By Marin Thomas
Ask the Senior Editor of Harlequin American Romance, Kathleen Scheibling, and she’ll say, “Two things that each and every American Romance has are a sense of family and community, and a sense of place. In American Romance we’re painting a picture of American life as it could be. Full of family, friends and happiness.”
Ask any reader of the Harlequin American Romance line and they’ll say things like…fast-paced with heroines and heroes the reader can relate to. Fans of the line will tell you that no two books are the same so expect the unexpected when you pick up an American Romance.
American Romance strives to reflect the everyday life of men and women who are working, raising families and searching for the American dream. Americans can vary in tone but, whether the book is light-hearted, humorous or thought-provoking you’ll always get a fast-paced read and an uplifting reading experience.
The heroes in American Romance come from all walks of life. Bad boys, businessmen, firefighters, policemen, military men, ranchers and a reader favorite—cowboys. Our readers just love a hero who wears Wranglers, boots, a Stetson and says, “yes, ma’am”.
Secondary characters play a distinct role in American Romance. We use these characters to help advance the relationship between our hero and heroine. After reading an American Romance don’t be surprised if you not only remember the hero and heroine but also one of the quirky secondary characters.
American Romance is unique in that our authors explore a variety of settings across the United States. Whether it’s a small town out West, a borough of New York City, or downtown Detroit—the details of the setting and the characters which live there will draw the reader more deeply into the story. The setting helps define our characters and usually plays a major role in their lives.
Family plays an important part in American Romance. You’ll find babies, teenagers, small children and even extended family members in our books. Whether the hero is the boy-next-door, a hot-shot business executive or a down-on-his-luck rodeo cowboy, they’ll have a soft spot for babies, children and teens.
For those of you who love Cowboys—you’ll find plenty to pick from the line each month. This past June Harlequin American Romance launched its first-ever six-book miniseries. The Codys: First Family of Rodeo debuted with Rebecca Winters’ book, Walker: The Rodeo Legend. Book 2, DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY is out this month. The series runs from June through November.
If you’re still craving more cowboys…the authors of The Codys: First Family of Rodeo post a new “cowboy blog” every Wednesday at http://firstfamilyofrodeo.blogspot.com/
Are you a fan of cowboys—if so what do you find so addicting about cowboy heroes in romance novels?
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Please leave a comment or question for Marin to enter to win DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY. If you’re reading this blog through a feed at Facebook, Goodreads or another social network, please note that you need to leave your comment at www.museinterrupted.com to enter.
Marin’s latest book for Harlequin American Romance is out in stores this month. DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY (July 2010) received a 4.5 Star Top Pick from Romantic Times magazine. You can learn more about Marin and her books at www.marinthomas.com. To read Marin’s bio and the back cover copy for DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY, please see yesterday’s post.