Arabella : New Romance Magazine Promises Passion & Intrigue By Martina Bexte, November, 2003 We want to 'deliver passion, intrigue and romance to readers who love romance.' This is the mission statement that Melissa Wohl, Sharon Lloyd, K. Lye, Avi Turetsky and Heather Chappell (the creative team behind Arabella), had in mind when they first discussed the idea of creating a romance magazine. Now that their dream has become reality, they hope romance readers will fall in love with Arabella and add it to their romantic 'reading mix.' Every member of the Arabella team is a published writer and editor. Between them, they have many years of publishing and artistic experience. Melissa, Avi and Lye's extensive research indicated that many of the major mass market women's magazines had either drastically cut back on the number of fiction stories they published or had eliminated them altogether. The trio quickly deduced that a magazine focusing on romantic fiction would be a welcome addition to the romance industry. It would also fulfill the need for a 'short romantic fix' for those time-strapped romance lovers whose busy schedules simply don't allow time for an entire novel. Most important is the Arabella team's mutual wish to uncover and polish new talent, showcase established authors and help them widen their readership. As well as an assortment of short stories in various popular genres from contemporary to paranormal, each issue of Arabella will have travel and food features, relationship advice, book reviews, news about upcoming big screen romances, puzzles and horoscopes. There'll also be author interviews, and a section focusing on writing tips and publisher information in Eugenia Riley's column 'What's Hot.' Arabella's official launch is set for January of 2004 and it will be published bi-monthly. The Premiere issue will be on the stands on January 15th. The preview 'Collector's Edition' of Arabella is currently available and, true to the creative team's promise, this slick, eye-catching new magazine is packed with fine writing that romance lovers will surely appreciate. The facts that Arabella is full-sized, has limited advertising, and doesn't require you to flip to page 87 to finish a story are also winning features -- and prove that the creators took note of readers' (at least this romance reader anyway) likes, dislikes and pet peeves. If the preview issue of Arabella is an indication of what's to come, it's sure to be a hit and will fill a much-needed romance niche. To learn more about Arabella, writing needs or how to subscribe, visit their website at arabellamagazine.com. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.