Harlequin Acquires Heartsong Presents

Inspirational book club assets added to Harlequin offering

TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, Harlequin announced the purchase of Heartsong Presents Book Club from Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Heartsong Presents, a book club dedicated to providing its members with Christian romance novels, is an excellent addition to Harlequin's direct-to-consumer channel. The Heartsong Presents Book Club was founded in 1992, and its members receive four novels a month, with a focus on inspiration, hope and faith, written by leading inspirational authors.

"We are thrilled to add Heartsong Presents to our portfolio," said Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO, Harlequin. "Our subscribers trust us to provide compelling stories that are delivered to their doorstep monthly. The Heartsong Presents editorial dovetails perfectly with that of Harlequin -- women's fiction and inspirational publishing -- making it a natural fit."

Harlequin has a strong history as a publisher of inspirational novels. The company has published its Love Inspired books since 1997. Love Inspired Books features inspirational fiction for women with traditional values, and 14 mass-market titles are released every month over the following three series: Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical.

ABOUT Harlequin
Harlequin is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 31 languages and sold in 111 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,200 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.B). Harlequin's website is located at Harlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 19 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York and London. For more information, please visit www.Harlequin.com.

ABOUT Barbour Publishing Inc.
Barbour Publishing is a leader in the Christian publishing industry, with front-list releases numbering more than 150 titles per year. That, coupled with nearly one thousand stock titles, allows Barbour to provide retailers around the globe with affordable and accessible Christian products for everyone. For more information, please visit www.barbourbooks.com.

SOURCE Harlequin

Melanie Dulos, Senior Manager, Public Relations, Harlequin, [phone], [email protected]

http://www.Harlequin.com