Editors Are Acquiring!

I just received a ton of messages via social media yesterday about editors seriously acquiring authors. That's right! Editors want your books.

Harlequin is looking to acquire authors. They are reaching out to you.

Now... before you go sending anything, let me tell you something. DON'T RUSH.

You know that I am someone who is constantly preaching for authors to do your research. With this opening, there will be a ton of authors who start shipping everything they have to the editors. The problem is that they have not taken the time to really understand what the editors or the lines are looking for. Writing for Harlequin is FANTASTIC, but it is a lot harder than most authors think.

First of all, remember that their lines are not so much about having a specific plot or a specific type of character. It is all about voice. Each line has a unique voice to it. Yes, there are many characters and plots that fit those voices, but it is still the voice that comes first.

Secondly, it is not about the word count. Just because you have a story that fits that line does not mean that your story fits there.

Next, and this is the biggest one out there. If you visit their submission page, you will find all of the specifics they are looking for. Unfortunately, too many authors miss the part on each of those pages that say, "You should read some of our authors to understand what we are looking for." This is SO important and one step that too many authors skip.

So, on this Friday, please, do not make the mistake that many of your fellow writing people will make. Do your research. Know your line. Know what you are doing. AND THEN... submit.

Word Count Does Not Designate Single Title Fiction

This has been an issue I have seen since I opened up the agency over 13 years ago. So many authors out there seem to believe that by adding words to their stories, the move into the single title category. Even now in 2016, those same trends are continuing. However, I am now seeing a twist to this. In all honesty, I am seeing 90,000 word "series" style stories. Plots, characters, themes and voice of a series/category novel stretched out to that single title length. This does not make a better story, but one that leaves the reader thinking, "this could have been finished pages ago."

Let me first say that word count IS involved with category and single title stories. Yes, category stories tend to be anywhere between 50-75 K in word count; however, it is not the word count that dictates the type of story. It is what the author does with the story.

Category (or series) stories tend to have an intense focus on the building of the relationship and leaving out a lot of the side stories and a ton of external layering. I have always said, think of this style of story in film making where the director has one camera. To tell the story, the director needs to focus in on the characters and eliminate a lot of the external world the characters live in. By having this focus, the story itself, inherently, becomes a smaller story. For single title stories, these "directors" have the luxury of a lot more camera angles. For these stories, that outside world comes into play.

When an author has a category style story and attempts to turn it into a single title story, the result is a repetitious story when it comes to plot and scenes that are full of a lot of unnecessary details. I read one just recently where the entire first chapter dealt with the meeting of the hero and heroine for the first time. This author went on for pages and pages filling the story with back story of the manor house and the family. As she walked to the door (because she had seen the carriage pull up from her upper bedroom window), she contemplated the family portraits, giving the reader information about people who are dead and have nothing to do with the story. She stopped at a mirror, brushing out her auburn hair and then began contemplating how she had really always admired her mother's hair and her sister's hair. Eventually, she got to the door, and as she opened it, the face before her was not the man she thought it would be, but the guy she had a crush on when she was younger.

Now, I am sure the author would justify that this is giving us a depth of knowing who the heroine was. In reality, it was just nothing more than words designed to beef up the word count of the story.

Single title stories (true single title I should add) are stories that have depth and layering to them. These are stories that have heroes and heroines, who are wrestling with both internal and external conflicts. There are secondary characters who do more than act as sounding board for the main characters. These are stories where the villains have a full life of their own and they are just as interesting as the main characters. These are stories where the world around the characters is a living character as well.

Before you decide you want to write single title or category, it is crucial that you take the time to study your plot and purpose for the story. This is what designates the type of story. As far as the word count, that will follow.

Category to Single Title: It's More Than Word Count

During one of the first few years of opening Greyhaus Literary Agency, myself and one of my interns spent a year dissecting and studying the differences between Category (or sometimes called Series) romance and Single Title. We had heard editors and other agents make comment such as "that really has a category voice" so we went out to really look at what that was. I bring this up because I have seen a recent spike in authors who really do seem to miss the mark when it comes to understanding that it is more than word count. 

Too often authors will submit stories to me believing it fits one of the category romance lines I represent, but they do so strictly because of the word count. For example, Harlequin Intrigue looks for stories that are 55,000-60,000 words in length. Compare this to a single title romantic suspense line that will run at least 75,000 words but extend up into the 100K word count. Regardless, these authors because they have a shorter story, believe it is a great fit. 

On the other side of that coin, are authors who want to write single title stories or have stories that are in the 90,000 word count range. They simply feel that because the story is longer, it is now single title. 

Wrong.

There really is a huge difference between the two styles of writing, and it all comes down to the voice. Now, the word count does play a factory in understanding the voice. Remember that with a smaller word count, authors will leave things out and the focus their attention on different things than the single title authors would focus in on. 

The category romance is all about the romance and relationship building. This is a focused study of the growing relationship between these two characters. While there may be subplots in the story, these will be kept to a minimum. In essence, think of this like filming a movie. Category romance has limited cameras so it can only view individual things one at a time. No sweeping landscapes but the intimacy of the moment. 

For single title, because there is a larger word count, there is the room and luxury to "use more cameras". Authors can develop those subplots to create some added depth. More characters can be added to round out the scene. And yes, the story can focus on more things. 

But here is where the authors miss the point. The difference is also in the voice and the depth of the storytelling. This is not saying that category and series stories "lack depth". Instead, it is the focus and the intensity of the individual moment. In fact, one of the Harlequin editors (can't remember who said it) described these stories as being "really big stories in a small package." This means that the author is focusing on word economy, leaving off the unnecessary verbiage frequently found in single title, and concentrating the attention on the characters and their plot. With single title, the authors will linger more on scenes and moments. What a category author would do in a page or two would be stretched out to 5+ pages or a full chapter. 

Authors have to understand that just "adding stuff" to your story is not going to make it a single title. Some authors have literally told me they can "just put in a few more subplots and characters to get the word count up there." The problem with this is that they now have a 90,000 word category romance. It was just longer. The authors did not focus in on how the story sounds. 

I should note, that writing one style of writing is not better than writing another. This is often a huge misconception. Somehow, the belief is that writing single title creates a stronger story. Nope! The story is just different.

A Little About Category and Single Title

This was originally posted back in March, but we had a question from a writer so I thought I would answer it this way.

I hear this all of the time from authors who pitch to me. They present a book that, simply based on page count, would fall into the category of many of the series books such as Harlequin. Now, for some of these authors, they simply ran out of things to say and really didn't have a sense of both word count requirements for publishing house lines as well as the difference between single title and series. For other authors, they simply write short books and then just plan to add things to the book to meet the needs of a given publisher. Unfortunately, this is far from the right approach.

A common myth authors have is that the only difference between single title and series (or category) books is the length of the story, in other words, the word count. Although word count does play a factor in all of this, the length of the story doesn't dictate where the story will go. Authors can have 110,000 word series/category books and some can have poorly developed 45,000 word single titles. The difference is really the voice of the story.

When it comes to series and category books, the focus is really on the relationship building and the development of the two main characters. Authors can have pretty complicated story lines, but the focus is entirely on the couples and the relationship. Another way of thinking about this is an analogy I like to use regarding the number of cameras being used to film the story. For most of the series books, think of the focus as being a single camera focus. Because we are using a single camera, the backdrop of the story, the world building (in many cases) and the external things going on in the story simply go away. Readers know the information is there and the authors can tap into the images when they want to, but to maintain the focus on the characters, the author has to decide to eliminate a few things.

When it comes to your single title books, we can often think of the story as using more than one camera, and even lenses that bring in a wider scope of things. We can now see the things going on behind the characters. The scenery, secondary characters and so forth now take on a life of their own and become living, breathing beings in the story. Again, you can have complicated story lines or simple ones, it really doesn't matter. The key is how deep of a storyline you create.

But what does the page count have to do with all of this? Simple. When you are writing the smaller books, you have to pack in a pile of story in a little bit of space. In this case, think of poetry. I can tell a full story in narration, but once I limit myself to the line length, rhyme structure and so forth of poetry, as an author, I have to include what is important, make every word counts and really create focus. When we have a single title story, we can include things that we might not normally include, and therefore, the word count increases.

As I pointed out though, it is the voice and the focus of the story. This is where authors make a mistake by simply "adding" to the story. Just putting in more scenes or more words that have a category voice to it becomes repetitive and often times episodic. Stories drag and readers start to question why the character didn't learn something the first time and they have to make the same mistake 2, 3 or 4 times.

I have said this before and I will repeat this again. Authors have to decide where they want to write and then start working on the story with that goal in mind. You have to know the voice of the publisher and certainly know and understand your writing. Look, writing category or writing single title is just as rewarding. One is not better than the other. Just remember that you cannot simply make one style of writing fit another.

Just Adding More Words Doesn't Make A Single Title

I hear this all of the time from authors who pitch to me. They present a book that, simply based on page count, would fall into the category of many of the series books such as Harlequin. Now, for some of these authors, they simply ran out of things to say and really didn't have a sense of both word count requirements for publishing house lines as well as the difference between single title and series. For other authors, they simply write short books and then just plan to add things to the book to meet the needs of a given publisher. Unfortunately, this is far from the right approach.

A common myth authors have is that the only difference between single title and series (or category) books is the length of the story, in other words, the word count. Although word count does play a factor in all of this, the length of the story doesn't dictate where the story will go. Authors can have 110,000 word series/category books and some can have poorly developed 45,000 word single titles. The difference is really the voice of the story.

When it comes to series and category books, the focus is really on the relationship building and the development of the two main characters. Authors can have pretty complicated story lines, but the focus is entirely on the couples and the relationship. Another way of thinking about this is an analogy I like to use regarding the number of cameras being used to film the story. For most of the series books, think of the focus as being a single camera focus. Because we are using a single camera, the backdrop of the story, the world building (in many cases) and the external things going on in the story simply go away. Readers know the information is there and the authors can tap into the images when they want to, but to maintain the focus on the characters, the author has to decide to eliminate a few things.

When it comes to your single title books, we can often think of the story as using more than one camera, and even lenses that bring in a wider scope of things. We can now see the things going on behind the characters. The scenery, secondary characters and so forth now take on a life of their own and become living, breathing beings in the story. Again, you can have complicated story lines or simple ones, it really doesn't matter. The key is how deep of a storyline you create.

But what does the page count have to do with all of this? Simple. When you are writing the smaller books, you have to pack in a pile of story in a little bit of space. In this case, think of poetry. I can tell a full story in narration, but once I limit myself to the line length, rhyme structure and so forth of poetry, as an author, I have to include what is important, make every word counts and really create focus. When we have a single title story, we can include things that we might not normally include, and therefore, the word count increases.

As I pointed out though, it is the voice and the focus of the story. This is where authors make a mistake by simply "adding" to the story. Just putting in more scenes or more words that have a category voice to it becomes repetitive and often times episodic. Stories drag and readers start to question why the character didn't learn something the first time and they have to make the same mistake 2, 3 or 4 times.

I have said this before and I will repeat this again. Authors have to decide where they want to write and then start working on the story with that goal in mind. You have to know the voice of the publisher and certainly know and understand your writing. Look, writing category or writing single title is just as rewarding. One is not better than the other. Just remember that you cannot simply make one style of writing fit another.

It Takes Focus - Why Writing For Harlequin Is So Tough

I always have to laugh at authors who make comments about writing for Harlequin. "Oh, you know, writing for category is just training for writing bigger stories." or  "Ah yes, Harlequin writes those little romance books."

At some level, these authors are right, but I think the perspective they have is a bit off. There is often an implied message here that says writing for Harlequin is really easy and writing those "single title" stories is where it really takes talent. Let's consider this from another angle today, shall we?

The key for writing at Harlequin, or I should also add any other publisher who has a category line is FOCUS! Writers have to keep their eyes on the main thesis of their story. What is the single goal they wish to accomplish by the time they finish that book. There can't be a ton of sub-plots and characters weaving in and out to add "spice" to the story. There has to be focus on that relationship and staying your course.

As many of you know, I also teach academic writing and I frequently speak to writers about knowing if the material you are adding to the piece we are writing supports the topic or it supports the thesis. In other words, the material you might want to add can be interesting, provide another angle and so forth, but in the end, is it relevant to your thesis. This can often be tough to write.

To add to the complexity of writing for Harlequin is finding that unique voice for the individual line while at the same time maintaining your own unique voice. Again, this is where a lot of non-category writers miss the mark. There is an assumption that if it is something for the Harlequin American line, then it is strictly about cowboys and small town situations. Nope.

According to the guidelines at Harlequin American:
American Romance Key Elements

• Central romance is driven by the hero's or heroine's (or both) desire to be a part of a family or community
• Stories showcase the comforts of home and a sense of place – particularly the charm of small-town America and the ruggedness of western locales
• Must be set in the USA
• Western heroes and heroines are very popular – cowboys (ranchers, rodeo riders), law enforcement (sheriffs, deputies, Texas Rangers), etc
• All stories must feature strong family elements such as pregnancy, young children, blended families, etc
• Warmhearted stories offer a range of tones, from light humor to drama
• Level of sensuality is low to moderate
• Word count of 55,000–60,000 means stories must be fast-paced and plot-driven

Now, first of all, you will notice the stories don't have to be about cowboys, although they use this simply as something to consider. The keys to this stem from the lines: showcase the comforts of home and a sense of place and All stories must feature strong family elements.

To add to this, you can't simply add great hot "50-Shades" scenes to the story. You need to demonstrate that same sexual tension without pushing the lines. Again, another tough challenge.

So, when we go back to the comments of those authors who thought writing for a category line or Harlequin is the equivalent of playing T-Ball...

Is this training? Dang straight it is. You have to have talent to write like this.
Is this a "little book"? Dang straight it is. You can really only accomplish a big story in a little space with focus and attention to your plot.

Honestly, I take my hat off to the authors at Harlequin and certainly the other category lines. You do show a command of focus and talent.

And, before people start getting all hot and bothered thinking I am slamming single title authors, let me point out that there is also a talent for writing these stories. These are different challenges but surprisingly, many of the skills the category writers used are also used for the larger books.

Writing For Harlequin - Things Scott Looks For In Submissions

We are now approaching the opening of Greyhaus Literary Agency to submissions again. As always, I do want to stress that I do look to acquire authors wanting to write for Harlequin. I jokingly say that, like baseball cards, I want to acquire an author in each of the lines. In any case, with that in mind, I want to provide a few of you some things I look for in authors wishing to write for Harlequin.

Dedication to the company This is a big issue with me. I know there are many authors out there that believe Harlequin is just a "training ground" for people who want to write bigger and better papers. This is far from the case. I am looking for authors who want to really stick to the company and really strive to produce high quality writing for this company.
Despite what many think, writing for Harlequin is much harder than writers think. You have to produce a big story in a very small space. In many ways, this is like Haiku. Writers who succeed at Harlequin really plan on being there for a while.
Knowledge of the lines Again, this is one of those cases where Harlequin is looking for someone to stay around for a while and really build his or her brand in that particular line. For this reason, you need to really know the line you want to target inside and out. Each is very unique and has a special twist to it. Know it and understand it.
Remember though, when I say know the line, I am not talking similar plot lines. The Harlequin lines really speak to voice and focus of the story.
The ability to produce This is a tough one for many authors. Along with writing high quality stories, we are looking for people who know how to do it well in a short period of time. 3 books a year is not uncommon and some produce a lot more. Be ready to work.
It is for this reason, that when I see an author who is interested in writing for Harlequin, and I really do see something in their writing, I want to know if they have other works in progress or completed works that fits that same line. Be prepared to show me.
The ability to take criticism and work with revisions - This is really something not unique to simply Harlequin. We are looking for authors who can take the revision notes from an editor, fix the errors with in a short period of time and do it well. To extend on this, you should only have to be told once. In other words, later projects should certainly incorporate those changes. Remember, these editors know what they are doing and are really working to build your readership.

Remember, Harlequin is not simply about word count. It is about voice and passion for the line. I know I am willing to work with an author, but the question is... are you ready to work?

Scott

Writing Category Romance Doesn't Mean Skimping on Depth

I am always frustrated when I hear romance authors talk about writing category as a way to learn how to write before you write serious books. Oh come on! Their only premise is that writing category is for those people who can't produce more that 55,000 words. I hate to break this to you, but if you have ever tried to write a true category romance, it is a heck of a lot harder than you think.

Just because the story is under that 100,000 word count length DOES NOT mean the authors should skimp on the depth of storytelling. Please understand, I am not talking about adding a lot of small sub-plots to the story. I am talking about world building and character development. As one of the descriptions for one of the category lines says, "these are big stories in small packages."

To achieve this depth, a writer has to make every word and every scene count. Descriptions have to pack both introspection and world building into phrases that many single title authors feel they have to take a full chapter to do.

For those of you considering submitting to me here at Greyhaus in those category lines, I want you to really stop and think about what we know at the end of the first two chapters. I want to know A LOT about your characters. No, this is not past backstory and plot. No, this does not have to deal extensively with the storyline. And, no, I don't have to see them in bed and having a full on romance after the first meeting. I want to really get to know who these people are AS people. Emotion, motivation, depth. That's the key.

The same goes for scene building. Don't just tell me it's an Italian restaurant. Bring me into it. Draw me into your story.

If not, expect some rejections - not just from me, but for anyone (editors and agents alike) that acquire category romance.

Scott

Why Writing Category Romance Is A HUGE Gamble

There are many agents out there that will not go in search of authors wanting to write for Category Romance lines. The reason is fairly simple and something writers need to understand before they commit themselves to projects of this nature.

Category romance has a limited area we can market. When writing general fiction, the market is really open. We can work with the word count and the "general genre" and then start to narrow with the voice of the story. With category, you really only have one chance.

Now, what does that mean to the author? If that line you targeted says no, the doorways are now closed. Despite what some writers think, you simply cannot just start sending it out to other places in the hopes they like it enough. Along the same lines, you can't just "add word count" to get it to something that will work for other lines.

You can also extend this thought to other genres that have a small target audience. The narrower your market, the harder it is to sell.

I should note, I personally love working with category authors and yes, I do look to sign new category authors. But, you need to know what I am looking for "beyond the single book" the author submitted. I am looking for more than 1 book. I am looking for several books and a future they see in that particular line.

I think the thing to remember is that, as an author, you need to really stop and think before you dive into a particular project. What is the market that will be available to you. Are you ready to gamble it all for this limited area. It doesn't mean you shouldn't. Just stop and think before you do.

Scott

Why Harlequin IS The Place To Be

I was working with a couple of my authors recently and I started to realize something. I think I knew it all along but it suddenly hit me. Working with the authors and the editors at Harlequin ROCKS!!!! Now don't get me wrong. I love working with a lot of other publishers and editors out there, but there is simply something that I think a lot of writers fail to see when they are looking at this company.

Let's start first with the authors. These people are true authors. They write for the joy of writing. They love storytelling. They know that success in this company is going to take time and they are willing to work and wait for it. Yes, the money is nice, but to these authors, the writing really does come first.

Now let's talk about the editors. I have not found an editor yet within the Harlequin system that doesn't know what they are talking about. They are beyond knowledgeable about what goes into a great story and they know how to provide the right guidance to their authors to make it a great piece of writing. Whenever I talk to an editor, they always seem to refer to their authors really as family members. Even when they move on to work with other lines, they still watch over "their" authors.

As far as a business model and publicity, again, I love the Harlequin model. Right after that last financial crash, it is interesting to note that Harlequin continued to make money. They knew how to maintain sales and do so without sacrificing signing new authors or cutting programs. They work to make sure their authors are selling and don't just rely on wishful thinking or catalogue sales. They are beyond proactive in terms of making sure their authors are seen and noticed.

Now, while many my "poo poo" the company and the writers, those involved with the company no better. all I can say is, I applaud the company, the editors and certainly the writers. This is also the reason why I am committed to finding the great writers out there interested in making this career move.

Scott

Greyhaus Is Looking For Category Contemporary Romances at RWA

Attention writers attending Nationals (as well as other writers after Sept. 1)!!!!!!!

I am ACTIVELY(can I stress that any more???) acquiring contemporary romances for the following series lines:

• Harlequin Presents
• Mills & Boon RIVA (pubbed in NA in Harlequin Presents Extra)
• Harlequin Romance
• Harlequin Medical

Find me in the hallways, invite me to lunch, invite me to your chapter meetings. I can not stress this enough! I want authors in these lines.

Scott

Writing For Category Houses - Things to Consider

There is this common misconception that if your story is short, it is right for any of the category romance lines. This is far from the truth! Writing for category takes a lot more effort than many writers seem to think. One of the category lines has a comment in their submission guidelines that, I believe, nails it right on the money. A big story in a little space (or something to that effect).

There are several things to consider when writing for these lines. First of all, and probably the most important is that the romance and the relationship needs to be the central focus of the story. Secondary characters and subplots cannot take away the attention from the main storyline.

Secondly, these are lines that you can be successful in if you produce. 3-4 books a year is not unusual. Now this is where the challenge comes in. We're talking about about all of these books maintaining a unique voice, still working in the guidelines of your line and not simply a repetition of what you did in the prior book.

I thought I would bring this up since I have had several authors recently submitting category projects to me, but many times A) the voice is just not there; B) the author doesn't understand the category line; or C) they have nothing else to produce in that line.

I love working with Category authors (and the editors and publishers)! This is a great group but it is far from the "training ground for better writing" that many authors seem to think.

Have a great weekend.

Scott

Understanding Writing for Harlequin

I love working with Harlequin. They have some of the best dang editors that are really dedicated to their authors. For many writers, they seem to think that Harlequin is the easiest place to go out and learn your craft before you move out to the "bigger and better houses." At that point, I have to cringe. Harlequin is far from a simple "training ground" for the inexperienced writers. Writing books for a given line, and being able to produce books that continually provide, as one of the lines states, "a big story in a small package," is not as easy as many authors think.

First of all, Harlequin is not simply about shorter length books. While the stories are indeed shorter, the story still has to be there containing, for the most part, all of the same things the larger books contain. Harlequin focuses on the characters and the relationship. I have to say, that for many of the stories that I read coming across my desk, I wish more authors would take the time to remember that. Somehow, in the larger format, many authors seem to wander off course and forget the central story-line of their stories.

One of the second elements to remember with Harlequin would be the clear divisions in their lines. While some would seem to think the story lines blend with one another, there really is a clear division. Let's look at one in particular:

HARLEQUIN TEEN...

Length: 50,000–100,000 words
Senior Editor: Natashya Wilson
Editorial Office: New York

First of all, you will notice there is a lot of flexibility with the word count. Still, keeping the story somewhere in the middle is always a safe bet.

Harlequin Teen is…
Fresh, authentic teen fiction featuring extraordinary characters and extraordinary stories set in contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, science-fiction and historical worlds.

Again, you will notice there is a lot of flexibility here. Still this does not mean you can just do anything. Reading further will explain more...

We’re looking for commercial, high-concept stories that capture the teen experience and will speak to readers with power and authenticity.

This is the key with this line. If you don't understand teens, this is not the line to be writing for. Too often, authors seem to think that if you insert "teens" into your story, it becomes a YA. This is far from the truth. This story needs to be high quality commercial that will "capture the teen experience." In other words, it has to be something that teens, who normally don't read, will want to read.

All subgenres are welcome, so long as the book delivers a relevant reading experience that will resonate long after the book’s covers are closed. We expect that many of our stories will include a compelling romantic element.

Please note the line, "we expect that many of our stories will include a compelling romantic element." Remember that Harlequin is a romance line. Books like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is lacking that romance element. While it is something many kids love reading, it simply isn't what they are looking for.
Harlequin Teen is a single-title program dedicated to building authors and publishing unique, memorable young-adult fiction. Stories with the unforgettable romance, characters and atmosphere of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, the witty humor of Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries novels, the edgy emotion of Jay Asher’s Th1rteen R3asons Why, the thrilling danger of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games, the futuristic world-building of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, and the power of Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief are examples of the range and depth of projects that we’re seeking.

This section is key. They are openly telling you books that have that same "pull" they are looking for in a book. No, they are not saying to copy these books or to only use the genres, but to really take the time to dissect what the authors were doing to pull the readers in. What makes Mia or Edward so appealing to the readers?

Submission guidelines:
We are currently accepting agented submissions only. Agents, please submit a partial or complete manuscript with full synopsis, either as a hard copy or as an e-mail attachment.

Ahhh, note this. No submitting right now. You won't get far with this one if you don't have an agent.


Now, while this sounds simple, take a look at any of the other sub-lines. You need to really understand the books. Also, you need to realize that your books will only fit these lines. Submitting to an agent telling me your book would be perfect with St. Martin's Press, or at Harlequin clearly tells me you haven't done your research.

As I started this entry, I love working with Harlequin. My authors love their editors and the dedication the company has provided to them while they pursue their careers. For anyone who has been thinking this is simply that "training ground" I dare you, see if you can write one of their stories. You might find it is harder than you think.

Have a great weekend. I'm off to work at a swim meet!

Scott