Third, you stated, 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. Like you, I am pleased there are more books centering female agency. But at the same time, I wouldnt 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. It had been optioned by BBC as a series, but I dont think that ever happened. I miss Linnea Sinclair. Is that a bug that can be fixed? They didnt mention click farms specifically, but that is yet another scam. From a business perspective, thats totally understandable. Wednesdays column featured a 2009 interview with historical romance author Meredith Duran. 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. Many thanks to Meredith Duran for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions. . I loved her books. You should see my copies of Not Quite a Husband and The Spymasters Lady. Hopefully, the authors who have stopped writing will return or new authors will appear on the scene to fill this void. She has such a distinct voice and style that I am trying to imagine it in a Medieval. I am so looking forward to reading your next novel. Oh yes, I can imagine the criticisms that would be leveled at Mrs. Morsi for writing that. the characters acted very oddly, and she still hasn't grasped the clarity of writing that I normally expect. Duran is not the only beloved romance writer who stopped-at least for now-penning love stories. But it does provide a general depiction of current trends on a roughly hourly basis. 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. 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. (Not the ones here obviously). By which I mean, we cant just follow the story of the old woman who lived through Pearl Harbor into the 21st century. Please enter me in the contest. Every generation, every decade even, produces different ideas of the ideal man or hero. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()). Were probably all watching some form of the news right now. 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. Several of you commented how much you miss her work and shared your hopes that shell return to writing romance. I miss Lynn Viehl, too. And my name is Lydia so how could I not reply! Bourne has definitely been working on a new book because she had posted a few things about it over the years its a Medieval setting, which is quite a departure from her Regency spy works. A few caveats: Regretfully, you must have a U.S. mailing address to be eligible and if you review or write for another romance Website or blog, please dont enter. Im 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. And these are my go-to historical romance authors when I need that shot in the arm: Laura Kinsale, Judith Ivory, Loretta Chase, Sherry Thomas, Connie Brockway, Joanna Bourne, Marsha Canham, Jo Goodman. As I contemplated who I missed I did a little noodling into my own reading past with the happy result that I found some authors who I hadnt checked on in a while who do have new books. Meredith L Duran, age 45 I remember reading a gothic type romance with time travel elements back in the early 90s when I was much younger. Her books well very well, and narrators like to be associated with success just like most people do. From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. It's the music - and any devotee of the book, a fictional oral history of a Seventies rock band, will have strong feelings about exactly how it should sound. The decisions up to you. I am currently listening to a 1348 page bookThe Standand am reveling in its detailed storylines and fully formed characters. 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. The heroine has been raised to be very, very nice (so nice that shes strangling on it), but when a humiliating turn of events proves to her that nice isnt working anymore, she decides instead that shell learn how to be naughty. It demands and entails respect. Granted, most people have been really understanding about it, but a number of people outside of the field really dont get it. Approximately 34% and 17% of middle-aged men and women, respectively, meet . William Devaliant, Lord Lockwood, was born into a charmed life. Not much of what we do in this life can be associated with such a sentiment..for most of us our children. The entire time I was reading Bringing Down the Duke, I kept thinking, Yeah, this is exactly what I want more of in historical romance! but ultimately, that story hit me more in the head than the heart so Im excited to try the second book in the series. If a song doesnt get airplay or publicity or put on a soundtrack then most people wont know about it. 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. Hi Meredith! P.S: Sandy, I dont live in the U.S. so please do not enter me into the ARC contest. Id love to read more by Judith McNaught, Deborah Simmons and Lyn Viehl as well. Her last novel, Shadows, was published in 2013. I enjoyed Duke of Shadows and the far-flung setting in India. I also miss Cecilia Grant, who hasnt shown up on Twitter for quite a while. Whether the decision was based on sales (or lack thereof) or the desire for the Next Big Thing, Im sorry I no longer get to read some of these favorites. So theres that to start with. Julia Spencer-Fleming released a new book in April Hid From Our Eyes. Amazon scam authors are those who crank out a book a month, sometimes plagiarizing from others. #cnsf18. As for Rachelwell, youll just have to wait for her upcoming review. I also agree that basing trends on what I choose to read or what attracts me is a very narrow lens. I think this may draw me back in! 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. Also, I never realized there is a giant genre of Alien Barbarian romance. Gosh, that seems crazy to me. My favorite romance author is Judith Ivory and her style influenced some of my other favorites, like Sherry Thomas and Meredith Duran. A 100-125k word book about the Holy Roman Empire sounds fascinating. When a certain fraudulent antiquity sets these two onto a collision course, Lydia is horrified to discover that she might be wrong about herself, because Jamesflashy and bottomless as a butterflyis nevertheless frighteningly attractive to her. Kimberly Raye (4 years) And, I have to admit that Nardi is absolutely one of my favorite characters (just re-read Bliss a few weeks ago) so I am definitely looking forward to learning James. They are still quite good. Eileen Wilks (her Lupi books are UF rather than romance, but its been a couple years). She is not a fast writer but her books are well worth waiting for! Meredith Duran is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thirteen novels. 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. What worries me on a macro level is that peoples opinions or generalizations are accepted as fact (and even facts are debatable!). I obviously dont object to the audio first titles, but as someone who grew up listening to actual audio drama (thank you BBC Radio 4!) Im intrigued with where shes going with this character. 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. Another historical! I love reading historicals. Report abuse. shar pei california. I read contemporaries, non-fiction, myteries pretty much everything but the staple of my reading diet is historical romance. But those are just some personal observations. I also miss Sherry Thomas writing historical romance. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. Im happy to keep trying out newish authors who are still full of creativity and whose style hasnt worn out its welcome for me. if (hash === 'blog' && showBlogFormLink) { I have owned a copy of Judith Ivorys BLISS for many years but have never read it. 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 meant it more in the sense of trends. I agree with everything you have written here. Judith James reissued expanded version of her Restoration trilogy on Kindle and theyre great but her website is now defunct. Still didnt work for me.). I also miss Elizabeth Lowell, her westerns (both historical and modern day) were wonderful. Eggletina Wow! by . So this isnt a blanket condemnation by any means, but its an issue for romance listeners to be aware of I think. Thats my take on it, anyway. But it certainly makes for steam and fireworks! They end up at the front of displays in the few big chain bookstores left. They need to make a living, but I expect a fair value for my money. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. But Id also love to see new books by Cecilia Grant, Laura Kinsale or Joanna Bourne. Plots that have kept fans on their toes, wondering what this sly author has in store for them next! 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. Drummond has to be very old by now (almost 90, I think). 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. At the same time, researchers argue that . I miss Laura Kinsale, Erin Kellison, and Joanna Bourne. Someone above said literary sensibility which is probably the better descriptor. is meredith duran still writing. Amazing that I hadnt read anything of hers before. Now I avoid her books because they just disappoint me. I see a lot of authors will post what and who they are currently reading or their influences and I think its brave in this day and age as people can be quick to draw conclusions. And, in the meantime, Ill console myself with all the wonderful contemporaries that have come out recently and hunt down every obscure, out-of-print historical I can get my hands on. Heres what I say: I devoured this novel in a kind of giddy frenzy. Heres what Blythe had to say: For me, its all about the hero he was completely delicious. She was an author with so much promise and her disappearance still bothers me. I love the Charlotte Holmes books (Im reading the upcoming one now) but would also like to see some more HR from Ms. Thomas. First, I think skepticism and concrete data seeking are healthy behaviors, but I dont discount the power of observation. That it exists at all can be blamed on Lydia. 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 think I looked recently and her author website had vanished. Sometimes books between 3-5 hours are priced around $10. intelligent, complex, sexy, smart and really goodwho even remotely writes like her? They left more, however, a sense that Id not just skimmed a time period-or even a mental, sexual, or political one, but delved into and EXPERIENCED something that usually wasnt even on my radar.and then it was! Blast from the past. Whenever I switch from an academic paper to fiction writing, I . I reread The Roselynde Chronicles occasionally. Jun 29, 2022. ogden clinic cardiology . Second, you are correct that self-published books are not necessarily getting shorter and shorter. Shes publishing regularly. 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. Yes, the husband/wife from the trilogy. So, there you go. No. I miss HR author Adele Ashworth. Ive tried to find any current information on them on the web but no luck. 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. But mostly its because my tastes keep changing. Ill be really interested to hear what you guys think of Written on Your Skin, which is my favorite of Merediths books so far. The blog entries she posted at the time were heart-wrenching. img.scaleToMaxWidth(385); The most important character in Taylor Jenkins Reid 's novel Daisy Jones & The Six? Plus, I knew about the Egypt romances, Jeannie Lins work, etc. True, she didnt quit writing entirely, but shes definitely shifted her focus from romantic suspense to thrillers with some romantic elements (as opposed to central romance). Shes so active on social media that it feels like shes around. She is also known for her atypical and complex story lines. Why not create her own heroine, or choose a character from another famous book or series that hasnt been copied so often. I did try to find more about her some time ago and I dont think she wrote another book, at least under this name. I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the interview, Sandy, and your Nardi comparison as well (Im really grateful theres no vomit in BBYT, since I had a tough time getting over that in Bliss). Is this some strange new perversity thats surfacing in him, that leads him to fixate on a stiff-necked, over-educated bluestocking? The LaurasLaura Moore and Laura Florand. For me, the books are about $11. And thats a good thing. 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. I found it too slow moving. Sorry for typos. I have brought this up many times before, and often received backlash for saying it. 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. She and Mary Ann Hudson are still at it there. 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. Meanwhile, we have to have alternative chapters that focus on Miss Bubbly-Wannabe-Journalist because shes in the 21st century and therefore the young reader can relate. 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. (Would you be insulted if I told you I thought James was a bit Nardi-esque only without the vomit?) Just look at the top male movie stars from 20 years ago or 10 compared to now. ), MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. I hope they finally get their story because I found them interesting. And there are some authors who have lost the spark for me, I think their previous books were better than what theyre publishing now, and I do try their new stories but they end up always as bad to ok books. So many series would abruptly stop or authors would just disappear off of the shelves with no explanation. Still, going to make my way into another Duran book next. The "Strangler Fig" pattern for technology modernization may be my favorite for complex transformations, but there are varying approaches of the pattern that Plus I was really bummed that shes 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 twobut instead of using her final book to complete the series, she published a coda for an existing couple (from ACT YOUR AGE). Im so bedazzled at being associated with those authors that I am tempted to say the whole world looks golden right now! Theres damn lies. Read book one and thought it was fine. Same here, for some reason I found it extremely difficult to get into Sherry Thomas Charlotte Holmes series. I was thrilled to see the news of Loretta Chases next book but at the same time, Im nostalgic for a year (like the early 2010s) when Duran, Grant, Thomas, and Chase each had a book coming out & they were the commanding presence in historical romance. In addition to the authors already mentioned, I miss Ruthie Knox. I dont know if Stein ever announced shed stopped writing, but as far as I can tell her last published work was a short story in the 2018 Christmas Anthology, REINDEER GAMES. Blind faith, he feels, gives a free pass to those who would abuse and use your love and give nothing in return for it. Ive never liked Sherlock Holmes, I always thought he was a jerk. First of all Meredith, confession time: I loved Bound by Your Touch so very much that I havent yet read Written on Your Skin. I also miss Cara McKenna and Charlotte Stein. Sometimes Julie Anne Longs books fill this void for me. But, I could be wrong. I definitely agree with you about installments as a money grab. I could be totally off the mark here. Meredith was born and raised enamored of British history. 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. 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. Hi Meredith, Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I really wish Cecilia Grant had written more romance novels. lagos lockdown news today; is meredith duran still writing 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. It feels manufactured, very formulaic and predictable. Now that Ive put this all down, it feels depressing. And, lastly, the official Books with Buzz closer: We know that Written on Your Skin is up next month. I wonder, am I too old for the current style or do I have older sensibilities? Every time I search I only can find polls or best books lists which arent the same thing. Meredith Duran Books. I started her upcoming one and put it down. Those are really not most of the books that I buy or read however. I very much enjoyed Duke of Shadows, and now cant wait for this next one. 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. Thank you for sharing this information :). 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. Her next release, THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD, hits the shelves on February 27, 2018. 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. : Paul McCartney comparece ao lanamento da primeira coleo de utenslios domsticos de sua filha Heather, nos EUA. 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. is meredith duran still writing. At thirteen years old, she made a list of life goals that included writing romance novels, trying sushi, and going to London to see Holbein's portrait of Anne Boleyn. At thirteen years old, she made a list of life goals that included writing romance novels, trying sushi, and going to London to see Holbein's portrait of Anne Boleyn. Which is crazy when you think about it considering someone else is using their characters without permission in the first place. I hope shes well, but its been several years since shes published and I no longer get newslettersso its not looking good. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. Your path to publication was quite different than most since you won an online competition so this may not be the fairest question in the world but, gee, who said life is fair? These new full cast recordings sound really odd, because while there are lots of voices, there are no sound effects! Although I suspect narrators covet working for her because of her high profile in CR.