Ah, I didnt know that she was no longer writing. But the roles they play have begun to suffocate them. Some have switched into a different sub-genre that doesnt appeal, some keep writing but their writing has changed and it isnt 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. Does it feel golden to you? 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. 1,2 These episodic cycles of breathing disruption cause acute and chronic physiological stressors. I keep hoping for an early release. } That has been the case for certain authors or series for me. Who, for example, gets to define what it means to be a perky, bluestocking heroine (just as a random example)? I have owned a copy of Judith Ivorys BLISS for many years but have never read it. Still there is lack of evidence on success of physiologists or breeders at increasing the assimilatory or metabolic efciencies of the major cereal crops (Evans 1993). Im curious. L.Heath. (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. And as others have said, there are some authors who are still writing but whose work isnt what it once was, and I miss them, too. While Im sure there are some scammers in the bunch, a number of these authors are legit powerhouses who can work at a punishing pace while chasing after dollars and cents. 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. I dont think writers necessarily use quantitative data when chasing trends either. Even though I absolutely adored the last Meredith Duran book I read, my experience with her writing has been pretty erratic to date. The new books sound wonderful as well! And, to make the good news even better, the incredibleBound by Your Touch will be followed with another release in August, Written on Your Skin. 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 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. Mia Vincys books would fit well today, and perhaps Evie Dunmore, though Ive only read one of her books to date. When was the last time you heard somebody say, Oh, Im not going to read that book. (I hope this doesnt end up a double post! 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. I have fond memories of Zemindar. He moves on from his maudlin reflection very quickly, because he generally tries to take nothing very seriously, least of all himself. Who would you cite as the authors who inspired you? 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. Wicked Becomes You Meredith Duran Author (2010) That Scandalous Summer Rules for the Reckless (Series) Meredith Duran Author Alison Larkin Narrator (2014) At Your Pleasure Meredith Duran Author (2012) Bound by Your Touch Meredith Duran Author (2009) Written on Your Skin Meredith Duran Author (2009) Fool Me Twice Rules for the Reckless (Series) Her website had an under construction notice the last time I tried to access it. The landscape was part of the story in many ways, so much so that I felt like I was right there, in the book. Loved all their books. Amy, do check out Bourne! If Im feeling reluctant to start writing, the best medicine is to read prose that excites and surprises me. Are the 3,000 word $2.99 stories cheating their customers because the 20,000 word stories are also $2.99? In other words, do you see an end to what many readers see as same-old-same-old? It sounds interesting and different. Im glad theres Elizabeth Kingston, whose writing style I found to be similar to Laura Kinsale. Amazon scam authors are those who crank out a book a month often price their books at less than a buck a book and flood the best seller lists., Heres where I have to disagree with you, Dabney, or at least offer my take on it. Hannah Howell NOT finishing her Wherelock series with a story on Mordred. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()). I know that not all books can be epics, nor should they be. I am a massive fan of Judith Ivory, and Bliss is one of my favorite books of all time.). I really miss Meredith Duran, and hope she returns. 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. 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 definitely agree with you about installments as a money grab. Im so bedazzled at being associated with those authors that I am tempted to say the whole world looks golden right now! Thank you for the updates. So, with that said, what were your goals for the book in other words, what did you want to make absolutely certain came through to the reader in the pages of the novel? And then theres statistics. There definitely needs to be a balance between quantitative data and common sense. I think in some novels the age of the author slips in somewhat even if they are writing someone younger. It seemed like I had waited years for Severines story when it finally came out. Meredith Duran is an English author of romance and historical fiction books. Please enter me in the ARC contest. The book sounds like a great historical read. But they arent facts. . is meredith duran still writing. One writer I miss is Lauren Blakely. the characters acted very oddly, and she still hasn't grasped the clarity of writing that I normally expect. I love the exotic setting of Written on Your Skin.. There are beloved authors from years ago who have switched genres or retired but I know those old favourite books would bore me now. Helpful. 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. But looking at Avons recent catalog, I can see youre point about endless Regency. The first 10 pages of their catalog is mostly Regency, some Westerns, some contemporary, and a smattering of other options. I reread The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown a few years ago and was, again, agog at their greatness. Its my personal observation that the books publishers are choosing and pushing are more generic titles with lighter themes set in mostly 19th century England or Europe. I also think its a sign of a talented writer when they can overcome individual considerations like that and I find myself relating to a character far outside my own experience. Her last novel, Shadows, was published in 2013. Jael Wye (sfr, five years since a new release) Hopefully, the authors who have stopped writing will return or new authors will appear on the scene to fill this void. Not a chicken/egg but a system of mutual back and forth influence, as it were. I struggle to find many historical writers fitting this depiction today. The more books the better! . Sherry Thomas, one of my favorites, is also one of your biggest cheerleaders. 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.. Heres what Blythe had to say: For me, its all about the hero he was completely delicious. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. 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. Always at the center of the crowd, widely adored despite his own best efforts to scandalize, he can do as he pleases and face no consequences for it. 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. Companies call me in when they need a skilled expert who can blend cultural intelligence, EQ, and subject mastery . I cant wait to read it (whether I win or not). 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. I havent had this joy to read you. Those kind of questions keep me up at night. I hope after reading this interview, you will be, too. You have something special that you offer your readers; refreshing to read passion that seems true to life and flaws that actually drive the novel to fruition. You see, James was the anchor of this book. Right. When I read comments like this, Im immediately thinking of how different my own reading experiences must be to others. And thats a good thing. Its always hard for me to decide when to break up with an author Ive followed for years. Also the was the place where Jeannie Lin published her first books set in China, so they are willing to look at different settings. QUITTING WHEN A PERSON HAS SUCH, I so miss Duran. Every year I discover at least 2-3 new favorites. From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. Were very excited about this one. Meredith Duran's debut work, The Duke of Shadows was one of my favourite reads of 2008: it had an unfamiliar setting (India circa 1857) and an unusual pair of protagonists with a very nurturing hero and a heroine suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. 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. var hash = window.location.hash.substring(1); I found myself skipping too many parts or throwing them in irritation. Patricia Rice doing contemporary books ugh, etc. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. I miss Liz Carlyle and Susan Carroll both of whom wrote meaty, complex books. Its like the old joke, Theres lies. Please enter me in the ARC contest. facebook, twitter, etc. 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 . So this isnt a blanket condemnation by any means, but its an issue for romance listeners to be aware of I think. !" concerns from creatives. I havent been reading romance long enough to miss a particular author, but I can definitely understand why a number of them disappear. I hope shes well, but its been several years since shes published and I no longer get newslettersso its not looking good. Just wanted to say, I love those titles, especially Written on Your Skin. 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. is it okay to take melatonin after covid vaccine. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Her other books include RITA award winner Fool Me Twice and her February 2017 release, A Lady's Code of Misconduct, which was called one of the best romances of the year by BookList and Amazon, and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, the latter of which opined: This book weaves its spell so thoroughly that the most fortunate reader will be the one who has time to read the entire thing in one sitting. H. MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history.