Introducing Something a Little Different from Harlequin Presents…
22 Comments April 15th, 2010 in editor, miniseries Posted by Amyby Harlequin Presents editor Joanne Grant
Next month Sandra Marton has a new book out in Presents and whilst that is an exciting event in itself, this is no ordinary Presents (if there is such a thing!). The first thing you will notice is that the title, Blackwolf’s Redemption, is slightly different, some may even say, it has a retro feel to it. You may then notice that it is flashed as part of a new miniseries, Men Without Mercy – intrigued? Well let me introduce this exciting miniseries and tell you how it came to be about!
MEN WITHOUT MERCY
Arrogant and proud, unashamedly male!
Step back in time and experience a time when men were men
and women knew just how to tame them!
These are Harlequin Presents with a retro twist…
Let me go back to the beginning. The editorial team are always looking for new innovative ideas from other cultural influences, such as film, TV and books, and around the time we were brainstorming ideas for 2010 publication, Britain had a new heartthrob. Was he tall, suavely handsome, well-dressed and with a silver tongue to charm the ladies?
Well, actually no – he was quite the opposite. He was slightly scruffy, grumpy, with a less than PC attitude to life and women, but his arrogant attitude and rugged looks had a rather sexy allure. We’re talking about Gene Hunt, from the hit TV series Life on Mars (coincidentally, the actor who plays him, Philip Glenister, was spotted near the London office just this Monday by our Editorial Director!).
For those unfamiliar with the show, in a nutshell a 21st century policeman is transported back in time to 1970s Britain, where he meets DCI Gene Hunt – a completely unreconstructed alpha male from days of yore! In the second series, Ashes to Ashes, the action moved to the 1980s, when a 21st century female is thrown back to meet the uncompromising Gene Hunt, and gradually tension of a different kind started to simmer, and this got us thinking…
What would happen if a 21st century Presents heroine came face-to-face with a completely unreconstructed Presents alpha hero from the past?
And that is how Men Without Mercy was conceived! Yes, we would need to include a little, (dare we say) time travel to make it possible, but as long as the story, relationship and passion was pure Presents – why not? We would only want to publish a few and we had to tread carefully, we didn’t want an influx of ‘paranormal Presents’ – that would be missing the point, so we kept the concept close to our chests and stealthily approached our first author, who we knew would love the challenge and would execute the concept with panache…
Come back tomorrow to hear more from Sandra Marton about this exciting project and what finally became Blackwolf’s Redemption!
Tagged with: author Sandra Marton • Blackwolf's Redemption • editor Joanne Grant • Men Without Mercy miniseries • time travel romance novels
22 Responses to “Introducing Something a Little Different from Harlequin Presents…”
- 1 Pingback on May 9th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Very interesting! I stumbled across the fact that this book was a time travel just a couple weeks ago and was blown away — who would have predicted that from Presents!?
So what do you readers think about this idea? Excited for a little retro Presents action, a little unsure, curious…?
~Amy
P.S. Do indeed come back to the blog on Friday because we have not one but TWO posts! Sandra will be on in the morning (North American time, I mean) about BLACKWOLF and Kate Hewitt will be posting about her story in HER MEDITERRANEAN PLAYBOY in the afternoon. I’ll be a busy little blogger tomorrow, non?
This has me very excited! I’m a huge fan of Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes.
I have to say, I wouldn’t mind a few Paranormal Presents. When Sarah Morgan did her online read last month we were talking about how the classic vampire would be a perfect Presents hero.
Can’t wait to read this one.
Oh, goodness. You had me at “Gene Hunt.” I love that man in ways I am not comfortable talking about in public, and so much of it really is down to that way-back alpha attitude. Yum.
I can’t wait to read these books!
Did anyone watch the US version of Life on Mars? I think it lasted only half a season. But I know Philip Glenister from my Masterpiece Theatre fixes Horatio Hornblower and Cranford.
~Amy
p.s. my recaptcha words are “secretary paled” — perhaps she’s just received a scandalous proposition to become her boss’s mistress… The recaptcha is writing a Presents!
When Joanne first asked me if I’d like to try something different, I said “Yes!”… and that was before she told me the something different would be a retro Presents.
I’m always up for something new in Presents. For me, as a reader and writer, one of the line’s greatest attractions is its willingness to let writers (and readers) deal with new concepts while always, always maintaining that very special, very sexy Presents intensity.
Joanne’s request came just in time for me to see a couple of episodes of LIFE ON MARS. After I’d watched them, I knew two things: my hero would absolutely not awaken from a dream or from a coma, and he would be as sexy, as unashamedly Alpha as he wanted to be.
And Jesse Blackwolf came to life in my mind in a heartbeat.
I loved writing BLACKWOLF’S REVENGE, and I’m sure the entire MEN WITHOUT MERCY mini-series is going to be exciting. I can hardly wait to read the next books.
I hope you’ll come back tomorrow, read my blog about Jesee Blackwolf–and then be eager to (big sigh) “meet” him.
Anything with Sandra Marton’s name on the cover deserves to be picked up and devoured – and BLACKWOLF’S REDEMPTION sounds as tasty as Gene Hunt….
Seconds, please!
It’s BLACKWOLF’S REDEMPTION, not Revenge! Thank you, thank you Sharon, for getting the title right even though the author couldn’t.
What a great idea! Can’t wait to try this one, Sandra.
Well, you had me at Native American hero when I heard that, Sandra! Because I’m so all about pushing those boundaries until there just aren’t any left (a wee bit of a personal point for me!).
And I love that some other boundaries are being pushed as well! Very excited to check it out!
I’m glad for this blog~ I might have passed this one over if left to my own devices, but not I definitely want to get it. Time travel always gets me.
I love all of your books, Sandra, and I’m sure Blackwolf’s Redemption will be no exception. And I must admit the retro aspect intrigues me. I can’t wait to read it.
Tina
Michelle and Sharon, thank you both so much for stopping by and for saying such nice things.
Maisey, one thing I love about Presents is that it’s never afraid of pushing boundaries.
Tina, thank you. And let me know what you think about the retro twist and about Jesse Blackwolf.
Andrea, mmm mmm mmm to vampires… and werewolves, too!
Can I just add that I’m reading Sandra’s book now (I love ebooks!) and it’s great! I love the time travel aspect of it – different is good in my book. And Jesse? Three words: Fab. U. Lous.
The Men Without Mercy series is a really good idea. Can’t wait to hear what you have to say about Jesse, Sandra!
So excited about reading this. It’s great that the line is going in different directions… especially if those directions involve unashamedly alpha men in (have I got this right, Sandra?) BODY PAINT…
(India feels in need of a lie-down at the thought. Better wait to read it until after current deadline has been met!)
Reading Sandra Marton books was one of the reasons I first started writing romance – I have only ever been richly rewarded in reading terms by every book.
I have my copy of BLACKWOLF’S REDEMPTION on order and am thrilled by this new direction for a traditional Presents read by one of my all-time favourite authors.
I’m also pretty excited by the idea of a native American hero – always was on team Jacob during the Twilight hype
When I was told Sandra was taking the lead on this series I didn’t hesitate when I was invited to be part of it – and I’ve just heard that my ‘time-travel’ Modern/Presents will be a New Year’s baby in January 2011.
Yay. Over the full moon to be in a series with Sandra Marton? You betcha!
This sounds fabulous, Sandra! So look forward to reading it!
This is such an exciting idea and I can’t wait to read Blackwolf’s Redemption, Sandra. I’m so intrigued by the idea of time travel in a Presents! I never would have thought of such a thing on my own, but it sounds fantastic.
Hmm, I’ll admit to being a bit unsure about this. There’s a reason why the romances of the 70’s and 80’s don’t get reprinted. Because a lot of those heroes tipped over the line from sexy alpha male to sexist bigot. Not appealing at all. I’m also not a big fan of paranormals so I hope it will be clearly signalled which Presents books have those elements. Wouldn’t it be better to put them in the paranormal line which, as I understand it, doesn’t have any particular restrictions about how alpha its heroes are?
Hi Joanne,
It sounds a great theme “retro” but has confused me no end as to what truly represents the Modern Heat/Presents line.
I don’t see Gene Hunt as desirable in any way, nor is he a plain arrogant hero who appears initially detestable, Gene Hunt is the epitome of an obnoxious and slovenly male, who comes across as a sweaty boozy individual and no better than the criminals he hunts down. I enjoyed the start of “Ashes to Ashes” and ended up hating it, yet loved “Life on Mars”. For me Ashes to Ashes, despite the wonderful female protagonist, was one step too far with second series.
When I think of Paranormal it is ghosties, ghoulies, and vampire elements that come to mind!
Time travelling I’ve always thought of Sci-Fi – through and through – the presence of the Hadren Collider in Switzerland presenting possibilities for adventurous novelists in this category.
That said, Sandra Marton’s novel sounds great! Shall look forward to getting my hands on a copy!
I only just saw this!
I would have to agree with Francine, in that Gene Hunt is a despicable human being. The whole premise of Life on Mars was that Sam (played by John Sim) wakes up to find himself in a seventies cop show like The Sweeney. Gene Hunt represents the conflict Sam has to go through, and a police watchdog, M.A.R.S, is trying to get rid of him. What Sam has to decide is whether M.A.R.S or Gene is the real enemy.
*Ahem* Gene Hunt is also cockney rhyming slang for a very rude word!
But I like the anti-hero idea, although I don’t really know how this fits with traditional Presents dashing billionnaire heroes.