the ask@AAR: Who do you miss the most?
Wednesday’s column featured a 2009 interview with historical romance author Meredith Duran. Several of you commented how much you miss her work and shared your hopes that she’ll return to writing romance. Duran is not the only beloved romance writer who stopped–at least for now–penning love stories. Anne Mallory, Liz Carlyle, Julie James, Courtney Milan, and Joanna Bourne all haven’t published anything recently much to their fans’ dismay. (None of them have incited the sort of ire leveled at Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin, however.)
What romance author do you miss the most?
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 I’ve been wanting to read about for a while,now.
I also miss Sherry Thomas writing historical romance.
And there are some authors who have lost the spark for me, I think their previous books were better than what they’re publishing now, and I do try their new stories but they end up always as bad to ok books. J.Quinn. T.Dare.L.Kleypas. L.Heath.
Nowadays my fav hr authors are Julie Anne Long and Mia Vincy.
In addition to the authors who just “disappeared”, I’d add Judith James and Lydia Joyce. 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. Judith James reissued expanded version of her Restoration trilogy on Kindle and they’re great but her website is now defunct.
I thought I would post this here as a number of authors mentioned below including Anne Stuart and Jennifer Crusie are included in these interviews The Australian Romance Readers Association on YouTube have a ton of new interviews with so many favorite authors Including Nalini Singh, Amanda Bouchet, Jayne Anne Kremtz, SEP, Anne Stuart, Jennifer Crusie, Suzanne Brockmann and more. Many include authors interviewing other authors or “fangirling” including Bec McMaster interviewing Amanda Bouchet. The link is below
https://bit.ly/3k6LPY3
I miss Pamela Morsi. Heaven Sent, Marrying Stone, Simple Jess, Wild Oats, The Love Charm… these were the books that made me realize hey, romance is wonderful. I
But when I tried one of her contemporaries, it just didn’t work for me. I can’t even remember the book’s title – all I recall is that on the last page, the hero saw the heroine’s glittery top or necklace (something glittery, anyway) and realized she was the woman he slept with way back when. Thankfully, when I looked this up, I discovered there was one last Morsi historical I hadn’t read, so I’m checking that out right now.
I think a lot of books would not be published as easily today. “Simple Jess” for example would probably spark an outcry.
Oh yes, I can imagine the criticisms that would be leveled at Mrs. Morsi for writing that. At the very least, she’d probably have to change the title.
Many of my favorite and much missed authors have already been mentioned (Laura Kinsale, Jennifer Crusie, Cecilia Grant, Connie Brockway). 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. 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. Whether the decision was based on sales (or lack thereof) or the desire for the Next Big Thing, I’m sorry I no longer get to read some of these favorites.
I think that two main reasons that a lot of authors stopped writing. These two are Editors that were telling their authors how and what to write. Pamela Morsi is a good example. 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. This is not the only example. 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. I have also heard that editors all also asking authors to rewrite entire characters to make them more acceptable in some way and other things that seemed to be less about making the book stronger and more about making sure it fit into the mold they wanted. I can understand why some authors said enough and gave up. The second is the shrinking word count. 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. In the late 1990’s it was standard that a historical Romance would be at a minuium of 100k with few execptions and many were even longer than that if the story justified it. It seems like all the books were longer. I remember that there was even a category line that was 85k, I think it was Harlequin SuperRomance, and even the Trad. Regencies seem to have quite a number that were at about 75k even if some were not that long it was not unusal to see one in that range. Now it seems that 80k is about the max and the has not helped the books. It seems the stories have gotten simpler and a lot less complex and interesting. 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. After reading this 50 times I am getting tired of it. I know that there are exceptions to this but they are getting harder and harder to find. 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. I look at the difference between “Almost Heaven” and today books and it makes me want weep. 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. 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. 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. Is too much to ask that I can a book that I want to read and yes even write because I am trying to be a part of the solution. 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 it… Read more »
I am currently listening to a 1348 page book–The Stand–and am reveling in its detailed storylines and fully formed characters. It’s been several years since I’ve read a book this long and I realize now I miss them!
Kris, you are spot on in your assessment regarding some of the major problems in mainstream publishing today. 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 have brought this up many times before, and often received backlash for saying it. Granted, most people have been really understanding about it, but a number of people outside of the field really don’t get it.
This is why I get so miffed when authors get pilloried on Twitter, like they’re wholly responsible for iffy content they were probably pushed into writing in the first place in order to secure that next advance. 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. No. 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.
“I am trying to be part of the solution.” Good for you. Try not to be discouraged. Thankfully, self-publishing doesn’t bear the stigma that it once did. I think people are getting more skeptical of mainstream publishing somehow signifying a benchmark for quality. When was the last time you heard somebody say, “Oh, I’m not going to read that book. It’s 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.
A 100-125k word book about the Holy Roman Empire sounds fascinating. Good luck!
I do not mind small/e-press but I do not want to self publish my first novel on my own because I want to have an editor because I want somebody else to help me to improve the book and also to help me deal with some of the backlash that may result from the novel’s setting. Holy Roman Empire which is modern day Germany which can be tiggering to some people and the last thing I want to do is spend sereval hours day on social media defending myself because someone is pissed off I would rather have the marketing department of a publsiher deal with it. 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.
Self-publishing isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s a great option when the alternative is to leave a fantastic story rotting on a hard drive.
You mentioned in your last post that your word count would be about 100,000 – 125,000. Have you considered submitting it to Carina Press? Their maximum word count is 125,000, which is far higher than Harlequin HR. Sourcebooks allows up to 100,000 words.
As for backlash, I understand your concerns, but I think more authors need to tell the constantly triggered crowd to shove it. 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. Publishers, too often, “deal with it,” by forcing authors to make alterations, theatrical apologies, or dropping them like a hot potato to make themselves look virtuous. I’ve seen too many careers ruined by petty Twitter fights, and I don’t think mainstream publishers can or will protect controversial authors from that unless they’ve grown financially too big to touch. That’s my take on it, anyway. The decision’s up to you.
Whatever route you decide to take, good luck to you!
I would love to read a great historical romance set in some time period other than the 19th century for a change! The Investiture Controversy would be an amazing setting and I wish you great luck with your story.
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.
I also miss the days of really digging into a long, meaty read. I believe that publishers must think peoples‘ attention spans are shorter and also that they can get as much money for a book that’s thousands of words less than they used to be.
I think it’s Jennifer Crusie the one I miss most. But I’d also love to see new books by Cecilia Grant, Laura Kinsale or Joanna Bourne.
Someone already mentioned her but I’ll second Suzanne Brockmann.
Jennifer Crusie
She actually wrote on her blog the other day that she doesn’t think she is a romance writer anymore.
Devastated by the idea that Meredith Duran is done writing. Like others have mentioned, her books, along with Judith Ivory and Laura Kinsale, are so … grown up, I suppose. Someone above said literary sensibility which is probably the better descriptor. I like fluff as much as the next person but there was never anything simple about my feelings reading Duke of Shadows, or The Prince of Midnight and I really miss that in most current HR releases.
You have articulated it perfectly.
I haven’t been reading romance long enough to miss a particular author, but I can definitely understand why a number of them disappear. Burnout is a very real thing, as is disillusionment. As some here have said, the recent kerfuffle with RWA would be enough for a lot of romance authors to quietly vanish and secretly publish under a new name or genre. 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.
Finances play a role as well. 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. True, she didn’t quit writing entirely, but she’s definitely shifted her focus from romantic suspense to thrillers with some romantic elements (as opposed to central romance). Haven’t read any of her books, but I thought her story about why she quit writing for Harlequin, even though she enjoyed it, was interesting.
I miss Alice Clayton who wrote Wallbanger. I loved her humor. Many other I miss have been mentioned already.
Ah, I didn’t know that she was no longer writing. I also didn’t know until this discussion here that Julie James had stopped writing.
I can’t remember if anyone mentioned Connie Brockway but she was an author I used to enjoy reading.
I must say I miss Laura Kinsale- though her “missing” status isn’t so recent…I understand that her research, writing and resolutions all took much out of her-but WOW, so did they take much out of me, as the reader. They left more, however, a sense that I’d not just “skimmed” a time period-or even a mental, sexual, or political one, but delved into and EXPERIENCED something that usually wasn’t even on my radar….and then it was! Total immersion, fascinating experiences and interesting points of view from our heroes and heroines, even amazing and difficult and heartrending “Redemption” of thorough villians-dang, may have to go start re-reading…..
I’d like to see Deanna Rayburn continue the Lady Julia Gray series! Harlequin put them on hold and she apparently can’t publish them elsewhere. I do like the Veronica Speedwell books but the Lady Julia series seems unfinished to me.
I think something similar happened to Rett MacPherson with her Torie O’Shea mystery series and I’ve only seen one novel that she self-published recently. It wasn’t about Torie, and that makes me sad. (Torie was a genealogist, and she had an entertaining supporting cast.)
Yes with the Julia Grey books! I keep hoping they will reappear also, but it’s been a very long time. It had been optioned by BBC as a series, but I don’t think that ever happened. If done correctly, it could be a wonderful period mystery series. I relisten to the books periodically, I hope they come back someday.
I tend to become disenchanted with authors long before they stop writing. In some cases it’s 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 they’ve written. But mostly it’s because my tastes keep changing. There are beloved authors from years ago who have switched genres or retired but I know those old favourite books would bore me now. I’m happy to keep trying out newish authors who are still full of creativity and whose style hasn’t worn out its welcome for me. And thankfully I am pretty much done with historical romance because the state of that subgenre today would make we weep.
Your last sentence … So sadly true.
Not already mentioned:
Linnea Sinclair (sfr, I haven’t seen a new one in a decade)
Jael Wye (sfr, five years since a new release)
Val Roberts (sfr, only a year since a new release)
Nina Bangs (pnr, a few years)
Lisa Cach (8 years)
Jacquie D’Alessandro (8 years)
Kimberly Raye (4 years)
Christine Warren (a couple years, but her pending release keeps receding)
Eileen Wilks (her Lupi books are UF rather than romance, but it’s been a couple years)
Lisa Cach’s books are so much fun!
I miss Linnea Sinclair as well. I loved her books. julie James, I miss her contemporary romances.
I miss Linnea Sinclair. Games of Command was such a good book.
I miss Judith McNaught
I miss Cara Mckenna, Charlotte Stein, Eve Dangerfield and Emma Holly :(
I think the thing I miss the most isn’t a particular author as much as it’s a type of historical romance.
My favorite romance author is Judith Ivory and her style influenced some of my other favorites, like Sherry Thomas and Meredith Duran. I’m also a huge fan of Cecilia Grant and Joanna Bourne, who I’d group in the same category. Now, either these authors have stopped writing in this genre, have retired altogether, or write at a much, much slower pace. And that’s totally fine, but there aren’t authors who have replaced the type of writing they represent.
I miss historical romances where the protagonists are truly complex or deeply flawed, the premise isn’t afraid to stretch the genre’s boundaries, and the details are thoroughly grounded in the historical setting. I don’t believe in any hierarchy of quality in fiction, but I think each of the others above brought a literary sensibility to their work. Their lyrical writing is full of sensual detail and they really linger over words. It’s hard not to make food metaphors – their stories have a “meatiness” or a metaphorical “fat” that seems to be have disappeared from the genre.
Hopefully, the authors who have stopped writing will return or new authors will appear on the scene to fill this void. And, in the meantime, I’ll 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.
I agree with the “literary sensibility” you mention to characterize authors like Duran, Ivory, Bourne, Grant, etc. Their books typically incorporate a fair amount of historical research and a rich setting, as well as three-dimensional characters, and strong prose skills. I struggle to find many historical writers fitting this depiction today. Courtney Milan’s older books did for me. Mia Vincy’s books would fit well today, and perhaps Evie Dunmore, though I’ve only read one of her books to date. Sometimes Julie Anne Long’s books fill this void for me.
It also occurs to me in this discussion that I distinguish between authors who have literally vanished and haven’t been seen in years and authors whose output has significantly diminished and who I tend to think now of as semi-retired. It’s not that I think Joanna Bourne, Anne Stuart, Loretta Chase, etc. won’t 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. On the flip side, new generations of writers emerge every year to follow in their footsteps.
Yes, that’s an important distinction. I was thrilled to see the news of Loretta Chase’s next book but at the same time, I’m 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.
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 I’m excited to try the second book in the series. I haven’t tried Mia Vincy yet and I absolutely loved the Julie Anne Long historical I read so there are good alternatives out there, I only wish “my” type of HR ruled the roost.
I miss historical romances where the protagonists are truly complex or deeply flawed, the premise isn’t afraid to stretch the genre’s boundaries, and the details are thoroughly grounded in the historical setting.
I couldn’t agree more. I also think that perhaps the lack of “meatiness” may, at least now, have something to do with the fact that most authors in the genre are putting out at least two books a year. A few are able to work at that pace while retaining quality, but most aren’t.
Gosh, that seems crazy to me. Crazy for publishers to expect and crazy for the authors who manage it. I’m as hungry for new books from my favorite authors as the next gal, but I’d rather wait longer and get a deeper, more interesting story than wait less for a rushed product.
I worry that the reason I find less and less of the type of historical romance that I like is because I have “aged out” of the the current style.
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. One thing I dislike is a jarring, overly modern voice in historical fiction. It takes me out of the story. I don’t mind it in contemporary romance or even a time travel, but I really dislike 19th century bluestocking heroines that write like modern bloggers.
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.
Hmmmm, I don’t know. I can only speak from personal experience – I’m 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. I read historical romance because I like history. It’s crazy to open a book and find, as you say, a 19th century bluestocking blogger, although that sounds like a great time travel romance. I wonder, am I too old for the current style or do I have older sensibilities?
I’d love to ask a publisher about your theory. Do “contemporary-in-corset” authors have a younger audience? Why has the dominant “voice” in HR become so modern?
I think in some novels the age of the author slips in somewhat even if they are writing someone younger. I remember reading a gothic type romance with time travel elements back in the early 90’s when I was much younger. The heroine was only a couple of years older than me but I could tell by the clothing choices and social manners of the heroine that the writer was much older.( No one I knew could or would buy a “cotton’ bikini or two piece swimsuit for love or money at that time.) 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 60’s or 70’s where the heroines were pursuing adventures in their stockings and skirt suits when any modern heroine would be grubbing around in jeans.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with “older” or traditional sensibilities if it means wanting more depth in your stories and less ironic heroines. I do think in a lot of publishers minds that it may get conflated with “sweeter” less explicit romance which is not at all the same thing.
I suppose I just don’t frame my preferences in historical romance through the lens of age. Elsewhere in the comments of this post, Piper mentioned that Duran, Kinsale and Ivory’s books feel “grown up” and I took that to mean that the stories and writing are matured, rather than the authors were a particular age or they were writing for a specific audience age. 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”. But, I could be wrong.
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. I also think it’s 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.
I’m definitely with you on this issue. I try to read against the grain when it comes to age and not assume too much about an author based on any biographical tidbits I pick up from them. 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. I try to make sure too that I’m not generalizing about characters’ ages in fiction. Likewise, I try to be a critical reader myself and check my own biases if I find that I’m making assumptions about groups, including based on age. 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. She also purposefully writes only middle-aged heroines because she tries to disrupt stereotypes of ageism in our culture. My favorite book thus far from 2020 is from Sarah Hogle, who I recently learned is in her twenties, and yet her book displayed far-reaching wisdom about what it takes to make relationships work.
I meant it more in the sense of trends. As I pointed out above, Meredith Duran is younger than I am but her work reminds me and others of authors who were publishing at least 10 years earlier or more. Joanna Bourne is not a young girl and tends to write about quite young heroines, but their voices are anything but immature so it’s not about the age of the protagonist either. I’ve seen most authors write much older or younger than themselves very successfully.
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. 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”.
Much like music, the people who sign authors or artists determine the trends, although happily, with self publishing, there are more options. But like music or film or any business the artists with big PR campaigns and money behind them are the ones easiest to find. And the number of authors mentioned on this page who have been cited as saying it’s hard for them to make a living writing what they like is very concerning.
Are you basing your views though on any data or scholarship, or is this just your general sense? I’m nodding my head at the notion that light-hearted, fluffy romances with one-dimensional characters are popular. They seem to be! And yet, when I first returned to romances over a decade ago after a long break, I found the genre at large teeming with light-hearted books with fairly one-dimensional characters. I found heroines from over a decade ago to be sorely lacking. I remember when Chick Lit really burst into the contemporary book scene years ago and how much it was derided.
Are readers suddenly not interested in reading complex books? Were they ever in large numbers? I’m finding heroines today from a wide range of authors to be quite interesting and complex. Self-publishing too seems to help allow more authors to write the kinds of books they want. 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 I’m only one reader and can only read a certain number of books per year. I hav to say that I’m generally wary of claims about trends until I see evidence.
You’re right to be wary of claims without concrete evidence, Blackjack, but publishing and other forms of pop culture can be difficult to measure objectively. Who, for example, gets to define what it means to be a “perky, bluestocking heroine” (just as a random example)? I don’t think writers necessarily use quantitative data when chasing trends either. They just observe what is popular and try to emulate it.
Do you know of any data or scholarship on this? I’d love to read some but I don’t know of anyone doing research on this area.
I can’t even find any data listing what the bestselling historical romance novels were for a given year or time period. Every time I search I only can find polls or “best books” lists which aren’t the same thing.
It’s my opinion based on what I have observed and read over the past 35 years or so of being a romance reader in one form or another. I’ve seen a lot of trends and authors come and go and my personal opinion is that lighter books- in historical romance, not necessarily in other genres like paranormal etc. are being marketed more and given more of a PR push.
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.
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. That’s not meant, by the way, to be an exhaustive list, just ones that I personally know are well read and followed. The romance genre has attracted much more attention over the years as a worthy subject for scholarship and critical debate, as it should given how much money consumers spend on these books and how many readers are reading them.
The RWA implosion back in January will almost assuredly spark scholarship on the state of diversity in the genre soon, if it hasn’t yet.
One big problem that I see with the “trends” discussions is that they are rooted in a person’s opinion based on what a reader observes, as you have stated. Or, it’s based on a few like-minded participants on a forum agreeing that something is a trend. I’m 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 that’s the measurement we’ll use. I don’t necessarily believe that books are shorter today if you take into consider self-publishing, for instance. I just read a 500+ page romance in July from Mariana Zapata, but I know she’s self-published. And, even if books are shorter, I wouldn’t necessarily agree that lack of depth is the result, as in a cause and effect relationship. Longer doesn’t always mean better or denser or more interesting or more critical, etc. I also don’t necessarily agree that compared to the past, heroines today are sarcastic and fluff. My own reading selections belie that notion. I don’t even believe that women are beating up men in romances as a trend today, which was recently posited in a blog here. When I read comments like this, I’m immediately thinking of how different my own reading experiences must be to others. And yet, many if not most of the authors I read are reviewed her. Anyway, I’m 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. 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. I have to be careful though not to push this “trend” notion too far in my own mind because I suspect there’s lots of push back out there – dark romances, nostalgia for traditional masculinity, etc., all from books I avoid when reading for pleasure.
I know you probably don’t read my posts anymore, but there are a few points I would like to address that you mentioned.
First, I think skepticism and concrete data seeking are healthy behaviors, but I don’t discount the power of observation. Just because something isn’t officially written down doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. It’s like the old joke, “There’s lies. There’s damn lies. And then there’s statistics.” There definitely needs to be a balance between quantitative data and common sense. To make a foolish example, if there is a pothole on my street that’s clearly visible, I don’t need to wait for an official report from the Department of Transportation to tell me the hole is actually there. I can see it. I can observe it.
Now, for something much more nebulous like trends in literature, a similar principle applies. 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. Is that a 100% accurate assessment of what’s popular? Of course not. There are too many variables to make that claim, not to mention Amazon isn’t the only game out there (believe it or not). But it does provide a general depiction of current trends on a roughly hourly basis.
Second, you are correct that self-published books are not necessarily getting shorter and shorter. But if you look at the length of traditionally published books over time, there is a definite word count slash. This is true in a number of genres, and especially striking in traditionally published juvenile literature. I’m sure there are studies about the falling word count somewhere, but I, like others here, have definitely seen it without having to read a bunch of dissertations on the subject.
Third, you stated, “I suspect there’s lots of push back out there – dark romances, nostalgia for traditional masculinity, etc., all from books I avoid when reading for pleasure.” Like you, I am pleased there are more books “centering female agency.” But at the same time, I wouldn’t necessarily regard “traditional masculinity” as a form of “push back.” It could very well be an act of nostalgia as you say, but it could also be because the women who write these stories simply prefer those types of characters. I know we will never agree on this point before Doomsday, but art can definitely exist for art’s sake without an inherent agenda beyond pleasure. And that’s a good thing. You aren’t pleased by certain narratives, so you don’t have to read them. Likewise, I’m not pleased by certain narratives, so I don’t have to read (or write) them. The more books the better!
As a concluding point about romance trends, I think measurements would prove extremely difficult if self-published and indie works are included in studies. Unlike the Big 5, KDP books go online at a rapid fire pace. They’d be impossible to keep up with. The sample size would be phenomenal, but how would the researcher corral and classify the information? Would a 5,000 word erotic HR short receive the same treatment as a 120,000+ word inspirational tome? All interesting variables to think about, but such a study probably wouldn’t be practical. (Not saying impossible, just impractical.)
I agree with everything you have written here. As I said (before I read your comments here) I’m basing my observations on big publishers and the books getting the PR money and push.
The beauty of self publishing is that you can really find anything -and lots of it nowadays. But that doesn’t mean those authors have the same chance of being picked up by the casual Walmart shopper who still reads paperbacks and likes to grab a couple when they do their big grocery haul.
All great insights about casual shoppers picking up paperbacks at the store. 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.
“It’s 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.”
Right. This trend is actually quite easy to observe if you look through the Harlequin Historical Romance online catalog. Also, their blog, So You Think You Can Write, occasionally posts wish lists for submissions, which tend to skew in the direction you mentioned. 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. Just looking at the first 10 pages of their most recent HR releases, I see a ton of Regency, titled heroes and/or heroines, some Vikings and Medieval, and a smattering of Victorian. There’s one Ancient Egypt romance recently published and a couple of bootleg era 1920s America. But like you said, it fits a rather narrow range of historical fiction possibilities.
Harlequin Historical’s submission page on Submittable says this:
“Regency, Highlanders, Vikings, Medieval are most popular amongst our readers globally. However there’s also room for variety – we’re 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.”
And I distinctly remember reading one of their blog posts saying they can never get enough Regency. So, there you go. From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. If the average romance reader tears through Regencies with titled heroes and bluestocking heroines, that’s what they’ll keep producing. On the other hand, it creates a never-ending cycle of the same old stories with just minor tweaks.
Well at least they are trying to do something different. 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 tried with work because at least I thought I had chance though I think that it may have been too long and complicated for the word count. From what I have seen usually the shake out is usually 2-4 Regencies, 0-1 Victorians, 1-2 Medieval, Viking or Highlander, and 1 that fits into none of the above and that can range from late Moorrish Spain, to 1920’s America, to Egypt, and even one that had a Spainsh Conquistador and Native American Woman even though some may have problem with the premise at least it not another Regency and it shows that the line is willing some risks and yes the author is still writing for the line the author had a book out in March of this year set in Egypt. Also the was the place where Jeannie Lin published her first books set in China, so they are willing to look at different settings. 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 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. I hope that the influnce of Harlequin Historicals rubs off on to the AVON books and not the other way around because I really would hate to see them turn into Regency only publisher.
“Well, at least they are trying to do something different.” Yes, you have a point there. I may have come across as a bit harsh, but I actually do like the Harlequin Historical line. Since Regency is not a favorite historical period of mine, I tend to see it everywhere as in, “Ugh, another Regency?”
I was definitely aware of some of the chances Harlequin takes, like the conquistador and native romance you mentioned. Plus, I knew about the Egypt romances, Jeannie Lin’s work, etc. But I was referring just to the first 10 pages of their most recently published work, which tends to skew toward the more common HR settings. From a business perspective, that’s totally understandable. A business can only take so many chances at once. Publishing a disproportionate number of Regencies probably keeps them afloat. And if it’s what their readers want, more power to them. It’s just generally not what I want.
That’s interesting about Avon. I’ve read some of their historicals, including some by Beverly Jenkins, and thought they covered more time periods and places than Harlequin. Plus, they have some queer romances which the Harlequin category romances do not. (Harlequin definitely plays it safe by putting queer romances under their Carina Press imprint.)
Also, I have noticed a larger range of heat levels between different Avon books than with Harlequin HR and some of their other categories. Some exceptions, yes. 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 Harlequin’s hottest line yet. So, over time, I’ve 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. But those are just some personal observations. I could be totally off the mark here.
But looking at Avon’s recent catalog, I can see you’re point about “endless Regency.” The first 10 pages of their catalog is mostly Regency, some Westerns, some contemporary, and a smattering of other options.
I’m very interested to see what those publications you list above are reporting on regarding romance novels and reading. I find hard data very hard to come by on sales figures just through my internet searches.
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 weren’t on my radar before that large numbers of readers are consuming. I also agree that basing trends on what I choose to read or what attracts me is a very narrow lens.
My observations have been based on the books that are getting the contracts and the big PR from established publishers. Those are really not most of the books that I buy or read however. 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).
Unfortunately, while authors do break out in self publishing, it’s the ones that get contracts with big publishers that make it into most of the casual readers’ hands. 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. They end up at the front of displays in the few big chain bookstores left. And availability often shapes most people’s choices. If a song doesn’t get airplay or publicity or put on a soundtrack then most people won’t know about it. The same with books for many a reader. (Not the ones here obviously).
It’s 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. It’s just something I noticed perusing shelves and websites. 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.
Walmart, Target, grocery stories, etc feature light romances and mysteries but that doesn’t seem new. I would be surprised to learn that I’m the only one who has been seeing those books there for years.
And if lighter romances focus on sarcastic and fluffy heroines as you’ve noted, what is going on in our culture to make them suddenly popular and profitable? 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. I’m curious to know more about why light fiction focusing on light-weighted female characters is a trend.
“I’m curious to know more about why light fiction focusing on light-weighted female characters is a trend.”
Aren’t we all? The problem is, trends are often just a product of cultural resonance without any rhyme or reason. Yes, it’s true feminist activism could be behind the trend, but it could also be completely inexplicable as popularity so often is. 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? As the old Tootsie Roll commercials say, “The world may never know…”
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. Every generation, every decade even, produces different ideas of the ideal man or hero. Just look at the top male movie stars from 20 years ago or 10 compared to now.
It’s a bit of the chicken and the egg in my mind. How much do publishers and editors shape public taste?
Like that line in movie The Devil Wears Prada where Miranda lectures Annie and tells her she’s 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.
Was there a marketing survey or research that said shorter, lighter romance books sell better and in larger amounts than more serious convoluted ones? Did publishers study what was selling well in their lines and decide it was the most profitable? Did Amazon have something to do with it? Was it a reaction to something the way that the pop music resurgence happened after grunge ruled the music charts?
It’s all likely but it is still speculation on my part.
For me culture is dialectic in that ideologies and belief systems give rise to cultural products and customs, which then influence culture in return. Not a chicken/egg but a system of mutual back and forth influence, as it were.
And yes, speculation, opinion, observation, etc. are fine. We all do it. But they aren’t facts. What worries me on a macro level is that people’s opinions or generalizations are accepted as fact (and even facts are debatable!). Someone believes something is a trend without evidence and voila, it’s a trend. It’s mildly annoying but on a wider scale, when people don’t distinguish or can’t distinguish, bigger problems ensue in a society. We’re probably all watching some form of the news right now. We have a national election headed our way in months. Is American national culture going to be able to critically assess the results? 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 there’s a difference between evidence-based reasoning and personal observation/opinion? Those kind of questions keep me up at night.
“I don’t mind it in contemporary romance or even a time travel, but I really dislike 19th century bluestocking heroines that write like modern bloggers.”
This! 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. By which I mean, we can’t just follow the story of the old woman who lived through Pearl Harbor into the 21st century. 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 lady’s story without this presumptuous and hella annoying filter. Meanwhile, we have to have alternative chapters that focus on Miss Bubbly-Wannabe-Journalist because she’s in the 21st century and therefore the young reader can relate. Ugh… I really hope this story structure goes out of style… And while I don’t have a distaste for time travel per se, I don’t like when it’s 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 doesn’t really need to be there. I’d call it a variation of the “young person interviews old person rather than letting the old person tell her own story” trope.
Rant over.
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. 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.
One thing other thing I’ve 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. Writing snarky humor that is actually funny is a gift and a lot of the copycats think that merely making the heroine swear a lot or be sarcastic in situations that might get them killed substitutes for clever writing.
Also, I never realized there is a giant genre of “Alien Barbarian” romance. 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.
You’re definitely onto something when it comes to author mimicry and knockoffs. 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. Just trim away all the fat and floweryness from your writing, and you’ll do fine. An example of a well-written opening line I liked was, ‘Some parties who disliked him much buried Maury in quicklime.'”
Okay, so you have to take that advice with a heavy handful of salt, but I get the point he was making. There’d probably be a lot more originality in writing if authors quit chasing after trends and just told the stories itching to burst out of their imaginations. Then again, if we exclusively bucked the trends in favor of our own fantasies, we’d be even poorer as a profession than we already are. :)
I know that is one of the big reasons why a lot of authors don’t want anything to do with someone’s unpublished manuscript and I don’t blame them. I see a lot of authors will post what and who they are currently reading or their influences and I think it’s brave in this day and age as people can be quick to draw conclusions.
Definitely. A lot of authors also won’t read fanfiction of their work for fear of being accused of plagiarism. Which is crazy when you think about it considering someone else is using their characters without permission in the first place. But the concern is, sadly, reasonable.
What a walk down memory lane! Plus some new to me authors to explore. Julia Spencer-Fleming is whom I miss. I seem to recollect a family tragedy set her back several years ago. Hope she’s well.
Julia Spencer-Fleming released a new book in April – Hid From Our Eyes. She had a lot of life trials and serious depression. She is planning to return to writing again.
My “miss” list includes names already mentioned – Meredith Duran (who I hope is merely on hiatus) Cecilia Grant, Laura Kinsale… I miss Sherry Thomas’ historical romances ,(although I’m enjoying Lady Sherlock) and I miss the days when Courtney Milan’s romances were actual romances rather than exercises in didactics.
And as others have said, there are some authors who are still writing but whose work isn’t what it once was, and I miss them, too.
I’m glad to know Joanna Bourne is working on something new
I miss HR author Adele Ashworth. In 2017, she mentioned on her social media that she was writing a new book “The Return of Lady Anne” but I haven’t seen an update since then.
I really miss Meredith Duran, and hope she returns. We’ve been internet friends for several years, so I send her emails once in a while, but haven’t had a reply since last autumn. I also miss Cecilia Grant, who hasn’t shown up on Twitter for quite a while.
I miss LaVyrle Spencer and Muriel Jensen and, although I think she’s still writing but never fast enough, Kathleen Gilles Seidel.
One writer I miss is Lauren Blakely. Yes, she’s still writing. And at a furious pace. But her writing has changed over the last couple of years; it lacks the heart and the charm of her earlier work. It feels manufactured, very formulaic and predictable. She’s also intentionally writing for the audio market, so her books are heavy on dialogue and less on narrative passages. They feel like plays, and I want novels. She was an auto-buy for years! Now I avoid her books because they just disappoint me.
I also miss Elizabeth Lowell, her westerns (both historical and modern day) were wonderful. The landscape was part of the story in many ways, so much so that I felt like I was right there, in the book. I hope she’s well, but it’s been several years since she’s published and I no longer get newsletters…so it’s not looking good.
And I REALLY miss Sherry Thomas’ historical romances. I dislike her Charlotte Holmes series very much and I wish she’d at least alternate between that and HR novels.
What don’t you like about the Charlotte Holmes’ series? I’m curious.
I’ve never liked Sherlock Holmes, I always thought he was a jerk. So there’s that to start with. But I read the first book in Thomas’ series in spite of that and thought it was flat with a plot that didn’t interest me. I read about half of book 2 with much the same reaction and I quit at that point. (I did try to read it again a couple of years later, but nope. Still didn’t work for me.)
I know this series is a success for her, so she’s going to continue it for quite a while I imagine. I just miss her amazing HRs so much..!
I enjoyed the first two. At the same time, the plots are both slow and dense. I started her upcoming one and put it down. I will try it again, however. I too wish she’d write more romance!
I love the Charlotte Holmes books (I’m reading the upcoming one now) but would also like to see some more HR from Ms. Thomas. I’m not a big fan of contemps, but it’s practically impossible to miss the fact that Lauren Blakely has a gazillion audiobooks out per month – or that, from reading the synopses, they’re all pretty much the same book! Her first m/m romance is out in a couple of weeks with two powerhouse and incredibly popular narrators – but it sounds like it’s the same old plot. Again.
I was excited when I heard about that mm book myself…then I deflated when I read the blurb. Ho-hum. And what a waste of narrators! She’s a better writer than this; and her fans deserve to have that quality back.
I’m going to review it for AG, so we’ll see. 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… have reservations I won’t go into here, and quite honestly, think LB is simply jumping on a band wagon. I also suspect the fact that the narrators have a long-running, frenemies bromance going on on Twitter has a lot to do with the reasoning behind this book.
That occurred to me as well! Although I suspect narrators covet working for her because of her high profile in CR. She has a stable of narrators that she rotates through her books, bringing in new ones on a regular basis. Her books well very well, and narrators like to be associated with success just like most people do.
Many CR writers are jumping on the mm bandwagon, it’s pretty lucrative right now. The skill they bring, or not, to writing about 2 men is what will be the determining factor for me. I am unlikely to listen to this one though, even though I love both narrators, because I’m not enjoying any of her work right now.
I am anticipating an m/f story rewritten with two men, to be honest. And that’s a huge problem – although is sadly what a large part of the m/m audience seem to want. And that’s a whole other can of worms I’m not going to open right now.
Me too.
@KesterGayle: I’m in total agreement about authors writing for audio these days. Last year one of my favorite writers, Kati Wilde, published a new book that was being released on audio first. It was not a bad book (I really don’t 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. I’m 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. Writing for audio might also be the reason we see shorter books these days with fewer supporting characters and less complicated plot lines. It might also account for stories that, about a decade ago, would have been one big volume now being broken down into duets or trilogies.
I’m audio only now, so I have no objection to the audio experience, obviously. But I want to listen to novels, not plays. 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. There is no need to dumb things down for the audio audience; we can keep up just fine.
I also object to shorter books or books that are broken into installments. Audios are expensive, and I don’t like being asked to pay full price for a 4 hour book when most books are 8 hours plus. Sometimes 20-30 hours or even more, for the same price. It often feels like a money grab on the part of these CR authors, and I resent that. They need to make a living, but I expect a fair value for my money. There are writers, like Sierra Simone, who tend toward shorter novels, but the level of the writing is complex and dense and interesting, even in her rom-coms. So this isn’t a blanket condemnation by any means, but it’s an issue for romance listeners to be aware of I think.
So, I’m getting pickier, avoiding the Lauren Blakley-type writing, and doing a lot of relistening because I’m not finding much that appeals.
I – obviously – don’t object to the audio first titles, but as someone who grew up listening to actual audio drama (thank you BBC Radio 4!) These new full cast recordings sound really odd, because while there are lots of voices, there are no sound effects! Listening to characters supposedly conversing in a pub or bar without hearing background chatter or clinking glasses – it’s just plain weird!!
“It often feels like a money grab on the part of these CR authors, and I resent that.”
I don’t blame you, but unless an author is self-published, they get zero say in the pricing.
As for the self-published authors, it can definitely get tricky. I can’t speak for audiobook sellers and producers since I’m not in that game, but you definitely see something similar with erotica e-book pricing scales. Among self-published erotica authors, the standard is $2.99 for a short up to novella length. (No one is forcing this particular price point by decree, but a number of erotica authors have essentially made an unofficial pact to never charge less than $2.99 for smut lest customers start expecting $0.99 jollies that would only earn an author $0.35 per sale.) 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. Are the 3,000 word $2.99 stories cheating their customers because the 20,000 word stories are also $2.99? It’s hard to say. I may be comparing apples and oranges here, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Nan,
If you are a member, the books on Audible are nearly always the same price regardless of length, which depends on your membership level. For me, the books are about $11. 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. I tried it for a while, but I found most choices to be pretty lame so I cancelled.
I know that not all books can be epics, nor should they be. Sometimes a very short book (usually under 2 hours) will be priced at less than $5. Sometimes books between 3-5 hours are priced around $10. Audible sets these prices, I know that. For me, unless it’s an auto-buy writer, I just won’t pay $11 for a short novel or novella. And I certainly won’t pay that per installment on duos or trilogies with very short books each time. That’s why it feels like a money-grab; some writers seem to crank these things out with little finesse, or they divide up a book (sections are often published within 2 weeks of one another) just to make money.
Prices don’t 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. I’m willing to wait.
Thanks for giving me some insight into how Audible works. I definitely agree with you about installments as a money grab. It happens with e-books as well.
Same here, for some reason I found it extremely difficult to get into Sherry Thomas’ Charlotte Holmes series. This is a shame because I love mystery novels and Sherry Thomas. I found it too slow moving. 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.
For the Charlotte Holmes series, I find that I enjoy the audiobooks so much better than actually reading them myself. That has been the case for certain authors or series for me.
They didn’t work for me in either format, which is a shame. Sherry Thomas is one of the best romance writers out there right now, and she has such an original voice. Sherlock clones have been done to death, and I’m surprised that she chose that character to base her series on. Why not create her own heroine, or choose a character from another famous book or series that hasn’t been copied so often.
I am a fan of the Charlotte Holmes series and I’ve found Thomas’s feminist interpretation of the iconic detective to be unique and a welcome addition to the canon. I’m intrigued with where she’s going with this character. I wouldn’t mind at all if Sherry Thomas wrote historical romances again either though, but I think if memory serves she’s staying with the Charlotte Holmes series for at least another couple of years.
Can’t stand them. Read book one and thought it was fine. Couldn’t make it through the next two. So detailed and slow.
I most miss two who died, Roberta Gellis and Edith Layton, most.
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 ….
I believe I recall reading some years ago that Edith Layton and Barbara Metzger were very good friends. I haven’t been able to find anything about the latter but I wonder if Edith Layton’s death led her to stop writing.
How interesting, I did not know this. And how sad, yet understandable, if true.
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 :-)
I think the great talent Barbara Metzger has/had is that she can make me laugh. Wonderful supporting characters, especially the crazy servants and the animals. Perhaps not always to be taken seriously but good always for a smile.
I love Roberta Gellis. I reread The Roselynde Chronicles occasionally. They are still quite good. I even corresponded with her back in the day.
I think my most missed are already mentioned.
Does anyone know if Karyn Monk and Isolde Martyn are still writing? I think I’ve read one or two books by each and have been meaning to explore their backlist. I haven’t noticed anything in recent years by either.
Martyn’s FB page says she’s going to write children’s books next!
One more: Eve Dangerfield. She hasn’t 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). I know Dangerfield wasn’t to everyone’s taste (there’s usually more than a little kink in all of her books), but I loved her combination of heat, heart, and humor. Plus I was really bummed that she’s not going to finish her Silver Daughters trilogy (about three sisters who run a tattoo shop); she had published the first two books and there was a big cliffhanger at the end of book two—but instead of using her final book to complete the series, she published a coda for an existing couple (from ACT YOUR AGE). I suppose like all of us, writers too sometimes feel they’re in a rut and want to break out, go in a different direction, shake things up, etc. It’s just hard to see them go and take their unfinished stories with them.
I miss Judith Duncan the most, closely followed by Paula Detmer Riggs, Helen Bianchin, and Laura Moore. I’d love to read more by Judith McNaught, Deborah Simmons and Lyn Viehl as well.
Yes, agree about Judith Duncan; I loved her books set in the Canadian wide open spaces. Such lovely tales about ordinary people doing ordinary things. I also miss her. And nice to see another Paula Detmer Riggs fan.
I miss Robin McKinley.
I reread The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown a few years ago and was, again, agog at their greatness.
I listened to audios for both just in the last year. Still love them, but esp THATC.
I’ve never listened to them. I’ll add them to my TBLtL!
Another fan commented on Tor.com in 2019 that Robin has suspended her blog and was working on the sequels to Pegasus. I hope this is true because I still haven’t forgiven her for that cliffhanger ending in 2010! Her website had an under construction notice the last time I tried to access it. Her last novel, Shadows, was published in 2013.
The death of her (much older) husband Peter Dickinson in 2015 was a huge blow and I wonder if she will ever recover. The blog entries she posted at the time were heart-wrenching.
(I hope this doesn’t end up a double post! My phone is being annoying.)
In addition to the authors already mentioned, I miss Ruthie Knox. I thought her earlier books especially (Ride with Me and About Last Night) were very romantic and also original in their approach.
She’s on Twitter and never mentions writing. I loved her work.
Ruthie Knox went into publishing I believe, Brainmill Press?
Yes. She and Mary Ann Hudson are still at it there.
The Laura’s…Laura Moore and Laura Florand. Also Julie James .
I miss Liz Carlyle and Susan Carroll both of whom wrote meaty, complex books. I also miss authors like Nonnie St. George and Nita Abrams who seemed to come and go in a flash of brilliance. And another who I periodically check on is Katherine Allred. She wrote a couple of SF romances that I loved and it seemed she planned for more that universe that just never materialized.
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 hadn’t checked on in a while who do have new books. So I get to explore and perhaps find new reads by old favorites.
The other thing that occurred as I studied was that I realized some of the authors I miss the most are ones who are still writing but are writing books that just don’t work for me any more – for a variety of reasons. Some have switched into a different sub-genre that doesn’t appeal, some keep writing but their writing has changed and it isn’t clicking for me, and some I think the change is in me, where once the books hit the sweet spot, now might seem problematic or have deal breakers.
The reason I miss the still-writing authors more than those who aren’t 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 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.
Not the author’s fault. They’re doing their thing to make a living or to satisfy their current writing muse or whatever the case may be. But still sad for me.
It’s always hard for me to decide when to break up with an author I’ve followed for years. I find a trend for me is when two or three books in a row aren’t working, and then I become reluctant to keep reading when the next new book arrives. I wait for reviews instead and tentatively try again and then usually realize that the author is no longer capturing my interest. Then if I keep trying and getting disappointed, I get angry at myself for wasting my own time. There’s always a bit of a grieving process for me as I let a favorite author go. Some authors though endure and write consisently well or even better as they age.
I miss new books from Meredith Duran and Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna. Although I hadn’t read the Desert Dog series by McKenna because I couldn’t get into them.
I had been waiting and hoping for years that Judith Merkle Riley would publish again and was so saddened years ago when it was announced she had passed on. She had an amazing original voice and a wealth of scholarship behind her books.
I’m happy Joanna Bourne is still working on her next book, however slowly. And I’m very grateful for AAR because I may have never known that Meljean Brook was back as Milla Vane.
I remember back before the days of the internet being so frustrated when I couldn’t find new books by a favorite author or having to look up in the giant “books in print” volumes to try to see what an author’s entire canon was and if I was missing anything.
So many series would abruptly stop or authors would just disappear off of the shelves with no explanation. At least now between blogs, twitter and other readers one can glean some kind of answer or update.
I also would like to add that I’m grateful for AAR and the people who ‘commune’ here :)
Like anything else, authors come and go for untold reasons (much to my dismay), but life goes on. Through AAR’s reviews and words of mouth from the people here, I’ve discovered wonderful new-to-me authors to fill the HR void. Mia Vincy’s name came to mind as recent HR author I discovered here, and she totally blew me away with her quality writing.
I didn’t 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.
Just wanted to say thank you to all of you and keep the referrals coming!
Thank you for your kinds words! We appreciate it!
I miss Joanna Bourne the most. and re-read her books often. I received an email from her recently in which she shared that health issues were slowing her writing, but she has not stopped permanently.. So hopefully we’ll have more from her.
Here’s hoping. She’s amazing. There isn’t a single one of her books I haven’t enjoyed.
Agreed!
Bourne has definitely been working on a new book because she had posted a few things about it over the years – it’s a Medieval setting, which is quite a departure from her Regency spy works. 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. Maybe that helped with the relative speed then (even though she was never the fastest writer) or she had some already written.
The later books seemed to take longer. It seemed like I had waited years for Severine’s story when it finally came out. I absolutely love her writing and am beyond curious to read her take on a Medieval setting. She has such a distinct voice and style that I am trying to imagine it in a Medieval. She does still write essays and things at Word Wenches that I like to read for a taste of her writing.
I love her writing and have bought the Spymaster series on audio. It is so wonderful. Her phrasing and word choices are amazing.
Anne Calhoun and Jill Sorenson—neither of whom has published anything new in several years and both of whom left secondary characters (who seemed to be getting set up for their own stories) hanging at the end of their last published books. Calhoun‘s 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 hope she’s doing ok. I think someone said Sorenson was publishing under another name, but I could never really verify if that were the case.
I also miss Cara McKenna and Charlotte Stein. I think McKenna said writing wasn’t 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). I don’t know if Stein ever announced she’d stopped writing, but as far as I can tell her last published work was a short story in the 2018 Christmas Anthology, REINDEER GAMES. I’m not on Twitter, but I understand Stein has tweeted that she is still writing but went through a bad case of writer’s block.
These are four of my very favorite writers, all of whom wrote strong, intelligent, thoughtful characters and great romantic stories. And although Ruthie Knox was never in my Pantheon of favorite writers, I‘ve enjoyed a number of her books and I don’t think she’s published anything in a while either.
Jill Sorenson now writes as Jill Cliff. She’s publishing regularly. Stein published a book this year! I too miss Anne Calhoun. She really just vanished!
Thank you for the updates. I actually won a Susan Cliff book a couple of years back! I’ll have to dig it out now I know she’s Jill Sorenson.
Zombies aren’t really my thing, but I’m glad Stein is still publishing.
Judith Ivory and Cecilia Grant are authors I love and miss greatly. Ivory had such a unique voice and I haven’t found anyone like her. Grant only had a handful of books before she vanished and I liked them all and loved her final one. She was an author with so much promise and her disappearance still bothers me.
I miss Anne Stuart and even though she is revising old classics, I still miss new original books from her.
Courtney Milan wrote a novella last year that I enjoyed and she just posted about a new novel coming out by this year’s end, and so she’s still around. I’m planning to read her upcoming book. She’s so active on social media that it feels like she’s around.
I like Anne Calhoun’s books and often wonder if she’ll return. I think I looked recently and her author website had vanished.
I’m getting worried that Loretta Chase might be nearing retirement. She has a book out by the end of the year, but I just have the sense that it might be her final one, or that her output is going to drastically subside.
Elizabeth Hoyt hasn’t written much in a long time and based on reviews of her last book, I haven’t started her new series.
Now that I’ve put this all down, it feels depressing. I’m always grateful that I find new authors every year. Every year I discover at least 2-3 new favorites.
Loretta Chase is planning to write at least 1 more book in her current series. There is the book that will be out in December and one more after that. She is not a fast writer but her books are well worth waiting for!
Yes, the husband/wife from the trilogy. I hope they finally get their story because I found them interesting.
Anne Stuart published a time travel Christmas themed book just back in November 2019 so she is still working. The woman in it goes back to the 1940’s. I bought it and didn’t get a chance to read it during the Christmas season so I kind of forgot about it. Maybe it’s time for me to have Christmas in late July. So she is writing but in a different genre, at least for this one. I believe it’s “Return To Christmas”.
from her blog last week:
I’m finishing up the revisions on THE ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY WORST MAN IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES and I’m feeling delicious. I don’t know why I have to go through so much tsuris (I think that’s 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 that’s actually quite delightful. Now I just have to get the perfect cover and it’s off to the races.
Yes, I follow Stuart on social media. I decided to skip the Christmas book as it wasn’t grabbing my attention. I hope she keeps writing though.
I miss Lynn Viehl, too. Also Laura Kinsale. But publishing eventually wore her down, as it does a lot of people. I’m still writing some romance but I’m also moving over to historical detective stories. I just can’t 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.
BTW, I don’t know what happened to the site, but it’s not rendering properly any more. I get a quick flash of it, and then it reverts to scripts and gobbledegook. The articles are there, but the design isn’t.
@ Lynne Connolly: “I just can’t 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.” This seemed both a sad and very intriguing comment. I’d really like to know what it is that you find hard to cope with and also what the “Amazon scam authors” are as I haven’t a clue what this means. How can the romance community be improved or changed for you? I am perhaps a little naive about the online community as I don’t get involved with social media, e.g. facebook, twitter, etc. so maybe I have missed something somewhere.
Amazon scam authors are those who crank out a book a month, sometimes plagiarizing from others. They often price their books at less than a buck a book and flood the best seller lists.
Thanks, Dabney. They are probably the ones who get loads of meaningless 5* reviews of 10 words or less. It’s why I stopped bothering to write reviews there.
There are definitely Amazon scams out there, including plagiarism as you mention. Here’s an interesting article about some other scams including suspiciously prolific authors and “book-stuffing:” https://justpublishingadvice.com/kindle-scams-are-still-making-easy-money/. They didn’t mention click farms specifically, but that is yet another scam.
“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.”
Here’s where I have to disagree with you, Dabney, or at least offer my take on it. Cranking out a book a month is hardly unusual on KDP, especially in certain genres like self-help, erotica, and even romance. Die-hard erotica short story authors can easily pump out one, two, or even three stories per week– a speed I have trouble keeping up with. While I’m 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. (Granted, your average erotica short is 5,000 words, but KDP still considers a short story a book.)
As for books priced less than a dollar, again, that’s not too uncommon for the kinds of shorts that self-pubbers crank out. The flooding of the best seller lists has more to do with Amazon’s wonky algorithms than scam authors. And their system definitely favors books less than a week old, which encourages more book churning. Case in point, I’ve 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. Not saying this to brag, just making a point about the screwy Amazon chart system that favors new work rather than sheer numbers of sales. Before Amazon separated Top 100 sales lists from Top 100 free books, the system was even crazier.
Have you tried clearing your browser?
I really wish Cecilia Grant had written more romance novels.
Me too!
YES!! She was terrific.
Deborah Smith has written some books I loved (Gentle Rain and When Venus Fell are my absolute favorites!) but for several years she has only been publishing short stories and smaller books part of series. Since 2007 no full length book like the ones I mentioned has been released.
Where are the next installments of the famous IAD series by Kresley Cole?
Sarah Addison Allen’s latest book was released five years ago, I know it’s not as much as other authors but…
Cole has been been writing a YA series. She has one left to go in that series. Maybe she’s done with IAD?
Can she possibly be finished with IAD without a Nix book!! ??
Nix waits for no man….
Personally, I am not interested in her YA series. This is fine and I’m certain other readers have enjoyed it. However, I would like to know if she is on a permanent hiatus in relation to the IAD series or if she plans on actually release more books. I can wait – it sucks, but I can, but it would be kind of her to inform the readers, whatever her decision is.
I think Sarah Addison Allen still writes but she has suffered some family losses.
I didn’t know this. Thank you for sharing this information :)
I also believe she had a bout with cancer. She is writing. I follow her Facebook page. She posts the most delightful vignettes weekly.
Judith A Lansdowne; Marjorie Farrell; Barbara Metzger; Emma Drummond; Paul Detmer Riggs. I’ve tried to find any current information on them on the web but no luck.
Drummond has to be very old by now (almost 90, I think). I don’t know if Valerie Fitzgerald is still alive. I have fond memories of Zemindar. Likewise, not sure if Patricia Wright is still alive. I loved her Russian novels. As you can probably tell, I miss those epic romantic historicals.
@Eggletina – Wow! And another fan of Zemindar! I still have that one on the old keeper shelf. I did try to find more about her some time ago and I don’t think she wrote another book, at least under this name. And I read Patricia Wright’s books. 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. 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.
I’m a massive Drummond fan too. And Zemindar. Blast from the past. Great bks. I think there would be a lot of problematic content for today’s readers, however the wonderful writing & good stories/characters shine through.
I miss Laura Kinsale, Erin Kellison, and Joanna Bourne. I’m glad there’s Elizabeth Kingston, whose writing style I found to be similar to Laura Kinsale.
I’m 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.
The Meljean revival has been wonderful and encouraging. Maybe our other favorites will, at some point, reimerge!
Laura Kinsale and Judy Cuevas aka Judith Ivory. Loved all their books.
Kinsale is on Twitter but never mentions writing that I can see.
I miss Lynn Viehl. I love her Darkyn series (among others) and long for the featured stories of some of the characters appearing in the series. (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.)
Wow, that’s a sad perspective.