Harlequin Medical Romance is a fabulous series offering a little bit of something different, something special! Always on the lookout for new authors, Medical Romance has been running exciting initiatives to attract fresh voices, including a recent Rapid Response fast track that gave potential authors feedback in just two weeks! Assistant Editor/Editorial Assistant, Laurie Johnson, gives us some guidance on what the series is looking for, and be sure to check out #MedicalRomance on Twitter for more tips!
Laurie Johnson, AE/EA Harlequin Medical Romance
Who can resist a hot, life-saving doc with a brooding edge and a heart of gold? I certainly can’t! For me, Medical Romance is a much-loved series; combining pulse-racing medical drama with sizzling romance, it’s like being swept away into my favorite TV medical dramas again and again. So if your hero is drop-dead gorgeous like McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy, your heroine is feisty like House’s Dr. Lisa Cuddy and a medical world is at the heart of your setting, Medical Romance could be just the series for you!
But amongst all the amazing authors already writing for Medical Romance, can your story possibly stand out? Yes it can! I’m going to introduce the six fantastic new authors acquired for the series (in just the last eight months!) and use their stories to help show you if the Medical Romance line is right for your book:
Does it have to be set in a hospital?
Not at all. The beautiful thing about a medical story is that it can take place anywhere! The world is your oyster as they say, so whether your setting is the high-octane excitement of the E.R., the warmth of a family GP practice or the intense crisis of an earthquake, as long as there’s romance, excitement and heart-pounding medical drama, we want to see it!
Brand new author Robin Gianna, (@Robin_Gianna on Twitter) whose debut book Changed by His Son’s Smile is out in January 2014, really took her setting to the extreme and made it a core conflict for her hero. Set in the heart of the African wilds, mission doctor Dr. Chase Bowen never wants to subject a family to the dangers of his job. But when an old flame shows up with a little son, he never knew he had, Chase is forced to re-evaluate his life, love and what matters most…
A classic theme with a contemporary twist, Gianna uses her setting to drive her hero’s deeply emotional conflict; so where does your hero’s heart truly lie? And what would he give up just to be with the woman he loves?
Mad for McDreamy? Hot for House?
In Medical Romance, we love our gorgeous, sexy heroes but what seems to be most appealing to our readers is the whole idea of being rescued by these men. These are the men who can save your life! So whether they’re quintessentially gorgeous like George Clooney in E.R. or have more of a geek-chic allure like Hugh Laurie in House, one thing is for sure, our heroes will sweep you away with the breath-taking rollercoaster of emotions, ambitions and desires of today’s medical professionals.
Our most recently acquired author, Lucy Ryder’s hero is a rough, tough Navy SEAL with a medical background. And trust me, once you meet the delicious Sam Kellen in a cell bed of the local jail, you’ll quite happily lock yourself in and throw away the key! For an irresistible hero, check out Resisting Her Rebel Hero in April 2014!
I prefer to write high sensuality…
That’s ok! The great thing about Medical Romance is there is no set sensuality level. As long as the emotional connection is there between your characters and you focus on the central romance, the sensuality can be as high or low as you prefer to write.
New author Amalie Berlin’s debut Medical Romance is all about a sizzling romance between Dr. ‘Tall, Dark and Seriously Cranky’ Wyatt Beauchamp and tough cookie nurse Imogen as they embark upon a red hot fling that will rock them both to the core! Craving Her Rough Diamond Doc by Amalie Berlin is out in October 2013! Her Twitter handle is @AmalieBerlin if you want to check her out.
One’s a Doc, the other not so much…
Not a problem! In Medical Romance we like to mix things up, as long as one of your main characters is in a medical profession and the reader still experiences the sensual tension and emotionally-charged conflict that runs high as your medical professional is placed under pressure to save the day – you’re on the right track!
Last year’s So You think You Can Write runner up, Amber McKenzie (@AWhitMc on Twitter) did just that. Really stirring things up, it’s McKenzie’s heroine, Dr. Kate Spence, who is the medical professional – she’s a real power house, a top-notch surgeon and an expert in her field! – and her hero, Matt McKane is an amazing lawyer who saves Kate’s career and reputation.
Turning the norm on its head really grabbed our attention, so don’t be afraid to shake things up and try something new. Look out for Amber’s winning romance, Resisting Her Ex’s Touch in February 2014!
I know nothing about medicine…
You don’t need to! Research is the key, find out what new medical breakthroughs are being made and how you can make a story out of it! If you have friends in the medical world, quiz them about the latest medical advances. Use any resources at your disposal to help create the exciting realism of a medical drama.
New author Amy Ruttan (@Ruttanamy on Twitter) uses innovative surgical techniques in her first book, Safe in His Hands, as hero Dr. Quinn Devlyn performs life-saving surgery on an unborn baby! Proving to ex-fiancée, Dr. Charlotte James that her fragile heart is safe in his hands… Check out Amy’s intensely moving debut romance, available this month!
What’s more important, emotion or medical drama?
Your heroes and heroines must be relatable and the pulse-racing medical drama that throws them together is crucial. But the key difference is that the focus of each Medical story is first and foremost a heart-racing romance! Remember, there must always be a strong focus on the central romantic relationship.
Recently signed author Susanne Hampton’s story is all about the emotion between brooding, delectable and super-grumpy Dr. Matthew Harrison and sassy new Nurse Beth Seymour. She might push all his buttons but Beth’s the only one who can bring the light back to Matthew’s life… Look out for Susanne Hampton’s emotional rollercoaster debut, Unlocking the Doctor’s Heart in March 2014! And check her out on Twitter at @SusannePan
So could your story be the next big sensation in Medical Romance?
Now is a great time to submit to Medical Romance, we’re actively looking for new authors so visit our writing guidelines page for more info on what we’re searching for and how to submit your manuscript. Check out some of the brilliant Medical Romances from our fabulous authors to get a feel for the style and enjoy the emotional thrill of the medical world and the dizzying heights of falling in love! And visit the Harlequin Community Medical Romance boards for further insight…
The Medical Romance team is on Twitter so visit #MedicalRomance to find us and tweet any questions!
Laurie
@LaurieCPrescott
Assistant Editor/Editorial Assistant, Medical Romance
PS: Check out how the Medical covers look in the UK! Which do you prefer?
