Roz Denny Fox talks about Harlequin's HEARTWARMING

Sandra again and I've brought a special friend.

Roz Denny Fox is an author I have had the privilege of knowing for most of my writing career. We met when I was writing for Harlequin back in the eighties and have seen each other off and on over the years at local Arizona RWA functions. She has written 55 books for Harlequin and is currently writing for the Heartwarming line.

Roz has been a wonderful mentor and encouraged me many times through some of my rough spells so the word heartwarming is synonymous with Roz in my world. So it is a real pleasure to introduce you to Roz Denny Fox.

Roz Denny Fox, Heartwarming author

Good morning Roz, It is great to have you here in Seekerville today. Several of our readers have expressed an interest in Heartwarming Series put out by Harlequin. Since you are a renowned author for the Heartwarming series, I was hoping you could answer some questions.

Not sure I’d say renowned-lol.  They reworked and reprinted 6 of my Superromance and American line books when they were trying out Heartwarming under Special Projects.  I’ve written 1 story “Annie’s Neighborhood” since they launched the line and I’m contracted for 2, both with working titles.


1. Can you explain a little about the Heartwarming Series? What is their main emphasis or “brand”?

The brand would be wholesome romance stories with no overt sex and no bad language. The stories can be complex and have a sub plot and secondary characters. I began my career with HQ in the Traditional Romance line. I think of these books as traditional romance, but a bit longer. They’re also in bigger print.


2. How did you come to write for the Heartwarming Series? What do you like most about the Heartwarming Series?

I maybe answered this up above. Before Marsha Zinberg left HQ she launched Heartwarming in Special Projects as a reprint line. It’s ebook and subscriber only at the moment. Victoria Curran is the senior editor.  She and other editors have bought authors who were in the special projects and new writers, many of whom I now love to read. 

3. Most of our followers in Seekerville are Christians, and usually read and write for the Christian market. Is Heartwarming a series that will appeal to the CBA market even though it is ABA.

My long-time readers who started reading my books when I wrote for the original Romance line in the early 90’s love these books. They tell a good solid love story with likeable characters and some of the books I’ve read in the line are set in interesting, and exotic locales. I know a couple of our current writers also write for the Christian market. 

4. If a reader is interested in finding out more about Heartwarming and their authors, is there a blog to follow or a website they can check out?

On the eHarlequin web site there is an editor section where the editors of various lines have podcasts that explain the general guidelines. Also if a writer is going to RWA National the editors are available to talk. In Anaheim they had a time in the Harlequin room where they gave away books and talked specifically about Heartwarming.

5. What would you like to tell our readers about the Heartwarming Series? Are there any special or memorable experiences that you have had in relation to the series?

The editors for all of the lines I’ve written for at Harlequin are who make the experience of writing for HQ such a good experience. They’re warm and generous and I’ve never been asked to make a change in a story that doesn’t make it stronger. I’ve had good feedback from some of my readers who like the line a lot. Many live in rural areas or small towns. They like getting the books delivered and they like the larger print and wholesome stories.




Thank you Roz, for joining us today. In honor of your visit we will be serving a wonderful buffet luncheon.  When I asked Roz what her favorite foods were she answered:

Gosh, my favorite food is really anything someone else cooks.  Ha ha.

 When I go out I often order chicken quesadilla

Coming from the Northwest, I also love salmon with a baked potato.

So Roz, we are going to cook and will be serving on one table a wonderful Mexican-American  variety of enchiladas, tacos, tomales, tostadas and special chicken quesadillas.  On the other table we'll have a variety of salads, baked potatoes, twice baked potatoes and sweet potato fries. We have baked salmon, grilled salmon and stuffed salmon filled with crab. 

Please comment and win a copy of The Hope Dress by Roz Denny Fox

A second winner receives Annie’s Neighborhood  by Roz Denny Fox.

Roz is generously offering a $25.00 Amazon gift card to a third winner.

Senior Editor Victoria Curran offered a free download this afternoon for an ebook pdf version of a Heartwarming book.  Click here to download.  Scroll down to Heartwarming and click on pdf button.
Associate Editor Dana Grimaldi and several Heartwarming authors have visited us also.

Roz will be joining us off and on so if you have any questions feel free to ask her.

Biography:

A secretary by trade, Roz Denny Fox began her writing career in 1986 by free-lancing a series of self-help articles. She sold a short story to a magazine in 1987. After much prodding from her then high school age daughter, Roz tried her hand at writing a contemporary romance.

Roz has been writing for Harlequin Books since 1989. She writes for various Harlequin lines and in several special projects. She has written articles and online serials for Harlequin.com.

Roz's books have been nominated for awards like the Holt Medallion, the Golden Quill and Smoky Mountain Published Laurie. Her second book was a finalist in the Romance Writers' of America's RITA contest. Her stories are warm, home and family love stories.

Roz has been a member of Romance Writers' of America since 1987, and is currently a member of Tucson's, Saguaro Romance Writers' where she has received The Barbara Award for Outstanding chapter service. She belongs to Desert Rose RWA chapter in Phoenix, Midwest Fiction Writers', of Minneapolis, San Angelo, Texas Writers', and Novelist's Inc.

You can see a list of Roz's books on her website and she interacts with readers on Facebook .

Currently Roz resides in Tucson. She has two married daughters and five grandchildren.