BOOKS into MOVIES

THIS MONTH WE ASKED INTRIGUE AUTHORS

if any holiday movie reminded them of a family event OR one of their books.

AIMEE THURLO

HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS, Harlequin Heartwarming, November 2013

This November, we have several projects to bring you. HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS is especially dear to us and we wanted to tell everyone a little bit about it. This book is a clean romance - no sex, no violence- and perfect for the holidays! It's set in a fictional New Mexico town. When Independence loses the one industry that kept them going, the crafters get together to breathe new life into a dying community.

HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS, a story about the will to succeed - even when the odds are against you, features a small town that must set aside its rivalries and come together if they're to survive. This story is about working class America, the unsung heroes who make a real difference, though you won't find them headlining the news.

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR

ANIMAL INSTINCTS, November 2013

I love-love my upcoming Animal Instincts (coming from Entangled Ignite on Nov 23), an urban fantasy romantic suspense and would love to see it made into a movie. With sequels, of course. :) 

The world building was such fun. The story is set in today's Chicago, but there's a hidden segment of the population, descendants of the Nephilim, shape shifters who are out to corrupt humanity. Luc Lazare has always been torn between his mother's human world and his father's dark one. 

Skye Cross, an animal advocate, is drawn into that world (and to Luc, of course), searching for answers as to why her cop brother was murdered.

ANGI MORGAN

THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE, January 2014

TEXAS FAMILY RECKONING is a mini-series releasing May & June 2014 (Navy SEAL Surrender & The Renegade Rancher) are about estranged brothers. What the perfect TV family movie! Set in North Texas my twins must save their family horse ranch and try to repair their family relationship. 

There are murders, kidnapping, SEAL moves, Paramedic rescues, high school sweetheart reunions and lots of twin switches. Remember, there's not just one gorgeous hero…it's double your pleasure, double your fun, and double the suspense.

I've included a picture from my research trip where my pup, Texas, meets a horse for the first time.

MALLORY KANE

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, December, 2013

I may be slightly prejudiced, but I think my April Harlequin Intrigue, Star Witness, would be a great TV movie. It takes place in one night, during a devastating storm that spawns tornados as well as damaging straight-line winds, knocks out all power for hours and paralyzes law enforcement and rescue personnel with its fierceness.

Harte Delancey, an Assistant District Attorney for the city of New Orleans, is prepping Dani Canto, his star witness in a huge murder case, at a B&B where she's in protective custody, as the storm begins to rise.

But the storm is only one of the threats Harte and Dani will be running from on this night. The murderer has found Dani and suddenly, the darkness, the near-opaque curtains of rain and the wind seem safer than the ruthless killers following them.

I believe the high intensity setting, the chase and the hero and heroine's journeys through conflict, mistrust and danger to the love that grows through the long dark hours before dawn brings the end to the storm, would make a really good movie. But as I said above. I might be a bit biased. To find out more about Harte and Dani's story, visit my web page at mallorykane.com

ELIZABETH HEITER

HUNTED, Harlequin MIRA, January 2014

All of my early beta readers for HUNTED told me the same thing: “It reads like a movie!”  Definitely not a holiday movie, unless your idea of holiday fun is spending time deep in the woods with a serial killer!  

But as long as you watched the movie version during the day, with the lights on, HUNTED would make for a tense, action-packed hour and a half on the small screen.

 

Back when I started my very first draft, I made myself a big binder with character information, and I found pictures of people who look like I imagine my characters.  In my mind, my FBI profiler Evelyn Baine looks really similar to Thandie Newton.  And her colleague (who’d really like to be her love interest!) FBI Hostage Rescue Team agent Kyle “Mac” McKenzie looks like this particular picture of Hugh Jackman.  I think they make a fantastic start to my imaginary movie cast!!

CINDI MYERS

Rocky Mountain Revenge, March 2014

If my family had a Christmas movie, it would be called “The Christmas Pie” – a feel-good story complete with comic mis-understandings and a dessert that won’t die.

When I married, I was in awe of my mother-in-law, a smart, funny woman who I thought could do anything. I was still a teenager and more than anything, I wanted Loretta to like me. We married at Christmas and left on our honeymoon, but the next year, we celebrated with his family and I was introduced to their family tradition – the Osgood pie.

I grew up eating pecan pie at the holidays. Sometimes pumpkin or apple. I’d never heard of an Osgood pie, which turned out to be a syrupy concoction of raisins and walnuts. I disliked the pie immensely, but I choked it down and told Loretta how wonderful it was, because I loved her and I wanted to honor the family tradition.

The pie started showing up at all kinds of family celebrations and dinners. I was trapped! After making such a big deal about the pie the first time, I couldn’t confess my feelings now. This went on for a few years, until I wrote a short story which featured a young bride who wanted to impress her mother-in-law by loving her (awful) Christmas Pie. The story was sweet and funny, with a happy ending. It was published in an issue of True Love magazine.

Which my mother-in-law bought and read. Fortunately for me, Loretta has a good sense of humor. I confessed my true feelings for the pie – and for her – and we had a good laugh. Now, at holiday dinners, my mother-in-law still makes Osgood Pie, but I bring pecan, and everyone is happy.

And I’m happily anticipating the arrival of my very first Intrigue, Rocky Mountain Revenge. Here’s a sneak peak: 

Despite her new identity in the WitSec Program, Anne Gardener has been found by the one person who hurt her the most: FBI Agent Jake Westmoreland. And when she testified against her own flesh and blood, her whole existence was turned upside down. Jake couldn't expect any more from her--except that he did. He wanted the impossible...her help.

Jake doesn't have much time to restore Anne's faith in him. She is the only one who can help him locate her mob-boss father and put him away for good. He knows that his betrayal has hurt her deeply. Loving her was never part of the plan; yet losing her is a risk he won't take. He'll do anything to keep her safe--even if it means walking into the lion's den...

JULIE MILLER

YULETIDE PROTECTOR, December 2013

An RT Book Reviews Top Pick!

There are several holiday stories that come to mind--one was for Easter (when we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday) and one is our family's traditional "Christmas in July".  Others have involved Christmas and Thanksgiving.  All have to do with getting everyone in the same place at the same time--and the miracles that allowed those reunions to happen.  If this was a movie, in some ways it would be a heart-wrenching family drama--but in others, it's definitely a comedy of errors.  You see, my mom, brothers and their families, and my family all live in different states.  We have kids in college, some in junior/senior high school, one who's married--all super involved with activities like sports and music. 

My younger brother is a major in the Army National Guard (he's the "retired" Marine) who has his military commitments and has been deployed several times, in addition to his regular engineering job.  My older brother is a successful workaholic (okay, so he's learning to relax a bit in his middle age).  I'm a writer with deadlines.  Hubby teaches and has school commitments.  My mom is a social butterfly in her retirement, with a very active schedule.  So, as you can see, getting us together in one place at one time requires months of planning, patience and luck--and then there's always the curve ball of the weather to throw in there.  Blizzards have altered travel plans in April.  Flooding has forced us to change locations or modes of travel.

 

I could tell you about the time my brother scheduled his leave from Kosovo to coincide with a surprise birthday for my dad.  That was a surprising, joyous, tear-filled airport reunion.  Or the Thanksgiving my dad was in the hospital, and we all crowded into his tiny room to celebrate.  I could share when my nephew, on a baseball scholarship, was going to be the only family member missing from my mom's 80th birthday.  Guess who drove up just as we were all gathering at the restaurant?  Yep, rain had cancelled his game, and he zipped across 3 1/2 hours of Missouri countryside to join us.  Then there was the creative, scenic change of course required for my family to find a way across the flooded Missouri River to get to Kansas City.  Or the blizzard my folks brought with them one Christmas.  We were glad they could stay the extra couple of weeks.  And on and on.  I think we'd make a great Hallmark movie, steeped in emotions, adventure and laughter.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK TURNED INTO A MOVIE?