Under the Microscope by Jessica Andersen, Harlequin Intrigue, ISBN 0373692316

Medical expert Raine Montgomery never dreamed the drug she created would be responsible for so many deaths. Suspicions on high alert, Raine was convinced someone was out to destroy her reputation--and her life. Turning to the best for help, Raine knew she and investigator Maximilian Vasek had to put aside their rocky history and focus on who wanted her eliminated....

Being around Raine reminded Max of a past he'd tried hard to forget.  Still, he couldn't ignore the vulnerability in her brown eyes, or the sizzling tension between them.  Keeping her safe he could do.  Walking away in the end might not be so easy....

Operation: Midnight Cowboy by Linda Castillo, Harlequin Intrigue, ISBN 0373692309

All Bo Ruskin wanted was to forget his tragic past and to reclaim his quiet cowboy life.  Instead, he had orders to protect Special Agent Rachael Armitage.  Furious and frustrated, Rachael would rather die than abandon her dangerous mission.  For even in the safety of Bo's Montana ranch, an international crime lord was out to grant her wish.

Drawn to this mysterious, hardened cowboy from her past, Rachael was certain Bo was hiding something.  But first she'd have to learn the lay of the land if she were to live to learn the truth.  Riding horseback through the wilderness, would these two desperadoes go down in a blaze of glory--or passion?

Six Gun Investigation by Mallory Kane, Silver Star of Texas, Harlequin Intrigue, ISBN 0373692323

Investigative reporter Anna Wallace had arrived in Justice to find her long-lost sister murdered...and herself a prime suspect.  Thanks to Texas Ranger Zane McKinney, though, her name was quickly cleared.  But then long-buried secrets began to unravel and Anna's own life was threatened.

Zane had a personal stake in discovering the murderer's real identity.  Torn between honor and guilty shame, he was immediately drawn to the woman targeted as the next murder victim.  A woman who could hold the key to the truth if she'd let down her guard before she took the answers to her grave...

Beast in the Tower by Julie Miller, He's a Mystery, Harlequin Intrigue, ISBN 0373692331

Dr. Damon Sinclair lives in his penthouse lab high above Kansas City.  Thirty floors below him, Kit Snow is creating a haven of hope in a deteriorating neighborhood.  They come from two different worlds.  So why does she find herself inexplicably drawn to this shadowy man? 

The Bodyguard Contract by Donna Young Harlequin Intrigue, ISBN 0373692347

Lara Mercer knew innocent lives were riding on the success of her latest mission.  She had every intention of acting alone to steal back a lethal biochemical weapon before terrorists unleashed it on the city of Las Vegas.  However, hotshot secret agent Ian MacAlister took his orders very seriously to cover her back.  He wasn't about to shirk his sworn duty because his feisty former flame refused to relinquish control.  Lara swore she was immune to Ian's laser-blue eyes and smoldering sex appeal, but priorities suddenly shifted when she was exposed to the deadly poison.  The impending danger ignited their dormant passions, and it was now a race against the clock to save not only Lara, but also their unborn child....

ALSO AVAILABLE

B. J. Daniels:
Amazingly, the classic hooks work. I guess that's why they're classics. My February book, Big Sky Standoff, is set in Montana, involves horses and an outlaw. My heroine is a stock detective who is out to catch a band of rustlers. She teams up with my outlaw, the man she sent to prison for rustling. It has a lot of the classic hooks: western setting, outlaw/bad boy, lack of trust/hero in question,
opposites attract.

Delores Fossen:
I think most traditional hooks and storylines work well with Intrigue, but one of my favorites is the "cowboy cop." There's just something special about a Stetson wearing lawman. In my upcoming February Intrigue, Trace Evidence in Tarrant County, the hero, Sgt. Sloan McKinney is a Texas Ranger, the ultimate cowboy cop.

Mallory Kane:
I love the traditional hooks for romance--protector hero, marriage of convenience (or forced proximity,) woman in jeopardy, secret baby, amnesia--I could go on <smile>. In my latest book for Intrigue, Six-Gun Investigation, January 2007, my hero is a cowboy, a Texas Ranger. My heroine is definitely in jeopardy, and to protect her, the hero must keep her close to him.

Susan Kearney:
In my upcoming Feb release for Tor, Island Heat, I combined a suspense story with paranormal elements. Just like the many Intrigues I wrote for Harlequin, my hero is hot and my heroine is sympathetic. The hook, that the heroine is the only one who can stop the hero's missions--is one that works well in suspense. She must stay close to the hero to find out what he's doing--and how she can stop a man who dominates with otherworldly powers. Set on Earth, Island Heat is first and foremost a powerful love story.

Sylvie Kurtz:
Traditional hooks of women-in-jeopardy, protector-hero, amnesia and forced proximity seem to work well for Intrigues to bring out both the romance and the suspense that are key elements. You'll find the woman-in-jeopardy, protector-hero and forgotten memories hooks at the heart of Pull of the Moon (Dec. 2006)--those hooks bring out the gothic feel of the story. For Spirit of a Hunter (The Seekers, Book 5, July 2007), I used woman-in-jeopardy, protector-hero and forced proximity to take my characters on a wild adventure through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Julie Miller:
I think just about any traditional romantic hook can work in an Intrigue, if you remember to give it a unique, suspenseful twist. Some traditional hooks I've used include amnesia (Unsanctioned Memories--imagine forgetting the face of the man who raped you and left you for dead, and knowing that he's coming after you to finish the job! Scary, not knowing the threat even when he's looking you in the eye!) and, of course, heroes in uniform. Cops and their various, related professions are what my Taylor Clan and Precinct books are all about. Books about brothers have worked especially well for me, too. Again, check out the Taylor Clan--it's cool to have a hero who can protect you and solve the case--it's even cooler when he has a whole family of heroes who can back him up. In my January 2007 Intrigue, Beast in the Tower, I use the traditional Beauty & the Beast storyline--reclusive, cursed hero and the spunky, good-hearted woman whose love and belief in him can restore his own heart and faith in himself. The unique twist in Beast is that the hero is a mad-scientist billionaire instead of a prince, and instead of having a sorceress and magic to overcome--he has outside business adversaries trying to steal his formulas and take over his company. So yeah, I imagine you could take any traditional storyline or hook and make it work for Intrigue--as long as you give it a unique twist and make the tone of the story right for the line.


Dani Sinclair:
Any and all traditional hooks work well in Intrigue and I use many of them. The trick is to take something familiar and give it a twist. Most readers seem to enjoy finding stories that hold a special appeal for them whether it's an amnesia story or a marriage of convenience or a hidden identity or some other familiar hook. When my editor suggested a series of books with fairy tale story lines I gave her Secret Cinderella and Beautiful Beast. My February Intrigue is yet another one. In Sleeping Beauty Suspect the hero rescues an unconscious heroine after battling his way to her side. He places a gentle kiss on her forehead as he's leaving and she opens her eyes. But instead of the end, this is only the beginning. Happy New Year everyone!

Rebecca York:
Classic hooks work well in Intrigues. I love using them because these stories are tailor-made for larger than life characters. In my upcoming Intrigue, Royal Lockdown (June 07), I've got two of these characters--a self-made man, Shane Peters, who's become one of the country's leading security experts, and Princess Ariana LeBron who end up fighting for their lives against a gang of terrorists who will stop at nothing to kill them. Their terrifying trip through a Boston blackout almost ends in disaster. But Shane and Ariana learn to work together to save their lives. Along the way, they forge an unlikely bond. But can love overcome the differences between these two people who never would have met under ordinary circumstances?
 

January 18, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Join Rickey Mallory aka Mallory Kane in the NovelTalk chat room.

January 20, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., Pat White will present "How to Break Into Publishing" with authors Gerri Russell (American Title Winner!) and Shannon McKelden.  Borders Books & Music, Redmond Town Center, Redmond, WA.

April 28, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Julie Miller, along with authors Sherry James, Pam Crooks, Elle James, Delores Fossen, Tracy Montoya and Jeanie London (aka The Magnificent Seven!) will be hosting the annual SOS Military Mixer at the Romantic Times conference in Houston, Texas.  The daughter of a Marine, and proud sister of a soldier recently home from Iraq, Ms. Miller invites military personnel and their families and special guests, as well as other military authors to attend. Thank you for all you do!  SOS Military Mixer at the Romantic Times Conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Houston, TX.
 

Sylvie Kurtz is offering a signed copy of Pull of the Moon and a sample of Valerie's favorite coffee in her January contest.

A lucky winner will received an autographed copy of Pat White's Romantic Times winning book, Ring Around My Heart, along with a 2007 Castles & Palaces Calendar.  Ends January 31.

Rebecca York will autograph and send a copy of Chain Reaction to the winner of a drawing on January 6.  To be eligible for the drawing, send her an e-mail and please provide an address to send the book if you win and the name of your favorite Rebecca York heroine, the book she was in, and why you liked her.  One contest entry per person. Visit her website for more details.