Tanzey Talk
It's February already, so once again we're poised to celebrate Valentine's Day and the month of love. Oh, boy, more chocolates! Hope you plan to spend some quality time with those you love, not just during this month, but as often as you can.
Last month, I told you about the "Get Connected" promotion that Bantam Dell was doing this year. I mentioned that Madeline Hunter would present her Seducer series (The Seducer; The Saint; The Charmer) the final three months of 2003. Now, Madeline tells me that there will be a fourth book in this series, The Sinner, slated for release in January 2004. She also says that the setting is Regency and post-Regency England. The heroes are friends who gathered for training at a fencing academy and dubbed themselves The Hampstead Dueling Society. Eventually, they find themselves needing those fencing skills for more than sport.
On the subject of continuing series, Gaelen Foley plans to expand on her popular Knight series (Lord of Fire; Lord of Ice; Lady of Desire). She's currently working on the story of Jacinda's best friend and sidekick, the bluestocking Miss Lizzie Carlisle. No title for it yet, but it should be released the end of this year or early 2004. Gaelen says, "After that, there are a couple more brothers left to torture, and I may also do a book about the brothers' boyhood friend, Ian, the Marquess of Griffith. The whole series should spin out to seven or eight books..."
Cathie Linz has sold Silhouette three more of her Men of Honor series featuring US Marine heroes. She's excited to be able to continue these stories, as she loves writing about them.
It's a big move to single-title for Harlequin Historical author Julianne MacLean, who has her first book with Avon, To Marry the Duke, scheduled for release in June. She also has her first Silhouette Desire, Sleeping with the Playboy, coming out this May.
As I told you before, Tina St. John is working on a new medieval series for Ballantine. The Dragon Chalice books are slated for back-to-back release in the summer of 2004, with the fourth (and she hopes not the final installment) to follow soon after. The sad news for her fans is that Tina will have no new releases in 2003. I don't know if I can stand to go that long without one of her fabulous stories. Ah, well...
Micki Nuding, Senior Editor at Pocket, announces their new Bon Voyage line of contemporary romances set in exotic locales around the world. Their launch title is this month's Caribbean-set Tropical Getaway by new author Roxanne St. Claire. Next month, another debut author, Dorien Kelly, will give us The Last Bride in Ballymuir , the first of a trilogy set in the fictional village of Ballymuir, County Kerry, Ireland. Following in April, category author Carol Grace will take readers to the Amalfi Coast of Italy for That's Amoré .
More new series are in the works for our favorite authors: Christina Dodd starts a two-part Regency series next month with Scandalous Agai n, to be followed in September with One Kiss From You ; in April, Lisa Jackson begins a medieval trilogy with Impostress , to be followed by Temptress and Seductress ; last month Candice Hern's Once a Dreamer started a trilogy that will include Once a Scoundrel (in August) and Once a Gentleman (in 2004); and Heather Cullman launched a new Regency trilogy in January with Scanda l.
And several authors are adding to already established series: Sabrina Jeffries will continue her Regency series in April with Dance of Seduction ; also in April, Catherine Spangler adds Shadow Crossing to her award-winning Shielder series, with book five, Shadow Fires, set for 2004; and Catherine Asaro's next two installments in her galaxy-set Skolian Saga are The Moon's Shadow (this month) and Skyfall (in September).
The December 23, 2002, issue of Publishers Weekly contained news about the latest wave of novels being written about the steamy side of the magazine business. They reported that Pocket purchased a book, titled Page Sex , written by two anonymous authors under the pseudonym C.J. Tosh. It's said the authors will reveal their identities at this fall's publication date. Page Sex will be released as the first hardcover from Pocket's new "chick-lit" line, Downtown Press.
The aforementioned Roxanne St. Claire is giving away a Tropical Getaway on her web site roxannestclaire.com The winner will be drawn on March 31, so hurry and enter.
Maureen McKade has sold two novels to Berkley; one of them a historical and the other a contemporary romantic suspense.
And Cindy Gerard sold a three-book series of sexy romantic suspenses, called The Bodyguard, to St. Martin's.
Avon inked a deal with Adrianne Byrd for two books, also sexy romantic suspenses. Do we see a pattern here?
Congratulations go to Kayla Perrin, who gave birth to a baby girl named Chloe in December.
Kathleen Eagle and Pamela Bauer are delighted to take on the title of Grandmother - a grandson for Pamela; a granddaughter for Kathleen. Congrats to both!
While were on the subject of babies, my good friend/reviewer/Gazette proofreader, Morgan, presented her husband, Stan, and two young daughters, Tory and Delaney, with a baby boy named Cade in December. I've given Morgan some time off, so please overlook any mistakes I didn't catch on my own this month.
It is with great sadness that I tell you of the death of Fay Robinson. Fay was a talented Harlequin Superromance author, who was a two-time recipient of RWA's prestigious RITA award, and the founder and owner of Painted Rock Writer's Colony. She'll be greatly missed.
Stay tuned 'til next month…
Tanzey Cutter
Editor of the Old Book Barn Gazette
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