Bestselling, award-winning author Heidi Betts began her love affair with the romance genre in junior high school, where she used to sneak romance novels into study hall when she should have been doing her homework. It didn't take long to decide she wanted to write a few romances of her own, so she set out to do just that.
Her first book was released by Dorchester Publishing in 2000, with five more to follow. From there, Heidi moved into the contemporary arena by writing numerous category titles for Silhouette Desire, and recently she signed with St. Martin's Press to begin writing funny, sexy single titles.
With each new book, Heidi asks herself how she can bring to life endearing heroes and heroines whom readers will believe are meant for each other. And with each new novel to hit the stands, readers and reviewers alike declare she knows how to create a story that sizzles, charms, and delights from the first page to the last. Her first title for Silhouette Desire landed at #1 on the Waldenbooks/Borders Series Romance Bestseller List, where her books have continued to make an appearance ever since.
Heidi loves to read, write, watch movies (and just a little too much television), and surround herself with furry, four-legged friends in her home in the beautiful hills of Central Pennsylvania.
WEBSITE *** BLOG *** MYSPACE *** FACEBOOK *** NEWSLETTER
Her first book was released by Dorchester Publishing in 2000, with five more to follow. From there, Heidi moved into the contemporary arena by writing numerous category titles for Silhouette Desire, and recently she signed with St. Martin's Press to begin writing funny, sexy single titles.
With each new book, Heidi asks herself how she can bring to life endearing heroes and heroines whom readers will believe are meant for each other. And with each new novel to hit the stands, readers and reviewers alike declare she knows how to create a story that sizzles, charms, and delights from the first page to the last. Her first title for Silhouette Desire landed at #1 on the Waldenbooks/Borders Series Romance Bestseller List, where her books have continued to make an appearance ever since.
Heidi loves to read, write, watch movies (and just a little too much television), and surround herself with furry, four-legged friends in her home in the beautiful hills of Central Pennsylvania.
WEBSITE *** BLOG *** MYSPACE *** FACEBOOK *** NEWSLETTER
HER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR by Heidi Betts
Lies and lullabies…
There was no way he would walk away from his child...his heir. The businessman would do his best to be civil to the lovely bakery owner, who was one tough cookie in her own right. But would it only be business between them, or would Marcus indulge his own secret agenda to make this woman his again...once and for all?
BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT
WIN - Leave Heidi a question today at her Cyber Launch Party and your name goes in the hat for one of THREE chances at an autographed copy of a book from her backlist of Desire releases! Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are today's winner - Good Luck!
Lies and lullabies…Face-to-face with his ex-wife again, millionaire Marcus Keller received more than a jolt of deep attraction - he discovered he was a daddy. Vanessa had been pregnant when they divorced, bore him a son and kept it a secret. It was a betrayal he couldn't forgive.
There was no way he would walk away from his child...his heir. The businessman would do his best to be civil to the lovely bakery owner, who was one tough cookie in her own right. But would it only be business between them, or would Marcus indulge his own secret agenda to make this woman his again...once and for all?
BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT
WIN - Leave Heidi a question today at her Cyber Launch Party and your name goes in the hat for one of THREE chances at an autographed copy of a book from her backlist of Desire releases! Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are today's winner - Good Luck!
Congratulations on your new release Heidi! Love the secret baby plots. Will this be the first book in a series for you or part of a series through HQ or is this going to be a stand-alone book?
ReplyDeletemaria63303(at)gmail(dot)com
Super congrats on the new Desire release Heidi!!!
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt (both the one on your site and on the Harlequin site) and loved the characters! Can't wait to read the book!
Tell us about the new book and what else you've been up to - I know you have some great things coming up too!
Enjoy your cyber launch party and I hope your new book lands on the bestseller lists!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi, Maria! I love secret baby plots, too! Can't help it, I just do. :-)
ReplyDeleteHER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR is a stand-alone story. It's part of Harlequin Desire's "Billionaires & Babies" in-line promotion, but that's just to let you know the story is about billionaires & babies. *g*
It's a story I've been wanting to tell for a long time & really enjoyed writing, so I hope you enjoy it, too!
Thank you so much, AuthorIsland--& thank you for having me today!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed the excerpts. I really, really love this story & am so happy it's finally available for everyone to read. I think the back cover blurb describes the story pretty well, but it *doesn't* what a big part the heroine's bakery plays or that there's a really yummy cookie recipe included in the front of the book. :-D
As for other projects, I'm currently working on another Harlequin Desire that will be out in April 2012...it's Book 4 of the "Dynasties: The Kincaids" continuity series & is just a great, great story--I'm having a blast.
Before that, tho, in October, I'll have a new funny, sexy vampire romance out with Kensington Brava--MUST LOVE VAMPIRES. (http://heidibetts.com/must-love-vampires/) & just a few days after that one hits the shelves, my Xmas vampire collection from last year is being reissued in paperback (http://heidibetts.com/books/the-bite-before-christmas/). So things are busy...but fun!
Speaking of recipes, I'd like to invite everyone over to my blog today, too, where I posted a favorite from my own collection: http://bit.ly/jin78q
ReplyDeleteThis one is for Writer's Block Bread, but even if you're not a writer--or don't suffer writer's block, you lucky duck :-p--it's pretty much good for any kind of brain blockage you might be suffering. Trust me; it's gotten me thru many a rough spot with my plots & deadlines. ;-)
Heidi congrats on going over to Desire.. I cannot wait to read this book. I saw a excerpt on the Harlequin site when I was doing a book order.. I will be getting this for sure... OF course I love your all your books.. You will always be an auto buy for me...
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this new book...
Hi Heidi!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this newest book or the other books coming out soon. How do you find the time to write so much? Do the stories just come out easily or do they come out a little at a time?
miztik_rose@yahoo.com
Thank you so much, Kathleen! I love writing for Desire. There's just something about the stories that really appeals to me...& hopefully to readers. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary!
ReplyDeleteI've gotta laugh at your question, because according to my agent & editors I write SLOW! I try my best & certainly write as fast as I can, but they just keep bugging me to do more, more, more.
The tricky part isn't really speed, tho; the tricky part is juggling all the different types of stories. I love them all, but it is sometimes a little mind-boggling to jump from a Desire into vampires or vampires into a Desire. Sometimes I have to shake my head & say, "Wait...this hero can't go out in sunlight, it's the *last book* that was set on a desert island." LOL
Hi Heidi. Congratulations on your new release. Sounds great. I love the cover. :)
ReplyDeleteCrystal816[at}hotmail[dot}com
Hi Heidi,
ReplyDeleteI got HER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR for my nook and tore through it. I loved it. I am kinda new to your books the first I'd read was The Bite Before Christmas. Although I just figured out you also had a story in the Hotter Than Hell anthology (which I will have to go back and re-read) So I guess the questions is Billionaires or Vampires or Billionaire Vampires? Which do you prefer writing?
1_trouble (at) msn (dot) com
Hi! Congrats on the release. Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir sounds awesome! I cant wait to get my hands on it. :)
ReplyDeleteDo you favor any of the books you've writen? What book was the most fun writing?
shadow_kohler(at)att(dot)net
Thanks, Crystal! I really like this cover, too...the baby is *too* cute! :-)
ReplyDeleteHello Heidi!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new release! I've read the excerpt on the Harlequin blog and it sounds like a lovely story.
What romance tropes are your favorite? You write secret babies but do you prefer other types of tropes?
Good luck with Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir!
user1123 AT comcast DOT net
Hi, Donna! I'm so excited that you're kind of new to my books...& that you're willing to try a Desire as well as the vampires ones. Sometimes, readers tend to like one type of story or another & aren't willing to cross over. But if you've been to my blog, you know my promise--vampires or millionaires or knitters...simply sensual or oven-mitt hot, I'm gonna do my very best to always give you a fun, sexy read. :-D
ReplyDeleteYou know, now that you mention it, I have actually done some rather rich vampires, so Billionaire Vampires probably isn't too far off base. But to be honest, I really enjoy all of it. Once I get into a story, it doesn't matter if I'm writing a wealthy businessman for Desire or a mysterious vamp for Brava or a sexy knitting hero for St. Martin's...I just throw myself into them & love them all.
Hi, Shadow! So glad you're looking forward to HIDDEN HEIR.
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of a tough question. Being asked to pick my favorite book is kind of like being asked to pick your favorite child. LOL Just like I said above to Donna, I really love them all & don't think I *could* pick a fave. And almost anytime somebody mentions one of my books, the characters will pop into my head, maybe a particular scene, & I'll think, "Oh, yeah, I really liked that story." But it happens with ALL of them.
Depending on when you ask, my favorite also tends to be whichever I'm working on at the moment. Because that's the one I'm most involved with, the characters I'm closest to...& the one I can't wait to finish & turn in. LOL
As for which was the most fun to write... Hmm, gonna have to give the same answer. A lot of times, the writing can be tough & I'm never sure if everything is working out the way it needs. But once I'm finished & can look back at the the story as a whole, *that's* when I realize how much fun it is.
That being said, I can tell you that I had an absolute blast with the entire "Chicks with Sticks" knitting trilogy, & there are parts of both vampire romances I've done so far that make me LOL. :-D
Does that make sense?
Hi, Stacie! Thanks so much--I hope you enjoy the book as much as the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I'm up for pretty much anything. When I first started writing for Desire, my editor & I used to joke that I was the Queen of Surprise Pregnancies, because it seemed like all of my books had that element in them. Now I've done two secret baby stories in a row (with another to come later), so she'd probably call me the Queen of Secret Babies.
But I'm equally happy doing the same type of story a few times in a row as I am exploring something entirely different. Whenever I get an offer to write a story that isn't my own (a theme novella or continuity, for instance), my agent tells me to take what I'm given & "make it my own." And I think that's what I enjoy most, even when the plots are mine...I just enjoy making every story something I--& hopefully you--are going to love.
lol It makes perfect sense!
ReplyDeleteCongrats Heidi! Looks like a great book. I can't wait to try out the writers block bread recipe. Where does your inspiration for your stories come from? Who is your favorite author and do they play a part on what you write?
ReplyDeletejessangil at gmail dot com
Jessica
Shadow~ So glad. I'm a writer, so sometimes I ramble...& don't always get around to making my point. 8-P
ReplyDeletelol I understand that. I cant say I'm a writer but I do ramble...all the time. And half the time, I don't even know what I'm saying.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jessica! Thanks so much...I hope you enjoy teh book & the Writer's Block Bread/chocolate chip banana loaf. :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, the muse-heavy, artistic side of me will say that my inspiration comes from a story's characters; I often sit down to plot a book in a rather methodical way, but when it comes to the writing, I tend to let them speak to me & carry me along. The more nervous & practical side of me will say that deadlines are great motivators. I don't have time to be inspired, I'm on deadline! That means getting my butt in the chair & *making* something happen before my editor comes after me with a flamethrower & marshmallows. :-(
But I do love coming up with new stories, & when it comes to that, I usually get a kernel of an idea, then keep asking myself, "What should happen next? What should happen next?" until it all comes together. Those "what if...?" & "what next...? questions are what seem to inspire me most.
Fave authors...hmm, there are really too many to count, but I love Lori Foster, Susan Andersen, Jessica Andersen, Delores Fossen, Sandra Brown, Maureen Child... And I do think favorite authors play a part in what I write because their books bring me so much enjoyment, I want to do the same with mine. They can also be inspiring when they write a great story in the same genre I'm working in or *want* to work in. That's certainly the case with Lori & Susan & Maureen--they impress me so much; I want to be all of them when I grow up. :-D
Shadow~ My dad used to tell me I never said anything in 3 words if 10 would suit me better. He was less than surprised when I grew up to be a storyteller...after all, I'd been practicing all my life. *g*
ReplyDeleteI'm also a fan of Ellen DeGeneres's line: "My point...& I do have one..." We're both natural born ramblers, it seems. LOL
LADIES~ Before I forget, I am trying to get my numbers up over at Twitter & Facebook. And if I hit 1000 on T & 500 on my Fans FB page by the time the ARCs (advance reading copies) of MUST LOVE VAMPIRES arrive, I'm going to give some away at both sites.
ReplyDeleteSo if you aren't following me yet, please do:
Twitter -- http://twitter.com/#!/heidibetts
Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-of-Heidi-Betts/51222784628
And please spread the word! Gotta get those numbers up to give those freebies away. ;-)
Thanks!
Heidi
HeidiBetts.com
HeidiBetts.com/WIPSandChains
Hi Heidi,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say congrats on the new release.
janie1215 AT excite DOT com
I love Ellen DeGeneres's line. It fits! Its hard not to ramble. After all, when we get to the point, people are more inclined to agree just to shut you up. lol :)
ReplyDeleteWhere do your characters come from? Do you just think them up or do you read a book and get an idea or do you meet people and think there personality and whatnot is perfect to play your next character? Do you ever have trouble coming up with characters?
Congrats on your new release! I love the secret baby plots. I can't wait to get this one. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletelead[at]hotsheet[dot]com
I LIKE'd you on facebook Heidi...
ReplyDeleteShadow~ My characters have a tendency to grow as the story moves along. I might have a general idea of who they are, & a lot if based on the conflict of the story, but then as I'm writing it sort of builds &b I get to know them much better.
ReplyDeleteI don't base my characters on real people, either...I never seem to have the need. It's even hard for me to compare them to celebrities or whatever just in the looks department. But I will sometimes see or hear someone & use a little bit of their personality as an aspect of my character...like an accent or a fave word usage, etc. Esp. if it's funny & unique & I think readers will get a kick out of it. :-)
Hi, Virginia~ Thanks so much...I hope you enjoy the story. And feel free to drop by my blog & let me know what you think after you've had a chance to read it. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks, Kathleen. Only 125 to go. *vbg*
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release. Are there any genres that you have not written that you would like to try?
ReplyDeleteGFC follower: June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Do you have any favorite cooking shows/ chefs? I checked out the recipe for the bread and it does sound delicious.
ReplyDeletelenikaye@yahoo.com
Congratulations!! It seems to me that you have been extremely busy since your first publication in 2000. How long would it take you to write a book to your satisfaction?
ReplyDeletemarypres@gmail.com
Uh-oh, I missed one. Hi, Jane! Thanks so much...it's great to see you over here. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, June! Wow, I feel as tho I've done quite a bit, so I'm not sure there are any genres left for me. LOL But I'll tell you this--I *love* to read romantic suspense. Don't think I could write it if my life depended on it, but if I could, I'd probably jump on it in a second. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, Leni, there are too many cooking shows I love. Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America, Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef... I try not to watch too many of the ones where they focus on the making of delicious foods (Ace of Cakes, Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives, etc.) because they make me *too* hungry. But I love to watch other people cook amazing food I can barely even pronounce. LOL
ReplyDeleteAs for chefs...we all love Gordon Ramsay, don't we? I think it's a law or something. And Curtis Stone...got a wee crush going for him right now, but please don't tell my Darling Dwayne; he would not approve. :-(
How about you?
Hi, Marybelle! Thanks so much; they definitely keep me hopping. LOL In general, it usually takes me about 3-4mos to write a Desire & 6-8months to write a single title, like for Brava or St. Martin's. And I can definitely do them to my satisfaction in that amount of time, mainly because I'm kind of a stickler for wording & perfection as I go along. If I just tossed the words out & went back later to clean them up, I'd probably get them done even faster, but I just can't work that way. :-/
ReplyDeleteIt only takes you 6-8 months to write a single title book? Wow. I'm impressed. (I've been working on the same story for much longer than that.)
ReplyDeleteAs a follow-up question, are you a plotter, pantster or something in between?
I read all the comments and there are not other questions for me. So Congrats on your release. I love your books and I am sure this one has to be fantastic. debby236 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteHi, Arlene! Well, at least you're impressed with my writing speed. LOL Mostly I get complaints that I'm too slow. :-(
ReplyDeleteAs for plotting, I'm probably in-between. I do tend to plot quite a bit in the beginning & really nail down my conflict, motivation, etc. But then there's a point where I become more of a pantser, just going with the flow & seeing where the story takes me. Of course, that sometimes gets me into trouble, so I have to go back & check out my well-plotted synopsis. :-P
Thank you so much, Debby--I sure hope you enjoy it! And that's just how good I am, you know...I answer all of your questions before you even think of them. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered about the Harlequin book lines. Do you write the book and then Hareliquin decides which line to publish it under? Or, do you contract with a specific line and then write within their parameters? This sounds like a fun story. I always enjoy the books from the Desire line.
ReplyDeletejepebATverizonDOTnet
Hi, Jen! Good question. We definitely write the books specific to each line. That's why it can be so hard to sell to Harlequin--because they're very careful about wanting stories to fit the specific parameters of each line.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of situations where an editor might tell someone their story is better suited to a line other than the one they originally submitted to, but that tends to be before Harlequin actually buys the author. There isn't a lot of willy-nilly going on, & we don't just write whatever we feel like writing, then hope they can fit it in somewhere. LOL Oh, no, we know well ahead of time which line we're writing for & create our stories accordingly.
Hope that makes sense!
I hope you've had as much fun at your cyber launch party as I have! I've met a new-to-me author and found out about lots of new books to read. I've found a new blog site to follow that looks like a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteAs far as a question goes - do you have any hobbies that help you relax, especially when the muse doesn't want to play any more? Do you need quiet or music to write? And, if music, what kind/what artist?
Congratulations on the release of Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir!
Thanks for the chance to win one of your books!
kasbooks(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks, Karen--it's been a blast & I'm *thrilled* to hear you like the looks of The Dungeon. We have a blast at my blog & I'm always trying to lure in more vict...I mean, visitors. *vbg*
ReplyDeleteHobbies--I have to admit, most of the time I don't spend distracted by cats or promo/business stuff, I do spend writing. I have this guilt complex...if you have time to knit, you have time to write, don't you?! Aack! But I adore reading, of course. And I do love to knit & crochet.
Music is fab when I'm writing, & it doesn't have to be quiet classical stuff, either. Maybe because once I get going with the writing, I don't really hear it anymore. My tastes are really eclectic, too. I love Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Maroon 5...but also quiet stuff like Chistina Perri, Katharine McPhee...& show tunes...& even some country. My iTunes collection is completely schizophrenic. LOL
But I actually tend to write in front of the TV more than with music. I don't really pay attention to it, but it's background noise & it helps me catch up with some of the stuff on my DVR. :-)
Hope to see you over at WIPs & Chains! ;-)
Thanks, Heidi, for taking the time to answer my questions. I know what you mean about the TV as background noise - I can read with the tv on, especially when my husband is watching a fishing show! I know, I could go somewhere else, but I like the sense of being together. Weird, right? I definitely plan on visiting your blog, too.
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm popping in late but I just wanted to say I so enjoy your writing style.
ReplyDeleteLike lot of readers, I as well enjoy "secret baby" stories.