A summer busy with writers’ conferences and book festivals has turned to fall book recommendations for Hispanic Heritage Month and an exciting announcement about this year’s Romance Includes You Mentorship.
Harlequin is committed to publishing romance stories for everyone. We strive to make Harlequin books as inclusive and diverse as the readers who love them.
Beth McMurray Selected for Harlequin’s 2025 Romance Includes You Mentorship
- Huge congratulations go to Beth McMurray who’s been named the 2025 recipient for her standout submission, Flight Risk, an LGBTQ+ medical romance set in the rugged Montana wilderness. Beth’s debut novel will be published by Harlequin Medical Romance.
- Harlequin’s Romance Includes You Mentorship, now in its fifth year, is a key part of Harlequin’s ongoing commitment to welcome more underrepresented voices to the genre.
From Harlequin Authors & Editors
- Debut Harlequin author Roxy Harper has Portuguese Goan roots, was raised in Kenya and now lives in England. To celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, she talks about how she draws on her multicultural experience to create captivating historical romance characters.
- For Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Harlequin authors and editors to recommend favorite books by authors with Hispanic heritage. THERE IS NO RIO GRANDE IN HEAVEN by Ruben Reyes Jr., CLIFFSIDE KIDNAPPING by Caridad Pineiro, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE by Laura Esquivel, and MAXIMUM SECURITY by Tracy Montoya came to mind.
- Looking for more? Check out HarperCollins’ spotlight on books celebrating Hispanic and Latino culture, including several from Harlequin Trade Publishing.
- Author Katie Mettner talks about disability representation in romance – “When I started writing 14 years ago, I knew that having a main character with a disability in a love story was almost unheard of … That was the reason I sat down to write one.” Read Katie’s take on why inclusivity matters in romance.
And at Hanover Square Press, the cover for Grammy Award-winning performer Brandy’s forthcoming memoir is released!
Events & Awards
Harlequin editors attend writers’ conferences that advocate for diversity in publishing and we promote authors and their books through ongoing campaigns, festivals and events.
- Afterglow Books Editor Leyla Erkan will attend Romancing the Craft hosted by Steamy Lit Con on October 29. This one-day event aimed toward marginalized unpublished and published authors offers writing craft and networking sessions with industry professionals.
- We’re here for the romance! At Toronto’s The Word On The Street festival, Harlequin showcased romance in the festival’s cozy influencer lounge. Yes, Billy Bookcases filled with, well, books! We shared a diverse selection of romance novels with local book influencers — Tif Marcelo’s THE FOREVER WEDDING DATE, Emma-Claire Sunday’s THE FORTUNE HUNTER’S GUIDE TO LOVE, and LET’S GIVE ‘EM PUMPKIN TO TALK ABOUT by Isabelle Popp.
- The 2025 National Book Club Conference brought authors and readers together in Atlanta in August. In partnership with HarperCollins, we were proud to feature authors Brenda Jackson, Michelle Lindo-Rice, Daniel Black, Tarisai Ngangura, Susana M. Morris and Sheila Williams.
- MIRA Books author Jean Meltzer (The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah) is the founder of Jewish Joy Con, a cultural conference premiering in March 2026. Harlequin Trade Publishing is excited to be part of this inaugural event.
ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF by Onyi Nwabinelli was shortlisted in the adult fiction category for the UK’s 2025 Diverse Book Awards. Congratulations Onyi!
We’re Always Looking for Talent
We welcome all authors to the Harlequin community and are committed to publishing a wide range of diverse and inclusive authors and stories. We are actively looking for more story submissions from writers in underrepresented communities to be published by Harlequin.
We welcome you to submit to your preferred romance line. Check out the writing guidelines or submit your story if you have a work in progress that may interest Harlequin editors.
