by Johanna Raisanen, Editor (from a 2014 post on this blog) So you’ve written a secret-baby story and you’re debating submitting to us. Well, you should! But perhaps you’ve been told that secret-baby stories are so cliché! I recently read an article about “the worst romance-novel clichés,” where the author lists a lot of tropes…
Category: Harlequin Editors
Harlequin Editors’ Top 10 Romance Heroes of 2019
For 70 years, the Harlequin Editors have been on the lookout for unforgettable heroes who embody romance. As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back at the men who inspired us, made us smile, and made us swoon in 2019. Whether between the pages of an amazing romance, on screen or in real…
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Do You Love Love, Actually?
It’s officially December, which means it’s that time of year when many of us indulge in our favourite Chrismas movies! Including the popular and polarizing film, Love Actually. Enjoy this post from our Archives, in which Harlequin Editors discuss what we love and hate (and love to hate) about it! Ah, it’s that time of…
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Advice from the Archives: Line Editing with Carly Silver
Today, we bring you a post from our Archives. Harlequin editor Carly Silver offers a breakdown on what happens at the line editing stage of a book. By this point, the book has had a substantive edit, to work out the big-picture kinks with characterization and plot development. Now, the editor will give it a…
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Advice from the Archives: What Are the Best Ingredients for a Fresh Story?
Today’s post is a 2016 gem from our Archives! Special Edition Editor Susan Litman walks us through the key elements for keeping a story fresh. Everyone knows the basic must-haves for a good story. Character. Conflict. Dialogue. Pacing. Plot. An emotional romance. Put together the right way, these elements can engage the reader and give…
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What We’re Reading
Autumn is in full swing for the SYTYCW team, and we’re agreed that this is a wonderful time of year to curl up with warm blanket and a good book. Nothing like a crisp October breeze and the smell of pumpkin spice and dried leaves to put you in a relaxed state. We thought we’d…
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A Day at the Northern Hearts Conference
By Katie Gowrie Last weekend the second annual Northern Hearts conference was held by the Toronto Romance Writers, and it was a pleasure to attend! I arrived bright and early Saturday morning at the Novotel hotel, ready for a day of romance-publishing awesomeness. After grabbing a coffee, I made my way into the main reception…
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The Dare Editors’ Three Wishes for Submissions
This week we imagined that a magic lamp showed up in the mail room addressed to DARE editorial. After being delivered to our side of the office, an attempt to polish off a few smudges released a being with phenomenal cosmic power, the ability to grant our every heart’s desire, and a stylish goatee. The…
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Advice from the Archives: Sexy, Sensual or Sweet?
By Kathleen Scheibling Today’s updated post from our archives was written by Kathleen Scheibling, the Executive Editor of Harlequin Dare, back in 2015. Read on for her great advice on writing romance at different heat levels and targeting the right Harlequin series for you. Sex doesn’t matter. There, I said it. I better clarify something…
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What We’re Watching: The Love Witch
By Deirdre McCluskey “Historically, men are not used to watching films that are made from the point of view of women. They are almost never called on to do that.” filmmaker Anna Biller Our local public library allows members access to a great movie streaming site, and while browsing their collection, I came across what…