Series Spotlight: Author Kimberly Lang on Being a Harlequin Presents Newbie

Author Kimberly Lang made her Harlequin Presents/Mills & Boon Modern Heat debut earlier this year with The Secret Mistress Arrangement (Harlequin Presents, April 2009). Kimberly joins our series spotlight celebrations with this post about being a newbie Presents author:

by Kimberly Lang

Um, wow. According to Tessa’s post about the history of the line, I’m the same age as Harlequin Presents. (And may I say how fabulous we look for our age!)

I’ve only been part of the Presents family for one of those thirty-six years, but it’s a great family to be in — all the fun without the embarrassing stories told by grandma about that time when I was twelve and decided to join the circus. The stories told by this family are far more interesting – full of passion, drama, and excitement. And gorgeous Alpha hunks!

The family reunions are also a lot more fun — I love meeting up with the Presents authors (and the editors, of course!) at the RWA National Conference each year. Since I’m still a newbie author, I don’t mind admitting I’m still a bit star-struck to be in such company.  Last summer, I shared a table with Jane Porter, Carole Mortimer and Jacqueline Baird at lunch.  Talk about something it’s hard to wrap your head around.  Me, at a table, attempting to make conversation with Jane Porter, Carole Mortimer and Jacqueline Baird. (I wasn’t too star-struck to eat though, and they were nice enough to let me have the last smoked salmon finger sandwich. My real family never shares the last smoked salmon sandwich.) It did take me a few minutes to get up the courage to add anything to the conversation, but these ladies — unlike my cousins would have — didn’t make fun of my tongue-tied newbie-ness at all.  As an added bonus, none of my Presents family ever tries to organize a three-legged race or expects me to play second base on the softball team.

And those embarrassing family portraits?  Knowing that my book is sharing shelf space with the authors I’ve read and enjoyed for years is far from cringe-worthy. In fact, I get a little happy giggle just thinking about it.

There’s not much not to love about being a part of the Presents line. I get to write the kind of books I love to read, and I get to do it in fabulous company. With the new contest running this summer and fall, hopefully we’ll have a new addition to the family soon.

I’ll save you a seat at lunch next year. But don’t expect me to share the last sandwich with you. All the fan-girl gushing makes me hungry…

Kimberly

www.booksbykimberly.com

Kimberly’s second book, The Millionaire’s Misbehaving Mistress, hits stores this October in North America, while book #3 Magnate’s Mistress… Accidentally Pregnant! will be available in September in the UK.