-cloistering in an unheated, shuttered garret studio to forget about old Valentine’s Day. I’m a social media Luddite compared to many, but I am on Twitter, and it’s been abuzz with V-Day-themed blog posts and giveaways and book releases, to say nothing of friends sharing their plans for the holiday. And if that wasn’t reminder enough, my local NPR station (which is on about as constantly as the heat or lights in our house) runs an annual guerrilla fundraiser selling Valentine’s roses by the long-stemmed, fairly traded dozen that lasts nearly a week. It’s not a day I can forget.

Not that I want to forget it. I used to get a real kick out out of Valentine’s Day, back when I worked in an office. It’s fun to have flowers delivered; I’m girly enough that I like having my roses or new shoes or haircut complimented (oh, this old thing?) Now I work from home, which I wouldn’t trade for anything, but it leaves just little old me to admire any flowers that might show up. Plus there are no witnesses to keep me from eating an entire cardboard heart full of chocolates in a single afternoon.

But the main reason my husband and I don’t bother with Valentine’s Day is that his birthday is two days before. We always go out for a nice dinner (Indian this year, with plenty of wine) and watch a movie and get otherwise romantical, and to do that twice in one week would kind of take the shine off it, I suspect.

But to everyone who digs V-Day, I hope you had a great one! I, alternatively, had a great Husband’s Birthday Day on Sunday, which I kicked off by baking his favorite dessert item—carrot cake. Carrot cake cupcakes, to be precise. It was my first time making carrot cake, but I found it pretty easy, if a bit intensive, clean-up-wise. Credit where credit is due—I’ve adapted the following recipe (changed some ingredients and most measurements) from the one in Dorie Greenspan’s Baking cookbook.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Cake batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups grated carrots (4–5 medium, 2–3 large)
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins
1 cup sugar
1 stick salted butter, melted
2 eggs

Frosting:
⅓ cup cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
juice from ½ lemon (optional, but I like it)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease bottoms and sides of 12 muffin tin cups, then dust bottoms with flour and shake out excess. You could probably also use muffin liners, though I didn’t try it myself.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, stir together carrots, walnuts, and raisins.

4. Melt butter and allow to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs and beat some more. Gradually add in flour mixture, mixing on low speed until just mixed. Fold in carrots, walnuts, and raisins.

5. Dole batter evenly into muffin tins.

6. Bake 20–25 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes, then gently run a butter knife around the sides to loosen the cake. Invert and cool.

7. For the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese and butter together in a medium bowl until creamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in lemon juice.

8. Once cupcakes are cool, frost them. I found they tasted better when they’d cooled completely, rather than still warm from the oven—I could taste more of the cinnamon for whatever reason.

Also, if you’d rather not have a dozen cupcakes tempting you at once, cut the recipe in half, or refrigerate half the batter and frosting to bake another day. I did the latter, and the second batch was just as good as the first.

For the calorie-conscious, I fed the ingredients into my little nutrition app while I was baking, and can report that each cupcake is about 270 calories—190 for the cake and 80 for the icing. Not too bad, for birthday cake!

Someone posted this picture on facebook and I just had to share it.  SO true.

What about you?  Are there misconceptions about what you really do with your day as well?

Greetings, Blaze Babes!

February, and I’m writing this on Valentine’s Day! Ten years after my divorce, I have finally found my own forever Valentine, so for once I’m not sneering at the holiday. I am, however, working like a dog. Writing trilogies is tons of fun because you’re dealing with the same characters and world for three books, but . . . the deadlines tend to be pretty tight. I will be very, very happy when Mid-March passes me by. If you hear a loud and blissful ahhhhhhh around that time, it will be from me.

So what is the best way for a single mom to get through a stressful time? Plenty of sleep, plenty of exercise, plenty of healthy nutritious food, booze by the gallon, prescription drugs and occasional fits of crying so hard that snot streams down your face.

Okay, those last three were mostly a joke. Certainly the last two. But there is nothing wrong with a wee nip now and then if you can handle alcohol okay, and what better than a daily dose of a dangerously delicious drink called Mother’s Ruin Punch? You have to love it just from the name alone. I served this one night when some ladies came over, and let me tell you, we were all very ruined. Yum.

Give it a try at your next girlfriend gathering, preferably if they’re moms in need of some detox time (and how many of us aren’t?). If nothing else, it will make February more fun.

Mother’s Ruin Punch- as provided by Food and Wine

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup chilled club soda
1 1/2 cups gin
1 1/2 cups fresh grapefruit juice, plus 3 thinly sliced grapefruit wheels, for garnish
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sweet vermouth
2 1/4 cups chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
Ice

Directions
1.In a large pitcher, stir the sugar with the club soda until dissolved. Stir in the gin, grapefruit and lemon juices and sweet vermouth and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
2.Transfer the punch to a large bowl. Gently stir in the Champagne and float the grapefruit wheels on top. Serve in punch glasses over ice.

See you in March!

Isabel

Wishing you a wonderful day!