Yesterday, I heard that executive editor Tracy Farrell had left Harlequin and HQN.
Tracy was my first editor. She bought my first book out of the slush (well, not the first book I wrote but the first one that sold). It was a medieval called THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE and this happened in April 1992. Not quite 18 years ago. (Wow! Time flies!) ROTR was published in March 1993, as part of the Harlequin Historicals’ program to launch new authors each March.
Tracy also created my pseudonym, Claire Delacroix. I had proposed a number of possibilities, and she did that editor thing – she chose the first name of one suggestion and the surname of another, put them together, and said “Don’t you think that sounds better?” And she was right. It did. In those days, authors relied more upon editors to create a distinctive pseudonym – there was no Google for checking what was already in use, and the editors had a list of what names were already being published by the house. And I had no firm idea, having not considered taking a pseudonym until she suggested it. That was our first author-editor interaction, but it was characteristic of her ease in making choices that worked.
I worked directly with Tracy on three books – ROMANCE OF THE ROSE, HONEYED LIES, and UNICORN BRIDE before she was promoted. Ultimately, I wrote eleven books for Harlequin Historicals. Tracy and I had a lot of interesting discussions about publishing and about writing, and she taught me a great deal about pacing, dialogue and marketing. She is a sensitive and decisive editor, the very best kind for a new author. She never thought a question was foolish, and was always ready to discuss possible solutions to an issue she perceived, or to explain it in a different way. When she had a concern, I listened. It was clear that she loved romances and loved historical romances, but I also knew that she welcomed new ideas that pushed the edge of the subgenre. Even though our publishing paths parted when I left Harlequin Historicals in 1997, we often had a brief chat at conferences when we saw each other.
I feel very lucky to have had such a good editor early in my career, and to have learned so much from someone who really knew her stuff. I’ve no idea what Tracy’s plans are, but wish her all the best, whatever she chooses to do.
Deborah Cooke: Author 