USA TODAY Bestselling Author Marie Ferrarella Publishes 250th Novel With Harlequin

NEW YORK and TORONTO, Feb. 3, 2015 /CNW/ -- Harlequin, one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, is celebrating the release of the 250^th title by USA TODAY bestselling author Marie Ferrarella, one of its most prolific and most popular writers. Carrying His Secret, part of the popular Adair Affairs miniseries, created by the novelist ranked #5 on Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Romance Authors, is published under the Harlequin Romantic Suspense line.

"Marie is the first author to have 250 titles published by Harlequin," said Craig Swinwood, Publisher and CEO of Harlequin. "Few writers in the world can lay claim to such a remarkable achievement and few publishers have the opportunity to share in such success. The creativity, commitment, discipline and passion Marie has invested in creating these novels are without peer. We regard this accomplishment with immense pride and are delighted to be a part of it."

The award-winning author and longtime Southern California resident was born in West Germany to Polish parents and arrived in the United States at age four. She began writing at age 11 and received her master's degree in Shakespearean Comedy from Queens College, New York. Marie published her first book with Harlequin in 1983. Harlequin released Tried and True, in its Silhouette Desire line in December 1983, under the pseudonym Marie Nicole. She left the pen name behind for her 17^th title and has been credited under her own name ever since.

Harlequin has sold 22 million copies of Marie Ferrarella titles. Her novels have been translated into 25 languages and sold in 40 countries. She has won a RITA® Award—the highest award of distinction in romance fiction—and received an RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award. Over 32 years publishing her work, and with eight more titles currently scheduled for release in 2015, Harlequin has issued an average of more than 8 Marie Ferrarella titles per year. 

"After 14 years and approximately 125 books together, I can easily testify to Marie Ferrarella's devotion to the romance genre and her overall excellence as a person," said Patience Bloom, Senior Editor, Harlequin Romantic Suspense. "There is much to admire about Marie—but one thing in particular that inspires me is that while she may have a hundred things to do, she is still writing. Very little stops her from getting down to the craft and business of writing romance. And so, 250 books and 30-plus years later, Marie still brings joy to her characters and her readers…and her editor."

When asked about what motivates her to write, Marie declares "bills," before cracking up and saying making people laugh and crediting her encouraging editors. And, despite so many books published and so much success, she doesn't take anything for granted. "Every single sale is exciting to me. I'm still surprised when someone tells me they read one of my books."

As for how the beloved author plans on celebrating the release of her 250^th novel for Harlequin—"By writing number 251 while grinning from ear to ear."

About Harlequin
Harlequin (www.Harlequin.com) is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 34 languages and sold in 102 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,300 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, itself a subsidiary of News Corp and one of the largest English-language publishers in the world. Harlequin has offices in 18 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York and the UK.

About HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers is the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 19 countries. With nearly two hundred years of history and more than 65 unique imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year, in over 30 languages, and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles. Writing across dozens of genres, HarperCollins authors include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and the Man Booker Prize. HarperCollins, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of News Corp and can be visited online at corporate.HC.com.

Media Contacts:
Donal Lucey
Senior Writer, Corporate PR
Harlequin
[phone] (ext. 7094)
[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120301/NY62394LOGO

SOURCE Harlequin