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The Jaunty Quills are pleased to welcome Harlequin associate editor, Emily Rodmell today. 
Good morning. I’d like to thank Cindy Kirk for inviting me to visit with you all today. My name is Emily Rodmell, and I’m the associate editor for Harlequin’s inspirational romance imprint Love Inspired. That includes three separate lines: Love Inspired (contemporary inspirational romance of 55-60K words), Love Inspired Suspense (contemporary inspirational romantic suspense of 55-60K words) and Love Inspired Historical (historical inspirational romance of 70-75K words). I’ve worked with Love Inspired for almost seven years now and have had the privilege to acquire almost 20 new authors for the lines. I’m very passionate about these stories, and wanted to take a moment today to share with you both some of the great reading experiences that the lines offer as well as a great opportunity for writers.
Inspirational romance is basically romance that is targeted toward women of faith. It will have a great story, plot, conflict and characters. But it generally won’t have things like sex, cursing, drinking or anything else that would go against the values of a Christian woman or man (yes, we do have male readers!). I’ve been thrilled to work on a ton of great stories that I think would appeal to any reader and love the variety of different themes and settings that I get to work with. We strive to make our stories relatable and not preachy. So if you’ve always thought that inspirational equals a sermon, think again. We do require an element of faith, but it can simply be your characters living a Christian life. There doesn’t have to be a conversion scene or a church scene.
I’ve become active on Twitter in the past year or so (@EmilyRodmell) and have challenged many of my followers who have never read inspirational to try one of our books. The responses I got almost all had one common thread: the readers (who ranged from super sexy paranormal fans to sweet non-inspirational romance fans) were surprised at how much they enjoyed the story. So I’d like to challenge you all to try a Love Inspired title as well. We have everything from Amish romance to heart pounding suspense to sexy outlaw heroes. Here are some books that I worked on this year that I would particularly recommend. If you try one, then definitely find me online (Twitter or here: http://community.harlequin.com/forums/love-inspired/editors-corner-chat-emily-rodmell ) and let me know what you thought, good or bad.
Amish: The Farmer Next Door or The Christmas Quilt both by Patricia Davids (You might be thinking “Amish romance? Is there such a thing?” But it’s actually one of the most popular genres out there these days.)
Sweet Romance: Longing for Home by Kathryn Springer (This book doesn’t come out until January, but it’s fabulous. You won’t be sorry if you put it on your wish list.)
Royal Intrigue: Princess in Peril by Rachelle McCalla (One of my favorite books of the year. It will keep you on the edge of your seat.)
Fast Paced Suspense: Holiday Hideout by Lynette Eason (It opens with the heroine saving the heroine and her infant from a bank robbery and doesn’t stop moving from there.)
Historical Outlaw Hero: The Reluctant Outlaw by Karen Kirst (If you think inspirational means goody two shoes characters, try this one. It might change your outlook.)
Strong Female Historical Heroine: Marrying Miss Marshal by Lacy Williams (A woman in a man’s job in the old West.)
And if you are an aspiring writer, there are some great opportunities for you in Love Inspired as well. All three lines are open to submissions from both published and unpublished authors. But Love Inspired Historical is especially looking for new voices. We’re open to any setting and time period up to World War II. I personally love to see new and different settings, strong heroes and heroines and stories that have an interesting twist that catches me by surprise. So I encourage you to give Love Inspired Historical a try. Unpublished authors should send a query letter and synopsis to me at 233 Broadway, Ste. 1001 New York, NY 10279, but have a full manuscript ready in case I love your concept and want to read it right away. Let’s think big, right? Published authors can send a proposal (synopsis and 3 chapters) to the same address or have your agent email it to me.
To inspire you both as readers and writers, I’m happy to give away three of our books to commenters randomly chosen by Cindy. If you want to be included, leave a comment with your preferred genre (contemporary romance, romantic suspense or historical romance,) and I’ll send you one from your chosen line. I’d also love to hear your thoughts about inspirational romance in general. Does it intrigue you or turn you off? And I’m happy to answer any questions that you might have about writing inspirational romance.
Filed in: Jaunty Post
Nov 12th
2011
5:57 am
Quilt Lady Said:
Hi Emily great post! A book doesn’t have to have sex, cursing or things like that to be a good book. I don’t read a lot of Inspirational book but one every now and then, no sure why. I have read a few Amish books that were very good. I am big into historical and read a lot of westerns. I have noticed a lot of inspirational book in the westerns. I don’t have anything againts the inspirational books but for some reason I just don’t go out and buy them.
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Nov 12th
2011
9:29 am
Molly Said:
I like all three genres you mentioned, but if I had to choose my favorite, I’d pick historical romance.
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Nov 12th
2011
9:31 am
ellie Said:
Hi Emily,
A very thought provoking post which appealed to me greatly. I have not read these books but would definitely try a historical romance from the pre World War 11 era. Westerns are extremely interesting since it opens up a genre and area that is largely ignored. Best wishes.
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Nov 12th
2011
10:02 am
Missy Tippens Said:
I’m one of the new authors Emily bought and have been blessed by working with her!
Those of you who haven’t tried a Love Inspired, I hope you will. She recommended some fantastic ones!
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Nov 12th
2011
10:07 am
Laurie G Said:
I’m a relatively new convert to the Inspirational line. I discovered Jillian Hart. I enjoyed her McKaslin series.
I also read an old book by Caroline Davidson The Texan. It had an unusual story line between an outlaw turned lawman meets an innocent young woman protecting ex-prostitutes.
I also read a couple of Janet Tronstad’s Dry Creek series. Heartwarming!
I do like to read the biblical quote and see how she ties it into her storyline.
I’ve found them to be a refreshing , family value oriented reads.
I also recently read Noelle Marchand’s Unlawfully Wedded Husband. Kate’s sense of honor, her love for her siblings… Nathan’s honesty and integrity … I enjoyed how everyone worked together to resolve her dilemma.
I have not tried the Inspirational Suspense line.
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Nov 12th
2011
10:22 am
Emily Rodmell Said:
Thanks for having me here. It’s always fun for me to get to talk about books I’m excited about and to spread the word about the opportunities we have for writers.
Emily
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Nov 12th
2011
10:48 am
Emily McKay Said:
Hi Emily, it’s so nice of you to stop by and share your insight into the line with us! I have to admit, I’m not your normal Love Inspired reader, but I’ve bought many of your books for my grandmother (who has only recently started reading romance).
After reading your post, I decided to give a Holiday Hideout a try. I know as soon as I finish my wip, I’ll be ready for something completely different and by then, it’ll be waiting on my kindle.
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Nov 12th
2011
10:51 am
Sandra McGregor Said:
Earlier this month I picked up a copy of The Doctor’s Mission by Debbie Kaufman. It’s set in the early 1900′s in Liberia, Africa. It wasn’t preachy…even with a missionary as one of the main characters. I especially enjoyed it when the heroine unwittingly got the attention of the chief of a cannibal tribe. No, inspirational doesn’t necessarily mean boring! (g)
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Nov 12th
2011
11:01 am
Margo Maguire Said:
Hi Emily – Thanks for blogging with us today and telling us about the Love Inspired lines!
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Nov 12th
2011
11:05 am
Kathryn in Montreal Said:
I’ve never read an inspirational romance and I have to say the idea of Amish romance intrigues me. It was really interesting to read about the line; your enthusiasm for your work clearly comes through. I think I’m going to give the Christmas Quilt a try.
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Nov 12th
2011
11:19 am
Emily Rodmell Said:
I’m so glad to see some of you thinking of picking up these books. You won’t be sorry, especially with The Christmas Quilt. I love that one. I did just realize a mistake I made in the post (yes, editors make typos too). I put the wrong description with the Holiday Hideout title. The bank robbery story is actually her next book after Holiday Hideout called Danger on the Mountain. Holiday Hideout is an equally suspenseful and exciting story about a female doctor on the run from a crooked cop who passes out from exhaustion at the feet of a small town sheriff and is forced to takes refuge with him. Emily McKay, I hope you’ll like this one equally, but if you want a copy of Danger on the Mountain when it comes out next year, send Cindy your address and I’ll forward one. Sorry for the mixup.
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Nov 12th
2011
11:50 am
Dana Mentink Said:
As a writer for the LIS line, I can say working for Harlequin has been an amazing experience. I’m proud to be part of this community of writers and editors. I’ve only written nine books for LIS so far, so I guess that makes me a newbie still, but I’m enjoying the ride! Thanks for the great posts, Emily!
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Nov 12th
2011
11:52 am
Leslie P Garcia Said:
Interesting titles, and good to know about new opportunities both as a reader and a writer.
Leslie
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Nov 12th
2011
12:20 pm
Celia Lewis Said:
Emily, You have given me lots to think about … as a recently retired would-be writer, I’ve not been happy with the heavily erotic stories, but hated to think there was only the heavily-religious as the only other choice! You have definitely given me ideas – I’ll be picking up one or more of these titles for true inspiration! Cheers, – Celia
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Nov 12th
2011
12:27 pm
Carol Voss Said:
I’ve found the faith element in these books is often the missing ingredient needed to complete the story.
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Nov 12th
2011
1:02 pm
Sherri Shackelford Said:
I love the variety of time periods in the LIH line.
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Nov 12th
2011
1:08 pm
Becky Lees Said:
Emily,
I have recently completed a manuscript and I’m ready to start something new. I’m a Tamera Alexander fan so I might have to target my next ms for the LIH line. Is there a particular time period that’s always a favorite?
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Nov 12th
2011
1:18 pm
Jamie Said:
I love reading historicals and discovered LIH this summer. I’m hooked. I just finished reading The Irresistible Earl by Regina Scott and hated to see it end.
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Nov 12th
2011
1:31 pm
Debby GiustI Said:
Cindy, thanks for hosting Emily! I’m so fortunate to be one of her authors. Writing for Love Inspired Suspense is a dream come true.
Great book suggestions, Emily. I’m reading Debbie Kaufman’s debut historical now and plan to read Linette’s book next.
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Nov 12th
2011
1:41 pm
Karen Kirst Said:
I’m extremely fortunate to be one of the new authors Emily acquired last year! I feel blessed to be writing for Love Inspired Historicals. And I enjoy reading all the Love Inspired lines. If you haven’t given them a try, please do!
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Nov 12th
2011
2:48 pm
Cindy Kirk Said:
Question for Emily–as a former inspirational author, I’m often asked if Love Inspired allows the hero and heroine to spend the night alone in the same house or room (but there’s no sexual contact between them during this time).
I don’t feel qualified to answer other than at the time I wrote for Love Inspired, the answer was no.
Is that still true today? Or has that changed?
And are there any other No No’s submitting authors need to be aware of?
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Nov 12th
2011
5:14 pm
CateS Said:
I’ve read some Amish romances and enjoyed them. But I also have had some contact with the culture…
I usually read historical.
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Nov 12th
2011
5:17 pm
Chris Bails Said:
I love historical romance the most. My favorite type to read. I love to read and always looking for new books, authors, and genres to check out. I have not read to many inspirational romances. I do like them, because they are not as graphic as some of the others I have read. I do like the just romance, historical, or contempory romances. I can relate to them more. Thanks for the chance to win. I would love to win and read her books, she is a new author for me and always looking for new authors and books to read.
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Nov 12th
2011
5:18 pm
Emily Rodmell Said:
It depends on the situation. Same house? In LIS, probably ok, since characters are often in danger and need to be protected. There would need to be a really good reason in order for it to work in LI. Same room would be problematic in most situations.
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Nov 12th
2011
5:21 pm
Emily Rodmell Said:
Time period question: It’s not really a time period, but in general, Western romances of any time period are top sellers for us. But we’re open to anything. I particularly like Regency and Scottish Highlands books.
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Nov 12th
2011
5:41 pm
Christine Johnson Said:
Hi Emily! Great post. I’m thrilled to be one of the authors Emily acquired for Love Inspired Historical. At the time, not many post-WWI historical romances were selling, but in LIH, there’s everything from Roman to WWII, and they’re all terrific stories. Definitely give them a try. Great recommendations, Emily!
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Nov 12th
2011
5:59 pm
Gayle C Said:
I read Love Inspired Suspense and in general have really enjoyed them. Stephanie Newton’s Perfect Target is one of my favorites. I like it when the religious elements are seamlessly integrated, and the story could stand up in any line not just the Love Inspired.
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Nov 12th
2011
6:24 pm
Melinda B. Pierce Said:
Hi Emily! Coming in late, but enjoyed your post and hope you have time for one last question(s)
Do you have authors (and you don’t have to name any names) who write for the LI lines and under another penname write books with open door sex/upper levels of heat?
What if you have an author who has already been published in one of those areas and would also like to write for LI – do you request that they keep the two writing personas separate from each other?
I hope this isn’t a silly question, but I know that some readers may not like to find that an author does both.
Thanks!
Melinda
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Nov 12th
2011
6:59 pm
Emily Rodmell Said:
We have authors who have written sexier works in the past, but most made a switch to inspirational and don’t currently write sexy. A few write for lines that have a slightly higher level of heat (Harlequin Romance & Superromance).
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Nov 12th
2011
7:38 pm
Lynette Eason Said:
Hi all, I’m also an author Emily acquired. (I don’t know how I feel about that. Does that mean I take some getting used to? Like an acquired taste? LOL. Just kidding!) I was so excited to get that CALL on February 16th, 2007. It changed my life dramatically! I love writing for Love Inspired Suspense. And I had to laugh, Emily, at your first summary of Holiday Hideout. I honestly didn’t even blink or think that you were talking about the wrong book!! It gave me pause, but I just kept going. Then when I read your second post, I burst out laughing. “Oh right, I haven’t finished the one about the bank robbery yet!” Sorry, but you gave me a really good laugh today and I needed it, so pat yourself on the back.
So anyway, I love all the Love Inspired lines and consider it an honor to be one of the authors. Try our books, you’ll love them!
Lynette
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Nov 12th
2011
7:58 pm
Gillian Said:
I introduced my mother to romance novels about three years ago, and she introduced me to the LI line. We are holiday book junkies, love to share them, and right now I have Christmas Gifts, The Rancher’s Courtship, The Doctor’s Mission, and An Honorable Gentleman all waiting on me to read them. I just finished Once Upon a Thanksgiving, and it was delightful.
I love the emotional complexity of the inspirational lines. I never feel like they are judgmental, because the characters are realistically flawed–like me!
If I win a book, I need to try a suspense, I haven’t picked up one yet.
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Nov 12th
2011
9:25 pm
Nancy Robards Thompson Said:
Thanks for joining us today, Emily! I can’t wait to read some of the titles you suggested.
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Nov 12th
2011
9:58 pm
Deb Said:
Hi, Emily. Thanks for the post. I agree that Inspirationals don’t mean they are necessarily “preachy”. I like reading stories that warm the heart and I would say that, even though other (secular) stories do as well, the reader is assured of such a story with an Inspirational. Many authors do a great job of inserting faith in their books (Cindy Kirk, for example).
I read mostly historical romances, usually Regency-era stories. I look forward to reading some of your suggestions.
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Nov 12th
2011
10:42 pm
Lacy Williams Said:
Hi and thanks for hosting Emily today!
Some of my own personal favorites from this year are: anything by Kathryn Springer (Love Inspired); The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight (Love Inspired); Princess in Peril (awesome! LIS); Unlawfully Wedded Bride by Noelle Marchand (LIH). There are a lot of great stories among the three lines and so far I’ve loved writing for LIH.
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Nov 13th
2011
9:23 am
Christina Lorenzen Said:
Hello Emily,
So nice to meet you here and learn more about what Love Inspired is looking for. I have been reading the contemporary line since 2008, not only as a reader but as a writer, hoping to learn how to write a story that LI will love. I hope by the beginning of next year to be able to submit my story to you and have bookmarked this blog.
Thank you for sharing!
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Nov 16th
2011
7:44 am
Lexi Said:
A good inspirational book is a nice break from all the paranormal/UF I read. My favorite series ever is the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, beautifully written and powerful. If yhave never tried inspirational , like Emily says you should give it a try and might be surprised at how good the story is and how ywill feel.
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