by Christyne Butler

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

A familiar saying, one my mother often said to me when I’d complain there was no way she could understand the dramas I was going through while growing up, usually during the craziness that was high school.

Well, things are changing again.

Starting with the August 2013 releases, Special Editions will be once again undergoing a cover redesign and I am honored to be part of the latest change in the artwork with my next book, THE MAVERICK’S SUMMER LOVE, book 2 in the “Montana Maverick: Rust Creek Cowboys” continuity.

Sometimes change is hard, especially when it comes to something that is beloved and familiar. In this case, the new look for Special Editions is a bit different without the wide blue banner down the left side. The blue color is still there, but it’s been redesigned into a banner with the name of the series inside and moved to across the top of the book.

However, blue wasn’t always the color associated with Special Editions.

The very first Special Edition, TERMS OF SURRENDER by Janet Daily, came out in January 1982, back when they were called Silhouette Special Editions.

The covers were highlighted with light purple at the top of the book cover with name of the line spelled out in a fancy scrolled front.

And don’t you love that “The Longer, More Absorbing Romance” tag line in the lower corner?

That light purple color scheme stayed until late eighties when, for a few years, the covers were without any special color blocking, allowing for the artwork to reach all four corners, much like the newest Special Edition covers. The cover for Lindsey McKenna’s RETURN OF A HERO is a favorite of mine (as are all her books in her “Love And Glory” series!)

Then in the 90’s and thru the first part of 2000 the color blocking was back on top, this time in shades of coral, pink, purple, aqua and the familiar Special Edition blue. Personally, I love the pretty color for BORN INNOCENT by our own Christine Rimmer.

In November of 2000, the blue stripe moved from the top of the cover to the left side with the words “Special Edition” in a larger gold font, a look most current readers are familiar with.

My first cover was for my June 2009 release, THE COWBOY’S SECOND CHANCE and I was very proud to have earned my blue stripe! And other than the word Silhouette being replaced by Harlequin in the upper left corner in April of 2011, the covers pretty much stayed the same until this year.

And you know what else stayed the same? The stories.

Special Editions are still the same wonderful, emotional, compelling stories where a reader can find themes covering everything from babies to brides, cops to cowboys, military men (and women!) to millionaires and just about everything in between! Sensuality levels can be found at every level from subtle to sizzling and we have strong heroes, dynamic heroines, and terrific secondary characters, be it family, friends, or pets and especially those characters who are just waiting for their chance at happily ever after (we love our series within series by our favorite authors!) Most importantly? Happy endings are guaranteed!

So what do you think of the latest design change? Love it right off the bat (like me!) or do you need a bit of time to get used to it? Share and I’ll choose one name to win a $15 gift card at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com and a signed copy of THE MAVERICK’S SUMMER LOVE as soon as I get my advanced copies!

(If you’re interested in these, go to my website at www.liliandarcy.com and sign up for my newsletter, which will alert you – but not spam you daily – about release dates.)

I’d never been to Montana before, and it was every bit as beautiful as everyone says. We were lucky with the weather, and I’m afraid all my Montana stories are therefore going to be filled with an unrealistic level of warmth and sunshine!

One of the highlights in a highlight-filled trip was driving the road through Glacier National Park that’s known as the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Is that not the most evocative name for a highway you’ve ever heard? With snow still white and beautiful on the higher mountains, the full length of the road wasn’t yet open for the summer and we could only go as far as half way along Lake McDonald, but it was so gorgeous that only driving sixteen miles of it didn’t seem like that much of a hardship.

I made up my mind that someday I’m going to drive that road again with my husband, when we can go all the way across the high mountain pass and into Canada.

And it started me thinking about other favorite drives of mine.

There’s the Great Ocean Road along Australia’s southern coast in the state of Victoria, with its breath-taking vistas of the rocky ocean stacks known as the Twelve Apostles.

There’s Route 9N in upstate New York, that runs along beside beautiful Lake George. There’s California State Route 1, the Coast Highway. Hm, another road that runs along beside water. I’m starting to think there’s a theme, here.

No, wait, I also love the Kings Highway, that runs between Canberra and the New South Wales coast, passing first through farmland and then down a steep section bordered by eucalyptus forest that smells so tangy and fresh if you have the car window open. And the New England Highway, that runs along the spine of Australia’s Great Dividing Range up to Queensland…

How about you? Do you have a favorite road you love to drive? Is there a road you’ve always wanted to drive, but haven’t quite made it there yet? I’d love to hear your recommendations and your wish list.

Photo credits : Lake McDonald – David Restivo, NPS. Twelve Apostles – www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au

Special Edition tends to be a mixed bag when it comes to types of stories or tropes. All of them come back to the theme of the line – stories with relatable characters who strike a chord with the reader, no matter what setting or plot. But we all have a favorite plot or setting and even characters. There are the series like the Fortunes that continuously draw readers back into their epic family drama. Then there are the family stories with nannies and single dads and single moms, like my May release Father by Choice, which also includes a secret baby even though she’s seven in the story. Doctor stories, marriages of convenience, fake engagements. And many combinations of the above.

It keeps the line interesting when each book you pull out of the box has a little something different to offer. But in each one you know you are going to find characters to love and stories to keep. Which is your favorite type of story? Doctors? Nannies? Babies? Pregnancies? Secret engagements? What type of story are you in the mood for but can’t find on your shelf?

* Where did you get the idea for Expecting Fortune’s Heir?  As you probably know, this book is one of six Fortune’s of Texas books released January-June this year.  Harlequin gives the authors who are invited to participate in this “continuity” an overarching storyline and the characters.  It’s up to the author to flesh out the characters–and the basic storyline–they are given.  While each book can be read–and enjoyed–on it’s own, it’s fun to read all six.

* Tell us about the hero of the book? Why will we fall in love with him?  Shane Fortune is a man of honor.  He is his father’s right hand man and the one slated to take over JMF Financial when his father retires.  But when all the evidence seems to point toward his father having a whole other family and giving a large portion of the company to this woman, Shane walks away from the father, and the company he loves.

* Tell us about the heroine? Why is she the perfect woman for the hero? Natalia “Lia” Serrano is struggling to find her place in the world when her path crosses with the hero’s.  She’s a woman of principle who doesn’t shy away from doing the right thing.  She’s also someone who believes strongly in family and helps Shane open his eyes to what’s really going on with his father.

* What life lessons do your H/H have to learn before they can find their happily-ever-after?  The issue that comes between Lia and Shane is one of trust.

* Is there any particular significance in the setting?  The book takes place in Red Rock, Texas just outside of San Antonio.  Many of the Fortunes have settled in this town.  If you’re not familiar with the Fortunes, they are a wealthy and powerful family.

* If this is part of a continuity, tell us about your experience working on connected stories with other authors.  The other authors were fabulous to work with…but that’s been my experience with all the authors who write for Harlequin Special Edition…they’re just all so nice.

* What was your favorite scene to write?  * What was the most difficult scene for you to write?   The first scene was my favorite but also the most difficult.  The books starts with a one night stand between the hero and heroine.  It’s challenging to make the characters sympathetic as well as making it believable that these two people (in particular) would hop into bed with each other. 

Here’s a little snippet of that scene:

His eyes were the bluest Natalia Serrano had ever seen.

Of course, she was a fair distance away and it could have been just a  trick of the light.  Still, he was a magnificent specimen in his black tux; tall with a lean, muscular build and a classically handsome face.  A lock of dark hair tumbled to his forehead and he impatiently pushed it back.

He was older than her twenty-five years–she’d guess early thirties.  His self-assured and confident stance told her he was used to giving orders, not taking them.

Although she would guess they had little in common, in that moment she knew there was one thing they did share…and that was loneliness.  Their gazes met, and her lips lifted in a tentative smile.  The connection she felt was so strong that she expected him to cross the room and say hello, or at least return her smile.  Instead he frowned, turned and disappeared into the hallway.

* Do any beloved characters from your previous books show up in this one?  Other characters from the other books in the continuity  show up in this one.  An interesting tidbit is that Shane’s brother, Sawyer, who we see a lot of in this book, is also in the next Fortune’s of Texas book I’m currently in the process of writing (though he’s not the hero)  That book will be out next February.

* Why will readers enjoy this book?  I’m not good at hawking my own books, but here’s a little snippet of what the Romantic Times reviewer had to say (and gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5)….Kirk’s Fortune saga starts out with the sexiest scene first and only gets better from there, with an ongoing mystery and a couple whose difference only strengthen their appeal–all set in a small Texas town full of larger-than-life characters.

In honor of this book’s release, I’m giving away a copy to one lucky person (drawn from everyone who comments).  To be entered into the drawing (with the winner posted late tonight) all you have to do is tell me your favorite settings for books.  Do you like Texas?  Or do you prefer harbor towns?  West coast?  I think you get the drift.  :)

I went to the zoo last month and had a great time. I hadn’t been in years (long before I had a digital camera), so it was fun to go and take some pictures of all the animals.

Along the way, I started trying to pick a favorite. I know we’ve had several blogs about our love of domesticated animals – cats, dogs, horses, even the occasional cow . But how about favorite wild animals?

I’ve always liked wolves, maybe because of the canine connection. And the big cats are so fascinating—looking so lazy and relaxed that you can almost forget how dangerous they are.

Then there are the big guys—the rhinos and elephants.

And while I may not be able to pick a favorite wild animal, this is by far my favorite picture…

How about you? Do you have a favorite wild animal? Leave a post, and I’ll draw a winner of one of my new releases, Darcy and the Single Dad or Daddy Says, “I Do!”

I recently started a new story. And I realized right away, it was familiar. Not in the way like I was rehashing an old book. But I realized I love to tell reunion stories. Especially if a good dose of redemption is thrown in. I like kids in my books. I like to read these kind of stories, too, but I wonder if some of it reflects who I am and how I got to be here.

I’m a mom of school-age kids, so that really informs my writing. My own personal love story is a reunion story–high school sweethearts, separated for a few years, find each other again. But my books aren’t about my life. Oh, I sneak some things in (usually kid-related–endless fodder there!), but my characters aren’t *me* or my own story. (Though my husband has male coworkers who want to read my books for ‘insight into our relationship’. What?? They’ll be disappointed!)

On the other hand, I like a good secret baby story. Lots of conflict, tension and emotion there! And a marriage of convenience story is good too–but tricky. I haven’t attempted one yet, but I’ve read a lot of good ones, especially in the Special Edition line. (They make it look easy!) To make that work, the motivations have to be really strong to believe that a modern hero/heroine would agree to that kind of arrangement. None of these are things I have actual experience with in my own life. I’m not that interesting! So I suppose the kinds of stories I like–or write–aren’t solely based on who I am.

But that’s the beauty of the romance genre. There are so many takes on the popular tropes that it’s impossible to even list them, much less read them all!

What kinds of stories do you like? And why?

You’ve all probably heard of the television show “What Would You Do?

If you haven’t seen it, here’s how it works:  they have a hidden camera that records different situations and then they wait and see how the people around react.

Here’s an example of some of the different situations the show has covered:

Mom slams daughter’s weight

A black dad with a white child being harassed

Son berated by parents for being gay

Elderly shoplifter

Recently, I watched a special about the bombing in Boston.  They were interviewing people that ran away when the bomb went off and those who ran to the bombing site (to see if they could help the injured).

It made me think—what would I do?  Of course we never can know for sure how we’ll react.  But I honestly don’t think my first impulse would be to run to where the bomb went off.  If there was a person injured around me or I saw a person hurt, I would stop to help (I wouldn’t just race on by—or worse yet, knock them out of the way), but I believe my first impulse would be to get as far away from the situation as possible.

Until they brought up the question on this news report, I have to say it never would have even occurred to me to run toward where the bomb went off.

How does this all relate to writing?  Because our characters are human.  They do heroic things.  They also make mistakes.

In my book out this month, Expecting Fortune’s Heir, Natalia has a one night stand with a man she just met and ends up pregnant.  To make matters worse, she only knows his first name (Shane). In Natalia’s eyes (and in her mother’s eyes as well) she’s made a big mistake.  But thankfully all ends happily.

But back to WWYD—tell me whether you would run toward a bombing site or away and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a copy of the latest Fortune’s of Texas book, Expecting Fortunes Heir.

I wanted to do a secret baby book that would be different. Neither Brady, the father, or Maggie, the mother, had tried to keep the child secret from the other.

* Tell us about the hero of the book? Why will we fall in love with him?

Brady Ward is the small town hero. The one most likely to succeed. And he does. Far away from the pain of losing his parents and watching his family fall apart. When he does find out he has a daughter, he insists on seeing her and trying to figure out what being a father means.

* Tell us about the heroine? Why is she the perfect woman for the hero?

Maggie Brown didn’t leave for college so she could take care of her mother. Over the years, she becomes stronger, more confident and not willing to put up with good enough. She’s more of a match for Brady now then she was at eighteen.

* Is there any particular significance in the setting?

Small towns become a character of their own in stories. The people that make up that town shape it. From the postal workers to the other farmers, each brings a little more realism to the setting. The contrast between life in small towns and big cities is huge.

* What was your favorite scene to write?

The scenes in New York City where Maggie is trying to confront Brady with the fact that he has a seven-year-old have to be my favorite to write. Getting the right amount of nervousness, but calmness from Maggie and the right amount of distraction for Brady to really show the contrast of their characters and what is most important to them.

* What was the most difficult scene for you to write?

It wasn’t so much difficult to write, but what was difficult to develop in this story. The physical relationship between the hero and heroine. They had, in essence, a one-night-stand that produced their daughter. When they meet eight years later, they are strangers even though they grew up in the same town and have a child together. They knew what the outside world knew about the other, but they didn’t know the secret person that we only let a few people get to know. Does that make sense? LOL So not only is Brady learning about his daughter, but he’s also getting to know Maggie. But they had the shared intimacy of that one night stand, so there is passion to contend with too. I hope I did a good job of staying true to my characters when it came to the development of their physical relationship and kept it in sync with their emotional relationship.

* If this book had a soundtrack, what are some of the songs that might appear on it?

I always have songs that I listen to when writing. Some of the songs on my list that still resonate with the story are:

- The Only Exception by Paramore

- Gravity by John Mayer

- Turning Tables as done by Gweneth Paltrow in Glee

- It’s Been Awhile by Staind

Thanks, everyone!  I do love visiting with you all…

–Christine

Every month when my RT Reviews Magazine arrives, I immediately do two things.  First I check out the front pages where they post the Top Picks in all genres, then I quickly thumb through to nearly the last page for the series romance ratings.

High up on the right hand column is where I find the Harlequin Special Edition ratings.  I’m always amazed by the fantastic reviews our beautiful line receives.  May is promising to be another solid month for readers, and June looks to be a hit out of the ballpark!  Yay.

In case you haven’t read the May reviews for SE – here are the best lines for each book as reviewed by Debbie Haupt.  Thank you, Debbie, for your kind words!

A Weaver Vow (2257) – by Allison Leigh: “Leigh’s romance has an ideal balance of drama and snippets of everyday life, and her pure-hearted couple fits impeccably into small-town Wyoming.”

Expecting Fortune’s Heir (2258) – by Cindy Kirk: “Kirk’s Fortune saga starts out with the sexiest scene first and only gets better from there, with an ongoing mystery and a couple whose differences only strengthen their appeal – all set in a small Texas town full of larger-than-life characters.”

Made in Texas (2259) – by Crystal Green:  “Green’s Texas romance is full of humor, including catchy, kitschy quotes, and it keeps the pages turning and the love story fresh, sweet and funny.  Her duo may not seem to be a match at first, but she makes it fun to watch them fall.”

A Daddy for Dillon (2260) – by Stella Bagwell: “Bagwell’s romance gives the perfect Southwest flavor to ranch life, and her duo’s Native American culture adds depth while they discover they’re a perfect family and fit.  The love scenes are sensual and heartfelt, and the end is a pleasant surprise.”

The Texan’s Surprise Baby (2261) – by Gina Wilkins:  “Wilkins returns to the Bell Resort, where it’s Andrew and Hannah’s turn at romance, although the co-stars sometimes steal the show in this tender and sweet love story.”

Father by Choice (2262) – by Amanda Berry:  “Berry’s against-all-odds romance shows the power of perseverance and the strength of surviving pain and loss.  Her couple’s bumpy road to love makes the end worth waiting for in the page-turning tale.”

Wow – are you ready to read all of the May Special Edition offerings now?

What has been one of your favorite SE stories recently.  We’d love to hear your recommendations!