Dr. Dani Archer's orderly life had become complete chaos.  First, her father mysteriously died, then a sexy stranger--with no memory--appeared on her doorstep...  Complicating matters, someone was trying to kill her. Like an avenging angel, the John Doe became her very own personal protector, displaying instincts and performing feats almost superhuman.  And now, the key to her safety lay in unraveling the long-buried secrets of the past to solve her father's death. 

Only, suddenly it seemed the greatest danger of all was surrendering to an all-consuming desire...

Clayton Landry would do whatever it took to prove his innocense--and Victoria DeSimone was the key to clearing his name.  Her testimony had sent him to jail for a crime he didn't commit and he could never forget what he had cost her.  Clayton had escaped to find justice...but his salvation meant marrying a woman he couldn't trust.  Newly wedded to an escaped con and on the run from the law, Victoria didn't think things could get much worse--but she was wrong.  When their quest to clear Clayton's name turned deadly, their need to believe in one another was suddenly a matter of life or death.

While investigating a reported crime, Detective A.J. Rodriguez discovered there wasn't a trace of any murder having been committed!  But hearing-impaired heiress Claire Winthrop insisted she'd stumbled upon a slain employee in her father's high-rise building and claimed she could ID the hit man.  Although the lack of evidence pointed to an open-and-shut case of a pampered socialite clamoring for attention, A.J. sniffed a deadly cover-up.

Powerfully drawn together, the street-tough lawman soothed the shell-shocked princess with a tantalizing kiss that bewitched both their hearts.  However, when A.J. pulled Claire into his dark, dangerous world, he knew he'd better stick to police business--or the killer could permanently silence his beloved witness...

Jessica Anderson: I love the whole process of writing an Intrigue, but one of my favorite moments is when the hero and heroine first meet, when they first realize that the mystery will put them in close proximity whether they like it or not.  In my latest release, Covert M.D. (Mar 05), Dr. Nia French is sent into Boston General Hospital to investigate suspicious doings in the transplant unit.  This is her first official case, and she wants- no *needs*- to prove herself to the senior investigator who will be mentoring her and assessing her readiness for solo investigations.  But the moment she learns that her partner in this case is hotshot (and burned out) medical investigator Rathe McKay, she knows her future as an investigator is in jeopardy.  She will have to solve this case with--or without--his help. 

B J Daniels: I fell in love with Intrigues before I started writing them. I love the blend of mystery/suspense and romance. Also the books are short and the pacing fast--not like some of the books that grow dust beside my bed.  But I think what I've enjoyed most is doing the series. As my McCalls' Montana series continues in May with Ambushed! and the story of Sheriff Cash McCall, I have gotten to know this family so well I feel as if they exist. In June there is Brandon McCall's story and in July, the baby sister of the family, Dusty's and the end of the family's story to that point. Intrigue series are fun to do and I hope fun also for readers to follow the lives of these characters.

Rita Herron: My first single title romantic suspense A Breath Away, is set in a small fictitious town called Crow's Landing, Tennessee. The gothic tone and gritty emotional suspense is enhanced by the tall, ominous ridges and planes of the mountains,  the native American legends, the twisted villain, the small town characters and secrets in the town that date back twenty years. The premise -- a serial killer leaves a whistle carved from an animal bone beside each victim -- evolves around another native American legend based on native American rituals that occurred during the violent Sun Dance which was banned years ago.  The book is a May release from HQN and should hit the stores April 26, 2005!

Mallory Kane: The setting for my August, 2005 Intrigue, Seeking Asylum, Ultimate Agents, Book 3, plays a major role in the book. The book takes place almost exclusively in a large Georgian mansion in Connecticut, that has been turned into an insane asylum. FBI Agent Eric Baldwyn, who is undercover as a mental patient, is forced to rely on Psychiatrist Rachel Harper to help him sneak around this dark, spooky, isolated place as they search for the truth about the odd deaths of several patients. An obsessed scientist is using patients as guinea pigs for his experiments. The mansion is almost a character itself, as Eric and Rachel find secret rooms and hidden passages to hide in as they search for answers. But eventually, one of the hidden rooms turns out to be a trap, and they must battle their own fears, the secrets of the mansion, and the evil intent of the scientist to survive.

Sylvie Kurtz: My next Intrigue, Eye of a Hunter, The Seekers Book 3, (Aug 05) is set in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts--everything from big city (Boston) to sparse rural settings.  The point of so many settings in this particular book was to throw Abrielle and Grayson, the main characters, out of their comfort zones.  From boats to trains to automobiles, they must use their imagination, skills and courage to stay out of a killer's crosshairs.  What's at stake is more than their lives, it's the integrity of the WITSEC program and the protection of state-of-the-art technology that could save soldier's lives on the battlefield.  And as they're running, the guy from the wrong side of the tracks and the princess from the mansion discover that each has what the other needs to ground each other and create something real and lasting.

Kara Lennox:  The setting for my next book is the small town of Cottonwood, Texas, where many of my books have been set.  But in this case, the book could not have been set anywhere else, because the book explores the theme of "home" and what it means to the hero and heroine.  My hero, Luke, embraces Cottonwood because the whole town welcomed him when he was a troubled, homeless teen.  My heroine, Cindy, feels stifled by the small town and longs for adventure.  It was interesting to view the small town with two very different pairs of eyes. (This book is Hometown Honey, a Harlequin American, not an Intrigue, but it does have a touch of suspense in it.)

Dana Marton: My next Intrigue, The Sheik's Safety, (Jul 05) takes place in a fictional country in the Middle East. It's a sensous story and the exotic setting helped me to bring that out. From the opulent royal tent to a lush oasis, I had lots of fun writing some heated scenes that match the climate.

Julie Miller: All of my Taylor Clan stories--and now my new The Precinct mini-series--are set in Kansas City, Missouri. It's a friendly, laid-back metropolitan area with a small town feel, but with all the hazards and hectic pace of a big city. As a setting, I think Kansas City does two things for me as a writer. First, because it is my old stompin' grounds, I know it well, and using familiar places (I try to incorporate a real landmark into every book) gives my books a sense of realism that adds to the gritty flavor and emotional authenticity of the story--if my setting is so real, then those characters and what they're thinking and feeling become more real, too. Second, because K.C. is such a diverse place--with ethnic neighborhoods, the complete social strata from down-and-out to mega-rich, art museums, fountains, industrial, agricultural and trade centers, urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods, rich history and modern technology, etc.--I can pick just about any kind of setting I want for each story. KCPD covers it all. 

In my April Intrigue, Police Business, I go from a tony arts district to a downtown high-rise to a bustling police station to an ultra-rich mansion to a seedy strip joint in the most dangerous part of town. They're all part of the diversity of K.C. Kansas City natives and history buffs will be able to spot the real landmark in the story!

Kelsey Roberts: Chasing Secrets (Apr 05) is the first 'road trip' book I've done in a while, so obviously the racing place to place is an important aspect of the book.  The constant relocation is essential to the pacing of the story and practically speaking, takes a good deal of research to make sure each location is accurately described.  I really enjoyed the challenge of doing this and since it's part of the Landry Brothers series, it was a great way to sprinkle some new settings in along with the familiar Jasper, Montana locations.

Patricia Rosemoor:  I see the setting in Desert Sons (Apr 05)--northern New Mexico including Santa Fe, a fictional pueblo and the surrounding wilderness--as important as any character.  The area has a flavor of its own, and the tri-cultural people who live there are quite different from the city types I know.  I've had a love affair with the area since first visiting it more than a decade ago.  The light (fabulous for artists, but for me as a writer, as well), the architecture, the mountains, the desert, the very breeze that plays through the buildings and across the landscape--all make my imagination come alive with the possibilities.  It's easy to see how Pueblo people feel so attached to the earth and to the spirits that walk alongside them.  I easily imagined  Charlotte Reyna  coming home to a culture that haunts her, finding another part of herself that can enter another world.   And I easily imagined Rico Tafoya turning his back on his native roots while using them professionally to run a successful gallery.  Rico has to rethink everything he didn't believe to become the warrior that Charlotte imagines he can be.

Dani Sinclair: Great time to ask this question since in my June release, DB Hayes, Detective, the setting is vital to the plot and the characters.  My heroine comes from a working class neighborhood outside Cleveland, Ohio where family is important and people sit on their porches in the evening and know their neighbors. When Dee sets up her private investigative practice in her aunt's flower shop (because she can't afford an office of her own yet), the setting establishes her character and the type of cases likely to come her way--mostly routine background checks and divorce work.  Having a large city like Cleveland nearby, it makes sense when a hotshot detective from Pennsylvania sets up an office nearby and starts getting all the "good" cases. The city gives me the scope to allow a routine case to morph into something altogether different from what Dee is expecting.  DB Hayes was so much fun to write! It's one of my favorites.

Joanna Wayne: My next two books are set in New Orleans, one of my favorite settings for books. For one thing, I lived there for 20 years, so I know the area well, but mostly it's the excitement, sultry nights and mystique that the city offers that I find most useful. In Gentleman's Club, (Jun 05), a  romantic suspense single title, the setting is so important to the story that it functions almost like a character. My heroine is a struggling attorney drawn into the underworld of the French Quarter and the hidden lives of some of the strippers as she tries to help the hero locate his two missing sons. It has sex in its most rawest forms, and love in its highest, a contradiction that shows the power of true love in a powerful way.

In Security Measures, (Sep 06), the city of New Orleans provides the backdrop for a very sensual story. Fourteen years ago the heroine fell in love with the son of a mob boss while her mother was a servant and living in the carriage house behind the St. Charles Avenue mansion. The night she sneaked up to the big house to tell the hero that she was carrying his child, she witnessed a mob assassin, and her testimony sent the innocent hero to prison. As the story opens, he breaks out of prison with one thought in mind - he has to save his daughter from his cousin who has sworn revenge on the heroine and her daughter. Again, the city of New Orleans provides just the flavor I needed to make the story work and to reunite the man and woman whose love survived fourteen years of horror.

Rebecca York: In Desert Sons, the 3-in-1 I wrote with Ann Voss Peterson and Patricia Rosemoor (Apr 05), the setting is crucial to the story.  The book takes place in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico and a nearby (fictional) pueblo.  Since pueblo culture and the landscape was so much a part of our story, Rebecca, Patricia and I explored Santa Fe and area pueblos together.  We visited everything from a pueblo police station to wilderness areas to a casino.  A fun trip, indeed!  And crucial to creating the world and culture in which our characters live.   One of the most memorable parts of the trip for me was a hike I took in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains duplicating the journey my characters must take.  And when I discovered fresh mountain lion tracks in the mud, I even got the chance to experience a slice of my hero and heroine's fear! 

Susan Kearney has been awarded a career achievement award for series romantic suspense.    It will be award at the annual RT Convention in St. Louis on April 28.

Sylvie Kurtz is pleased to announce that Leona Pullyard is her March contest winner.  Congratulations, Leona!

Julie Miller: Julie was impressed with the number of entries she received for her St. Patrick's Day contest, hearing from readers on five different continents.  The winners were Dawne Wood of Salem, Missouri; Jackie Wisherd of La Mesa, California; Jessica Puchala of Seaford, Victoria, Australia. 

Kelsey Roberts's Chasing Secrets (Apr 05) is featured in ALL YOU magazine in their April-May issue, and her interview on a CBS affiliate in Baltimore can be viewed until May here. Kelsey is also the featured author at The Romance Studio on the web this month.  Upcoming books: she just signed to do an as yet untitled Miami Confidential for 2006 and also in 2006, watch for the return of Rose Porter in an updated new Rose Tattoo series . . .

Debra Webb's new trilogy, The Enforcers, launches this month from Harlequin Intrigue.  If you're a Colby Agency fan look for the next big Colby Agency story called The Colby Conspiracy  from Signature in October!

Rebecca York (aka Ruth Glick) has just accepted a contract for three more single title paranormal suspense novels at Berkley.  She plans to continue her popular Moon series and also write some stories outside the series.

• April 11-15
• Kelsey Roberts will answer all questions on the eHarlequin website.
• April 14
• 9:00 pm EDT: Join Julie Miller in the NovelTalk chat room.
• April 21
• 9:00 pm EDT: Join Rebecca York, Ann Voss Peterson and Patricia Rosemoor  in the NovelTalk chat room.
• April 28
• 9:00 pm EDT: Join Kara Lennox in the NovelTalk chat room.
• May 3:
• Join the IntrigueAuthors in their monthly chat.
• May 11:
• 11: 00 pm  USA Today bestselling author Susan Kearney will be on Internet radio to talk about her books.
 

 
Rita Herron: In honor of Rita's first 'keep the lights on' romantic suspense, A Breath Away, she is giving away a beautiful Victorian nightlight along with a free signed copy of the book. All you have to do to be eligible is to sign up for her newsletter! Visit her website to sign up.

Sylvie Kurtz:  Enter Sylvie's contest for April for a chance to win a signed copy of A Rose at Midnight and a chime heart.  Visit her website to enter.

Kathleen Long: visit Kathleen's website for your chance to win one of two giveaways this month.  You might win a signed copy of Get Bunny Love along with other goodies or a signed advance copy of Kathleen's first Harlequin Intrigue, Silent Warning.

Mallory Kane:  Visit  Mallory's website and click on 'Contests' for a chance to win a copy of The Journey Home including a bookplate containing all the author's signatures--Mary Jo Putney, Rebecca York. Patricia Rice, Catherine Asaro, Mallory Kane, Linda Madl, CB Scott, Lucy Grijalva, Diane Chamberlain, Candace Kohl.

Dana Marton: Dana's new contest runs through April 30.  Answer the question posted on the For Readers page on her website and win a collection of 50 romance novels!

Gayle Wilson is giving away a signed copy of her new HQN single title romantic suspense Wednesday's Child.  Read an excerpt for this exciting and moving story of a mother searching for her lost child on her website.  All you have to do to enter the contest is to come to Gayle's site and sign the guestbook during the month of April!  If you don't want to leave your e-mail address in the guestbook, then please send it to Gayle privately (which you can do from the site), so that she can contact you if you win.

Rebecca York:  Rebecca York will autograph and send a copy of Talons of the Falcon to the winner of a drawing on May 1, 2005.  To be eligible for the drawing, send an e-mail, mentioning "Contest #31" in the Subject line.  Provide an address to send the book if you win.