Harlequin Intrigue

Notes on Harlequin Intrigue –
Breathtaking, romantic suspense. They like their authors to be prolific and write many titles a year. Think crime drama. 75,000 words in length (280-300 pages), mystery and suspense. Usually a murder plot or woman-in-jeopardy. Romance is integral to the plot. There must be strong reasons for each decision made by the hero/heroine. Pacing must be unrelenting. Main characters must evade certain death. Tension must escalate. No graphic or explicit scenes. The story determines the level of sensuality. Lots of room to build new authors.