Sometimes Julie Anne Longs books fill this void for me. I miss LaVyrle Spencer and Muriel Jensen and, although I think shes still writing but never fast enough, Kathleen Gilles Seidel. Sourcebooks allows up to 100,000 words. Someone already mentioned her but Ill second Suzanne Brockmann. I was excited when I heard about that mm book myselfthen I deflated when I read the blurb. so maybe I have missed something somewhere. Do contemporary-in-corset authors have a younger audience? 4.1 out of 5 stars 161. Im a massive Drummond fan too. No. The landscape was part of the story in many ways, so much so that I felt like I was right there, in the book. That Scandalous Summer (Rules for the Reckless Book 1) 99. (I did try to read it again a couple of years later, but nope. I used to look more at e-publisher but many of largest romance geared ones have gone out of bussiness and what is in the bookstores are a sea of ballgowns and simple plots that I can predict what is going to happen before I even open the book and it drives me crazy because I want to read a book and it seems that I can not get one that I can sink my teeth into. 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. I do agree that self publishing is churning out a lot of very different types of novels and trying out Kindle Unlimited over the past month has opened my eyes to so many more authors, novels and genres that werent on my radar before that large numbers of readers are consuming. Julia Spencer-Fleming released a new book in April Hid From Our Eyes. A business can only take so many chances at once. } else { 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.. Meredith Duran is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thirteen novels. I suppose I just dont frame my preferences in historical romance through the lens of age. But I think it says something that Harlequin no longer accepts submissions for their lackluster line Dare, which never allowed erotic content despite advertising itself as Harlequins hottest line yet. I am currently listening to a 1348 page bookThe Standand am reveling in its detailed storylines and fully formed characters. What worries me on a macro level is that peoples opinions or generalizations are accepted as fact (and even facts are debatable!). by Meredith Duran. Today we're discussing Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran. Shes also intentionally writing for the audio market, so her books are heavy on dialogue and less on narrative passages. It's possible that no one writes him better than Meredith Duran, whose books are as dark and dangerous as the heroes they feature." The Washington Post "Meredith Duran unceasingly delights . And then I get the sinking feeling either when I read it and am disappointed or when I know not to even try to read it for same. I dont think writers necessarily use quantitative data when chasing trends either. Available instantly. Nina Bangs (pnr, a few years) Its mildly annoying but on a wider scale, when people dont distinguish or cant distinguish, bigger problems ensue in a society. Now it seems that 80k is about the max and the has not helped the books. And Im very grateful for AAR because I may have never known that Meljean Brook was back as Milla Vane. Judith James reissued expanded version of her Restoration trilogy on Kindle and theyre great but her website is now defunct. $j("#connectPrompt").show(); One big problem that I see with the trends discussions is that they are rooted in a persons opinion based on what a reader observes, as you have stated. The Disappearance of a Fave Author - any info? : r/RomanceBooks - Reddit There are beloved authors from years ago who have switched genres or retired but I know those old favourite books would bore me now. (None of them have incited the sort of ire leveled at Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin, however.). The sample size would be phenomenal, but how would the researcher corral and classify the information? I obviously dont object to the audio first titles, but as someone who grew up listening to actual audio drama (thank you BBC Radio 4!) 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. 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. I can see it. I can only speak from personal experience Im 32 and except for a few Julie Garwood and Diana Gabaldon books in high school, I got into romance as an adult in my late 20s. They just observe what is popular and try to emulate it. The RWA implosion back in January will almost assuredly spark scholarship on the state of diversity in the genre soon, if it hasnt yet. The more books the better! I cant even find any data listing what the bestselling historical romance novels were for a given year or time period. 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. Are you basing your views though on any data or scholarship, or is this just your general sense? I know this series is a success for her, so shes going to continue it for quite a while I imagine. Still love them, but esp THATC. And now Ive found Meredith Duran and SHE IS GONNA QUIT AND NOT TELL US STELLAS STORY!!! On the other hand, it creates a never-ending cycle of the same old stories with just minor tweaks. Several of you commented how much you miss her work and shared your hopes that she'll return to writing romance. From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. So theres that to start with. 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! David Dmowski, Michael Dmowski, and four other persons spent some time in this place. There are wonderful books out there Getting Schooled by Emma Chase comes to mind as an example that have multiple characters of multiple ages, and both genders, flashbacks, several different settings, humor, drama, even pathos, that are utterly perfect as both audio and print books. I think the great talent Barbara Metzger has/had is that she can make me laugh. }); I also didnt know until this discussion here that Julie James had stopped writing. hill country elephant preserve promo code I miss Alice Clayton who wrote Wallbanger. It had been optioned by BBC as a series, but I dont think that ever happened. Just look at the top male movie stars from 20 years ago or 10 compared to now. Her first m/m romance is out in a couple of weeks with two powerhouse and incredibly popular narrators but it sounds like its the same old plot. But having been brought up with older parents I enjoyed the more traditional aspects of the heroine and still enjoyed many books originally published in the 60s or 70s where the heroines were pursuing adventures in their stockings and skirt suits when any modern heroine would be grubbing around in jeans. Im definitely with you on this issue. Also, their blog, So You Think You Can Write, occasionally posts wish lists for submissions, which tend to skew in the direction you mentioned. Same here, for some reason I found it extremely difficult to get into Sherry Thomas Charlotte Holmes series. In some cases its because they use up their best ideas on their early books and the quality then declines, or I discover them when they already have a backlist which I cherrypick for my favourite tropes without feeling the need to read everything theyve written. I also dont necessarily agree that compared to the past, heroines today are sarcastic and fluff. Books by Meredith Duran (Author of The Duke of Shadows) - Goodreads Such lovely tales about ordinary people doing ordinary things. Kimberly Raye (4 years) I cant remember if anyone mentioned Connie Brockway but she was an author I used to enjoy reading. 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 relate. I meant it more in the sense of trends. meredith duran hiatus? Welcome back. , I think that two main reasons that a lot of authors stopped writing. 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. 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. Did publishers study what was selling well in their lines and decide it was the most profitable? 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. She is not a fast writer but her books are well worth waiting for! While some of the writers I enjoyed are younger than I am, like Meredith Duran, I worry that that style is not current enough to attract a twenty something market. if (hash === 'blog' && showBlogFormLink) { Shes so active on social media that it feels like shes around. Zombies arent really my thing, but Im glad Stein is still publishing. Duran is due in court May 13, and he remains in custody on $50,000 bail. Christine Warren (a couple years, but her pending release keeps receding) I picked this one up on a recommendation from a romance loving friend, Estelle! 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. Of course not. Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. I keep hoping against hope shell start writing again. I am not angry with the authors because they are not the reason this has happened and I am angry at the editors and publishers who have decided that this is what sells without asking what readers really want because if they did it might suprise them. Impenitent social media enthusiast. Julia Spencer-Fleming is whom I miss. So many series would abruptly stop or authors would just disappear off of the shelves with no explanation. @meredithduran is on Instagram 546 people follow their account Definitely. Amazon scam authors are those who crank out a book a month, sometimes plagiarizing from others. The later books seemed to take longer. I also agree that basing trends on what I choose to read or what attracts me is a very narrow lens. I miss Linnea Sinclair as well. I think I looked recently and her author website had vanished. Sometimes a very short book (usually under 2 hours) will be priced at less than $5. 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. 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. 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. Refresh and try again. And another fan of Zemindar! Drummond has to be very old by now (almost 90, I think). Heath Durrans, 55 - Philadelphia, PA - Has Court or Arrest Records There are definitely Amazon scams out there, including plagiarism as you mention. Simple Jess for example would probably spark an outcry. 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. the ask@AAR: What era had the best clothes? This is last major publisher that does Medieval and they just had a Biltz for just Medieval, Viking and Highlander stores so it seems like they are really trying to expand in that direction. I have fond memories of Zemindar. Ive tried to find any current information on them on the web but no luck. } I found it too slow moving. I make quilts because at some point during the process of stitching I know/realize this is the essence of what will be left of me for several generations. They are still quite good. Their maximum word count is 125,000, which is far higher than Harlequin HR. As a concluding point about romance trends, I think measurements would prove extremely difficult if self-published and indie works are included in studies. Sigh. They are legacies our real children and our childrens children can back, touch and feel and know us in a sense. I think in some novels the age of the author slips in somewhat even if they are writing someone younger. 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. Why do some authors, actors, musicians, artists, and so forth become more popular and well-known than others, even if their work is of a demonstrably lower quality than some of their struggling contemporaries? I didnt post often but I read a lot of the posts, and I clicked on your Amazon links whenever I bought a book to show my support. I am perhaps a little naive about the online community as I dont get involved with social media, e.g. She blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history (and for convincing her that princely love is no prize if it doesn't come with a happily-ever-after). I tend to become disenchanted with authors long before they stop writing. I thought her earlier books especially (Ride with Me and About Last Night) were very romantic and also original in their approach. Thats just a sin. The author gets all the blame, none of the credit, and the publishing house can look virtuous by dropping the author like a hot potato when internet riots break out. She was an author with so much promise and her disappearance still bothers me. 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. For me culture is dialectic in that ideologies and belief systems give rise to cultural products and customs, which then influence culture in return. I know that not all books can be epics, nor should they be. So detailed and slow. I think publishing is pursuing a general trend, either rightly or wrongly, of pushing lighter, more ironic and sarcastic heroines because either the public wants it or they think the public wants it. 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. Try not to be discouraged. One main difference though is that they are based out London and that may mean that their view on what is historical is different than in North America. The blog entries she posted at the time were heart-wrenching. Servios. 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. Stein published a book this year! 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. 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. It seemed like I had waited years for Severines story when it finally came out. Judith A Lansdowne; Marjorie Farrell; Barbara Metzger; Emma Drummond; Paul Detmer Riggs. Meredith Duran. But the concern is, sadly, reasonable. I cant even remember the books title all I recall is that on the last page, the hero saw the heroines glittery top or necklace (something glittery, anyway) and realized she was the woman he slept with way back when. I dont know why I have to go through so much tsuris (I think thats the right word meaning a whole lot of shit) but after throwing out the last third of the book and rewriting it I finally got it to a state thats actually quite delightful. Her website had an under construction notice the last time I tried to access it. Im not a big fan of contemps, but its practically impossible to miss the fact that Lauren Blakely has a gazillion audiobooks out per month or that, from reading the synopses, theyre all pretty much the same book! Sometimes books between 3-5 hours are priced around $10. I really wish she would return to writing historical romances, I adore her books in that genre, and have re-read them so many times. Once readers know the bios of an author, it can be tricky to interpret their writing through that lens, however accurate or inaccurate it might be. 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. Meredith Duran Author (2018) A Lady's Code of Misconduct Rules for the Reckless (Series) Meredith Duran Author (2017) What Happens Under the Mistletoe Sabrina Jeffries Author Karen Hawkins Author (2015) Fool Me Twice Meredith Duran Author (2014) Luck Be a Lady Rules for the Reckless (Series) Meredith Duran Author (2015) Your Wicked Heart sort by * Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. Im getting worried that Loretta Chase might be nearing retirement. Date of Incorporation: September 19, 1908 Services Provided: Police, fire and paramedics, sewer, public works, planning, building inspection, economic development, parks and recreation, library, senior services, daycare Area: 9.5 square miles Population: 67,078 (CA Department of Finance 2019). South San Francisco, City of | County of San Mateo, CA Burnout is a very real thing, as is disillusionment. 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. It wasnt about Torie, and that makes me sad. It is so wonderful. There are too many variables to make that claim, not to mention Amazon isnt the only game out there (believe it or not). But it does provide a general depiction of current trends on a roughly hourly basis. By which I mean, we cant just follow the story of the old woman who lived through Pearl Harbor into the 21st century. And I miss authors who may be an image of my youth, they might not work for me anymore, maybe: Iris Johansson (I do not like her crime books, same for others that come up), Judith mcNaught, Catherine Coulter, Tami Hoag, Elizabeth Lowell, Suzanne Brockmann, I just remember my enchantment when a new book came out . Im also grateful to my other favorite (veteran) authors who still write, despite whatever challenges they face: Meljean Brook aka Milla Vane, Loretta Chase, for example. $grfb.init.done(function() { 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. I believe I recall reading some years ago that Edith Layton and Barbara Metzger were very good friends. 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. Estelle works in romance publishing and has been a guest on the podcast. Error rating book. Sherry Thomas is one of the best romance writers out there right now, and she has such an original voice. Yes, the husband/wife from the trilogy. I miss Judith Duncan the most, closely followed by Paula Detmer Riggs, Helen Bianchin, and Laura Moore. Jacquie DAlessandro (8 years) 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/. Sorry for typos. I wait for reviews instead and tentatively try again and then usually realize that the author is no longer capturing my interest. Duran is not the only beloved romance writer who stopped-at least for now-penning love stories. I also want a publsiher to help me build a career because I want to write one than one book and I want to throw open the world and write books that are set outside of Great Britian because I have ideas for books set in Russia and South America that I want to write and I just want to have the chance to write them. There is one author, Ruby Dixon who has a very funny and original style who appears to have kicked it all off with her Ice Planet Barbarian books and about 5000 imitators who have copied her poorly yet Amazon keeps recommending them. I enjoyed the first two. She is the author of eleven novels, all published by Pocket Books. She hasnt stopped writing, but in the Afterword to her last published romance (NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE), she announced she was no longer going to be writing romance; she plans to write in a different genre and publish under a different name (Dangerfield provided neither her new name nor the new genre). facebook, twitter, etc. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. When I read comments like this, Im immediately thinking of how different my own reading experiences must be to others. 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. You arent pleased by certain narratives, so you dont have to read them. She is planning to return to writing again. The second is the shrinking word count. Quentin Crisp, who had a rapier wit, used to answer audience questions on the spot, one of which was, What advice do you have for aspiring writers? and he replied, NEVER READ! After the audience laughed a while, he said something like, The reason you never want to read as an author is because then you start trying to sound like other people rather than just writing what you want to say. (Not the ones here obviously). Im not sure I agree with you, for instant, on what market changes are occurring based on just my own reading, my opinion and observations, and all the people I follow authors and readers at a variety of sites and social media, if thats the measurement well use. I tried it for a while, but I found most choices to be pretty lame so I cancelled. Audible sets these prices, I know that. Perhaps not always to be taken seriously but good always for a smile. I just miss her amazing HRs so much..! And thats a huge problem although is sadly what a large part of the m/m audience seem to want. But like you said, it fits a rather narrow range of historical fiction possibilities. I just read a 500+ page romance in July from Mariana Zapata, but I know shes self-published. Sphere of Influence: Boundaries of 1976 plus Country Club Park, California Golf Club, and . I absolutely love her writing and am beyond curious to read her take on a Medieval setting. It seems the stories have gotten simpler and a lot less complex and interesting. She is writing. Meredith lives at 1219 North 31st Crt, Hollywood, FL 33021-5006 at present. Self-publishing too seems to help allow more authors to write the kinds of books they want. At the same time, the plots are both slow and dense. 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. Would a 5,000 word erotic HR short receive the same treatment as a 120,000+ word inspirational tome? Her debut, The Duke of Shadows, has been translated into thirteen languages and together with her sophomore book, Bound by Your Touch, was ranked among the top 100 romances of all time in . Its been several years since Ive read a book this long and I realize now I miss them! 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. So discouragedI very read comments below.I miss writers, too. Eileen Wilks (her Lupi books are UF rather than romance, but its been a couple years). What a walk down memory lane! Plus, I knew about the Egypt romances, Jeannie Lins work, etc. All interesting variables to think about, but such a study probably wouldnt be practical. These new full cast recordings sound really odd, because while there are lots of voices, there are no sound effects! Also Laura Kinsale. 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. 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. A Lady's Code of Misconduct | Book by Meredith Duran | Official An example of a well-written opening line I liked was, Some parties who disliked him much buried Maury in quicklime. Her website has been all but abandoned and nothing on Twitter since . I hope she keeps writing though. 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. Just by looking at Top 100 lists on Amazon in a particular book category over a set period of time, I can observe current trends. But those are just some personal observations. I havent been able to find anything about the latter but I wonder if Edith Laytons death led her to stop writing. 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. Well at least they are trying to do something different. Her debut, The Duke of Shadows, has been translated into thirteen languages and together with her sophomore book, Bound by Your Touch, was ranked among the top 100 romances of all time in . Shes a better writer than this; and her fans deserve to have that quality back. At the very least, shed probably have to change the title. I seem to recollect a family tragedy set her back several years ago. She blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history (and for convincing her that princely love. She was an auto-buy for years! Knowing Miura it's probably going to be canceled by end of 1st or 2nd volume. This seemed both a sad and very intriguing comment. I bought it and didnt get a chance to read it during the Christmas season so I kind of forgot about it. Its always hard for me to decide when to break up with an author Ive followed for years. Now a doctoral student in anthropology, she is happy to report that all three goals have become her favorite things to do. They end up at the front of displays in the few big chain bookstores left. I also miss Cara McKenna and Charlotte Stein. Gosh, that seems crazy to me. I really wish Cecilia Grant had written more romance novels. In 2017, she mentioned on her social media that she was writing a new book The Return of Lady Anne but I havent seen an update since then. MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. 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. Hmmmm, I dont know. And, in the meantime, Ill console myself with all the wonderful contemporaries that have come out recently and hunt down every obscure, out-of-print historical I can get my hands on. The entire time I was reading Bringing Down the Duke, I kept thinking, Yeah, this is exactly what I want more of in historical romance! but ultimately, that story hit me more in the head than the heart so Im excited to try the second book in the series.
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