Now, for something much more nebulous like trends in literature, a similar principle applies. Also the was the place where Jeannie Lin published her first books set in China, so they are willing to look at different settings. Now a doctoral student in anthropology, she is happy to report that all three goals have become her favorite things to do. My own reading selections belie that notion. 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. Her phrasing and word choices are amazing. I am not trying to start a flame war but I can be blunt at times and after 20 years of this I have enough. The Disappearance of a Fave Author - any info. 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. And I REALLY miss Sherry Thomas historical romances. I think its Jennifer Crusie the one I miss most. I loved her work. Oh no, we have to introduce a perky, bubbly, wannabe journalist 21st century hip chick who interviews the old lady instead of just telling the old ladys story without this presumptuous and hella annoying filter. Is that a 100% accurate assessment of whats popular? I have always loved books with a military setting and Emma Drummond was excellent and she set them in places many of us know little about. facebook, twitter, etc. Im curious to know more about why light fiction focusing on light-weighted female characters is a trend., Arent we all? What worries me on a macro level is that peoples opinions or generalizations are accepted as fact (and even facts are debatable!). I miss Alice Clayton who wrote Wallbanger. And at a furious pace. Im very interested to see what those publications you list above are reporting on regarding romance novels and reading. T.Dare.L.Kleypas. She had a lot of life trials and serious depression. Great bks. I may have come across as a bit harsh, but I actually do like the Harlequin Historical line. Were they ever in large numbers? Also, I have noticed a larger range of heat levels between different Avon books than with Harlequin HR and some of their other categories. I am currently listening to a 1348 page bookThe Standand am reveling in its detailed storylines and fully formed characters. $j("#generalRegPrompt").hide(); Relational trend spotter. Sorry for typos. 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. I can wait it sucks, but I can, but it would be kind of her to inform the readers, whatever her decision is. I hear that the pusbliers what diversity if they want that they want that to take place need to allow the longer books because you can do things like have diverse settings more context to explain things and to explore issues that can come up and to have more interesting stories with richer storytelling in general. Name index of death index created by the California Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Section in Sacramento. Id call it a variation of the young person interviews old person rather than letting the old person tell her own story trope. 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. Many CR writers are jumping on the mm bandwagon, its pretty lucrative right now. Julia Spencer-Fleming is whom I miss. Fool Me Twice (Rules for the Reckless, #2), A Lady's Code of Misconduct (Rules for the Reckless, #5), Luck Be a Lady (Rules for the Reckless, #4), That Scandalous Summer (Rules for the Reckless, #1), The Sins of Lord Lockwood (Rules for the Reckless, #6), Meet the Authors of This Season's Swooniest Romances, Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America. Im glad to know Joanna Bourne is working on something new. Why has the dominant voice in HR become so modern? These new full cast recordings sound really odd, because while there are lots of voices, there are no sound effects! How much do publishers and editors shape public taste? wont ever write again but that they are no longer the commanding presence they once were in the genre and that I am pleasantly surprised when I hear of a new book from them. Why not create her own heroine, or choose a character from another famous book or series that hasnt been copied so often. 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 . but for several years she has only been publishing short stories and smaller books part of series. 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. I agree with the literary sensibility you mention to characterize authors like Duran, Ivory, Bourne, Grant, etc. Were probably all watching some form of the news right now. Calhouns radio silence is particularly troubling because she shut down all of her social media accounts and has been completely out of the Romancelandia loop. I find hard data very hard to come by on sales figures just through my internet searches. ( No one I knew could or would buy a cotton bikini or two piece swimsuit for love or money at that time.) Im wondering if anyone has any information on Meredith Duran, and especially if shes writing under another pen name these days? Available instantly. Its just hard to see them go and take their unfinished stories with them. I think in some novels the age of the author slips in somewhat even if they are writing someone younger. I base this on a range of factors, including my own reading and observations but author interviews and social media accounts and some recent scholarships on representations of masculinity. They are still quite good. Mia Vincys books would fit well today, and perhaps Evie Dunmore, though Ive only read one of her books to date. It seemed like I had waited years for Severines story when it finally came out. 2 yr. ago. Shes such a talented author, and it seems unlikely to me that she just quit writing altogether, so Im thinking maybe shes branched out to another genre. } else { From what others here have commented about what publishers are pushing for lately and how the word count of books are in general diminishing, it seems lots of other people have noticed significant changes in the market. I just read a 500+ page romance in July from Mariana Zapata, but I know shes self-published. The reason I miss the still-writing authors more than those who arent writing at all is that I still get that excited feeling when I see a new book coming from an author I used to auto-buy. 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. I definitely agree with you about installments as a money grab. I also think its a sign of a talented writer when they can overcome individual considerations like that and I find myself relating to a character far outside my own experience. As I contemplated who I missed I did a little noodling into my own reading past with the happy result that I found some authors who I hadnt checked on in a while who do have new books. L.Heath. (Torie was a genealogist, and she had an entertaining supporting cast.). 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. Welcome back. I am perhaps a little naive about the online community as I dont get involved with social media, e.g. Its all likely but it is still speculation on my part. Many include authors interviewing other authors or fangirling including Bec McMaster interviewing Amanda Bouchet. Following a short hiatus, Grey's Anatomy will return with a new episode on May 5 to reveal the fallout of two huge revelations from the previous episode, "Put It to the Test," and a certain . I dont blame you, but unless an author is self-published, they get zero say in the pricing. It is so wonderful. Blast from the past. Its crazy to open a book and find, as you say, a 19th century bluestocking blogger, although that sounds like a great time travel romance. She also purposefully writes only middle-aged heroines because she tries to disrupt stereotypes of ageism in our culture. I also miss Elizabeth Lowell, her westerns (both historical and modern day) were wonderful. Im curious to know more about why light fiction focusing on light-weighted female characters is a trend. Zombies arent really my thing, but Im glad Stein is still publishing. It seems that these days most single titles are arround 80k and that means that you can not do as much with the plot as you used be able to do. :). But still sad for me. Listening to characters supposedly conversing in a pub or bar without hearing background chatter or clinking glasses its just plain weird!! Those are the ones that end up on the shelves at Target and Walmart, Costco, CVS and other places where people will grab a paperback. 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. I dont think writers necessarily use quantitative data when chasing trends either. They often price their books at less than a buck a book and flood the best seller lists. 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. But they arent facts. Christine Warren (a couple years, but her pending release keeps receding) This is not the only example. hill country elephant preserve promo code This article from 2012, not necessarily from a reputable source and maybe outdated, offers an interesting perspective about why former Harlequin Intrigue author, Ann Voss Peterson, broke ties to self-publish: https://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05/harlequin-fail.html. Read book one and thought it was fine. Loretta Chase is planning to write at least 1 more book in her current series. While I have found some newer historical romance authors like Julia Bennet who write engaging and unique stories and have a voice I enjoy- I also find them harder to come by. Perhaps next you will introduce me to myself. I think the thing I miss the most isnt a particular author as much as its a type of historical romance. The only worry is that Harper Collins bought them out a couple of years ago and they own publish AVON the line that started the endless Regency trend in historical romance. The landscape was part of the story in many ways, so much so that I felt like I was right there, in the book. Im definitely with you on this issue. Laura Florand, especially since she took a hiatus (which I understand, life happens and is complicated, but I want to maaaaybe have a tentative year for that book) before the final book in her La vie en Roses series, which also has a twist Ive been wanting to read about for a while,now. I miss new books from Meredith Duran and Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna. I was excited when I heard about that mm book myselfthen I deflated when I read the blurb. She is the author of eleven novels, all published by Pocket Books. It often feels like a money grab on the part of these CR authors, and I resent that.. Do you know of any data or scholarship on this? It wasnt about Torie, and that makes me sad. A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into. Italian Edition | by Meredith Duran and Elena Riva | Sold by: MONDADORI LIBRI S P A. 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. Theyre doing their thing to make a living or to satisfy their current writing muse or whatever the case may be. Im also a huge fan of Cecilia Grant and Joanna Bourne, who Id group in the same category. A self-publisher getting into a brick and mortar store would be extremely rare, which means non-internet shoppers have a limited selection of popular tropes, themes, and so forth. Thank you for your kinds words! ', Okay, so you have to take that advice with a heavy handful of salt, but I get the point he was making. I see a lot of authors will post what and who they are currently reading or their influences and I think its brave in this day and age as people can be quick to draw conclusions. Also Julie James . . I think beyond even feminist activism behind trends is just the coming of age of more young women who have been raised in a different time and expect different things from their heroes. Also Laura Kinsale. . Just trim away all the fat and floweryness from your writing, and youll do fine. Their books typically incorporate a fair amount of historical research and a rich setting, as well as three-dimensional characters, and strong prose skills. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself, as she always has done. If the average romance reader tears through Regencies with titled heroes and bluestocking heroines, thats what theyll keep producing. Ive never listened to them. Im finishing up the revisions on THE ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY WORST MAN IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES and Im feeling delicious. Can she possibly be finished with IAD without a Nix book!! 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. And another fan of Zemindar! (Not saying impossible, just impractical.). It seems like all the books were longer. Thanks for giving me some insight into how Audible works. Nina Bangs (pnr, a few years) 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. They didnt mention click farms specifically, but that is yet another scam. Personally, I am not interested in her YA series. Harlequin Historicals submission page on Submittable says this: Regency, Highlanders, Vikings, Medieval are most popular amongst our readers globally. Sure, they talk a great deal about diversity, originality, and whatnot, but their HR catalog tends to neatly fit the status quo- with some exceptions, of course. Judith James reissued expanded version of her Restoration trilogy on Kindle and theyre great but her website is now defunct. I may be comparing apples and oranges here, but I thought it was worth mentioning. If done correctly, it could be a wonderful period mystery series. Loved all their books. But like music or film or any business the artists with big PR campaigns and money behind them are the ones easiest to find. Several of you commented how much you miss her work and shared your hopes that she'll return to writing romance. She had outlined the Spymaster books pretty thoroughly before she had even written them because she knew what was happening in Forbidden Rose etc before it was published. Index includes name, sex, date and place of birth, date and county of death, father's last name, and mother's maiden name. I dislike her Charlotte Holmes series very much and I wish shed at least alternate between that and HR novels. And what a waste of narrators! by Meredith Duran. Profile. (I know she shut down her blog, but before she did, I believe if I remember correctly she mentioned that it was not profitable for her to publish and she could make more money and be under less stress as a ghostwriter. Their lyrical writing is full of sensual detail and they really linger over words. A few are able to work at that pace while retaining quality, but most arent. Thanks, Dabney. I also would like to add that Im grateful for AAR and the people who commune here :). Hope shes well. She has a stable of narrators that she rotates through her books, bringing in new ones on a regular basis. They feel like plays, and I want novels. ;)" Well at least they are trying to do something different. I received an email from her recently in which she shared that health issues were slowing her writing, but she has not stopped permanently.. BTW, I dont know what happened to the site, but its not rendering properly any more. Joanna Bourne is not a young girl and tends to write about quite young heroines, but their voices are anything but immature so its not about the age of the protagonist either. This is fine and Im certain other readers have enjoyed it. Now it seems that 80k is about the max and the has not helped the books. Im getting worried that Loretta Chase might be nearing retirement. The flooding of the best seller lists has more to do with Amazons wonky algorithms than scam authors. Kindle Edition. Heres an interesting article about some other scams including suspiciously prolific authors and book-stuffing: https://justpublishingadvice.com/kindle-scams-are-still-making-easy-money/. But I read the first book in Thomas series in spite of that and thought it was flat with a plot that didnt interest me. Her debut, The Duke of Shadows, has been translated into thirteen languages and was ranked among the top 100 romances of all time by NPR and All About Romance. Dialogues across Diasporas: Women Writers, Scholars, and Activists of Africana and Latina Descent in Conversation (Critical Africana Studies) I dont believe in any hierarchy of quality in fiction, but I think each of the others above brought a literary sensibility to their work. Judith A Lansdowne; Marjorie Farrell; Barbara Metzger; Emma Drummond; Paul Detmer Riggs. One thing other thing Ive noticed from reading a bunch of Kindle Unlimited books is that a lot of copycat authors try to mimic some authors humorous internal thoughts or banter poorly. Burnout is a very real thing, as is disillusionment. Im curious to know more about why light fiction focusing on light-weighted female characters is a trend., 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., This! I have fond memories of Zemindar. I was seconded some years ago by my company to Kiev in the Ukraine and I took them with me to read again during what was a very long and very cold winter. Im planning to read her upcoming book. It takes me out of the story. I imagine that there are people in their teens or 20s who want deep, lyrical, meaty romances and people in their 70s or 80s who prefer fluffier wallpaper historicals. 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. And now Ive found Meredith Duran and SHE IS GONNA QUIT AND NOT TELL US STELLAS STORY!!! MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. Whether the decision was based on sales (or lack thereof) or the desire for the Next Big Thing, Im sorry I no longer get to read some of these favorites. They need to make a living, but I expect a fair value for my money. My favorite romance author is Judith Ivory and her style influenced some of my other favorites, like Sherry Thomas and Meredith Duran. , 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. Anyway, Im inclined to believe that the MeToo Movement is shaping authors today and producing a new generation of authors who are centering female agency in contrast to past customs. Some exceptions, yes. I think all it takes is one person to successfully break out with something different to set off a new trend like 50 Shades, Twilight, Outlander and numerous other books that inspired whole genres. 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. Eileen Wilks (her Lupi books are UF rather than romance, but its been a couple years). Then if I keep trying and getting disappointed, I get angry at myself for wasting my own time. Theres damn lies. She is the author of eleven novels, all published by Pocket Books. I seem to recollect a family tragedy set her back several years ago. Not the authors fault. dwarf bunnies for sale sacramento; shelby county, al school zone map; top 50 richest pastor in nigeria; famous preachers of the 20th century. No. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Thats just a sin. Its my personal observation that the books publishers are choosing and pushing are more generic titles with lighter themes set in mostly 19th century England or Europe.. I loved her humor. Its a bit of the chicken and the egg in my mind. I think someone said Sorenson was publishing under another name, but I could never really verify if that were the case. 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. Estelle works in romance publishing and has been a guest on the podcast. None of the writers I read tend to write more than a book at year at best and they write complex characters, including complex heroines.But Im only one reader and can only read a certain number of books per year. Plus some new to me authors to explore. I wouldnt mind at all if Sherry Thomas wrote historical romances again either though, but I think if memory serves shes staying with the Charlotte Holmes series for at least another couple of years. I think something similar happened to Rett MacPherson with her Torie OShea mystery series and Ive only seen one novel that she self-published recently. The latter is not really one of my favorites, I only really liked The Music of the Night but I thought she had a potential that never quite materialized. And although Ruthie Knox was never in my Pantheon of favorite writers, Ive enjoyed a number of her books and I dont think shes published anything in a while either. Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. Available instantly. Prices dont normally drop on Audible except for special sales, but they do combine duos, trilogies, and even series into one unit fairly often, but it may take a few years. Her last novel, Shadows, was published in 2013. Who knows, maybe . Maybe its time for me to have Christmas in late July. I believe that publishers must think peoples attention spans are shorter and also that they can get as much money for a book thats thousands of words less than they used to be. Im happy to keep trying out newish authors who are still full of creativity and whose style hasnt worn out its welcome for me. Likewise, Im not pleased by certain narratives, so I dont have to read (or write) them. Journal of Popular Romance Studies, Journal of Popular Culture, and The Social Science Journal routinely publish data and scholarship on the romance genre with peer-reviewed research on trends if you are interested in reading this type of writing. Shes also intentionally writing for the audio market, so her books are heavy on dialogue and less on narrative passages. Meanwhile, we have to have alternative chapters that focus on Miss Bubbly-Wannabe-Journalist because shes in the 21st century and therefore the young reader can. I have reservations I wont go into here, and quite honestly, think LB is simply jumping on a band wagon. I suspect the many fans of the author and narrators, many of whom have never read/listened to m/m before will be squeeing to the hills. I really miss Meredith Duran, and hope she returns. In addition to the authors who just disappeared, Id add Judith James and Lydia Joyce. ELIZABETH DIE AND LEAVE US WITH NO MORE They left more, however, a sense that Id not just skimmed a time period-or even a mental, sexual, or political one, but delved into and EXPERIENCED something that usually wasnt even on my radar.and then it was! I decided to skip the Christmas book as it wasnt grabbing my attention. Wonderful supporting characters, especially the crazy servants and the animals. So many series would abruptly stop or authors would just disappear off of the shelves with no explanation. And their system definitely favors books less than a week old, which encourages more book churning. Facebook And I certainly wont pay that per installment on duos or trilogies with very short books each time. . I think McKenna said writing wasnt fun anymore and took a job in another field (I know her children are still fairly young too, so perhaps the decision to stop writing was also driven by family concerns). Im a massive Drummond fan too. Sign Up. David Dmowski, Michael Dmowski, and four other persons spent some time in this place. And I distinctly remember reading one of their blog posts saying they can never get enough Regency. I havent noticed anything in recent years by either. Still love them, but esp THATC. I keep hoping against hope shell start writing again. Many other I miss have been mentioned already. as a wordsmith and a master at understanding the elements that connect complex, genuine, and lovable characters." Buried Under Romance I try to make sure too that Im not generalizing about characters ages in fiction. I think that some authors no longer write romance because their Muse has abandoned them or now speaks to them in a different voice/different genre, but I also think some of them simply could no longer get their books published. Yes, I follow Stuart on social media. I havent been reading romance long enough to miss a particular author, but I can definitely understand why a number of them disappear. Their maximum word count is 125,000, which is far higher than Harlequin HR. Design firm Arcsine joined owners Rick Hackett, Meredith Melville, and Martin Ladera to bring the restaurant back from its extended hiatus. And yet, many if not most of the authors I read are reviewed her. You notice almost nobody ever threatens to boycott certain editors (who can typically remain anonymous) or the publishing houses that green lighted and/or encouraged the controversial work in the first place. How can the romance community be improved or changed for you? Or, its based on a few like-minded participants on a forum agreeing that something is a trend. In her B+ review, Blythe said: Fool Me Twice is easily my favorite Duran book of the last few years. 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.