Well, it’s October. And where I come from that means one thing—it’s Thanksgiving (and a long weekend!) Of course, October’s great for a lot of other reasons—the fall colors are at their peak, the harvest is still going strong and Indian Summer is bound to show up any time now. It just seems the perfect time to enjoy—and give thanks for– everything nature has to offer.

And on that theme, I’d like to say first that I’m very grateful that I have the chance to work with such warm, wonderful and talented authors. Blaze authors are the best!

And I’m also very thankful for our loyal readers, whose enthusiasm for our books keeps us going. So, as a little ‘thank you’, I’ve got three new Blaze miniseries for you to enjoy this month.

First up is Leslie Kelly’s ANOTHER WILD WEDDING NIGHT. For those of you who didn’t know, Leslie was the imagination behind Blaze Encounters. She launched the miniseries with ONE WILD WEDDING NIGHT in January 2008 and it was a huge success. So, she’s doing it again – with another bride, another groom…and a whole lot of other people enjoying wedding night activities…

Now, for the first new miniseries this month–Private Scandals by Tori Carrington. In the first book, PRIVATE SESSIONS you’ll meet the powerful Metaxas family—Ari, Bryna and Troy. When these three find their business—and their lives—on the brink of ruin, how far will they go to fix things? (Hint—it involves a bedroom. ) Don’t miss PRIVATE AFFAIRS in November and PRIVATE PARTS in December.

Nancy Warren has the Forbidden Fantasies title this month with THE EX FACTOR. Most fantasies involving sex with an ex usually end with the poor guy begging his former lover to come back. However, Nancy’s hero is the kind of guy who’ll have the heroine begging for something else entirely!

The second new miniseries this month is Alaskan Heat. In this sizzling trilogy, Jennifer LaBrecque invites Blaze readers to Good Riddance, Alaska—a place where the men are hot, and the women can’t get enough of them. First up is NORTHERN EXPOSURE in October, followed by NORTHERN ENCOUNTER in November and NORTHERN ESCAPE in December. I’ll bet you can’t read these stories without checking out what it costs to take a trip up to the Land of the Midnight Sun.

The final new miniseries this month is called Lose Yourself… This trilogy, written by 3 different authors, is all about running away and finding yourself…in a hot guy’s bed! Jo Leigh starts it all off with SHIVER, a book filled with things that go bump in the night. Of course, that could just be the hero and heroine having fun. It’s the perfect autumn indulgence!

And finally, Jillian Burns rounds out the month with more of her mouthwatering military men in SEDUCE AND RESCUE. When Col. Ethan Grady meets free-spirited Lily, he doesn’t know what to do with her. But he’s definitely got ideas…

Fantastic line-up, isn’t it?

But we’re not done yet. Last month, we started a discussion about the craft of writing and got some fantastic insight into that elusive thing, author voice. This month, I’d like to talk about another crucial element in writing a Blaze – the character development of the heroine.

One key to writing a book for Blaze is to create a heroine that readers will identify with—immediately! We have to see ourselves in her, the first time we’re in her point of view. That way, we BECOME her, which allows us to vicariously experience all the sexual thrills in the story. It also gives us the supreme satisfaction of falling in love with the hero. And we should.

Identification is particularly important in Blaze because of the sexual nature of the stories. If we don’t ‘become’ the heroine as she indulges in an incredible sexual experience, then we become voyeurs, simply watching. And that’s, well…not so good.

So who is a Blaze heroine? She’s somewhere between 25 and 35, at the age where she can handle being on her own, but is still looking to ‘make it’. She doesn’t have children or aging parents so she’s free to be a little selfish, to explore who she is and what she wants. And that’s sexually, as well. She’s got a strong sense of who she is, but she’s still a little unsure, a little vulnerable (hint – it’s that vulnerability that we identify with). But we can see her potential immediately—we see that she’s going to be the woman we’d like to become. And by the end of the book, she is.

So, to get the discussion going, tell us what kind of heroines appeal to you. And what is it about them that helps you identify with them (no deep, dark confessions, please. (H) )? I’ll admit, I have a great weakness for former tomboys…but maybe that’s because I still am one.

And, to celebrate our 3 new miniseries, I’m offering a set of October books to THREE lucky winners. Just add the phrase—I’m thankful for_____ (you fill in the blank)—to win.
Good luck. And happy Autumn!

Brenda Chin
Senior Editor, Harlequin Blaze

A lot of discussion goes into what makes a great Blaze hero. A discussion I particularly like.

A quick search of our own Blaze blog reveals a gold mine! Joann Rock talks about how heroes are made here.

Lori Borrill wrote about Favorite Heros here.

Karen Foley talks about how much she likes a hero in a uniform here.

And be sure to check out where Jillian Burns talks about a favorite topic of mine, bad boys, here and Nancy Warren shares what makes a man sexy here.

Now what about those Blaze heroines? I decided to ask a few author friends what makes a great Blaze heroine.

Julie Kenner said, “To me, the great thing about a Blaze heroine is that she can be anything-she can have a strong personality, a great career, and an unabashed sense of her own sensuality. But she doesn’t have to have all of them. Maybe she’s confident in the boardroom and shy around men. Maybe she’s a flirt, but fears commitment. The point being that a Blaze heroine is like the women we know, women you could imagine hanging out with. And, yeah, they can be just a little bit larger than life.”

Lori Borrill added, “I think a good Blaze heroine is one who takes chances. She may not start out having embraced her inner strength, but by the time her story ends, she’s dug deep and found the courage to go after what she wants.”

Candace Havens talks about a heroine’s attitude. “To me a great Blaze Babe is a strong, fiesty woman who takes the world, and her men, on her terms.”

I’m giving Alison Kent the last word. “A Blaze heroine is SMART: Sexy, Mindful, Accomplished, Resourceful, Together.”

By the way, if you want to keep reading about the Blaze heroine, check out Tawny Weber’s recent blog or Bonnie Edwards’ here.