As I move closer to releasing HOT PURSUIT, I've realized a few things. First, I *love* writing these books about my strong alpha military guys. I've neglected them for so long, but now it's possible to share these stories with readers without needing a publisher's approval first. And I have to say that the initial reviews on this book are making me very happy. I know there will be people who don't like it, but right now there are people who do — besides me and my family and friends — and that's a thrilling thing.

But as I watch the reviews come in, and hear that people are loving the hot military action and romance, I'm realizing that I have to get these books out pretty darn fast. The only way I'm going to get the HOT books done, and meet my Harlequin obligations too, is to write on more than one project at a time.

I usually immerse myself in one book and write until it's done. But, no more. Today, in fact, I worked on two books. This morning it was a hot Greek CEO. This afternoon, it was a hot military operative. Fun!

I love both kinds of books, and I hope you do too. I know as a reader that I prefer certain kinds of books from certain authors, so it won't surprise me if some of you prefer the Harlequins over the HOT series and vice versa. But I hope you'll give them all a try! I promise you the usual sexy and exciting read, no matter which type of book you choose.

Finally, I have to tell you how much fun writing the HOT series is for me. It's freeing in ways I didn't expect. It's exciting. I love my Harlequin billionaires, but writing these military guys takes me back to my roots. To the way I grew up and the way I lived most of my adult life: as a military dependent. Mr. Harris isn't in the military anymore, but that life is never far away when I work on these books. I adore it, and I adore the men and women who choose to serve their country. Make no mistake, the spouses and children serve too. Anyone who has ever been a part of that life knows it. I spent years following my husband from base to base, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. It was an awesome way to see the world, and a thing that fills me with pride too.

All right, so what's coming next? Sometime in August, prepare for HOT MESS, a novella set in the HOT world! This one is about Sam McKnight and Georgeanne Hayes. There's a lot of heat in this story. I think you'll enjoy it — I sure enjoyed writing it! I plan to have Book 2 in the HOT series ready to go by Christmas, so keep an eye out for that one, and then I have two Harlequins out this fall as well – look for new books in October and December! I'm still working on next year, but you can expect four Harlequins (May, July, December, and as yet undetermined) and of course more HOT books! It's going to be a busy year, but I couldn't be happier about it. I hope you're as excited about it all as I am!