#1
A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS TO NOT FORGET:
New Marketing Your Fiction Class will begin in early Sept. Register now. Contact me for more information.
Greyhaus is BEGGING for Hot and Steamy Contemporary Romances for the Mills and Boon Modern Heat Line. Check out the link from Aug. 19th here on the blog for more information.
Category Romance Challenge begins Oct. 1. Make sure to check out the details.
#2
Calling all writers!
I am not on the hunt for some hot and sexy contemporary romances for the Modern Heat line at Mills and Boon. If you are up to the challenge, let me know. Query me and in the subject line make sure to mention it is for M&B Modern Heat. I would love to see e-queries on this one. If you do have something for this line (and for this line only) you may attach in an .rtf format, a 3-5 page synopsis. Also, if you have future projects that would fit this line, let me know as well in the query.
Guidelines:
50-55000 words, 192 pages (computer word count)Younger and sassier than your regular Harlequin Presents novel.These books must appeal to our current Presents readers of all ages who enjoy a short, sexy, entertaining read. What are they looking for in a Modern Heat novel?1) Fresh, vibrant author voiceWe’re looking for authors with unique, sparky voices which smoulder with sensuality and brim with authentic dialogue that captures the way young men and women communicate today.2) Alpha Male heroThis guy has got to be larger-than-life; a charismatic character who just leaps of the page! He is uncompromising about the things that are important to him and he has the confidence to take charge and be masterful! He can even be just a little bit audacious in this respect but he gets away with it because he’s so sexy and charismatic! However, he is believable, three-dimensional and very much a 21st Century guy. He expects a woman to be as capable as him mentally, sexually and in the work place. He’s younger than your average Presents hero, with a great bod (of course!) and he is everything a girl could want. This guy should really take our breath away!3) Sexy, sexy, sexy!This is a super-sexy series and the sexual tension should be tangible between the hero and heroine from the get go. Interaction is flirty, sparky and believable – and the dynamic between the hero and heroine is more evenly matched than in your regular Presents. The love scenes tap into 21st century fantasies – sex with your boss, with your ex, in a bed, at 35,000 feet…4) Urban, big-city, jet set, girl-about-town lifestyles, attitudes and toneIn Modern Heat we get inside the heroine’s head, we see some of the context of her life including work, friends, family. She is likely to be a young, urban, girl-about-town.5) ConflictsAlthough conflicts should be realistic and believable, in this series it is not necessary for the hero and/or heroine to have a massive tragic and/or traumatic pasts to create those conflicts. The overall tone should be sparky, smouldering with sensuality, have a hint of wit and humour and generally entertain our readers. Conflicts should be believable and character-driven but not depressing!
All of this information is from Harlequin M&B.
Hi Scott.
ReplyDeleteModern Heat has hit the just after since Nationals. It sounds like a lot of writers are interested in creating a story for this line.
It doesn't seem to have the exotic location/rich male guidelines like Presents.
Without authors in this line yet, does this give us, as new potential writers the opening to really define what this line will be - down the road?
Thanks Scott.
Knowing the editors, they are very open to a lot of different things so yes, new writers are certainly going to be in a great place!
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