Hingle, Metsy

PERSONAL:

Born in New Orleans, LA; married; husband's name Jim; children: four.

ADDRESSES:

Office—P.O. Box 3224, Covington, LA 70433. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer. Has worked in public relations and the hotel industry.

MEMBER:

Romance Writers of America.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Golden Heart Award, Romance Writers of America; Texas Gold Award; Golden Quill Award; two Beacon Awards and two W.I.S.H. Awards from Romantic Times Online; St. Tammany Parish Literary Artist of the Year.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Seduced, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Surrender, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Backfire, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Lovechild, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1997.

The Kidnapped Bride, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Switched at the Altar, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1998.

The Bodyguard and the Bridesmaid, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Dad in Demand, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Secret Agent Dad, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 1999.

The Baby Bonus, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2000.

The Wager, Mira Books (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2001.

Wife with Amnesia, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Navy SEAL Dad, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2002.

And the Winner Gets … Married!, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Behind the Mask, Mira Books (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2002.

The Marriage Profile, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Flash Point, Mira Books (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Passionately Ever After, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Deadline, Mira Books (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

Black Silk, Mira Books (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

The Rags-to-Riches Wife, Silhouette Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to anthology Bayou Blood Brothers, Harlequin Intrigue (New York, NY), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS:

Onetime public relations professional Metsy Hingle was inspired to write romance novels after attending a workshop on the genre in the late 1980s. "I started thinking, you know, I could do this one of these days," she told Brett Clanton in an interview for New Orleans CityBusiness. She subsequently became a prolific author of romances, some with elements of mystery or suspense, and she has won praise from several critics for her plots and characterizations.

Behind the Mask depicts a bounty hunter, Michael Sullivan, in search of a runaway wife and her young son. It turns out, though, that the woman, Elisabeth "Lily" Webster, left her husband because he was a sexual predator. With Michael caught between his client and Lily, the story evolves into what Romantic Times Online contributor Debbie Richardson dubbed "a strong, believable romance" with "just the right touches of excitement."

Flash Point involves a photographer with psychic abilities, who foresees a murder and also suspects that the death of her beloved mentor, a nun, may be related to it. Deadline deals with a journalist investigating the circumstances of her mother's murder, for which her father had been convicted. She receives help from a fellow reporter, falling in love with him along the way. Both of these titles won praise from Romantic Times Online reviewer Catherine Witmer. Discussing the former, Witmer called Hingle "a very talented storyteller" who is able to weave together multiple narrative threads to maximize suspense. Witmer called Deadline "a gripping read" with a "sweet and believable" romance.

Black Silk offers a murder mystery as well. New Orleans homicide detective Charlotte "Charlie" Le Blanc encounters one of her most difficult cases—the victim, Francesca Hill, was slain in much the same style as Charlie's sister, Emily, six years earlier. Charlie believes whoever killed Francesca also killed Emily. Her investigation brings her into contact with one of the city's wealthiest families, the Strattons, as Francesca had been engaged to marry patriarch J.P. The deceased had numerous enemies, including J.P.'s eldest, estranged son, Cole, a former Navy SEAL who has gone into the security business. Charlie realizes he is a prime suspect, but at the same time she is becoming attracted to him.

Several critics thought Black Silk a compelling mystery marked by rich characterizations. "The twists and turns will have you guessing," observed Once upon a Romance contributor Lori Graham, who further noted that Hingle "does a fabulous job of illustrating family dynamics." Witmer, again writing in Romantic Times, deemed Black Silk a "chilling, well-plotted tale" that "also has the heart that many similar stories often lack." Shelley Mosley, reviewing for Booklist, predicted that the novel will give readers "goose bumps."

Hingle's other novels are many and varied. An early effort, Backfire, has a hotel executive romancing a woman he may have preferred to avoid, as he blamed her father for his mother's death. This book led Romantic Times commentator Melinda Helfer to label Hingle a "rising star" with a gift for character development and innovative plotting. The Wager is also set in the hotel business, with a young man trying to reclaim the hostelry his grandfather had gambled away. Meanwhile, the current owner is meeting a granddaughter she never knew she had. This "story of change and acceptance" is a "charmer," according to Romantic Times critic Debbie Richardson. And the Winner Gets … Married! deals with a couple brought together by a charity bachelor auction, while The Rags-to-RichesWife is something of a Cinderella story, with a wealthy man seeking the woman he met at a costume ball, only to find out she is pregnant as a result of their one-night encounter.

Hingle has said she relishes writing stories in which love overcomes obstacles. "I'm a true romantic who believes there's nothing more powerful or empowering than the love between a man and a woman," Hingle noted in a profile for the ParaNormalRomance Web site. "That's why I enjoy writing about people who face life's challenges and triumph with laughter and love."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 1, 2006, Shelley Mosley, review of Black Silk, p. 26.

New Orleans CityBusiness, July 16, 2001, Brett Clanton, "New Orleans to Host Romance Novelist Workshop," author profile.

ONLINE

Best Reviews,http://thebestreviews.com (August 24, 2008), Kathy Boswell, review of And the Winner Gets … Married!; Harriet Klausner, reviews of And the Winner Gets … Married!, Behind the Mask, Black Silk, Deadline, Flash Point, and The Wager.

Metsy Hingle Home Page,http://www.metsyhingle.com (August 24, 2008).

Once upon a Romance Web site,http://www.onceuponaromance.net/ (August 24, 2008), Lori Graham, review of Black Silk.

ParaNormalRomance,http://www.paranormalromance.org/ (August 24, 2008), brief biography.

Romantic Times Online,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (August 24, 2008), Melinda Helfer, review of Backfire; Debbie Richardson, reviews of The Wager and Behind the Mask; Catherine Witmer, reviews of Flash Point, Deadline, and Black Silk; Christine Doiron, review of And the Winner Gets … Married!; Angela Keck, review of Passionately Ever After; Pat Cooper, review of The Rags-to-Riches Wife.