I received an email from her recently in which she shared that health issues were slowing her writing, but she has not stopped permanently.. Although I hadnt read the Desert Dog series by McKenna because I couldnt get into them. I was thrilled to see the news of Loretta Chases next book but at the same time, Im nostalgic for a year (like the early 2010s) when Duran, Grant, Thomas, and Chase each had a book coming out & they were the commanding presence in historical romance. I can understand why some authors said enough and gave up. And another fan of Zemindar! Try not to be discouraged. Can be contacted via messenger pigeon, 1st cave on left. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. In her B+ review, Blythe said: Fool Me Twice is easily my favorite Duran book of the last few years. } else { Likewise, not sure if Patricia Wright is still alive. Self-publishing too seems to help allow more authors to write the kinds of books they want. Likewise, Im not pleased by certain narratives, so I dont have to read (or write) them. Pinegrove have announced a hiatus, as well as the departure of drummer and founding member Zack Levine - marking "the end of an era".. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. A business can only take so many chances at once. I miss historical romances where the protagonists are truly complex or deeply flawed, the premise isnt afraid to stretch the genres boundaries, and the details are thoroughly grounded in the historical setting. Definitely. This is a shame because I love mystery novels and Sherry Thomas. He smiled. Before Amazon separated Top 100 sales lists from Top 100 free books, the system was even crazier. so maybe I have missed something somewhere. Im glad theres Elizabeth Kingston, whose writing style I found to be similar to Laura Kinsale. Those are really not most of the books that I buy or read however. She enjoys collecting old etiquette manuals, guidebooks to nineteenth-century London, and . I think I can make a coherent argument for why new feminist activism is producing books that focus on toxic masculinity and issues around consent over the past few years, and I think I can make an argument for why diversity is a force in the romance genre today. Im audio only now, so I have no objection to the audio experience, obviously. . Its one thing if writer such as Elizabeth Darrell DIE and leave us with more of their excellent story telling skill, but just to quit on us..so sad. I miss Anne Stuart and even though she is revising old classics, I still miss new original books from her. (None of them have incited the sort of ire leveled at Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin, however.). I hav to say that Im generally wary of claims about trends until I see evidence. Its like the old joke, Theres lies. By which I mean, we cant just follow the story of the old woman who lived through Pearl Harbor into the 21st century. Couldnt make it through the next two. }); 50 Shades of Grey ripoffs, Cutesy titles mimicking How to Lose a Guy In Ten Days, anything with a Duke and the floods of YA books inspired by the Twilight series. I hope shes well, but its been several years since shes published and I no longer get newslettersso its not looking good. Now, the problem with this rule is that you will find a huge range of $2.99 stories anywhere between about 3,000 and 20,000 words. The last time this poll was held (2007), The Duke of Shadows was a typewritten manuscript languishing under a bed. I meant it more in the sense of trends. See if your friends have read any of Meredith Duran's books. It is so wonderful. I believe if I read the interview right she was all but forced by her editor to write contemporary and I understand if the voice does not sound right because the voice fits a historical not going make the contemporary sound right. Thank you for bringing up how authors are often forced to alter characters, major plot points, and word counts in order to fit into an industry standard box rather than telling the best possible original story. Thats my take on it, anyway. But those are just some personal observations. I dont necessarily believe that books are shorter today if you take into consider self-publishing, for instance. The Disappearance of a Fave Author - any info. Yes, shes still writing. I miss Joanna Bourne the most. (I hope this doesnt end up a double post! Wonderful supporting characters, especially the crazy servants and the animals. She does still write essays and things at Word Wenches that I like to read for a taste of her writing. $$('.authorBlogPost .body img').each(function(img) { There are too many variables to make that claim, not to mention Amazon isnt the only game out there (believe it or not). I think there would be a lot of problematic content for todays readers, however the wonderful writing & good stories/characters shine through. I have never really deeply enjoyed any book by Barbara Metzger, they were always just ok to me, while Layton has a few amazing ones, her Love trilogy, her regencies she has this beautiful voice and I like her depiction of characters and motivations- though they tend to think a lot, you have to like that :-). But looking at Avons recent catalog, I can see youre point about endless Regency. The first 10 pages of their catalog is mostly Regency, some Westerns, some contemporary, and a smattering of other options. Maybe shes done with IAD? But publishing eventually wore her down, as it does a lot of people. Im not saying listening to a book is an inferior experience to reading it, but I do think there are different elements at play for a listener versus a reader. Ive read some of their historicals, including some by Beverly Jenkins, and thought they covered more time periods and places than Harlequin. if (this.auth.status === "not_authorized") { I am perhaps a little naive about the online community as I dont get involved with social media, e.g. Im happy to keep trying out newish authors who are still full of creativity and whose style hasnt worn out its welcome for me. Ive seen most authors write much older or younger than themselves very successfully. When you're back on the market and ready to fall in love with a new romance, who are the best matchmakers you can find? No one is forcing them to read your book, and the fact they can sit around all day just itching to be offended by something tells you something about their characters. Some books are less, and they do have a program like KU that you can subscribe to for an extra monthly fee and you can borrow up to 10 books at any one time. mon - fri 8.00 am - 4.00 pm #22 beetham gardens highway, port of spain, trinidad +1 868-625-9028 What dont you like about the Charlotte Holmes series? I also believe she had a bout with cancer. Amazon scam authors are those who crank out a book a month often price their books at less than a buck a book and flood the best seller lists., Heres where I have to disagree with you, Dabney, or at least offer my take on it. Id love to read some but I dont know of anyone doing research on this area. Jill Sorenson now writes as Jill Cliff. And sometimes, an author just gets sick and tired of running on the treadmill- especially if she has been forced by multibook contracts or need of advances to crank out a book a month. Not a chicken/egg but a system of mutual back and forth influence, as it were. Harlequin put them on hold and she apparently cant publish them elsewhere. I find a trend for me is when two or three books in a row arent working, and then I become reluctant to keep reading when the next new book arrives. And what a waste of narrators! I was definitely aware of some of the chances Harlequin takes, like the conquistador and native romance you mentioned. It seemed like I had waited years for Severines story when it finally came out. And nice to see another Paula Detmer Riggs fan. Sarah Addison Allens latest book was released five years ago, I know its not as much as other authors but. As the old Tootsie Roll commercials say, The world may never know. And thats a whole other can of worms Im not going to open right now. Years ago, when I first started reading romance, I read a lot of books in the Signet Regency line, and among my favorites there were Nancy Butler and Diane Farr. Still didnt work for me.). She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. Duran is due in court May 13, and he remains in custody on $50,000 bail. MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. but for several years she has only been publishing short stories and smaller books part of series. And another who I periodically check on is Katherine Allred. Also the was the place where Jeannie Lin published her first books set in China, so they are willing to look at different settings. MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. And Im very grateful for AAR because I may have never known that Meljean Brook was back as Milla Vane. Its always hard for me to decide when to break up with an author Ive followed for years. And at a furious pace. It was not a bad book (I really dont think Kati is capable of writing a bad book), but there were certain word choices and the way dialogue was presented that I felt were definitely driven by the fact that the book would be HEARD before it would be READ. Grant only had a handful of books before she vanished and I liked them all and loved her final one. You mentioned in your last post that your word count would be about 100,000 125,000. I also miss Cara McKenna and Charlotte Stein. Its hard not to make food metaphors their stories have a meatiness or a metaphorical fat that seems to be have disappeared from the genre. They never were., Vote for July 2020 BOTM - Jilted At the Altar - ROUND 1, MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. Now that Ive put this all down, it feels depressing. Yes, agree about Judith Duncan; I loved her books set in the Canadian wide open spaces. These are four of my very favorite writers, all of whom wrote strong, intelligent, thoughtful characters and great romantic stories. Simple Jess for example would probably spark an outcry. So I get to explore and perhaps find new reads by old favorites. Available instantly. I also miss her. Log In. MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. Design firm Arcsine joined owners Rick Hackett, Meredith Melville, and Martin Ladera to bring the restaurant back from its extended hiatus. The same way I have noticed an over abundance of fluffy mystery series in the mystery section that are based around crafts, benign witchcraft or catering, bakeries and other cozy small businesses. Sherlock clones have been done to death, and Im surprised that she chose that character to base her series on. Also, their blog, So You Think You Can Write, occasionally posts wish lists for submissions, which tend to skew in the direction you mentioned. Kris, you are spot on in your assessment regarding some of the major problems in mainstream publishing today. It seems like all the books were longer. Heath Durrans is 55 years old today because Heath's birthday is on 01/14/1967. I rememberthat there was even a category line that was 85k, I think it was Harlequin SuperRomance, and even the Trad. Meredith Duran is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thirteen novels. Thank you for sharing this information :). She is the author of eleven novels, all published by Pocket Books. Are the 3,000 word $2.99 stories cheating their customers because the 20,000 word stories are also $2.99? Which is crazy when you think about it considering someone else is using their characters without permission in the first place. Im not on Twitter, but I understand Stein has tweeted that she is still writing but went through a bad case of writers block. Impenitent social media enthusiast. Her books well very well, and narrators like to be associated with success just like most people do. It seemed like a large number of historical romance authors started writing in genres like paranormal for example and in many cases it was not totally by choice. Every year I discover at least 2-3 new favorites. So, over time, Ive gotten the impression that Harlequin is afraid to tarnish their somewhat wholesome image in the world of romance whereas Avon could afford to take more chances. I know we will never agree on this point before Doomsday, but art can definitely exist for arts sake without an inherent agenda beyond pleasure. Do you know of any data or scholarship on this? (Granted, your average erotica short is 5,000 words, but KDP still considers a short story a book.). MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. Servios. As for the self-published authors, it can definitely get tricky. Also Laura Kinsale. Several of you commented how much you miss her work and shared your hopes that shell return to writing romance. It also occurs to me in this discussion that I distinguish between authors who have literally vanished and havent been seen in years and authors whose output has significantly diminished and who I tend to think now of as semi-retired. Bourne has definitely been working on a new book because she had posted a few things about it over the years its a Medieval setting, which is quite a departure from her Regency spy works. Cole has been been writing a YA series. I love her writing and have bought the Spymaster series on audio. ;)" See Photos. The Investiture Controversy would be an amazing setting and I wish you great luck with your story. And I distinctly remember reading one of their blog posts saying they can never get enough Regency. Many include authors interviewing other authors or fangirling including Bec McMaster interviewing Amanda Bouchet. But mostly its because my tastes keep changing. One writer I miss is Lauren Blakely. facebook, twitter, etc. So many series would abruptly stop or authors would just disappear off of the shelves with no explanation. Im nodding my head at the notion that light-hearted, fluffy romances with one-dimensional characters are popular. Meredith Duran. But it does provide a general depiction of current trends on a roughly hourly basis. She was an author with so much promise and her disappearance still bothers me. I dont mind it in contemporary romance or even a time travel, but I really dislike 19th century bluestocking heroines that write like modern bloggers.. Havent read any of her books, but I thought her story about why she quit writing for Harlequin, even though she enjoyed it, was interesting. It often feels like a money grab on the part of these CR authors, and I resent that. I agree with everything you have written here. I also miss Cecilia Grant, who hasnt shown up on Twitter for quite a while. I actually won a Susan Cliff book a couple of years back! She actually wrote on her blog the other day that she doesnt think she is a romance writer anymore. At the same time, I might not think about age too much when I read because I would consider myself in an in-between age range where I feel like I can relate to both younger and older protagonists/authors. 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (34) Kindle Edition. Harlequin Historicals submission page on Submittable says this: Regency, Highlanders, Vikings, Medieval are most popular amongst our readers globally. I tend to become disenchanted with authors long before they stop writing. And how sad, yet understandable, if true. Im still writing some romance but Im also moving over to historical detective stories. I also agree that basing trends on what I choose to read or what attracts me is a very narrow lens. Now I avoid her books because they just disappoint me. If you are a member, the books on Audible are nearly always the same price regardless of length, which depends on your membership level. This trend is actually quite easy to observe if you look through the Harlequin Historical Romance online catalog. However theres also room for variety were happy to publish stories from ancient Greece all the way through to World War II, though we have ceased publication of Westerns as of January 2019.. Hopefully, the authors who have stopped writing will return or new authors will appear on the scene to fill this void. A 100-125k word book about the Holy Roman Empire sounds fascinating. Fans of Julia Quinn, Jane Feather and Eloisa James will delight in Meredith's trademark headstrong heroine, cunning hero and tale of deep emotional intensity! Listening to characters supposedly conversing in a pub or bar without hearing background chatter or clinking glasses its just plain weird!! I dont think there is anything wrong with older or traditional sensibilities if it means wanting more depth in your stories and less ironic heroines. Im finishing up the revisions on THE ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY WORST MAN IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES and Im feeling delicious. so maybe I have missed something somewhere. Ugh I really hope this story structure goes out of style And while I dont have a distaste for time travel per se, I dont like when its clearly used as a way to make what should be a straight-up historical story relevant for a younger reader by throwing in a 21st century protagonist who doesnt really need to be there. Im intrigued with where shes going with this character. Martyns FB page says shes going to write childrens books next! Finances play a role as well. While Im sure there are some scammers in the bunch, a number of these authors are legit powerhouses who can work at a punishing pace while chasing after dollars and cents. Games of Command was such a good book. Although I suspect narrators covet working for her because of her high profile in CR. Many of my favorite and much missed authors have already been mentioned (Laura Kinsale, Jennifer Crusie, Cecilia Grant, Connie Brockway). The more books the better! For many years the books that make the big cardboard displays at stores or that RWA and other groups often touted as the best books are not the ones I read (in general). I. Her phrasing and word choices are amazing. So, Im getting pickier, avoiding the Lauren Blakley-type writing, and doing a lot of relistening because Im not finding much that appeals. It may be harder for authors who want longer books, more complex stories or more conflicted heroes and heroines to make a living if they are going against what is hot or trendy. Im very interested to see what those publications you list above are reporting on regarding romance novels and reading. So detailed and slow. the ask@AAR: Are 50 Shades of Grey or Twilight dangerous? Im planning to read her upcoming book. A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into. At the same time, the plots are both slow and dense. And then theres statistics. There definitely needs to be a balance between quantitative data and common sense. Relational trend spotter. What romance author do you miss the most? Sometimes Julie Anne Longs books fill this void for me. Sandra Antonelli, a romance author who is reviewed here, wrote her doctoral dissertation on ageism in romances and blogs about it frequently and has lots of great insight on the issue. I have a book that I have started that is set in the Holy Roman Empire during investiture controversy of the late 11th century and I is complicated and I can try to fit into 80k but it would be better to allow the room to write the story a long as I think it needs, I think is might be between 100-125k, and I just want to know if itRead more . Im getting worried that Loretta Chase might be nearing retirement. Laura Kinsale and Judy Cuevas aka Judith Ivory. It seem like most historicals are set in Faux Regency/Victorian England with usually with hero who is either angry or has emotional problems and is Duke in most cases with a heroine who either a pargon of virture or is so modern that is jarring and all they seem to do is agrue, make love, agrue more, deal with his emotional issues and figure that they suddenly love each other and that the end. I am unlikely to listen to this one though, even though I love both narrators, because Im not enjoying any of her work right now. They are legacies our real children and our childrens children can back, touch and feel and know us in a sense. Cranking out a book a month is hardly unusual on KDP, especially in certain genres like self-help, erotica, and even romance. Her website has been all but abandoned and nothing on Twitter since . Unfortunately, while authors do break out in self publishing, its the ones that get contracts with big publishers that make it into most of the casual readers hands. Available instantly. So, there you go. If the average romance reader tears through Regencies with titled heroes and bluestocking heroines, thats what theyll keep producing. Where are the next installments of the famous IAD series by Kresley Cole? To add more books, click here . the ask@AAR: What era had the best clothes? And I so want Stellas story. Well at least they are trying to do something different. I absolutely love her writing and am beyond curious to read her take on a Medieval setting. I know that there are exceptions to this but they are getting harder and harder to find. Also Julie James . prattville mugshots released; stevens model 87a aftermarket stock; doraville marta station to airport schedule; british female tv drama actresses. Second, you are correct that self-published books are not necessarily getting shorter and shorter. Whatever route you decide to take, good luck to you! Its self-published? People are finally realizing that self-published books and indie presses are not only respectable but often put out superior content to the Big 5. That has been the case for certain authors or series for me. by Meredith Duran | Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc | Jul 28, 2009. I miss Liz Carlyle and Susan Carroll both of whom wrote meaty, complex books. Some exceptions, yes. What worries me on a macro level is that peoples opinions or generalizations are accepted as fact (and even facts are debatable!). Theyd be impossible to keep up with. I will try it again, however. Did publishers study what was selling well in their lines and decide it was the most profitable? Id love to ask a publisher about your theory. I just cant cope with the romance community as it is right now, and historical romance sales have gone right down since the Amazon scam authors moved in. She is writing. Id really like to know what it is that you find hard to cope with and also what the Amazon scam authors are as I havent a clue what this means. I'm wondering if anyone has any information on Meredith Duran, and especially if she's writing under another pen name these days? Like that line in movie The Devil Wears Prada where Miranda lectures Annie and tells her shes wearing a particular shade of blue sweater because Miranda and a few select others made a decision years ago that that blue would be fashionable and promoted in magazines and high fashion until it trickled down to the level of the market where Annie bought it. Case in point, Ive hit the Top 100 list in certain niches for several hours just because someone bought one copy and borrowed a few pages of a book I published the day before. If our president states that the virus will magically go away not based on any scientific evidence but just his opinion and belief, can Americans unravel that notion critically and understand that theres a difference between evidence-based reasoning and personal observation/opinion? It seems the stories have gotten simpler and a lot less complex and interesting. Of course, another possibility is that theres something in her personal life thats taking precedence right now, and if thats the case, I really hope its a good something and not a bad something! Well, at least they are trying to do something different. Yes, you have a point there. At least now between blogs, twitter and other readers one can glean some kind of answer or update. At this address, we know of two companies Above All Security Inc and Above All Investigations LLC. After having loved a few of hers in the past, I struggled with the last three as they had themes that didn't really resonate with me. As I said (before I read your comments here) Im basing my observations on big publishers and the books getting the PR money and push. how to pass the achiever test; macavity: the mystery cat analysis Nowadays my fav hr authors are Julie Anne Long and Mia Vincy. I think the thing I miss the most isnt a particular author as much as its a type of historical romance. facebook, twitter, etc. I dont even believe that women are beating up men in romances as a trend today, which was recently posited in a blog here. She posts the most delightful vignettes weekly. Another pet peeve of mine is when an author feels the need to make a historical story more relevant by employing that wonky dual perspectives trope between old person reflecting on life and young person reporting about it. I dont know if Valerie Fitzgerald is still alive. L.Heath. At thirteen years old, she made a list of life goals that included writing romance novels, trying sushi, and going to London to see Holbein's portrait of Anne Boleyn. Its just generally not what I want. I like Anne Calhouns books and often wonder if shell return. We have a national election headed our way in months. And now Ive found Meredith Duran and SHE IS GONNA QUIT AND NOT TELL US STELLAS STORY!!! If there is one thing I have learned about publishing, if one person does something successfully you can guarantee the market will be flooded with knock offs. See Photos. There is the book that will be out in December and one more after that. intelligent, complex, sexy, smart and really goodwho even remotely writes like her? And availability often shapes most peoples choices. I miss Lynn Viehl, too. The same with books for many a reader. Then again, if we exclusively bucked the trends in favor of our own fantasies, wed be even poorer as a profession than we already are.
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