Difference between revisions of "Day Leclaire"
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Leclaire, Day}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Leclaire, Day}} | ||
− | [[Category:Authors - | + | [[Category:Authors - L]] |
− | + | [[Category:Contemporary Romance Authors]] | |
+ | [[Category:Harlequin Romance Authors]] | ||
+ | [[Category:Silhouette Desire Authors]] | ||
+ | [[Category:North Carolina Authors]] | ||
+ | [[Category:Harlequin Special Authors]] | ||
+ | [[Category:RITA Award Finalists]] | ||
− | == Books == | + | [[Day Leclaire]] writes for the [[Harlequin Desire]] line and lives in the midst of a maritime forest on Hatteras Island on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Despite the yearly storms that batter them and the occasional power outages, she finds the beautiful climate, superb fishing, and unbeatable seascape more than adequate compensation. Being flexible and having a sense of humor also helps, she’s discovered, along with a love for both the island and her craft. |
+ | |||
+ | Day’s interest in writing started at an early age. "There were four kids in our family, the three girls all close together in age. We were home from school one winter day because we’d had a blizzard and Mom.… Well, she was practically pulling her hair out in an attempt to keep us entertained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We’d fought our way through any number of board games, had read all the books in the house and were basically making a total nuisance of ourselves. Out of sheer desperation, Mom told me that if I didn’t have any books to read, I should go write one. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So, I did. It was a historical. A Cinderella story set in the Wild West with a wicked stepmother and two wicked stepsisters. As I recall, those two stepsisters bore an uncanny resemblance to my own two sisters. I guess I was out of charity with them at the time!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Those initial attempts, rooted in elementary school, continued all the way through college. "Although I’d thought about being a writer in high school, I majored in Anthropology at University of California, Berkeley. I was going to be another Jane Goodall…right up until I went camping for the first time. It forced me to reconsider a lifetime spent without the basic necessities of life — like running water and flush toilets." | ||
+ | |||
+ | So she dropped out to reconsider her career choices. That’s when she met her future husband, Frank. "It was a whirlwind courtship. We married five months after meeting." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two went into business together, first running a film library in Berkeley, then remodeling houses in Seattle, Washington, before opening up a produce market. "Frank is great at retail. He’s a natural salesman. But I’m not. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "With a retail operation," Day says with a laugh, "you have to be nice to the customers. That’s tough since I’m an introvert who’d rather hide in the employee lounge with my nose in a book. When I became pregnant with our son, Matt, I told Frank that I’d like to find another line of work. He was incredibly supportive. He asked me what I wanted to do and without even thinking I said, ‘Write. I want to write Harlequin Romances.’ The next day we drove into Seattle and bought our first computer." And the rest is history! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Well, not quite. "Harlequin returned my first attempt — three mercifully short chapters. They said that although my writing was competent, the plot of my story was melodramatic and my characters stereotypical. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But I took competent to mean good. That one word gave me all the encouragement I needed. The next book received an even more positive response — and a request for a revision. Although they ultimately turned that second story down, I never grew discouraged. It certainly never occurred to me to give up." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Then tragedy struck. Day’s younger sister, Nancy, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died the following year. "It was a very dark time," Day confesses. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We’d recently moved into this tiny condominium outside of San Diego, California, and I didn’t know a lot of people. My son, Matt, had just turned three and I spent the summer hiding in our home with the drapes drawn, playing with him. Finally my husband — out of sheer desperation — told me to start writing again or go get a job at McDonald’s flipping burgers. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "It worked! I sat down and wrote a slapstick romance called Jinxed. After three months of depression, I needed some comedic relief and that book provided it. It was my first Harlequin Romance and I dedicated it to Nancy." | ||
+ | |||
+ | As for the future? "I have a ton of ideas. Last time I checked my schedule I was booked several years ahead. And considering I come up with book ideas all the time…well, let’s just say that I have a lot of writing ahead of me!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Described by Harlequin as "one of our most popular writers ever!" Day's tremendous worldwide popularity has made her a member of Harlequin's prestigious "Five Star Club," with sales totaling well over five million books. She is a three-time winner of both The Colorado Award of Excellence and The Golden Quill Award. She's won Romantic Times Magazine's Career Achievement, and Love and Laughter's awards, the Holt Medallion, the Bestseller's Best Award, and has received an impressive ten nominations for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA© Award. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | == Bibliography == | ||
+ | === Books === | ||
* [[Accidental Wife|''Accidental Wife'']] - December, 1996 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3438]] | * [[Accidental Wife|''Accidental Wife'']] - December, 1996 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3438]] | ||
* [[The Baby Bombshell|''Baby Bombshell, The'']] - November, 2002 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3723]] | * [[The Baby Bombshell|''Baby Bombshell, The'']] - November, 2002 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3723]] | ||
Line 19: | Line 56: | ||
* [[The Marriage Project - Day Leclaire|''Marriage Project, The'']] - May, 2001 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3651]] | * [[The Marriage Project - Day Leclaire|''Marriage Project, The'']] - May, 2001 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3651]] | ||
* [[The Miracle Wife|''Miracle Wife, The'']] - October, 1998 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3523]] | * [[The Miracle Wife|''Miracle Wife, The'']] - October, 1998 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3523]] | ||
+ | * [[More Than Perfect - Day Leclaire|''More Than Perfect'']] - February 2012, ([[Harlequin Desire]] - [[Silhouette Desire By The Numbers|#2139]]) | ||
* [[The Nine-Dollar Daddy|''Nine-Dollar Daddy, The'']] - March, 1999 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3543]] | * [[The Nine-Dollar Daddy|''Nine-Dollar Daddy, The'']] - March, 1999 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3543]] | ||
+ | * [[Nothing Short Of Perfect - Day Leclaire|''Nothing Short Of Perfect'']] - November 2011, ([[Harlequin Desire]] - [[Silhouette Desire By The Numbers|#2121]]) | ||
* [[Once A Cowboy...|''Once a Cowboy...'']] - February, 1994 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3301]] | * [[Once A Cowboy...|''Once a Cowboy...'']] - February, 1994 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3301]] | ||
* [[One-Night Wife|''One-Night Wife'']] - September, 1995 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3376]] | * [[One-Night Wife|''One-Night Wife'']] - September, 1995 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3376]] | ||
Line 34: | Line 73: | ||
* [[Who's Holding The Baby?|''Who's Holding The Baby?'']] - November, 1994 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3338]] | * [[Who's Holding The Baby?|''Who's Holding The Baby?'']] - November, 1994 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3338]] | ||
* [[A Wholesale Arrangement|''Wholesale Arrangement, A'']] - December, 1992 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3238]] | * [[A Wholesale Arrangement|''Wholesale Arrangement, A'']] - December, 1992 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3238]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Series Contributed To== | ||
+ | ==='''[[Billionaires And Babies]]'''=== | ||
+ | * #21 [[Nothing Short Of Perfect - Day Leclaire|''Nothing Short Of Perfect'']] - November 2011, ([[Harlequin Desire]] [[Silhouette Desire By The Numbers|#2121]]) | ||
+ | * #24 [[More Than Perfect - Day Leclaire|''More Than Perfect'']] - February 2012, ([[Harlequin Desire]] [[Silhouette Desire By The Numbers|#2139]]) | ||
+ | |||
+ | == Books (By Release Date)== | ||
+ | {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" style="border:1px solid darkgray;" | ||
+ | |- style="background:#C4C3D0" | ||
+ | ! width="50" | Order of Release !! Novella/Book Title !! Release Date !! width="140" | Publisher !! width="300" | Note | ||
+ | |||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | align="center" | 1 | ||
+ | || ''[[Nothing Short Of Perfect - Day Leclaire|''Nothing Short Of Perfect'']]'' | ||
+ | | align="center" |2011, November | ||
+ | | align="center" |[[Harlequin Desire|HD]] [[Silhouette Desire By The Numbers|#2121]] | ||
+ | | align="center" |Book #21 in the [[Billionaires And Babies]] series. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | align="center" | 2 | ||
+ | || ''[[More Than Perfect - Day Leclaire|''More Than Perfect'']]'' | ||
+ | | align="center" |2012, February | ||
+ | | align="center" |[[Harlequin Desire|HD]] [[Silhouette Desire By The Numbers|#2139]] | ||
+ | | align="center" |Book #24 in the [[Billionaires And Babies]] series. | ||
+ | |} | ||
== Honors/Awards == | == Honors/Awards == |
Latest revision as of 14:59, 11 November 2024
Day Leclaire writes for the Harlequin Desire line and lives in the midst of a maritime forest on Hatteras Island on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Despite the yearly storms that batter them and the occasional power outages, she finds the beautiful climate, superb fishing, and unbeatable seascape more than adequate compensation. Being flexible and having a sense of humor also helps, she’s discovered, along with a love for both the island and her craft.
Day’s interest in writing started at an early age. "There were four kids in our family, the three girls all close together in age. We were home from school one winter day because we’d had a blizzard and Mom.… Well, she was practically pulling her hair out in an attempt to keep us entertained.
"We’d fought our way through any number of board games, had read all the books in the house and were basically making a total nuisance of ourselves. Out of sheer desperation, Mom told me that if I didn’t have any books to read, I should go write one.
"So, I did. It was a historical. A Cinderella story set in the Wild West with a wicked stepmother and two wicked stepsisters. As I recall, those two stepsisters bore an uncanny resemblance to my own two sisters. I guess I was out of charity with them at the time!"
Those initial attempts, rooted in elementary school, continued all the way through college. "Although I’d thought about being a writer in high school, I majored in Anthropology at University of California, Berkeley. I was going to be another Jane Goodall…right up until I went camping for the first time. It forced me to reconsider a lifetime spent without the basic necessities of life — like running water and flush toilets."
So she dropped out to reconsider her career choices. That’s when she met her future husband, Frank. "It was a whirlwind courtship. We married five months after meeting."
The two went into business together, first running a film library in Berkeley, then remodeling houses in Seattle, Washington, before opening up a produce market. "Frank is great at retail. He’s a natural salesman. But I’m not.
"With a retail operation," Day says with a laugh, "you have to be nice to the customers. That’s tough since I’m an introvert who’d rather hide in the employee lounge with my nose in a book. When I became pregnant with our son, Matt, I told Frank that I’d like to find another line of work. He was incredibly supportive. He asked me what I wanted to do and without even thinking I said, ‘Write. I want to write Harlequin Romances.’ The next day we drove into Seattle and bought our first computer." And the rest is history!
Well, not quite. "Harlequin returned my first attempt — three mercifully short chapters. They said that although my writing was competent, the plot of my story was melodramatic and my characters stereotypical.
"But I took competent to mean good. That one word gave me all the encouragement I needed. The next book received an even more positive response — and a request for a revision. Although they ultimately turned that second story down, I never grew discouraged. It certainly never occurred to me to give up."
Then tragedy struck. Day’s younger sister, Nancy, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died the following year. "It was a very dark time," Day confesses.
"We’d recently moved into this tiny condominium outside of San Diego, California, and I didn’t know a lot of people. My son, Matt, had just turned three and I spent the summer hiding in our home with the drapes drawn, playing with him. Finally my husband — out of sheer desperation — told me to start writing again or go get a job at McDonald’s flipping burgers.
"It worked! I sat down and wrote a slapstick romance called Jinxed. After three months of depression, I needed some comedic relief and that book provided it. It was my first Harlequin Romance and I dedicated it to Nancy."
As for the future? "I have a ton of ideas. Last time I checked my schedule I was booked several years ahead. And considering I come up with book ideas all the time…well, let’s just say that I have a lot of writing ahead of me!"
Described by Harlequin as "one of our most popular writers ever!" Day's tremendous worldwide popularity has made her a member of Harlequin's prestigious "Five Star Club," with sales totaling well over five million books. She is a three-time winner of both The Colorado Award of Excellence and The Golden Quill Award. She's won Romantic Times Magazine's Career Achievement, and Love and Laughter's awards, the Holt Medallion, the Bestseller's Best Award, and has received an impressive ten nominations for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA© Award.
Contents
Bibliography
Books
- Accidental Wife - December, 1996 Harlequin Romance #3438
- Baby Bombshell, The - November, 2002 Harlequin Romance #3723
- Baby Gift, The - December, 2000 Harlequin Romance #3631
- Boss, The Baby And The Bride, The - June, 1998 Harlequin Romance #3508
- Bride's Proposition, The - July, 2000 Harlequin Romance #3611
- Bridegroom On Approval - November, 1999 Harlequin Romance #3575
- Her Secret Bodyguard - February, 2000 Harlequin Romance #3591
- Her Secret Santa - December, 1997 Harlequin Romance #3486
- In The Market - March, 1992 Harlequin Romance #3183
- Jinxed - January, 1990 Harlequin Romance #3028
- Long Lost Bride - December, 1999 Harlequin Romance #3579
- Mail-Order Bridegroom - May, 1995 Harlequin Romance #3361
- Make Believe Engagement - April, 1996 Harlequin Romance #3404
- Marriage Project, The - May, 2001 Harlequin Romance #3651
- Miracle Wife, The - October, 1998 Harlequin Romance #3523
- More Than Perfect - February 2012, (Harlequin Desire - #2139)
- Nine-Dollar Daddy, The - March, 1999 Harlequin Romance #3543
- Nothing Short Of Perfect - November 2011, (Harlequin Desire - #2121)
- Once a Cowboy... - February, 1994 Harlequin Romance #3301
- One-Night Wife - September, 1995 Harlequin Romance #3376
- Provocative Proposal, The - August, 2001 Harlequin Romance #3663
- Secret Baby, The - May, 1997 Harlequin Romance #3457
- Shotgun Bridegroom - August, 1999 Harlequin Romance #3564
- Shotgun Marriage - January, 1997 Harlequin Romance #3440
- Temporary Husband - November, 1996 Harlequin Romance #3433
- To Catch A Ghost - October, 1993 Harlequin Romance #3285
- To Marry A Sheikh - October, 2000 Harlequin Romance #3623
- Twenty-Four Hour Bride, The - March, 1998 Harlequin Romance #3495
- Where There's a Will - August, 1991 Harlequin Romance #3139
- Whirlwind Wedding, The - September, 2002 Harlequin Romance #3716
- Who's Holding The Baby? - November, 1994 Harlequin Romance #3338
- Wholesale Arrangement, A - December, 1992 Harlequin Romance #3238
Series Contributed To
Billionaires And Babies
- #21 Nothing Short Of Perfect - November 2011, (Harlequin Desire #2121)
- #24 More Than Perfect - February 2012, (Harlequin Desire #2139)
Books (By Release Date)
Order of Release | Novella/Book Title | Release Date | Publisher | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nothing Short Of Perfect | 2011, November | HD #2121 | Book #21 in the Billionaires And Babies series. |
2 | More Than Perfect | 2012, February | HD #2139 | Book #24 in the Billionaires And Babies series. |
Honors/Awards
- 1997 Career Achievement Award Winner - Romantic Times Magazine - Series Romance Love & Laughter