Sunday, November 20, 2016

Writing for Harlequin Superromance … by Rachel Brimble

Welcome our friend, Rachel Brimble, to the Roses today with her latest release, SAVED BY THE FIREFIGHTER!


I have been writing romance since 2005, steadily chipping away and learning my craft over the last eleven years. Each book I’ve had published and, each editor I’ve worked with, has taught me something to take forward into the next project. I have had no formal education or tuition for my writing, but have enrolled in many online courses and made lots of invaluable friends who have helped me on my journey.

All the rejections (there have been MANY!), disappointments, frustrations and tears were all made worthwhile during 2012 when my dream of writing for Harlequin came true. I wrote Finding Justice from the heart and of course, hoped and prayed an editor would love it as much as I did. However, nobody could have prepared me for the shock of receiving an email from my agent saying Harlequin loved the book but would I consider some minor revisions?

Would I?? Hot damn, yes! I set to work and made the relevant changes that I immediately understood made the book stronger. These done, I sent them back and three weeks later, I was offered a contract. Woohoo!

By the time I sent Finding Justice out into the big, wide world, the setting of Templeton Cove had become very dear to me and I soon realized I wasn’t ready to let this small fictional UK seaside town belong to just one book. Would Harlequin consider more books set in the same town? There was only one way to find out. I feverishly wrote a sequel and A Man Like Him was accepted by my Harlequin editor six months later.

The cast of characters continues to grow and with each book I write in the series, more and more potential stories evolve from the secondary characters that leap into my imagination. At the end of last year, Harlequin offered me a my second three-book contract, which means Templeton Cove continues to flourish and yesterday I started writing book 8.

I often get asked what the secret is to breaking into Harlequin – my answer? The only aspect I am one hundred percent sure of is the Harlequin brand thrives on emotion, emotion and more emotion! Make sure the reader can feel what’s going on inside every character on every page and I’m pretty confident you’ll hook an editor. Good luck!


Rachel’s latest release is Templeton Cove #6, SAVED BY THE FIREFIGHTER (all books can be read stand-alone) – here is the blurb and buy links:

How can she forgive him for what he didn't do? 
Photographer Izzy Cooper feels as frozen as her pictures. Trent Palmer might be the hottest firefighter in Templeton Cove, but she can never face him again. Not after he failed to save her brother. But when they're forced together by a calendar shoot, the sparks between them are undeniable. 
Izzy knows it's not fair to blame Trent for the tragedy, but opening herself up to loss again isn't something she's prepared to do, no matter how determined Trent is to show her that pain is part of life and that love—their love—can make any suffering bearable.

Buy Links:


Bio:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. Since 2013, she has had six books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and recently signed a contract for two more. She also has four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical Press.

She also recently signed with a UK agent so is represented both sides of the Atlantic.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:

Facebook Street Team - Rachel's Readers

16 comments:

Rachel Brimble said...

Thanks for having me here today! Looking forward to chatting with your visitors 😊

Margo Hoornstra said...

Welcome, Rachel. Enjoyed reading the story about your stories!

Alicia Dean said...

Wow, Rachel. What a thrill for you! I'm so happy you realized your dream of writing for Harlequin. I can't recall, but I think I've mentioned this to you before, and you know that I'm aka Ally Robertson, of The Wild Rose Press, right? If I'm not mistaken, I was one of your first editors? I do remember that you wrote with emotion, even back then. I really enjoyed working with you. Your book sounds fantastic. Congratulations on the new contract!!

Rachel Brimble said...

Hi Margo & Alicia! Hope you are both well :)

You were my very first editor, Alicia! Can you believe we worked together ten years ago on Searching For Sophie?? Time flies, right? I loved working with you too - are you still editing at Wild Rose?

Brenda Whiteside said...

Love hearing about your progress and reading the blurb. And really fun seeing you and Alicia reconnect!

Leah St. James said...

Welcome, Rachel! Congratulations on breaking into Harlequin and building up your portfolio with them. (Sounds like hard work and determination were the keys.) The series sounds wonderful. Best of luck with the newest book!

Jannine Gallant said...

I've created a few fictional towns for a series...always fun! The challenge is in keeping the details straight from one book to the next, but you probably have your town stamped on your brain by now. So happy for you and the success you've made for yourself with Harlequin. It's always great to see a fellow pal from the old TWRP gang make it in this business!

Diane Burton said...

Welcome, Rachel. Congrats on writing for Harlequin. I have many, many rejections from them. Lovely rejections. Close but no cigar. I love creating fictional settings for my stories--from alien planets (in my sci-fi romances) to the Lake Michigan resort town for my PI mysteries. It's so much fun to populate my places with a cast of characters. Characters equal emotions, which I hope draw in the reader. Best wishes.

Rachel Brimble said...

Hi Brenda! Thanks for stopping by :)

Rachel Brimble said...

Hi leah, there is certainly a lot of hard work & determination involved now & then! It's a continuous journey but one I love :)

Rachel Brimble said...

Hi Jannine! Love seeing so many Wild Rose ladies here - best wishes on your continuing success too :)

Rachel Brimble said...

Hi Diane! After writing seven books in the series, Templeton Cove is as familiar to me as my hometown, lol :)

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Welcome to the Roses, my friend. I know quite well how you write with a lot of emotion. I can barely summon emotion, emotion, much less three. I write with action and humor. I'd never make a Harlequin writer. I'm pleased you have and are thriving so well with them. You've found your niche. I'm still searching for mine. Hugs, hon.

Alicia Dean said...

I did not know I was your VERY first. :) Cool! Yes, I still am. I left for a little while, which was why I had to let you go to another editor, LOL. But, I was back shortly after. I can't believe it's been that long!

Rachel Brimble said...

Hi lovely V! I do love writing for Harlequin because my experience with them has meant complete freedom to write how I want. Some Writer’s have found them restricting but that hasn't been true for me at all. Thankfully!

Rolynn Anderson said...

Thanks for joining us today, Rachel. I loved hearing your story and your upbeat attitude. Wild Rose gave so many of us a good start on our publishing journey...I certainly owe them a lot! Sounds like an agent was a good move for you. I may try that next. Happy sales to you!