Books, like quilts become like children during the process of becoming. Im also grateful to my other favorite (veteran) authors who still write, despite whatever challenges they face: Meljean Brook aka Milla Vane, Loretta Chase, for example. Im not on Twitter, but I understand Stein has tweeted that she is still writing but went through a bad case of writers block. 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. As for books priced less than a dollar, again, thats not too uncommon for the kinds of shorts that self-pubbers crank out. And what a waste of narrators! Audible sets these prices, I know that. hill country elephant preserve promo code The skill they bring, or not, to writing about 2 men is what will be the determining factor for me. Do contemporary-in-corset authors have a younger audience? 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. I have fond memories of Zemindar. 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? Judith Ivory and Cecilia Grant are authors I love and miss greatly. A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into. Their books typically incorporate a fair amount of historical research and a rich setting, as well as three-dimensional characters, and strong prose skills. 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. Perhaps next you will introduce me to myself. Not a chicken/egg but a system of mutual back and forth influence, as it were. (I hope this doesnt end up a double post! First, I think skepticism and concrete data seeking are healthy behaviors, but I dont discount the power of observation. In the late 1990s 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. Theyre doing their thing to make a living or to satisfy their current writing muse or whatever the case may be. It seems the stories have gotten simpler and a lot less complex and interesting. Since 2007 no full length book like the ones I mentioned has been released. Welcome back. How to Fake It in Hollywood How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder is $2.99! meredith duran hiatus? - kasheshchhabbria.com Which is crazy when you think about it considering someone else is using their characters without permission in the first place. Several of you commented how much you miss her work and shared your hopes that shell return to writing romance. I agree with everything you have written here. Thats my take on it, anyway. Just wanted to say thank you to all of you and keep the referrals coming! // logged into Facebook user but not a GR app user; show FB button In addition to the authors who just disappeared, Id add Judith James and Lydia Joyce. Writing for audio might also be the reason we see shorter books these days with fewer supporting characters and less complicated plot lines. This seemed both a sad and very intriguing comment. Meanwhile, we have to have alternative chapters that focus on Miss Bubbly-Wannabe-Journalist because shes in the 21st century and therefore the young reader can. Log In. Judith A Lansdowne; Marjorie Farrell; Barbara Metzger; Emma Drummond; Paul Detmer Riggs. Case in point, Ive hit the Top 100 list in certain niches for several hours just because someone bought one copy and borrowed a few pages of a book I published the day before. Have you considered submitting it to Carina Press? Audios are expensive, and I dont like being asked to pay full price for a 4 hour book when most books are 8 hours plus. I also miss the days of really digging into a long, meaty read. And thats a whole other can of worms Im not going to open right now. 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. The same with books for many a reader. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. } Well, at least they are trying to do something different. Yes, you have a point there. The landscape was part of the story in many ways, so much so that I felt like I was right there, in the book. She hasnt stopped writing, but in the Afterword to her last published romance (NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE), she announced she was no longer going to be writing romance; she plans to write in a different genre and publish under a different name (Dangerfield provided neither her new name nor the new genre). mon - fri 8.00 am - 4.00 pm #22 beetham gardens highway, port of spain, trinidad +1 868-625-9028 So many series would abruptly stop or authors would just disappear off of the shelves with no explanation. Anne Stuart published a time travel Christmas themed book just back in November 2019 so she is still working. Its one thing if writer such as Elizabeth Darrell DIE and leave us with more of their excellent story telling skill, but just to quit on us..so sad. Since Regency is not a favorite historical period of mine, I tend to see it everywhere as in, Ugh, another Regency?. And if its what their readers want, more power to them. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. She is the author of eleven novels, all published by Pocket Books. I agree with the literary sensibility you mention to characterize authors like Duran, Ivory, Bourne, Grant, etc. Still didnt work for me.). 99 $22.99 $22.99. But her writing has changed over the last couple of years; it lacks the heart and the charm of her earlier work. 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. featured a 2009 interview with historical romance author Meredith Duran. But the concern is, sadly, reasonable. However theres also room for variety were happy to publish stories from ancient Greece all the way through to World War II, though we have ceased publication of Westerns as of January 2019.. //The AAR Good Time Book Club: Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran I am anticipating an m/f story rewritten with two men, to be honest. Was there a marketing survey or research that said shorter, lighter romance books sell better and in larger amounts than more serious convoluted ones? 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. But they arent facts. 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. And Im very grateful for AAR because I may have never known that Meljean Brook was back as Milla Vane. Yes, its true feminist activism could be behind the trend, but it could also be completely inexplicable as popularity so often is. Val Roberts (sfr, only a year since a new release) Thanks, Dabney. Maybe our other favorites will, at some point, reimerge! They didnt work for me in either format, which is a shame. It also occurs to me in this discussion that I distinguish between authors who have literally vanished and havent been seen in years and authors whose output has significantly diminished and who I tend to think now of as semi-retired. what do you say when someone's daughter gets married? I have to be careful though not to push this trend notion too far in my own mind because I suspect theres lots of push back out there dark romances, nostalgia for traditional masculinity, etc., all from books I avoid when reading for pleasure. Elizabeth Hoyt hasnt written much in a long time and based on reviews of her last book, I havent started her new series. 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. and re-read her books often. $grfb.init.done(function() { Meredith Duran. Was it a reaction to something the way that the pop music resurgence happened after grunge ruled the music charts? Heres hoping. 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. I try to make sure too that Im not generalizing about characters ages in fiction. 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. ?? She wrote a couple of SF romances that I loved and it seemed she planned for more that universe that just never materialized. 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. 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. For me culture is dialectic in that ideologies and belief systems give rise to cultural products and customs, which then influence culture in return. Try not to be discouraged. I tend to become disenchanted with authors long before they stop writing. It often feels like a money grab on the part of these CR authors, and I resent that.. Sherry Thomas is one of the best romance writers out there right now, and she has such an original voice. There isnt a single one of her books I havent enjoyed. So, over time, Ive gotten the impression that Harlequin is afraid to tarnish their somewhat wholesome image in the world of romance whereas Avon could afford to take more chances. Sometimes 20-30 hours or even more, for the same price. I do agree that self publishing is churning out a lot of very different types of novels and trying out Kindle Unlimited over the past month has opened my eyes to so many more authors, novels and genres that werent on my radar before that large numbers of readers are consuming. 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. Meredith Duran. There are beloved authors from years ago who have switched genres or retired but I know those old favourite books would bore me now. Still love them, but esp THATC. I read about half of book 2 with much the same reaction and I quit at that point. I miss Judith Duncan the most, closely followed by Paula Detmer Riggs, Helen Bianchin, and Laura Moore. Many other I miss have been mentioned already. 546 Followers, 183 Following, 168 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Meredith Duran (@meredithduran) 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 think a lot of books would not be published as easily today. Now I avoid her books because they just disappoint me. Loved all their books. ', Okay, so you have to take that advice with a heavy handful of salt, but I get the point he was making. I know that not all books can be epics, nor should they be. Wonderful supporting characters, especially the crazy servants and the animals. Like others have mentioned, her books, along with Judith Ivory and Laura Kinsale, are so grown up, I suppose. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()). I still have that one on the old keeper shelf. Im 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. They never were., Vote for July 2020 BOTM - Jilted At the Altar - ROUND 1, MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. Cant stand them. . I think that two main reasons that a lot of authors stopped writing. 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 . Ivory had such a unique voice and I havent found anyone like her. If done correctly, it could be a wonderful period mystery series. [CDATA[ MEREDITH DURAN grew up enamored of British history. A Lady's Code of Misconduct | Book by Meredith Duran | Official Meredith Duran OverDrive: ebooks, audiobooks, and more for libraries I think my most missed are already mentioned. Im glad to know Joanna Bourne is working on something new. I was excited when I heard about that mm book myselfthen I deflated when I read the blurb. I just miss her amazing HRs so much..! I suppose I just dont frame my preferences in historical romance through the lens of age. Of course not. It feels manufactured, very formulaic and predictable. 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 can only speak from personal experience Im 32 and except for a few Julie Garwood and Diana Gabaldon books in high school, I got into romance as an adult in my late 20s. https://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05/harlequin-fail.html, https://justpublishingadvice.com/kindle-scams-are-still-making-easy-money/. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. Wednesday's column featured a 2009 interview with historical romance author Meredith Duran. 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 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. I also would like to add that Im grateful for AAR and the people who commune here :). 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. Index includes name, sex, date and place of birth, date and county of death, father's last name, and mother's maiden name. I have a book that I have started that is set in the Holy Roman Empire during investiture controversy of the late 11th century and I is complicated and I can try to fit into 80k but it would be better to allow the room to write the story a long as I think it needs, I think is might be between 100-125k, and I just want to know if itRead more . $j("#facebookRegPrompt").hide(); When was the last time you heard somebody say, Oh, Im not going to read that book. }); 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. Today we're discussing Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran. It wasnt about Torie, and that makes me sad. 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. See Photos. 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. A 100-125k word book about the Holy Roman Empire sounds fascinating. Visit meredithduran.com fo Now that Ive put this all down, it feels depressing. 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. Shes a better writer than this; and her fans deserve to have that quality back. 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. The reason I miss the still-writing authors more than those who arent writing at all is that I still get that excited feeling when I see a new book coming from an author I used to auto-buy. . It's possible that no one writes him better than Meredith Duran, whose books are as dark and dangerous as the heroes they feature." The Washington Post "Meredith Duran unceasingly delights . I dont think writers necessarily use quantitative data when chasing trends either. She and Mary Ann Hudson are still at it there. if (hash === 'blog' && showBlogFormLink) { Ive 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. After having loved a few of hers in the past, I struggled with the last three as they had themes that didn't really resonate with me. } else { Also Laura Kinsale. She also purposefully writes only middle-aged heroines because she tries to disrupt stereotypes of ageism in our culture. (None of them have incited the sort of ire leveled at Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin, however.). Walmart, Target, grocery stories, etc feature light romances and mysteries but that doesnt seem new. I was definitely aware of some of the chances Harlequin takes, like the conquistador and native romance you mentioned. is meredith duran still writing - storiiu.com One writer I miss is Lauren Blakely. I know you probably dont read my posts anymore, but there are a few points I would like to address that you mentioned. Cranking out a book a month is hardly unusual on KDP, especially in certain genres like self-help, erotica, and even romance. Hopefully, the authors who have stopped writing will return or new authors will appear on the scene to fill this void. And another fan of Zemindar! Why has the dominant voice in HR become so modern? $2.99 $ 2. The later books seemed to take longer. San Bruno restaurant shooter arrested - smdailyjournal.com And nice to see another Paula Detmer Riggs fan. Heath Durrans is 55 years old today because Heath's birthday is on 01/14/1967. Im finding heroines today from a wide range of authors to be quite interesting and complex. Thankfully, when I looked this up, I discovered there was one last Morsi historical I hadnt read, so Im checking that out right now. Did publishers study what was selling well in their lines and decide it was the most profitable? But I think it says something that Harlequin no longer accepts submissions for their lackluster line Dare, which never allowed erotic content despite advertising itself as Harlequins hottest line yet. The decisions up to you. And thats a good thing. Would a 5,000 word erotic HR short receive the same treatment as a 120,000+ word inspirational tome? Its 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 love Roberta Gellis. Im very interested to see what those publications you list above are reporting on regarding romance novels and reading. See Photos. I havent noticed anything in recent years by either. Her books well very well, and narrators like to be associated with success just like most people do. MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. 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. Yes, thats an important distinction. And I so want Stellas story. Plus, they have some queer romances which the Harlequin category romances do not. 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. 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. They often price their books at less than a buck a book and flood the best seller lists. 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. Listening to characters supposedly conversing in a pub or bar without hearing background chatter or clinking glasses its just plain weird!! Loretta Chase is planning to write at least 1 more book in her current series. I know Dangerfield wasnt to everyones taste (theres usually more than a little kink in all of her books), but I loved her combination of heat, heart, and humor.
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