Harlequin Presents compared to Harlequin Romance

I see that Harlequin Presents usually includes wealth and international locations, but are they required?

Harlequin Romance seems to have more titles that are not featuring urban millionaires and international locations, but seem to include less explicit lovemaking? I see many titles as advertising only a few kisses. How tame must the lovemaking be to be accepted in the Romance category?

I have a series of novels I would like to write, but am not sure which line to target. Neither seems appropriate. Blaze is too hot for what I want to write right now. I'm unclear about how the Desire line compares to Blaze.

It's been years since I read a lot of Harlequin romances. And I didn't analyze the categories back then.

I'm trying to read widely in both of the Harlequin Presents and Harlequin Romance lines right now, but have to special order the Romance titles, as my library and local book store don't carry them. Does anyone have any suggestions of titles that push the boundaries of these two categories but are still very much accepted?

Can your recommend authors, who have written prolifically in these lines, and have chosen to make a career writing this type of book, rather than using it as a stepping stone to something "better"?

Thank you. I'm checking out the Mills and Boon site. I thought they didn't publish books written about characters in the USA, but I can see that isn't true.

I saw this quote on the website, but am unsure which categories it applies to.

Myth: There’s only one way to be Alpha – and it involves being very rich.

Truth: A hero’s ability to sweep the heroine (and the reader) off her feet doesn’t stem from his financial portfolio – it’s all about his irresistible personality! Super-rich does not an Alpha make – it’s more about how he’s tackled the challenges life has thrown at him to rise to the top, whatever his chosen profession. If your hero is a landscape gardener, let’s see that he’s the best damn gardener we’ve ever read and in full command of his environment – that will keep him far more droolworthy than pots of cash!

I have been studying the HQ site, but the category descriptions just are not clear enough to answer my questions. And I've done a bit of googling too.

Maybe the Desire line is the right one. It looks like the explicitness level varies a bit more than in some of the other lines. Lucky for me B&N carries this line.

Desire novels are sensual reads and a love scene or scenes are needed, but there is no set number. Rather, the level of sensuality must be appropriate to the storyline. Above all, every Desire novel must fulfill the promise of a powerful, passionate and provocative read.

Thank you Nightmelody. That helps.

I realize the idea I have for a series, just does not fit perfectly in any of the lines, so I have decided to put that project on the back burner. I'm going to read widely in the Harlequin Presents line and write a novel designed for that category. I already have a seed of an idea taking root. I spent some time as a child in an international setting, that with some research, I might be able to be knowledgeable enough to write about. Are hotels and restaurants and such, usually real, or made up?

I got Sandra Marton's Blackwolf's Redemption May 2010 out of the library. It's a time travel Native American novel :-0 I guess after solidly proving herself as an HP writer, she was given a little leeway? Actually a LOT of leeway!?

There is something about the HP line and their familiar looking red and white covers, small size, and highly focused plots, that appeals to me. And I think because of life experience, that I truly understand the alpha male concept, which is such a core part of these novels.

Sandra Marton I can see is a well known HP author. I'll check out girlywots's list. it's nice that these books are short and small enough to easily carry around, since I'm attempting to read widely.

If you already know the difference between the lines, the guidelines seem descriptive enough. They are not enough for someone who is not already extremely well read within the lines.

Nightmelody, I am struggling too. I think the key is to read lots and lots and lots of the books, and we will be shown what we are not being told.

I went to a library booksale today. I bought 28 Harlequin Presents. The volunteer looked at me so funny, and then started saying some really sappy things to me. Even when I told her it was research, she still was all flustered. I guess to buy one or two at a time as a guilty pleasure, looks fun, but to buy 28 is just too hard core something

They had some Harlequin Romance and some Harlequin Presents Extra as well as an assortment of the other lines, but I think it's best for me to concentrate on just one line at a time, and really figure out EXACTLY what the boundaries for the line are, and what topics the editors seem to like best.

I know the website says the editors will forward a good story to the line that fits it best, but I'd rather confidently write exactly for a line. I don't want to slave over a story that I fall in love with, to only have it rejected over lack of a proper home. I'd rather try that out, after I have sold a couple books and proved myself.

The more I study the lines, the more I understand the combination of elements listed for each. I see how when you focus on, or exclude, a certain topic, that you need to balance it with the inclusion or exclusion of something else.

For years I have been WAY too serious. I used to enjoy my romance novels. Somewhere along the line though, I stopped reading stories, and starting reading mostly nonfiction. If I did start a story, I seldom finished it, because the idea of pleasure and fun being important were alien to me, and something important would always come up to distract me.

This "research" is giving me permission to tap into storytelling like I have not allowed myself in a very long time.

And the HP line is all about HEA, and a couple who live in luxury...but...the glitz is little more than golden wrapping paper for an intense ride between 2 people, because the world basically stops as these 2 people bond and work their way to HAE.

I don't think the volunteer thought I had cats. Maybe goats and chickens, but probably not even that. I was standing there in hiking boots and well worn, but expensive looking competitive level athletic clothing. I don't engage in sports--I can't afford to expend the energy--but have no car and hike around the city running errands and humping the loads back home on my back. I knew my library sale run might be super heavy, so I was dragging along a rolling shopping bag like a bag lady.

People are always trying to figure me out and can't, even without a load of HP novels Now my constant companion of an HP is going to really throw them for a loop

And if I ever DID sell an HP, I wonder what would be thought about an author in hiking boots?? I generally write barefoot and in sweats and a black tank top. A friend slept over last night and started snapping photos of me on the computer, insisting...I don't know what :-0 She is off doing photoshop with them and laughing herself silly.

She agrees I have an outstanding background to be able to seriously write alpha male fiction. It's more the heroine's part that she is in stitches over, and if I can come up with the golden wrapping. I was born into the golden wrapping, before fate took me other places, and now the golden wrapping seems like a fairy tale in my head. I need to figure out how to reconnect with...I'm not quite sure what.

Back to my "research"

Thanks for the donation suggestion!

I found this recipe for HPs. It's worth reading.

Yesterday I was making a list of places and ways to observe the wealthy, and another list of familiar places where the wealthy mix with others. Don't discount the amount of time the wealthy spend in ordinary surroundings that you are familiar with. Our characters can go to bookstores and airports and parks, too and just do it a little differently and sometimes not.

I know homeless people that all the time go to fancy hotel lobbies and sit. And they order just tea in the restaurants. I have a friend who is always dragging me into exclusive hotels to use the bathrooms. You would be surprised that sometimes breakfast isn't all that expensive. This same friend drags me there for breakfasts too. I've been fighting her, but am now about to let the opportunities flow. Bring a fellow author friend and share an order of pancakes and water

I saw an article that suggested reading decorating magazines and watching a TV show called something like Cribs. I'll add to that, reading gourmet cooking magazines.

I saw a book yesterday at the library sale about buying diamonds. I figure there are similar how to books on wine.

There are travel books and documentaries.

We can interview people about places and situations.

If authors of historical periods can write about times past, then we can write about a subcultures we don't currently participate in. We just need to do our research.

Nightmelody said:

I think upscale magazines would help with the luxury world building in Presents and Desires. I live a far from upscale life!

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Any suggestions for magazines? I can read them for free at B&N.

I live in a major city. I'm going to have to start keeping a notebook, keeping track of public events and changes in the parks each month.

I currently do not live an upscale lifestyle, and don't long for it...but hey...I guess I can put some effort into researching the lives of my characters :-0 I'm really starting to understand how wealthy settings fit in with these 2 character, no subplot, HEA stories. I'm committed to learning what I need to, to enable me to write the type of stories that I want to write.

I am reading an HP today, that I do NOT seek to emulate :-( Yek! I'm trying to learn what I can from it though. There must be a strength the editors saw in it. I need to figure that out and pay attention. And anything that can trigger emotion in me...is a clue to something significant about myself, that maybe I can mine for writing ideas.

Thank you for all the advice!

I borrowed Elements of Fiction Setting by Jack M. Bickham from the library today. Chapter 8 "How Setting Affects Character" seems particularly relevant to HP writing. The rest looks like a quick skim will suffice.